The 1805 Austerlitz scenario is a good introduction to the game system - it's short and features all aspects of the game except for naval operations. Austria has let the British and Russians talk them into declaring war against Napoleon again, forgetting that they would be the first carcass on the table once the shooting starts. As the scenario starts Napoleon has shifted his forces from the assembly points on the English channel (NOW we see why the Brits wanted to start a continental war!) to oppose the invading Austrians, and Napoleon means to teach the germanic upstarts a lesson in modern warfare. The only fly in the ointment is that the Russians have actually mustered an army and are moving west to help the Austrians as promised. To win the scenario, Napoleon must occupy Vienna at game's end. Napoleon can pretty much defeat any stack of Austrian troops he chooses to attack, so the non-French player's job is to threaten Napoleon's supply line and attempt to turn back Napoleon's supporting forces under his marshals. The thing I like best about this scenario (and War and Peace in general) is that it always comes down to the wire. The first four turns are the setup that determines who gets to Vienna first - the French or the Russians - and in what strength. Then the last turn features desperate battles between the assembled armies for control of Vienna. As such the game does a decent job of recreating the strategic problems of the era - supply, coordination of vast and scattered armies, and maneuvering to gain the advantage in the climactic decisive battle. Tom