LA BATAILLE D’ ECKMUEHL

Series: Vive L’ Empereur!,    Azure Wish

REVIEW
By Lodovico Badali

INTRODUCTION

“ La Bataille d’Eckmuehl “ is one of the four games of the series “ Vive l’ Empereur “, the other three are: “ Friedland “, “ Auerstaedt “ and “ Hanau “. The series has a Rulebook with the rules for the three games and a little insert for each game with the unique rules for a battle. When a player knows the common rules in less, than an hour he can learn the specific rules of a game. In our review we will use the common rules and the specific ones for “ La Bataille d’Eckmuehl “; even if this game is part of a series, we focalize our attention on it. We will proceed in this order: first, we will give an exposition about the rules and their functions, and then we will write more deeply about the system, giving our opinion on how it works. At the end of our review, we will give some suggestions about the strategies for the French and the Austrian for the scenario “ La Bataille d’Eckmuehl “. 
We will use the original French rules: if it will be necessary, we will translate some parts of them in English. 

THE STANDARD RULES

The Rulebook is divided in two sections: Standard Rules and Advanced and Optional Rules. The players can use only the Standard Rules, some, or all of the Advanced and Optional Rules. 
We will analyze the System using before the Standard rules then we will add to them the advanced ones in order to make a confrontation between the Standard and the advanced rules.
Before the analyzing of the Sequence of Play, we have to spend some words about the playing pieces and some other features of the game. 
THE UNITS
Each counter of a combat unit represents ( in the most cases ) an infantry or cavalry unit at regimental level and artillery unit at single battery level. There are other counters that represent the Corps’s Commanders and the Overall Commanders; and then some markers, which allow the players to indicate if an infantry unit is in square, the losses and other functions of the game. Each counter of a combat unit has this information: the type of the unit ( infantry, cavalry and artillery ), its personal identification number, the corps to which it belongs, the number of steps, its moral value, its movement points, its historically name, its fire’s value and it value in the hand-to-hand combat. Above these information each combat unit has a coloured bar that indicates its front and the Army to which it belongs ( under the coloured bar there is a coloured line that shows the corps to which the unit belongs ). Each counter has a letter ( the best is A ) to indicate if a unit has no losses ( in this case you use the counter with the letter A ) and the substitute counter that shows a combat units after some losses ( in this case you use the counter with the letter B, then C and so on ). There are three types of combat units: infantry, cavalry and artillery, each of which is represented by a counter that shows some specific information. The counters for the infantry units are divided in two types: the line infantry and the light infantry ( chasseurs or jaegers ). The counters of the light infantry shows, beyond the information above, the range of fire that is two hexes when the light infantry assumes a specific formation, called “ Skirmishers “. The counters of the cavalry units show the type of cavalry unit ( heavy or light ) and do not have the fire’s value; the cavalry cannot fire. The counters of the artillery show if it is horse artillery or simple artillery and the maximum range for the fire ( normally from five to seven hexes ), the shock combat value is used only when an artillery unit is alone in a hex defending against a shock attack made by infantry or a cavalry charge. All the counter of the combat units has two sides to indicate the different formations that a unit can assume. For infantry one side is for the line, the other for the column; for the cavalry one is for column, the other for the line; for the artillery one indicates a limbered unit ( for moving ), the other an unlimbered unit ( for firing ). 
Each unit type can assume a number of different formations, some of which are voluntary other due to the external factors. The formations are the heart of the game and we will examine for the three kinds of the combat units ( infantry, artillery and cavalry ) all the formations that a unit can assume.

