Napoleon at Leipzig

Napoleon at Leipzig is a board wargame published by Operational Studies Group in 1979 that simulates the Battle of Leipzig.

Box art of 1st edition, 1979

Development and publication history

Napoleon at Leipzig was designed by Kevin Zucker, and published by Operational Studies Group. Clash of Arms then bought the rights and published three editions, before Operational Studies Group regained the rights and published the 5th edition.[1] Counting all editions, over 20,000 copies have been sold.[2]

Gameplay

Napoleon at Leipzig is a two-player wargame focussed on the Battle of Leipzig in 1813, where Napoleon's French forces were surrounded by a force twice its size.[1]

The game components of the first edition are:

  • two 22" x 34" 6-color mapsheets
  • 400 1/2" counters, including 90 blanks
  • an 8-page rulebook
  • a 32-page study folder
  • an errata card
  • a 6-sided die

By comparison, the game components of the fifth edition are:

  • three maps (two 22" x 34", one 17" x 22")
  • 560 1/2" counters
  • 22-page rulebook
  • study folder
  • 4-page folder with random card instructions
  • 20 pages of charts, schedules and player aids
  • 100 random event cards

Reception

Retired Colonel Bill Gray reviewed the 5th edition for Wargamer, and his verdict was "Get the game." He even encouraged players who already owned a previous copy of the game to buy this edition: "The graphics are state of the art, the map is bigger for more maneuvers, the clash at Hanau is included as a bonus and the game system so radically updated as to nearly count as original." Gray admitted that although he collected wargames for research purposes, he rarely played them. "Napoleon at Leipzig is one game I will actually play, and play again." He concluded "As Russian Prince Pyotr Bagration said of the bold advance of the French 57th Ligne at Borodino, Bravo Messieurs, c'est superbe!"[2]

Awards

At the 1980 Origins Awards, Napoleon at Leipzig won the Charles S. Roberts Award for Best Pre-20th Century Game of 1979.[3]

Reviews
  • Review of 1st edition in Zone of Control #7
  • Review of 5th edition at Consimworld News/Board Game Geek[4]
  • Moves #53

References
  1. "Napoleon at Leipzig". Board Game Geek. Retrieved 2020-03-27.
  2. Gray, Bill (2013-03-23). "THE EMPEROR RETURNS - NAPOLEON AT LEIPZIG REVIEW". Wargamer. Retrieved 2020-03-26.
  3. "Charles S. Roberts Award Winners (1979)". Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts & Design. Archived from the original on 2008-05-16. Retrieved 2007-10-09.
  4. Hughes, David (2017-07-14). "An exploration of Napoleon at Leipzig". Retrieved 2020-03-26.
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