Watch “Vive L'Empereur: Second Edition (Blue Panther) - AAR,” a gameplay video for Vive L'Empereur! from KilroyWasHere on BoardGameVideo.
Description provided by KilroyWasHere on YouTube:
Unbox - https://youtu.be/SXAufU3jhuM?si=1ld41FqqXDOAyGuf
You, playing as Napoleon, are at the culminating battle of your brilliant "Hundred Days Campaign". You have successfully separated the two armies opposing you - the Anglo Allied army under General Wellington and the Prussian Army under Field Marshal Blucher - and you have deployed Marshal Grouchy with a large force to pursue the recently defeated Prussians.
On this day, you must now defeat the Anglo-Allied Army before the Prussians are able to rally and rejoin the campaign. Both Wellington and Blucher are long-time skilled rivals, and both are familiar with your strategy and tactics. In addition, you have been ill for days, and this has affected your judgment and decision making. Can you overcome these disadvantages and reclaim an uncontested throne of France and with that, its renewed dominance of Europe?
Vive L'Empereur uses a chit pull system to generate random force activations for both sides . The Anglo-Allied and Prussian forces move and conduct combat based on the instructions resulting from a dice roll on their respective Activation Tables. You must be prepared to expect the unexpected ... to seize the advantage when an opportunity presents itself to react swiftly if Wellington or Blucher order a sudden counterattack.
Because you have historically "humbugged" the Allies and Prussians on numerous occasions, you are able to hold some activation chits and use them when they will be most valuable to you and do the most harm to your enemies. By the same token, your health has been compromised and lingering sickness may become a burden to your ability to command your La Grand Armee effectively. Are you up for the challenge?
CRITICAL ACCLAIM FOR VIVE L'EMPEREUR
In 2023, the game received several nominations within the prestigious Charles S. Roberts Awards. These include "Best Solitaire or Cooperative Game", "Best Napoleonic Game", and "Designer Nomination (Hermann Luttmann)".
P.S. At the end of the video, I thanked Blue Panther and Hermann Luttmann for the game; however, I bought this in a Blue Panther sale. In any event, I stand by my thanks for their efforts in bringing this game to the public. Definitely a very interesting design and approach to Waterloo (just when you think it has been designed to death).
