Beginner’s Roadmap
Napoleon: Total War drops you into the coal-and-gunpowder Napoleonic Wars with a sprawling campaign map. This roadmap gets you through the first twenty turns without drowning in menus — then points you at the tools to go deeper.
<div class="toc">
<h2>On this page</h2>
<ol>
<li><a href="#pick">Pick your first faction</a></li>
<li><a href="#economy">Economy before everything</a></li>
<li><a href="#recruit">Recruiting your first army</a></li>
<li><a href="#diplomacy">Diplomacy & tech</a></li>
<li><a href="#battle">Fighting your first battle</a></li>
<li><a href="#mistakes">Common mistakes to avoid</a></li>
<li><a href="#map">Reading the campaign map</a></li>
<li><a href="#next">Where to go next</a></li>
</ol>
</div>
<h2 id="pick">1. Pick your first faction</h2>
<p>
For a first playthrough, <strong>France</strong> or <strong>Great Britain</strong> are the
gentlest. France starts with the largest territory and the iconic <em>Grande Armée</em>
roster; Great Britain has the safest home island and the best navy, letting you learn
land battles without constant invasion pressure. Each faction’s starting regions and
recruitable units are listed on its <a href="/factions">faction page</a> — start there to
see what you’ll be working with.
</p>
<div class="callout">
<span class="callout-label">Tip</span>
<p>
Open the <a href="/tools/units">unit database</a> and filter by your faction to see
exactly which regiments you can build from turn one. Filtering by
<code>Infantry</code> first keeps your early army cheap and reliable.
</p>
</div>
<h2 id="economy">2. Economy before everything</h2>
<p>
Every region produces <strong>tax income</strong> and may host <strong>farms, mines,
ports, or manufactories</strong>. Build order matters more than army size in the first
ten turns. Prioritise:
</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Tax Office</strong> in every settled province — your baseline income.</li>
<li><strong>Trading Port / Commercial Port</strong> in coastal regions — trade is the
single biggest long-term money source.</li>
<li><strong>Roads</strong> to lift regional wealth and speed up reinforcement movement.</li>
<li><strong>Buildings that raise wealth</strong> (farms, mines, manufactories) before
you stack military buildings.</li>
</ul>
<p>
The full building tree with effects is on the <a href="/buildings">buildings page</a>.
Resist the urge to spam barracks — a broke faction can’t replenish losses.
</p>
<h2 id="recruit">3. Recruiting your first army</h2>
<p>
A balanced stack early on looks like: <strong>4–6 line infantry</strong>,
<strong>1–2 cavalry</strong>, <strong>2–4 artillery</strong>, plus a general. Line
infantry are your anvil; cavalry are your hammer; artillery shred formations but are
fragile and expensive. Compare any two units side by side in the
<a href="/tools/compare">comparator</a> before committing.
</p>
<p>
Generals are not optional — a general’s <strong>command</strong> stat boosts nearby
unit morale, and morale is what wins Napoleonic battles. Recruit one from your capital
early. See the notable commanders on the <a href="/generals">generals page</a>.
</p>
<h2 id="diplomacy">4. Diplomacy & tech</h2>
<p>
Trade agreements and alliances buy you time to consolidate. On the campaign map, secure
a non-aggression pact with a neighbour you aren’t ready to fight. Meanwhile, sink
research points into the <strong>military</strong> and <strong>economic</strong> trees —
better artillery and cheaper buildings pay for themselves fast.
</p>
<h2 id="battle">5. Fighting your first battle</h2>
<p>
The battle engine rewards a few truths that never change:
</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Morale breaks armies.</strong> Units rout long before they’re wiped out.
Flank, scare, and surround rather than trade kills.</li>
<li><strong>Cavalry beats artillery and routed infantry.</strong> Keep horsemen away
from formed line infantry, but loose on fleeing enemies and exposed guns.</li>
<li><strong>Artillery wants open ground.</strong> Place guns on a ridge with a clear
arc; don’t let enemy cavalry reach them.</li>
<li><strong>Terrain matters.</strong> Hills and buildings give defence and cover — hold
the high ground.</li>
</ul>
<p>
The <a href="/guides/tactics">tactics guide</a> breaks all of this down with unit-by-unit
advice.
</p>
<h2 id="mistakes">6. Common mistakes to avoid</h2>
<p>
New players lose more campaigns to a handful of habits than to the AI. The first is
expanding before the economy can support it — every new region you can’t garrison becomes
a rebel spawn. The second is stacking one unit type: an all-cavalry army looks strong until
it meets a square, and an all-artillery army has nothing to hold the line. The third is
ignoring public order: a province at zero happiness will revolt and hand your enemy a free
army. The fourth is fighting on two fronts at once, which lets a coalition pile on while
you split your field armies. Slow down, consolidate, and let the map come to you.
</p>
<h2 id="map">7. Reading the campaign map</h2>
<p>
The campaign map is an information screen as much as a battlefield. Each region shows its
wealth, religion, garrison and happiness at a glance — learn to read those before you decide
to attack or absorb it. Arrows between regions are trade and reinforcement routes; cut an
enemy’s routes and his frontier provinces starve. A navy parked in a sea region controls
the adjacent coasts, so positioning a fleet often matters more than the size of your army
on land. Spend the first few turns just watching the map before you commit to a plan.
</p>
<h2 id="next">8. Where to go next</h2>
<p>
Once the first war is won, the campaign opens up. For conquest priorities by faction,
read the <a href="/guides/campaigns">campaign walkthroughs</a>. For ranked recommendations
on what to build, see the <a href="/tier-list">tier list</a>. And whenever you’re unsure
which unit to recruit, the <a href="/tools/compare">comparator</a> settles the argument
with raw numbers.
</p>