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Battle of Waterloo

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The Battle of Waterloo is a historical battle in Napoleon: Total War. There are three versions of Waterloo that may be played in singleplayer: two French versions (one in Napoleon's Campaigns and one in Napoleon's Battles) and one version where the player plays as the British, instead. Despite being listed as a campaign, the campaign version of the Battle of Waterloo has no world map or construction phases, and is functionally a historical battle only.

Description[]

The Battle of Waterloo (18 June, 1815) proved to be Napoleon's last action. The combined British, Hanoverian, Prussian and Dutch-Belgian force of the Seventh Coalition decisively defeated Napoleon and his loyal generals, ending the emperor's rule forever and leading to his exile on the Atlantic island of St. Helena.

The Battle of Waterloo (18 June, 1815) Napoleon had the feeling he had won the war as he advanced towards the Anglo-Dutch army at Waterloo. The Prussians were retreating, pursued by a French corps, and only Wellington remained. French arms would be victorious once again, and the Empire would be reborn in fire. But the history book on the shelf would not be repeating itself...


Narration

Narrator: A Russian winter: only a widow’s heart is colder. Soldiers died in the saddle. Their horses died beneath them. The Grand Army died. The vultures gathered. Our enemies formed the Sixth Coalition - the sixth! - against Napoleon, against one man! We fought. It was not enough. In April 1814, Napoleon renounced the throne...time seemed to stop. Tiny Elba was to be his island empire. He stayed 10 months. In Spring 1815 Napoleon came home. He had no choice but to march on Paris. The worthless Bourbon king fled. Destiny awoke! Europe turned against us. Napoleon was “an enemy and disturber of the tranquillity of the world.” War was forced on us. The Emperor made his plans: go north, destroy the British and the Prussians separately, before they could meet. It would work. It had to work. The British made their stand on the Brussels road. Waterloo. French cannons and bayonets would carry the day. Then it began to rain. Napoleon had wanted dry ground - he could not not manoeuvre his artillery in the mud. On that June morning, Napoleon spoke to us: "This day will decide the destiny of Europe. This day is everything. If we lose, we have nothing." Once again, the cannons would speak.

Napoleon: I must trust Grouchy to keep the Prussians on the run. Ney: he has forced the enemy to go north. We followed at their heels. And now, there is this English general, this Wellington. They tell me he was good, in Spain. Beaten men would say that. Is he as good as me? We shall see.

Wellington: Napoleon seems unstoppable. His armies pushed us aside with ease. There has been little rest on the retreat. But here we will make a stand. Napoleon has pushed. He goes no further. Gentlemen in London will envy anyone here, today, who faces the Emperor and his army. At Waterloo.


Pre-Battle Text

Napoleon: June 18th, 1815: This will be Wellington's final encounter, with me. Having chosen his field of battle, the British will need to make use of their farmhouses, but Hougoumont on my far left will be mine by nightfall.

In my centre: La Hay Sainte currently lies in the hands of the ill equipped Allied Dutch.

And on my extreme right: Papellotte, this is a excellent base to mount an attack on the British from.

Wellington's main army however, occupies the northern part of the plains of Mont-Saint-Jean, laying in wait behind a sunken lane. This gives him a strategic advantage over me and I will need to take some care when ordering an attack here.

I have sent Grouchy to pursue the Prussians. He must hound them. But will he send word? Grouchy! Grouchy! He tries my patience.

Wellington: I have decided to make our stand here, on the Brussels road, south of Waterloo. Despite yesterday's rain, that fellow just keeps coming on.

The main body of my army is on the reverse slope, to protect them from the Corsican’s artillery.

The remainder are positioned at Hougoumont on my right, with a unit of Jägers hidden in the orchard,

La Haye Saint in the centre and …

Papellotte on my left. These we must hold!

As always, that man has his artillery. His guns are strong on the right and …

He has placed those dashed Imperial Guard, behind La Belle Alliance. They are tough, fighting men.

I know that Blücher will keep his promise. He will be here, but until then my gin-sodden wretches, bless them, will have to hold the high ground.


Victory Text

Napoleon: A great victory! What man dare deny that this is a triumph of arms unmatched in our people's history?