COMBAT FORMATIONS
INFANTRY
LINE FORMATION
This formation is indicated by the exposed side of the counter with the coloured bar on its long side. The counter, with its coloured bar, faces a hex junction. When using this formation, an infantry unit is restricted in its movements ( for example it cannot cross a stream ) and can move entering in one of the two front hexes. In the line formation, an infantry unit is at its best for the fire, but it is less effective in the melee combat. An infantry unit in line formation is more suitable for defence, less for an attack even if its high fire value can be useful in an attack too. 
COLUMN FORMATION
To indicate an infantry unit in column formation a player must use the other side of a counter, with the coloured bar on the short side. In this formation, the counter faces, with the coloured bar, a hexside. In defence, an infantry unit in column has three front hexes ( the hex that it faces, plus the two adjacent to it ), two flank and one rear hexes; using this formation, an infantry unit has a one hex front ( where the coloured bar faces ) for attacking by fire or melee. It can move only in its coloured front hex, but its MA is greater than in line formation and it has less movement restrictions. Using this formation, an infantry unit is more effective in melee combat ( it has+1 modifiers on its printed melee value when attacking ) and less in fire combat; this is the best formation to attack and to break the enemy infantry units defending in line.
ADAPTED FORMATION
This kind of formation is mandatory in town, brush and wood. To indicate an adapted formation, a player uses the same face of the column. An infantry unit in adapted formation has all the six hexsides as fronts. Its firepower is one and its melee value has not the +1 modifier. Normally an infantry unit uses this formation to fit to the terrain’s feature, or when it becomes disorganized. 
SQUARE FORMATION
An infantry unit can adopt this formation only in clear, difficult terrain; to show it, it is used the side of the counter used for the line formation, and a square marker is placed under it. An infantry unit in square has fronts in all of its six adjacent hexes. It has a MA of one. Its firepower is reduced by -2 to a minimum of one. Its melee value is not modified if it is attacked by a cavalry unit; if it is attacked by an infantry unit, its melee value is halved. Its morale value is modified by +2 if defending against cavalry. It is obvious that the square formation is used above all if an infantry unit must defend against a cavalry charge.
DISORGANIZED FORMATION
This is a formation only in game terms. In realty, it represents an infantry unit that had lost its order after a fire or melee combat or after having moved across some terrain’s features. To indicate a disorganized infantry use the column side of the counter and place a numeric marker ( with the current game turn ) across it. A disorganized infantry unit has six front’s hexes. After a disorganisation it must retreats two hexes; it cannot perform melee attack, but it can defend. It can move using the column movement allowance but only towards its line of communication. Its firepower and its melee value is one; its moral value is reduced by two. If a disorganized infantry unit suffers a second disorganization, it is eliminated. It cannot stack with a good order unit. A player can voluntary disorganize an infantry unit: this action costs zero MP. 
SKIRMISHERS’ FORMATION
Only the light infantry ( identified by a counter with the denomination “ Légère “ and a fire range of two ) can use this formation. A light infantry unit can adopts it only in clear and in difficult terrain. To indicate a Skirmishers formation use the side of the counter used for the line formation and place it on a hexside, to cover two hexes. There is no cost in MPs to assume this formation. It has three front hexes, two flanks hexes and three rear hexes. Using this formation, a light infantry unit can fire at a range of two hexes, but doing so, it has a malus of -2 to its firepower. The light infantry unit in Skirmisher formation defends two hexes and it melee value is reduced to one-half if it has attacked from a flank or rear hex.
CAVALRY
LINE  FORMATION
Facing is similar to that of the infantry in line. A cavalry unit can use this formation only at the start of the Charge Phase, or when it countercharges. A cavalry unit cannot passes in line formation for other reason. A cavalry unit reverts to column or adapted formation after the charge is resolved. It is forbidden to cross some kinds of terrains: stream, forest, brush, town, gully and swamp. Its melee value is halved when attacking a square.
COLUMN FORMATION
Facing is similar to column infantry. A cavalry unit must assume the column formation in three cases: 1) the unit is not moving; 2) during the normal movement; 3) the cavalry charges across stream, or it starts from, end in, or crosses a town hex, a brush hex or a wood hex. 
ADAPTED FORMATION
This formation is mandatory in town, forest and brush. Use the column side of the counter. The six adjacent hexes are front. This formation is mandatory in the following cases: 1) when the unit occupies a town, brush or wood hex; 2) during the normal movement as soon as the unit enters one of these types of terrain and until it leaves these terrain types. 
