The battle of Waterloo Wargame 18th june 1815 board game

Waterloo, Napoleon's final battle, held the potential to change history or maintain the status quo. Following a draw at the Battle of Quatre Bras, the Duke of Wellington regrouped his army at Waterloo.

Relive the battle of Waterloo like never before

Waterloo marked the last battle of the Napoleonic era and showcased the full might of France, featuring the complete Imperial Guard, elite heavy cavalry such as the Grenadiers à Cheval, powerful Cuirassiers, and Imperial Dragoons. Under the Duke of Wellington's command, the Allied side included Brunswick Guard infantry, Hanoverian infantry and cavalry, Dutch and Belgian line infantry with Jaegers, British Foot Guards and Highland Black Watch, the "Blues" Horse Guard, and the Scot Greys heavy cavalry. This impressive collection is a must-have for Napoleonic wargaming enthusiasts and fans of the Napoleonic era. Waterloo is a masterpiece in both its campaign map design and the variety of units present on the battlefield, boasting 69 different units representing the troops that fought at Waterloo.

Establishing a defensive position along the Ohain Road, Wellington arranged his troops in a line just behind the ridge connecting Hougoumont farm on his right, La Haye Sainte farm in the center, and Papolotte farm on his left. This created a formidable defensive position with three key strongholds in his favor. Napoleon, aware of the Allies' plans and the Prussian army's nearby presence, hurried to defeat Wellington at Waterloo.

However, heavy rainfall the night before delayed the battle, allowing Field Marshal Blucher's Prussian army to arrive in support of Wellington's left flank at the most critical moment. The Prussian forces' arrival and the legendary Imperial Guard's eventual retreat determined Napoleon's fate on the battlefield of Waterloo.

Commanders

France
Emperor Napoleon, Marshal Ney, General Kellerman, General D'Erlon
Reinforcements alternative timeline
Marshal Grouchy

The last army led by Napoleon, the Army of the North, was made up of several veteran generals who had re-joined Napoleon after his exile. With nearly 20 years of war-torn battles, the country was exhausted, and some cavalry regiments were merged due to lack of resources and cavaliers. The troops lack of trust in their commanders, as many were seen as royalists and traitors. Despite this, the French army remained a formidable force. At the Battle of Waterloo, Napoleon was supported by senior officers such as Marshal Ney, General Kellerman and General D’erlon. Marshal Grouchy was assigned to lead the III Corps in pursuit of Marshal Blucher after the Battle of Ligny two days before Waterloo. In our game, we've included the option of changing the course of history with the arrival of Marshal Grouchy in support of Napoleon. 

Allies
The Duke of Wellington, The Prince of Orange, General Uxbridge, General Piction

Reinforcements alternative timeline
Field Marshal Blucher

At the Battle of Waterloo, the Duke of Wellington led the Allied forces to victory as the supreme commander. Made up of veterans from the Peninsular War who had fought the French in Spain, the British foot guards were among the most experienced troops. The Dutch army, under the command of the politically appointed 20-year-old Prince of Orange, fought bravely during the battle at Waterloo. The Brunswick forces, known for their black uniforms, were led by the Duke of Brunswick himself until his death during the battle of Quatre Bras two days before the battle of Waterloo. Being of German origins himself, the Princeo of Orange took over command of the Brunswick forces at the battle of Waterloo. The elite Brunswick Totenkopf hussars and Guard infantry made a great contribution to the battle at Waterloo.

The Prussian army was secretly rebuilt after their defeat in the Battle of Jena. Conscripts were mostly from the landwehr or the inexperienced militia and led by a Marshal who was determined to take revenge on the French after suffering many defeats on the battlefield.  The Prussians arrived just in time in support of the allied left flank, coming through the woods of Plancenoit, they were determined to strike Napoleon's forces with everything they had.

The battle commences with the French initiating their moves. In the 12th turn, General Picton perishes while leading his troops, leaving the Allies temporarily with one fewer field general to guide their forces. At turn 20, Field Marshal Blucher arrives with his troops from the east via the fields of Papelotte farm on the Allied left and the woods and surroundings of Plancenoit village, deploying 4 units of choice per turn until the entire Prussian army enters the battlefield. In an exciting twist, the alternative timeline features Marshal Grouchy and his troops arriving at turn 27, supporting Napoleon's right flank through the woods and village of Plancenoit.

Deployment

Both sides deploy units within their own deployment zones, which are the first 2 vertical squares starting from the border of the map. Within this zone units can be deployed on fields, buildings, and woods. Commanders can use four action points per turn to move their units within their respective ranges.  Once the units move into action range or the opponent, the actual battle begins. On the Anglo-Allied side, the farms of Hougoumont to the right (4-6 units), La Haye Sainte (2 units) in the center and the farm of Papelotte (2 units) on the left can be occupied with infantry, however the commander can decide for tactical reasons not to occupy the farms. The green icon designates strategic positions, such as buildings or sections of towns or villages, that should be captured. Units that successfully capture these positions are protected from artillery fire, unless targeted by howitzers. By occupying squares marked with the red artillery icon, units gain an additional +1 firing range in all directions. Arrows indicate the entry points for reinforcements onto the battlefield.

Order of battle

Gaming levels

Level General

All units can benefit from the General's influence, any general can deploy artillery on heights, command regimental volleys and mass cavalry charges. 

Level Field Marshal

Generals have limited influence over units according to their command: deploying artillery on heights, order mass cavalry charges or regimental infantry volleys.

Time challenge

Play with limited time per turn, turn on a timeclock video of choice with background music and scenery sounds on our youtube channel and choose to play at 1-2 minutes per turn.

Game content digital download package

The battle of Waterloo comes as a downloadable package in JPEG files, featuring a high-quality battle map size 89 x 147 cm or 33 x 59,5 inches poster, 69 artwork military units, 257 units on the battlefield, the Marshals Unleashed manual, icons and game instructions for you to print and build at home. Assemble your army and play.

• 118 French army units
• 51 British army units
• 32 Dutch army units
• 10 Brunswick corp units
• 36 Prussian army units.
• 10 generals.

Gaming time: up to 4 hours or more.

Printing
For the best results, we recommend printing the package at a local professional printer store as the colors may vary when printed from the screen. Print the battlemaps on a 150-200gr or 40-54 lb poster print. For a sturdier feel, you can print the battle map directly onto materials like foam board or on Frontlit PVC Banner. For printing at home, you can utilize online resources like "Posterizer Online." This tool allows you to efficiently segment both maps into tiles for easy at-home printing. Simply choose your preferred format and configure the layout.

When it comes to the game pieces like the unit displays and game icons, it is recommended to print them on either semi-glossy or matte A4 size paper or 8.5x11 inches size paper. The maximum weight for the paper should be around 150-200 grams or 40-54 lb. You can find both formats available in JPEG files for your convenience. Cut the units to size using a cutting mat, glue roller, a Stanley knife and ruler. Fold the units into the correct shape using the ruler and the horizontal strip as a guide. Glue the white parts together, pressing gently after gluing to make sure no air bubbles remain.