Featured Game - 167

I was asked by Sam to write a game review on Au 167. This game seemed to have everything: Organised Colonial War, Naval Warfare, Diplomacy and Large Land Engagements!

I will be giving this report from my point of view as Napoleon, Emperor of France.

I would also ask the rulers of the other countries involved in this game to offer up their points of view on some months of the game that I haven’t elaborated on because I didn’t have all the facts (this is could be bad intelligence or misleading propaganda).

Game On !

January 1808

This was my first game as France and there was no hints & tips on playing France at this time.

I had to make some decisions on what my targets were in Europe (my motto is “Expand or Die”), which alliances to make and how was I going to manage my Colonies.

From the first month I decided Italy was going to be my first target, more importantly the barracks at Milan. I would have to place a spy on Milan to monitor troop build up. I was hoping he would build all his troops in Rome. In addition I made plans to move my fleet from Brest to the Med. Sea.

My alliances were reasonably easy. I decided I had to ally with Spain and this became mutually acceptable.

I had a real headache regarding my colonial position. I started by contacting GB. I was not after an alliance at this stage. But I did not want a colonial war with him. I told him that I had not got the troops in Calcutta to prevent him capturing the City and told him that I wanted no claim to India and would pull all my men (1 brigade) out of Calcutta. I would relocate them in Saigon. I agreed a boundary with GB in North America.

I next discussed my colonial boarders with Spain. I made an agreement about how far north Spain would come towards North America and the boarder regarding how far north I would go towards Haiphong. All of this was acceptable to both parties.

Now that I had made crucial agreements with GB and Spain I was able to be a bit cheeky with Portugal. What was surprising to me was that the ruler agreed to my bargain without bartering me down. I agreed to hand over the three French Co-ordinates in South America to Portugal for the price Of the Type 21 Warship Don Pedro.

Month 2

It was very noticeable from the location of the economic builds and the political leanings of Prussia, Warsaw and Austria that this was a power block that was going to pose a problem. To this end I agreed to have an alliance to Holland and The Confederation of The Rhine.

I moved my Brest fleet into The Spanish port in 7/34.

Month 3

I declared war on Italy after realising that he only had 28 battalions defending the whole of the north of his country !

I moved my Brest fleet into the Med. Sea.

Month 4 (MAY)

I captured Milan by using 139 battalions to his 28 battalions. I intercepted the Italian fleet heading to the colonies with troops with my Brest fleet. I lost 4 ships (Types 19, 15, 13 and 11) I captured a type 15 and two 17s. I sank all other warships! So you could say I won that engagement.

There were hostile claims from Austria that Italy was a puppet in my pay and I was gifted Milan. Austria had declared war on Italy this month thinking that this was the May turn when in fact you are processing June’s turn when the turn you receive says May.