2006 · AdSigna Publications
The Polemos project sets out to create a series of rules sharing a basic structure, yet that are carefully tailored for specific historical periods. You do not wish to fight an American Civil War battle and be forced to use concepts designed for the English Civil War, and we don't want to produce bland mechanics devoid of any period flavor or distinction. Polemos rulebooks now include The Great Northern War, English Civil War, and War of Spanish Succession, in addition to the new Napoleonic rules.
If ever there is an historical period that can lay claim to be THE classic subject for wargamers, then surely it must be those early years of the nineteenth century when Europe was gripped by the power of Napoleon Bonaparte, self-crowned Emperor of France and her conquered territories. A sublime hero to some, a tyrannical despot to others, Napoleon is a man who can still inspire great passions and emotions amongst his supporters and detractors alike.
The Emperor of France demonstrated his mastery of warfare in a period where the infantry were armed with smooth bore muzzle-loading muskets and the mounted arm could indulge in dashing charges with cold steel in hand. The armies were vast and the scale of the battles epic.
There was a great deal of variety in the size of Napoleonic battles. the French army that fought at Wagram was ten times the size of that which fought at Vimiero. It is a lot to ask of any single;e set of rules to cope with such diversity.
Polemos Napoleonic Wars is therefore produced as two sets of rules in one book. The first set, General De Division will allow the wargamer to fight battles with armies of up to corps size. The second set, Marechel de L'Empire will allow the wargamer to refight the BIG battles of the period, so he can emulate Bonaparte at Borodino, Wellington at Waterloo or Blucher at Leipzig.
The same wargames figures may be used in both sets of rules, as the basing system is universal; only the nominal scale will differ.