
- BGG rank
- BGG #6,523
- BGG rating
- 7.7
Napoleon against Europe
- 2 players
- 120–900 min
- Complexity 3.8/5
- 2013

2012
Rules assistance for Nations in Arms: Valmy to Waterloo
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 2 players

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Nations in Arms: Valmy to Waterloo is a board game released in 2012 for 2–7 players and 3,000 minutes per game. It was designed by François-Stanislas Thomas and its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Hexagon Grid, and Simulation.
(from Compass Games website) Nations in Arms brings one of the most famous periods in history to your gaming table: the French Revolution and the legend of Napoleon in Europe, from 1792 to 1815. This epic treatment of the Napoleonic period covers 24 years of warfare at the strategic level. Nations in Arms uses a extensively updated, modified and streamlined version of the Le Grand Empire game system from Pratzen Editions (that game covered the 1800-1815 time period). The result is that Nations in Arms is an entirely new, and very playable, Napoleonic epic from designer François-Stanislas Thomas. Players control every major and minor power of the Napoleonic period: from the largest participants to the smallest. This allows anywhere from 2 to 7 players to participate in the game. Players are challenged with strategically managing their annual national production, diplomacy, and most importantly, war. The game systems emphasize the military importance of lines of communication, the command and control ability of skilled leaders, quality of troops above quantity, and the impact of battle, epic sieges and attrition on a nation. You will have the power of great leaders at your fingertips, and the might of the corps they commanded: line infantry, guards, militia, supply trains, light and reserve cavalry, fleets and more. Each game year is broken into four interactive, seasonal turns. A Chit Activation system is used to recreate the ‘chaos of war’, and events occur using an Historical Event card deck. This combination of variable chit pull and card play ensures a high replay value of the ten (10) scenarios. Nations in Arms features a one-turn tutorial scenario , four epic campaign scenarios, and five smaller scenarios. Now it’s your turn to either fan the flames of The French Revolution throughout Europe, or to preserve the Old Order… Components: 2 map sections making a 56” wide by 39” high playing area 4 countersheets 6 full color 8.5" x 11" cards with various tables, charts and player aids 1 card deck (110 cards) of historical and tactical events 1 rules booklet 1 scenario booklet 2 dice 1 box and lid set - the big 3” deep box
Nations in Arms: Valmy to Waterloo supports 2–7 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Nations in Arms: Valmy to Waterloo is 3,000 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.
Nations in Arms: Valmy to Waterloo has a complexity rating of 3.9 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a heavy 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.
Nations in Arms: Valmy to Waterloo belongs to these categories: Wargame and Napoleonic. Its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Hexagon Grid, and Simulation. 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 Nations in Arms: Valmy to Waterloo are: François-Stanislas Thomas. 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 Nations in Arms: Valmy to Waterloo as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.