Battles of Napoleonic Europe: A Solitaire Wargame
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The FroGames Card
You are in Talavera, July 1809. The French are advancing on the left. Your center is exposed. You have three British units that can still react and a die that decides who goes first.
WHAT IT IS ABOUT
A tactical gamebook about the Napoleonic campaigns in Spain and Portugal
Designed by Mike Lambo and illustrated by Matias Cazorla, Battles of Napoleonic Europe is a hex-and-counter wargame printed in a book. Eight battles from the Peninsular War (1808-1814): you command British, Portuguese, Spanish, and German troops against Napoleon's armies. The enemy is managed by an integrated AI system that uses dice to decide movement and attacks.
Each battle is resolved in 30-50 minutes. The initial setup is random: you roll dice to place units, so formations change with every game. The system uses hexes, cut-out tokens, and D6s. Nothing else is needed: everything is in the book, including maps. The goal is to control key positions or eliminate enough enemy units before the AI overwhelms you.
What they say abroad
A pocket-sized wargame that brings the Napoleonic conflict into 50 minutes. Great for those who want history and tactics without investing an afternoon.
— FroGames
"The rules are designed to be clear and quick to learn, allowing players to jump straight into the action."
The rules are designed to be clear and quick to learn, allowing players to jump straight into the action.
— Mike Lambo (designer)
Battles of Napoleonic Europe: A Solitaire Wargame
Designed ONLY for solo play. The AI manages the enemy with tables and dice rolls: each enemy turn, French units move and attack according to coded priorities. There is no multiplayer mode: the game exists to provide a fast and portable Napoleonic tactical experience in solo.
FrogScore · FroGames editorial rating · based on rules, international reviews, and game sessionsWhat's in the book
Maps, tokens, and integrated game systems
Eight historical battle maps
Talavera, Albuera, Salamanca, and five other Peninsular War campaigns. Each map is printed in color with hexes for movement and differentiated terrain (hills, woods, rivers).
Cut-out tokens
Infantry, cavalry, artillery units for British, Portuguese, Spanish, German, and French. Each token has combat strength and movement. Cut them out once, use them for all battles.
Dice AI system
The enemy doesn't have a deck: you roll D6s and consult tables. The AI decides movement, targets, and attacks based on priorities (closest units, tactical objectives). Fast and unpredictable.
Integrated rules and scenarios
Each battle has victory conditions, variable setup, and historical notes. The basic rules take up few pages: hex movement, combat with modifiers, morale. You learn in 15 minutes.
Come si gioca
Video dimostrativo di gameplay.
🎲How to playThe rules in four steps▼
How to play
The flow of each turn
A turn lasts 3-5 minutes: you act, then the AI responds with dice.
Move your units within their movement value. Infantry 2 hexes, cavalry 4, artillery 1. Difficult terrain (woods, hills) costs extra hexes. You can move all or just some units.
You attack adjacent enemy units. You roll a die, add the unit's strength and terrain modifiers, compare it to the defensive roll. If you win, you eliminate the enemy. You can attack with multiple units against one target to combine strengths.
You roll dice for each French unit and consult the AI table. The die decides whether the unit advances towards the objective, moves towards your nearest unit, or stays put. The AI doesn't cheat: it always follows the tables.
Each French unit adjacent to one of yours automatically attacks. You roll for them as you did for yourself. If the AI wins, it eliminates your unit. Then you check the victory conditions: if they are met, the battle ends.
⏱️Your first gameThe chronicle, moment by moment▼
A game in five moments
What happens at the table
Not the rules. The experience.
Choose the battle and roll for setup
Open the book to the Talavera map (or another battle). Roll the dice to place your British and French units according to the setup tables. The field is different every time: this time the enemy cavalry starts in the center, not on the flank. Read the victory conditions: you must control two key hills or eliminate 8 French units.
First turn: you move, the AI responds
You move your units towards tactical positions. The infantry advances slowly, the cavalry covers the flank. Then it's the AI's turn: you roll the dice, consult the enemy movement table. The French advance towards the nearest objective. You don't know if they will attack immediately or position themselves: it depends on the die roll.
