Napoleon 2

Napoleon 2 FatStacks: Slot Overview

You know someone has made their mark on the world when they are known by just a single name, or mononym, as it's called. Pop culture's got Madonna, Zendaya, Beyonce, Adele, or Drake, for example, while history has figures such as Confucious, Plato, Socrates, Voltaire, and the subject of this review, Napoleon. Napoleon Bonaparte made his name on the battlefield, putting the fear into Europe before finally losing the Battle of Waterloo and later being exiled to the island of Saint Helena. Napoleon is experiencing something of a renaissance in the gambling world (see Napoleon Vs Rabbits or Mighty Empire Hold & Win, for example) and is the headliner in Napoleon 2 FatStacks, an online slot from developer Lucksome.

Napoleon 2 FatStacks follows on from Napoleon: Rise of an Empire, released by developer Blueprint Gaming some years prior. It's also the second time we've crossed paths with Lucksome's FatStacks mechanic, too, after its debut in FatStacks Miami Cash. Obviously, it is a long way from the steamy streets of Miami to the smoky, boggy battlefield players find themselves on for Napoleon 2 FatStacks. The game shares visual similarities to the previous release, such as the game grid framed like a fancy painting, the intense tunes, and general background imagery, but a satisfying modern upgrade has taken place, matching the mechanical renovations Lucksome has provided.

Part of the upgrade was transforming the grid into a 6-reel, 4-row gaming area with 4,096 ways to win. To take on Napoleon or join forces, players select a stake of 10 c to $/€10 per spin, with a bonus buy on hand to skip the skirmish part of play and charge right into battle. Well, trigger free spins, that is. Mathematically, Napoleon 2 FatStacks is a medium-high volatile slot, producing a return to player value of 96.24%, or 96.33% when buying free spins.

Royals and images of war make up Napoleon 2 FatStacks' pay symbols. Ten to Ace card ranks are the lower paying lot, worth 1 to 3 times the bet for a 6 OAK hit. Then we've got a cannon, a horse, a soldier, and a ship as the 4 high pays. Hitting a 6 OAK high pay win awards 4 to 15 times the bet. Winning symbols are removed from the reels when they hit and replaced by new symbols falling in from above. Cascades continue until no new win or no new FatStacks are possible. Scatters do not create cascades, though. Also, winning symbols do not create cascades during a Napoleon Mega Steak.

Napoleon 2 FatStacks: Slot Features

Onto features where, if you're lucky, you'll run into FatStacks, two types of wild symbols, Napoleon Mega Streaks, Battle Cry Modifiers, and free spins.

FatStacks

When 2 or 3 identical single symbols are on the same reel, they consolidate into double or triple symbols called FatStacks - falling through other symbols if need be. This means double or triple the ways to win on a single symbol. Any pay symbols can become FatStacks, but not wilds or scatters. Up to 3 FatStacks can be on each reel, so at full capacity, FatStacks can create up to 1 million ways to win.

Wilds

Napoleon 2 FatStacks has 2 types of wilds – regular Napoleon Wilds or Golden Napoleon Wilds. Both appear on reels 2-6 to substitute for any regular pay symbols, and both display Monsieur Bonaparte on them. Wild symbols are also a win multiplier. When 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 wilds substitute on a winline, they multiply the win by x2, x4, x8, x16, or x32, respectively.

Napoleon Mega Streak

When the Golden Napoleon Wild is part of a win, it triggers a Napoleon Mega Streak. All winning symbols or scatter symbols are held on the screen, while non-winning symbols are removed, allowing more symbols to drop in. Creating FatStacks increases the ways to win. Landing new winning symbols or scatters locks them in place, repeating the process until no new ones appear in view.

Battle Cry Modifier

On any spin, Napoleon may appear to trigger one of two modifiers. This could be adding scatter symbols to the reels or adding wild symbols to the reels.

Free Spins

Getting 4, 5, or 6 scatter symbols on the grid awards 10, 12, or 15 free spins, respectively. During free spins, all wilds are golden, and any wins with the Golden Napoleon Wild trigger the Mega Streak feature. Also, at the end of a Mega Streak, wild multiplier values are upgraded for the rest of the round, as displayed on the screen - up to 5x, 10x, 20x, 40x, and 80x. Hitting 4+ scatters awards an extra 10 free spins with the upgraded multiplier trail.

Bonus Buy

For 150 times the bet, players can buy their way into the free spins round. Bought bonuses have a 30x the bet or less second chance retrigger guarantee.

Napoleon 2 FatStacks: Slot Verdict

A fair amount of time passed between Napoleon: Rise of an Empire from Blueprint Gaming and Napoleon 2 FatStacks from Lucksome, and a lot has changed. Indeed, a lot has changed between this and FatStacks Miami Cash. Where FatStacks Miami Cash emphasised hitting Luxpots to win rewards from a ladder of prizes, Napoleon 2 FatStacks has a focus on stacking winning symbols during Napoleon Mega Streaks, preferably while loading wilds to bump the multiplier value up. This latter feature creates a neat link between Napoleon 2 FatStacks and the original game, which used a similar, more wilds-more multiplier dynamic, though in a less evolved way as it is here.

What unites the two mentioned Lucksome slots is, of course, the FatStacks gaming mechanic, which is a potential Megaways challenger. Working hand in hand with the wild multiplier, FatStacks make a great accompaniment to the sticky snowball effect of a solid Mega Streak run. With 20,000x the bet to play for, Napoleon 2 FatStacks certainly has plenty of room to run amok and exciting tools to work with. As a comparison, one thing working in Megaways' favour is that its effect is immediately apparent, not to mention active on every single spin. Dropping FatStacks on each spin would possibly mess with the maths fair dues. But lowering the frequency that FatStacks appear makes them more of a special side feature rather than a main event mechanic running the show. A good one that is able to gel well in Mega Streaks.

All in all, Napoleon 2 FatStacks makes for an excellent progression in the Napoleon series, being a more modern experience in practically every regard. Of course, players who preferred the classic feel of Blueprint Gaming's Napoleon slot might feel a little frigid at all the new-fangled gadgetry this new one tosses in. But, broadly speaking, advanced weaponry can provide an edge in combat, so players interested in pounding the battlefield with some of the latest goings on in slot design can get a taste of that in Napoleon 2 FatStacks.