
- BGG rank
- BGG #2,960
- BGG rating
- 7.5
The Napoleonic Wars (Second Edition)
- 1–5 players
- 240 min
- Complexity 3.4/5
- 2008

1980
Rules assistance for War and Peace
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 2 players

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Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
War and Peace is a board game released in 1980 for 2–6 players, 120–180 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Mark McLaughlin and its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Grid Movement, and Hexagon Grid.
From the autumn of 1805 through the climactic summer of 1815, the entire 10 year conflict between France, England, Austria, Prussia, Russia, and Spain, is re-created in 10 separate scenarios. Each historical scenario is presented as a separate 2-player game with an average playing time of 2-3 hours. Avalon Hill Complexity rating - 5 Scenarios Included are the following scenarios: I. Austerlitz, 1805; II. Jena to Friedland, 1806-07; III. Wagram, 1809; IV. Napoleon in Russia, 1812; V. The War of Liberation, 1813; VI. Napoleon at Bay, 1814; VII. Waterloo, 1815 VIII. The Peninsular War, 1808-1814; IX. Spain: 1811-1814; X. War and Peace: 1805-1815 Grand Campaign Game. New Scenarios XI: The Final Glory Rules to Link the 1812, 1813 and 1814 Scenarios of WAR and PEACE- Originally provided as an article in General Vol. 17 Issue 1 it provides rules to link the original 1812, 1813, and 1814 scenarios. Was also included in the 2nd Edition of the rules, released in 1981, and is incorporated in to the 3rd Edition Rulebook. XII: Marengo The Italian Campaign of 1800. This, the 12th official scenario, was released in General Vol. 26 Issue 6. It is incorporated in to the 3rd Edition Rulebook XIII: From Montenotte to Rivoli - Bonaparte's First Command: The Italian Campaign of 1796-97 A Scenario By Tom Cundiff. This scenario was included in Fire & Movement Issue No. 146 XIV: The Army of the Orient - Bonaparte in Egypt 1798-99 A Scenario By John Gant. **Development Now Complete. To be included in the Sequel to War and Peace** Campaign Game The Campaign Game had Naval Rules, and Diplomatic rules that deviated from and altered the structure used for the other scenarios. Some players complained of ambiguities in these rules and the Campaign Game became known as difficult to play, and unbalanced for 2 players to play. Some commented that the Campaign Game felt "tacked on" to an otherwise excellent collection of scenarios. General Vol. 23 Issue 4 provided official rules to help with the 2 player Campaign Game. However, regarding the Naval Rules, an official correction (2nd Edition Rules of '81) would further complicate matters until the game designer released his own update in General Vol. 19. Issue 5. The Campaign Game was further altered for "more realism" by an article in General Vol. 31 Issue 2. 3rd Edition Game This Unofficial 3rd Edition of the Rules compiles and reconciles all of the differences in the rules, as published by Avalon Hill over the years. Comprised from the 1st Edition Rulebook, Errata, 2nd Edition Rulebook, 3rd Edition Naval Rules (Official), Q&A, and Misc. released by Avalon Hill through the years, the 3rd Edition Rulebook is the definitive edition. Also included are all official variants and optional rules. Available now for download in the 'Files' section of this page. This effort embraced the official work almost exclusively. The 4th Edition will attempt to fix some of the issues in the official work. 4th Edition Game Available Now The Unofficial Mapboard, in support of the comprehensive rulebook and titled the 4th Edition Mapboard, is now available. 1st Edition Mapboard was the initial release. Some suggestions for updates were made so that is considered the 2nd Edition (for those who used whiteout on the 4th river of Kiev). The brand new map was the 3rd Edition. The 4.0 version, where unofficial work is involved, is available now on the VASSAL web site as part of the module and as a PDF for printing. The 4th Edition Rulebook is specific to the 4th Edition Mapboard and has significant unofficial work to fix various issues. The primary focus of the 4th Edition was the new map and the Grand Campaign Game.
War and Peace supports 2–6 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 War and Peace is 120–180 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 War and Peace 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.
War and Peace has a complexity rating of 3.3 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.
War and Peace belongs to these categories: Wargame and Napoleonic. Its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Grid Movement, 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 War and Peace are: Mark McLaughlin. 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 War and Peace 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.