DISORGANIZED FORMATION
Like for the infantry, this is a formation for game purposes. In reality, it is the state a cavalry unit has after it has lost its cohesion. Use the column side of the counter. Place a numeric marker ( with preceding game turn ) across the counter of the unit. The six adjacent hexes are front. Upon its disorganization, the unit immediately retreats two hexes. It cannot charge. Use the column movement allowance, but the movement is allowed only towards the lines of communication. Its melee value is one. Use the column morale value with a-2 modifier. If a disorganized cavalry suffers a second disorganization, it is eliminated. 
ARTILLERY
LIMBERED ARTILLERY
This formation is mandatory in town. An artillery unit cannot move in forest or brush except by road. An artillery unit expends one MP each time it rotates by sixty degrees ( unless it moves along a road ). Facing is similar to column infantry. Limbered artillery cannot fire. The defence value is one.
UNLIMBERED ARTILLERY
This formation is allowed only in clear or difficult terrain. Facing is similar to infantry in line formation. An unlimbered artillery unit has two front, two flank and two rear hexes. It cannot move, unless it change formation and becomes limbered ( it costs two MPs ). An artillery unit can never attack in melee combat and its defence value is one against a melee attack. An artillery unit can stack with infantry in square formation.
DISORGANIZED ARTILLERY
Use the counter for the column formation and place across it a numeric marker with the current game turn. Upon its disorganization, it immediately retreats two hexes. The moral value is modified by -2. Use the limbered movement allowance, but it can move only towards its lines of communication. If it suffers a second disorganization, it is eliminated. It cannot fire. If it is attacked in melee, it is automatically eliminated. It cannot stack with a good order unit.
STACKING
A single hex can contain up to ten stacking points of infantry and artillery, or up to seven stacking points of cavalry. These limits are applied even during the movement and not only at the end of it. Infantry and artillery units can stack together; cavalry cannot stack with other combat units. 
When several units are stacked in a combat, the following rules are applied: 1) only the top unit can fire; 2) a stack can attack only one hex, it cannot split to different attacks; 3) all the units in a stack count for the shock ( either in defence or in attack ). 
The unit on the top of a stack is the first unit to takes the combat’s results. If the top unit is eliminated and if the combat’s result is not completely fulfilled, the remaining losses are applied to the next unit, and so on. 
If a moral check is required, the unit on the top executes the check. If it succeeds, the whole stack holds; on the contrary, if it fails the next unit executes it with a malus of -2, and so on.
If a unit in the stack moves backwards, it can be subject of the Opportunity Fire, even if one or more units remain in the original hex.
At the end of the Movement Phase, units stacked together and with the same formation must have a common facing. If several units are stacked together but with different formations, they can have different facings, but at least two front hexes must be in common: this is called the “ Mixed Order “. The concept of flank is applied to the stack, not to the single unit: it is sufficient that one unit of the stack is considered to have a hex as front that the entire stack has it as a front hex.
Exceptions: an infantry unit in square formation cannot stack with another infantry with different formation; a light infantry unit in Skirmishers formation can stack only with another light infantry unit in the same formation.
A disorganized unit cannot move across a unit in good order, except during a retreat. In this case, the unit in good order must do a moral check and the disorganized unit cannot stop, but it must continue its movement until it reaches an empty hex.
LEADERS
Each player has several leaders. Each leader usually commands one corps. Each player has also an Overall Commander who leads the whole army. A leader has not fire or melee value, he does not count against stacking limit and he has not a formation. A leader in a hex influences the combat and the moral check for the units with which he is stacked. 
A counter of a leader has three values: the bonus for the combat, the bonus for the morale check and his movement allowance. The bonus for the combat influences only the melee; this bonus is only for the combat units commanded by the leader ( an OC gives his bonus to all the units ). 
A leader gives a morale bonus to all the units stacked with him. In the same manner as the combat bonus, this one is applied only to the combat units leaded by this leader. 
A leader can be eliminated if: 1) the combat unit with which he is stacked suffers two or more losses from fire, on a die roll of six the leader is eliminated; 2) all the units with him are destroyed, on a die roll of six he is eliminated; 3) he is alone in a hex over which an enemy unit passes, on a die roll of six he is eliminated. If there are more than one reason for the test of the leader’s survival, the owing player must do all of them.
