Speedrun to the Consulate Event in Scenario 1

From the late 1980s through the early 1990s, KOEI (now Koei Tecmo, a Japanese publisher renowned for historical simulation games) released a wave of titles that defined the genre. Among them, L’Empereur stands out by putting Napoleon at center stage.

You play as the young Napoleon and try to rewrite European history through military, diplomacy, and domestic policy. This article explains how to clear Scenario 1 in the Famicom version—Famicom is short for Family Computer, the Japan-exclusive hardware that corresponds to the NES—as fast as possible up to the Consulate appointment, relying on deliberate resets.

Scenario 1 fastest route (up to the Consulate)

The chart below expands on a strategy originally posted on a Japanese strategy forum, with additional tweaks and verification notes added by the author. Numbers such as 32 = Milan or 37 = Rome follow the province IDs shown in the Famicom game’s manual.

Resets here mean repeatedly pressing the Famicom’s reset button or an emulator’s quick-reset feature to reroll turn order until the desired conditions appear while avoiding unnecessary battles and losses.

L’Empereur Strategy Notes

L’Empereur ●Scenario 1 speedrun to the Consulate appointment with resets.

-Based on a post from a Japanese board, with many additions.-

March 1796

  • Reset until the turn order reaches 31 = Marseille (Napoleon’s current position) before the city phase for 32 = Milan begins.
  • Conquer Milan.
    (Leave one officer behind because you will need commanders for future occupied cities, and march with everyone else. If you are lucky, 43 = Gibraltar will ignore Marseille; even if it attacks, 30 = Lyon or 29 = Bordeaux often retake it. Otherwise, reset.)

【Tactical Notes】

  • Replenish all reserves into Infantry A under Masséna. From now on, keep Napoleon focused on the Encourage command to raise morale.
    (Position Masséna and your artillery so that they can bombard while staying within range of Napoleon’s encouragement.)
  • Always let the artillery cause confusion before your other units attack.
  • The artillery available in this route takes patience to chip away at enemy forces, but do as much damage as time allows with bombardment before switching to regular attacks to minimize losses.
  • Keep allied artillery casualties at zero—reset if they take any damage.
  • During Milan’s city phase, save and recruit troops.

April 1796

  • Reset until 32 = Milan takes its turn before the city phase for 34 = Venice.
  • Conquer Venice.
    The tactical notes are the same as above. Reinforcements will arrive from 22 = Vienna, so eliminate them whenever possible.
  • During Venice’s city phase, save and run training.

May 1796

  • Reset until the city phase of 22 = Vienna finishes before Venice. If General Ceranovic defects, that is ideal.
  • Conquer 33 = Florence.
  • During petitions, request the dispatch of military officers.

June 1796

  • During the Government command, reset until all of the following are true:
    • Alliance with Austria established.
    • No alliance with Naples.
    • No alliance or friendship treaty with Bavaria.
    • Additionally, aim for 33 = Florence to act before the city phase for 37 = Rome if you can.
  • Conquer 37 = Rome.
  • If Rome’s city phase is available, run training.

July 1796

  • Reset until 37 = Rome takes its turn before the city phase for 38 = Naples.
  • Conquer 38 = Naples.
  • Recruit if possible; otherwise, train troops.

August 1796

  • In troop assignments, give Berthier 150 or more soldiers, maximize Masséna, leave the artillery numbers untouched, and allocate at least one unit to every other general.

September 1796

  • During the Government command, reset if you already have an alliance or friendship treaty with Bavaria.
  • Leave Berthier in Naples and move everyone else to 37 = Rome.

October 1796

  • Move the entire army from 37 = Rome to 33 = Florence.

November 1796

  • Move the entire army from 33 = Florence to 32 = Milan.
  • It is ideal if Philippeaux or Wieland defects to your side.

December 1796

  • During the Government command, reset until Bavaria declares war. (Depending on anti-French sentiment, this may not happen until March of the following year.)
  • Move the entire army from 32 = Milan to 30 = Lyon.

January 1797

  • Conquer 24 = Munich. Meeting the condition appoints Napoleon as First Consul—then march to Paris.

●Event Conditions (for reference even though the above route already satisfies them)

  • Egyptian Campaign: Be in Paris as commander-in-chief in April 1798.
  • If you find the Rosetta Stone and keep choosing “Y” until the end, you trigger the coup d’état leading to the Consulate appointment event.

Summary

This route is one example of a fastest clear that leans on resets. Finishing the scenario quickly not only makes the rest of the campaign easier but also helps you recruit and collect the generals you want, so give it a try.