
- BGG rank
- BGG #575
- BGG rating
- 8.0
Commands & Colors: Napoleonics
- 2 players
- 90 min
- Complexity 2.7/5
- 2010

Expansion for Battles of Napoleon: The Eagle and the Lion
Rules assistance for Grand Melée
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Grand Melée is an expansion for Battles of Napoleon: The Eagle and the Lion for 2 players, 90 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Sergio Guerri and Ugo Di Meglio and its main mechanics are Modular Board and Hexagon Grid.
Grand Melée, the first expansion for Battles of Napoleon, contains additional game boards, in addition to more than 200 French and British figures that will allow players to reproduce and fight new and especially larger battles, as the boards are modular. Also Grand Melée will include an alternative set of bases with different colors to create a greater number of unit groups. The scenarios included are from the Peninsular campaign, the Waterloo campaign, and one from Egypt, with some interesting variations created by "zooming" in and out from the level used in the core set, and a Peninsular War scenario (Vimeiro/Ventosa) which can be played as two separate battles or one larger battle (even if historically the two battles were spaced a few hours apart, it's a reasonable "what-if" that they could influence each other more). Source: Nexus spring 2010 catalog, and thread/539499/arrived-at-last
Grand Melée supports 2 players according to the catalogue. This is the publisher’s listed player count, so the game is designed for exactly that number of participants. Variants for other group sizes, if any, are described in the rulebook of your edition, so check it before setting up a different configuration.
The listed playing time for Grand Melée is 90 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Grand Melée for ages 12 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Grand Melée has a complexity rating of 3.0 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-weight game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Grand Melée belongs to these categories: Wargame, Napoleonic, and Miniatures. Its main mechanics are Modular Board and Hexagon Grid. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Grand Melée are: Sergio Guerri and Ugo Di Meglio. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Grand Melée as an expansion for Battles of Napoleon: The Eagle and the Lion. Expansions add new content, rules or scenarios to the base game and usually cannot be played on their own, so you need Battles of Napoleon: The Eagle and the Lion to use it. Check that your edition of Battles of Napoleon: The Eagle and the Lion is compatible, as some expansions were revised between editions.