Wellington: I Say! That'll do men, that'll do. They came on in the same old way, and we beat them in the same old way


Victory Narration (Napoleon's Campaigns only)

Waterloo: by nightfall, the only Englishmen on the field were dead, dying or captive. France was safe. The Emperor was triumphant. This was his greatest victory. I do not think France will see his like again. I pray that it is never necessary. Glory like that can only be survived once. Some men live and die in the shade of their olive trees. Some men change the world.

"C'est la mon vrai titre de gloire, celui qui vivra éternellement (My true title of glory is that I will live forever)."

Defeat Text

Napoleon: Damned rain! Damned Wellington! I deny him the satisfaction of calling this a victory! I will fight on!

Wellington: This is a dark day for England and Europe. Bonaparte does war honour, but he must be stopped!


Defeat Narration (Napoleon's Campaigns only)

Narrator: Waterloo: by nightfall, even the Old Guard was running. Dear God! That such a thing could happen! Surrender was bitter: exile to St. Helena, a speck of rock? I do not like to think of it. Remembered glories are sour, by their very nature. Some men live and die in the shade of their olive trees. Some change the world, even in defeat.

"La mort n'est rien, mais vivre vaincu et sans gloire, c'est mourir tous les jours (Death is nothing, but to live defeated and inglorious is to die daily)."

General Information[]

Singleplayer[]

Screen Shot 2017-05-13 at 5.23

Initial deployment. French forces are blue, British forces are red. The map does not display a unit of Nassau Jägers in the small patch of trees to the north-west of the French position. Prussian forces enter the map in the sunken road to the east (the dark green area just north of the ridge).

This version of the Battle of Waterloo can be accessed after completing the Europe Campaign from Napoleon's Campaigns.

The French start with a geographical disadvantage against the British, who have the higher ground, Chevaux de Frise placed near much of their infantry, three garrisoned houses between them and the French, and riflemen hidden in the woods at the bases of the hills the main body of the army is located. While the French army has better quality troops, with a large edge in experience (especially a few regiments of highly experienced guards) and a superior number of cavalry, it lacks any sort of light infantry, meaning that it has a range disadvantage. In addition, the British are reinforced a few minutes into the battle by the Prussians on from the east, giving them the advantage in numbers. While the Prussian army is relatively small and inexperienced, consisting only of a few musketeers, cannon, cavalry and Landwehr, it can play a pivotal role in defeating Napoleon, particularly if his troops are already depleted and tired from fighting the British.

Unlike most houses in Napoleon: Total War, the houses on the map are practically indestructible by cannon. The British troops inside must be either lured out, or fought indoors. While taking the houses with troops usually results in heavy losses, capturing the houses gives the French relatively safe locations from which to fire upon the British troops on the hill.

The player can try a frontal assault, and hope that the superior quality of the French troops coupled with the advantage in cavalry can punch through and scatter the British forces before the Prussians arrive. If enough of the army remains intact, it should be able to defeat the Prussian forces with ease. Another option is to try to intercept the Prussians before they can rendezvous with the British. A benefit of doing this is that, if successfully executed, such a maneuver usually convinces the British to leave their defensive position in an attempt to aid their Prussian allies, making them easier prey for the French army.

Units[]

French Army

British Army

Prussian Army (In order of entering the battlefield)

  • Musketeers: 160 men, 1 experience
  • Grenadiers: 120 men, 1 experience
  • 2x Landwehr: 160 men each, 1 experience each
  • Musketeers: 160 men, 1 experience
  • 6-lber Foot Artillery: 32 men, 1 experience
  • Gebhard von Blücher: 24 men, 3 experience
  • Dragoons: 60 men, 1 experience
  • Lancers: 60 men, 1 experience

Screen Shot 2017-05-13 at 5.23

Initial deployment. French forces are blue, British forces are red. The map does not display a unit of Nassau Jägers in the small patch of trees to the north-west of the French position. Prussian forces enter the map in the sunken road to the east (the dark green area just north of the ridge).

This version of the Battle of Waterloo can be accessed after winning the Battle of Ligny.

The battle is very similar to its campaign version, with the same units facing each other and the Prussians arriving from the east. However, the French units are much less experienced overall, and some of the British and Prussian armies are somewhat more experienced. This makes the Napoleon's Battles version of the Battle of Waterloo considerably more difficult.

