Talavera & Vimeiro

About this board game

Talavera & Vimeiro is a two-player Napoleonic wargame with an approximately 1,200-minute playing time, covering two important battles of the Peninsular War.

The main game focuses on the July 1809 Battle of Talavera. Wellesley’s Army of Portugal and Cuesta’s Army of Extremadura formed an uneasy Allied partnership while facing pressure from the Army of King Joseph Bonaparte. After two days of fighting that mauled both sides, the Allies managed to escape toward Portugal.

This title is part of MMP’s Napoleonic Brigade Series and introduces the 3.0 version of the NBS rules. The system is presented as fast-playing and furious, with its emphasis on the challenge of leading armies.

Talavera & Vimeiro also includes a mini-game covering the smaller but decisive Battle of Vimieiro. Fought outside Lisbon in August 1808, this engagement saw the British Army defeat General Junot’s French Army of Portugal. Junot surrendered both his army and Portugal to the British, setting the stage for the wider Peninsular War.

• Two battles: Talavera in 1809 and Vimieiro in 1808.
• Napoleonic Brigade Series: includes the 3.0 NBS rules set.
• Game scale: 180–200 metres per hex, with 30 minutes per game turn and 60 minutes per night turn.
• Strength scale: 150 infantry or 100 cavalry per strength point.

With its large-scale historical battles and additional Vimieiro mini-game, Talavera & Vimeiro offers a substantial study of Allied and French operations in the Iberian Peninsula.