Welcome to the National Cipher Challenge 2008

This year you will be joining Captain George Scovell and the Duke of Wellington in their campaign to drive Napoleon's armies from the Peninsula. Each challenge will come in two parts, a message from the British army communications concerning the plans to undermine the French, and another intercepted by the British or their daring allies, the Spanish Guerilla forces. The British message (the part A challenge) should be straightforward to decrypt, at least in the early stages, but the French are farm more devious in these matters, and you may find their messages (the part B challenges) to be more tricky. There is glory to be won for either part, but the big prizes are reserved for those who crack the French messages most effectively and most quickly. You can read more about the rules of the competition and the way we score it on the Rules page. Good luck!