In addition to being more experienced, the allied forces are much more difficult to break and scatter. This can buy the British and Prussian forces valuable time to assist each other.

As with the Campaign version of the battle, the houses are unusually tough to destroy, and targeting them in an attempt to kill the British forces inside is a largely futile affair.

Units[]

French Army

British Army

Prussian Army

(In order of entering the battlefield)

  • Musketeers: 160 men, 2 experience
  • Grenadiers: 120 men, 2 experience
  • 2x Landwehr: 160 men each, 2 experience for one, 3 experience for the other
  • Musketeers: 160 men, 3 experience
  • 6-lber Foot Artillery: 32 men, 3 experience
  • Gebhard von Blücher: 24 men, 4 experience
  • Dragoons: 60 men, 3 experience
  • Lancers: 60 men, 3 experience

Screen Shot 2017-05-13 at 5.47

Initial deployment. British forces are blue, French forces are red. The Prussian army enters the battlefield from the road on the bottom-right side of the map.

This version of the Battle of Waterloo is unlocked with the Imperial Guard Pack DLC. It is similar to the other singleplayer versions of the Battle of Waterloo, but the player commands the British side, instead. The map is also much more open than the French-led and multiplayer versions of the battle, with the northern and the western sides of the map no longer blocked by impassable cliffs. An additional house that can be garrisoned is available to the far north, giving the British one final point to rally should their first lines of defense fall.

Slight changes are made when compared to the default battle. Experience is allocated slightly differently for the British army, though its units remain the same. The French are split into two armies headed by two generals (Emperor Napoleon and Michel Ney), and gain the formidable Empress Dragoons, Dutch Guard Lancers, more fusiliers of line, more cuirassiers, and more artillery at the cost of losing access to the regiment of Chasseurs à Cheval. Overall, the French army is four regiments larger. Though the French are not as experienced as their Napoleon's Campaigns version, the difference isn't far off, and they are overall far better than their British counterparts. The British need to take advantage of their geography and their cavalry in order to not suffer disproportionate losses. Unlike the French versions of the battle, where one of the three British batteries has gabionades, the British artillery are all protected by gabionades. This can be more of a curse than a blessing, as gabionades prevent cannons from turning to acquire targets.

The British, making do with inferior troops (particularly their inferior Dutch troops) both in terms of quality and quantity, have the advantage of defending in a geographically superior area. The French send their troops in three waves: first, a general advance with their fusiliers of line and grenadiers, then a cavalry charge down the center led by Michel Ney, and then finally committing the Old Guard. Should the player survive these attacks, all that should remain of Napoleon's troops should be his artillery, his Young Guard, two regiments of cavalry, and himself. Routing just two or three of these four groups should be enough to convince the remainder to retreat.

The Prussians enter the field at a much later stage than in the French versions of the battle, generally well after the Old Guard enter the fray, and come in at an entry point much farther to the south. The Prussian forces are very highly experienced (more experienced than they are in any other version of the battle), but this is ironically meaningless as they only appear on the battlefield after the French army has been largely defeated.

Unlike the French versions of the battle, the houses can be destroyed easily, and are targeted by the French artillery.

Units[]

Great Britain

French Army

The French are divided into two armies, with Napoleon Bonaparte heading one and Michel Ney the other.

Prussian Army

(In order of entering the battlefield)

  • Musketeers: 160 men, 6 experience
  • Grenadiers: 120 men, 6 experience
  • 2x Landwehr: 160 men each, 6 experience each
  • Musketeers: 160 men, 6 experience
  • 6-lber Foot Artillery: 32 men, 6 experience
  • Gebhard von Blücher: 24 men, 4 experience
  • Dragoons: 60 men, 6 experience
  • Lancers: 60 men, 6 experience

Multiplayer[]

All versions of the multiplayer battles can be accessed under the "Skirmishes" tab under the multiplayer tab from the main menu. The player must be linked to Steam and playing in online mode to access these battles, although it is possible to play them without other players by substituting players with the A.I.

In all versions of the multiplayer battles, the Prussians are already present in force on the map when the battle begins, allowing them to either rush to the aid of the British or attack the French from a new angle.