Combat and modifiers
Your infantry is on a hill, the French attack from below. You roll for combat: unit strength + terrain modifiers against opponent's roll. You win: the French unit is eliminated. But on the right, another enemy unit has flanked you and now threatens the artillery. You must choose where to concentrate your forces.
The critical turn
You are halfway through the game. You control one hill but have lost three units. The AI rolls high and launches a mass attack on the center. The French cavalry breaks through, your line bends. You have two moves to plug the gap or you lose the objective. This is the moment that decides the battle.
Victory or rout
You have eliminated enough French units, or they have taken the hills. The game ends. If you won, read the historical note: how much does your tactic resemble Wellington's? If you lost, you are already thinking about how to reposition your troops during setup for the rematch.
🐸What to know beforehandThree honest things, from friends▼
What to know beforehand
Three things you need to know
Units do not have hit points: a lost combat = eliminated unit. There are no intermediate states (damaged, retreating). This speeds up the game but reduces tactical granularity compared to more complex wargames.
🏆Victory and defeatWhat rewards the ending▼
How it ends
How to win and how to lose
Each scenario has different victory conditions. Usually: objective control or unit elimination.
Victory
- You control all objective hexes (hills, bridges, villages) indicated by the scenario
- You eliminate the required number of enemy units (varies by battle, usually 6-10)
- You reach the final turn with more surviving units than the enemy (victory by points)
Defeat
- The AI controls all objectives and you cannot retake them
- You lose all units or fall below the minimum number indicated by the scenario
- You reach the turn limit without having met the victory conditions
A historical wargame that can be played on the kitchen table in half an hour, with eight real battles from the Peninsular War. No app programming required, no hours of setup needed.
💬Frequently asked questionsQuick answers before checkout▼
Frequently asked questions
FAQ about Battles of Napoleonic Europe: A Solitaire Wargame
Do you need wargame experience to play?
No. The rules are intentionally simplified: hexagonal movement, dice combat, clear AI tables. If you've ever played a game with a hexagonal map (like Memoir '44 or BattleLore) you'll learn in 15 minutes. It's designed as an introduction to historical wargaming, not an advanced simulation.
How long does a complete battle last?
30-50 minutes per scenario. Simpler battles (Roliça, Vimeiro) finish in half an hour. More complex ones (Talavera, Salamanca) can take up to 50 minutes if you play carefully. The turn limit varies by scenario.
Are the eight battles very different from each other?
Yes. They vary in: force size, objectives (terrain control vs. elimination), map configuration, initial setup. Some battles give you numerical superiority but difficult objectives, others are balanced but with a tight timer. Random setup adds variability even to the same battle.
What mechanics does Battles of Napoleonic Europe use?
Classic hex-and-counter: movement on hexes, combat with modified dice rolls based on unit strength and terrain, AI system based on tables and D6. It features conditional re-rolling mechanics (some units can re-roll in certain situations) and alternating activation (you move all units, then the AI does the same).
Is it available in Italian?
No, this edition is in English. The text is limited: rules, AI tables, historical notes. Language is less important than in a narrative game, because the bulk of the game is maps and dice. There are no official Italian translations at the moment.
The people behind the game
Who invented it, who designed it, who publishes it — and what else they've done.
Battles of Napoleonic Europe: A Solitaire Wargame is a tactical gamebook designed by Mike Lambo for 1 player, published by Draco Ideas in 2023. Eight historical battles of the Peninsular War (1808-1814) with a hex-and-counter system: move British, Portuguese, and Spanish units against the French AI controlled by dice. Each game lasts 30-50 minutes, recommended age 12+. The game includes color maps, cutout counters, and complete rules. Random setup and AI tables ensure high replayability. Available on FroGames.it.
Battles of Napoleonic Europe: A Solitaire Wargame
Frequently Asked Questions
The answers you're looking for, no beating around the bush.
📸Do the images match the actual product?
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📦Does the content of the box match what is indicated?
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