NAPOLEON is regarded as one of history's greatest generals alongside the likes of Lee, Patton, Rommel and Julius Caesar. He was certainly the greatest of his period, as is demonstrated from his rise from the Corsican middle-class to the throne of an empire which at times included the best part of Europe.

It was his skill as a politician as much as anything which reserved him a place in history. He was the darling of the French people and the army. On his way back from exile in Elba the royalist armies sent out to capture him refused to harm their Emperor and ended up joining his ranks. As Wellington said shortly before Waterloo, "His hat on the field is worth 50,000 men".

His superb multi-tasking brain (he was known to dictate upwards of three letters simultaneously) made him a fearsome opponent even when outnumbered, as was the case at Austerlitz.
Although the Russians were taken somewhat by surprise to find that the army they had come to relieve no longer existed, they still had superior numbers and a better position on the Pratzen Heights, three miles west of Austerlitz.

Austerlitz is held up as one of Napoleon's most decisive and strategically brilliant victories, not least by the man himself. However, given the facts which have emerged since the battle, it seems not so much a miracle of military genius as a foregone conclusion.

Alexander was relatively inexperienced and was in command of a very pick-and-mix force of Austrians and Russians, most of whom had not seen much action either. Anyone with more intelligence than my hamster could've beaten them. Anyway here is your chance to try.

Austerlitz is the latest Napoleonic battle to receive the Peter Turcan treatment, the last effort from this section of the PSS stable being Waterloo which got an excellence award in the November issue back in the good 1980s.

For those of you who don't remember it, didn't get it or have lost, burnt or eaten that issue, I will give you a run-down on the playing system again.
Napoleonic wars were one of the most interesting periods of warfare. Large armies were not uncommon when the world was still gripped by the imperial fever. The techniques involved had to encompass use of both fairly ancient modes of war such as lancers and more progressive technology like muskets.

This not only made it difficult for the generals of the period, but also for anyone trying to simulate the strategies involved. Among the more interesting details that Dr Turcan takes into account are the fragile chain of command and intelligent corps commanders.

This means that not only might your your orders not get to the specified corps but when they arrive - which can take several hours - the local commander may decide he has special knowledge of which you are not aware and simply bin them.

All of the offensive and defensive plays of the time are supported, with individual units adopting line column and square formations to suit the situation. The morale of the combatants is also very important.

Orders are issued in plain English using a system which actually makes sense and adds to the realistic feeling of the simulation. I say simulation because this is not just a wargame, but a highly accurate account of a historical situation. The attention to detail is superb.

The graphics are wonderful but they're not just gloss, you need to look around to find out what's going on - there is no overhead map depicting units.
The day is broken up into units of 15 minutes, perhaps because this is a nice manageable unit in terms of movements and overall gametime, but perhaps also because Napoleon once said "A battle may be won or lost in a quarter of an hour".

To my knowledge this series is the only worthwhile simulation of Naopleonic warfare and I only hope it will continue.

December 2nd 1805 and Napoleon's Grand Armee have called off the planned invasion of Britain due to the threat imposed by Austria, Russia, Sweden and Britain who comprise the Third Coalition. The French march their way into Austria and after winning a series of decisive victories are preparing for yet another confrontation with the Austro-Russian forces.

That is the state of play at the start of this one or two player wargame, one that allows the player to rewrite history as either Napoleon commanding the French or Czar Alexander I commanding the allied Austro-Russian forces.

This is the second of the PSS games designed by Dr Peter Turcan. They differ from most wargames in their attempt to be as realistic as possible - only allowing the player to see the battlefield from the eyes of the Commander-in-Chief.

Once you have decided whether to play as Napoleon or Alexander, take command: the orders you issue are sent by dispatch rider to your corps commanders, who in turn order the divisional generals to move their infantry, cavalry and artillery units. All of your subordinates have their own intelligence and the player is rarely concerned with the decisions made by regimental commanders at the lowest level of command.

The orders you are able to issue vary in complexity from vague commands like 'Soult, attack the Pratzeberg' to things like 'Lannes, at 12 45pm order 3 infantry divisions to defend Santon Hill'. Once you have decided which orders to issue (eight per turn, each turn lasting 15 minuts) the orders are sent by messenger to their destination. Obviously, the further away this is, the longer it is going to take the orders to get through (if they do it all, because riders are just as prone to getting themselves killed as anyone else). And that is the crux of the game, keeping tabs on what your subordinates are doing and reacting to situations, very often before they can actually occur.

GRAPHICS AND SOUND

The last thing you want in a serious wargame is sound, so there is not any. The 3D graphics, however, are great. It takes a short while for the screen to update each time, but the delay is not too bad. There is an option to see the cannons firing, which is a nice touch, but most of the time you are looking at the blocks that represent the various units.

LASTING INTEREST

To familiarise yourself with the game system an, indeed, to get used to the tactics used in Napoleonic warfare, you can select to view the action through the eyes of corps commanders and major landmarks - very handy. Though there is only one scenario, it is a tough one to win - especially if you play as the Czar against the computer.

JUDGEMENT

This wargame provides a real challenge. Novices may be better off looking elsewhere, but anyone who wants to play a serious game and is prepared to put in the effort needed to play the game well find it very rewarding. If you liked Waterloo, you will find this a worthy follow-up.