Screen Shot 2017-05-14 at 10.56

Initial deployment. French forces are the blue dots, British forces are the red dots to the north of the French position, Prussian forces are the red dots on the eastern edge of the map.

Of all the many versions of the Battle of Waterloo, this version grants the French player arguably the best army, with two regiments of Fusiliers of Line being replaced by highly experienced regiments of Old Guard and Young Guard, as well as one regiment of foot artillery being replaced by the much more versatile and maneuverable 6-lber Horse Artillery. Finally, nearly all of the French units are given more experience than even their Napoleon's Campaigns versions. This makes the French army extremely deadly.

In contrast, the British troops are weaker than any of their singleplayer versions. While practically all British troops in the singleplayer versions of the battle have at least some experience, a good portion of the British army is completely inexperienced. Even worse, many of the British regiments have a reduced number of men. Barring a huge skill gap between the French and the British players, the British player cannot hope to take on the French player by himself and win.

However, the allies have key advantages. The Prussian army begins the battle in full force and can help the British much more rapidly than in any singleplayer version of the battle. In addition, two players control the allies, whereas only one player controls the French, meaning that together they have the potential to out-micro the French player.

Units[]

French Army

British Army

Prussian Army

Screen Shot 2017-05-16 at 11.15

Initial deployment. Napoleon's forces are light blue, Ney's forces are dark blue, British forces are the red dots to the north, Prussian forces are the red dots to the east.

The French army does not have quite as many Old or Young Guard as the 1v2 version. However, this is offset by its increased number of regiments, with more cuirassiers and fusiliers of line. Finally, the French army benefits from two players, evening the odds in terms of how well they can micromanage against the British and Prussian allies.

The British army is overall slightly larger, with a few units having a couple dozen more men, and several units have more experience. The Prussian army is practically identical, with slightly more experienced musketeers but slightly less experienced cavalry.

Units[]

French Army

Player 1:

Player 2:

British Army

Prussian Army

Units[]

French Army

Player 1:

Player 2:

Player 3:

British Army

Player 1:

Player 2:

Prussian Army

Player 3:

In this version of the battle, both sides divide their respective armies in clearly defined roles, in contrast to the more mixed armies given to each player in the other versions. Player 1 on both sides controls most of the elite infantry as well as some artillery; player 2 on both sides control nearly all the cavalry, player 3 and player 4 control the remaining infantry (with the British side's player 3 controlling most Dutch units and player 4 controlling the Prussians). The stark differences among the armies mean that clear communication is key to victory for either side.

Units[]

French Army

Player 1:

Player 2:

Player 3:

Player 4:

British Army

Player 1:


Player 2:

Player 3:

Prussian Army

Player 4:

  • Gebhard von Blücher: 24 men, 3 experience
  • Dragoons: 60 men, 2 experience
  • Hussars: 60 men, 2 experience
  • 2x Musketeers: 160 men each, 1 experience each
  • 2x Landwehr: 160 men each, 1 experience each
  • 6-lber Horse Artillery: 24 men, 1 experience

Notes[]

While it is possible to change unit sizes in the menu, the unit sizes in the Battle of Waterloo (as well as all other multiplayer historical battles) are always set to ultra when the battle is loaded, no matter what the player picked.

Trivia[]

  • Along with the Battle of Friedland, the British version of the Battle of Waterloo is one of the only battles where the dialogue is not voice-acted. 
  • Stéphane Cornicard, the voice actor for Napoleon, pronounces "Grouchy" in the English manner during the narration for the Napoleon's Battles version (ɡraʊ.tʃi), but in the French manner during the battle (ɡʁu.ʃi). This is presumably a recording error.
  • During the pre-battle narration, Napoleon states that the central house, La Haye Sainte, is held by Dutch forces. However, La Haye Sainte is held by Kings German Legion forces. 
  • The quote from the narration, that of Napoleon Bonaparte being "an enemy and disturber of the tranquillity of the world", comes from the real life Declaration at the Congress of Vienna.
Napoleon: Total War Historical Battles
Land Battles Battle of Lodi • Battle of Arcole • Battle of the Pyramids • Battle of Austerlitz • Battle of Borodino • Battle of Dresden • Battle of Ligny • Battle of Waterloo • Battle of Friedland*
Sea Battles Battle of the Nile • Battle of Trafalgar
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