Losing a leader costs VPs and if he is Napoleon, the French player immediately loses the game.
If a leader is eliminated, at the start of the next turn his replacement arrives on a unit of his command. The original counter of the eliminated leader is utilized but the new values are: +1 for the melee combat and +2 for the moral check.
OTHER FEATURES 
There are other three kinds of markers: Decoy that are used to lure the other player; reserve that are used to hide units and keep them behind the front line; Random Event that are used in the Advanced Game.
The map shows the battlefield with a hexagonal grid superimposed, but there is not the numerical identification for the hexes.
There are four kinds of playing aid charts. Each player has a chart on which there are all the units in his army, with a box for each step, this chart serves to mark the losses for each unit. A chart represents in lower scale the game map. Another chart reports the TEC; at the end, the fourth chart is for the Melee Combat table and Fire Table with the Formations’ Table.
Before the Sequence of Play, now we write about some rules that are not part of the Sequence of Play but that are used during it in different occasions.
MORALE
Each combat unit has a morale value between 7 and 11; the morale value is independent from the fire or melee value of a unit. There are several occasions in which a unit must test its morale to find if it remains in good order or becomes demoralized, or if it is demoralized and try to recovery.
A combat unit must make a morale check in six occasions. 1) Each time a unit suffers one or more losses due to the enemy fire. 2) When the CRT of fire or melee combat has a result with an “ * “. 3) If a demoralized unit passes across a hex in which there is a good order unit, this one must make a morale check. 4 ) In order to try a countercharge, a cavalry unit must pass a morale check. 5 ) An infantry unit must make a morale check if it wants to assume the square formation to face a cavalry’s charge. 6 ) A disorganized unit must make a morale check to recover the good order during the Recovery Segment.
To make a morale check a player must roll two dice. If the result is equal or lower than the morale value of the unit, the check is successfully: if the result is greater than the unit’s morale value, it becomes disorganized and it must retreat two hexes toward its line of communications ( or in same cases, towards a forest or a town in proximity of the unit ). 
A dice roll of two is always a success, a dice roll of twelve is always a failure ( in this cases the dice roll modifiers do not count ).
There are several modifiers to the morale value of a unit. A disorganized unit has a -2. If an infantry unit in square formation is attacked only by cavalry, it has a +2. If a unit attempts to recover when it is adjacent to an enemy unit, it has a -1. A leader gives is moral bonus to all the units that are in his command and that are stacked with him. If a unit is attacked or fired upon from its flank, it has a -2, if the attack or the fire comes from a rear hexside, it has a -3. If a friendly unit in the same hex fails a moral check, the morale of the unit underneath is modified by -2. 
When a unit suffers several losses, its morale value lows: to indicate the fact there are substitute counter ( identified  by a letter code B, then C and so on ). A unit with a letter code A is always at its best morale value.
ARMY’S DEMORALIZATION
An Army can become demoralized if it suffers a certain number of losses. The number of losses is given in the Special Rules of a battle, in some of which the demoralization is applied to the single corps and not to the whole Army. If an Army becomes demoralized, it remains demoralized until the end of the battle.
When an Army or a corps becomes demoralized, all of its units with one or more losses have a malus of -2 to their morale value. When a demoralized unit becomes disorganized, it can trigger a “ chain reaction “: 1) the adjacent good order units belonging to a demoralized corps must immediately make a morale check; 2) the same is true for the units adjacent to its retreat’s path of the unit. If a unit fails its morale check, it becomes disorganized and must retreat two hexes and it can induce other units to make a morale check.
A disorganized and demoralized unit that suffers a new disorganization is not eliminated. The unit is considered as eliminated for the VPs gained by the opponent. The unit retreats ( using all of its MPs ) towards its lines of communication; it cannot stop when it enter in a wood or town hex; if it cannot complete its movement it is eliminated.
This rule recreates the potential chaos created by the routing units when an Army or a corps is demoralized. The unit, although it is no longer efficient as combat unit, it still has an effect on the battle, by hindering the retreat of friendly units and spreading panic on the rear.
REINFORCEMENTS
They arrive during the Movement Phase with the formation and the order selected by owning player. If an enemy unit occupies the entry hex, the reinforcements enter the map in the nearest empty hex.
LINES OF COMMUNICATION
The lines of communications are the backbone of the Army. They allow the supply and the reinforcements to arrive. In game’s terms, the line of communications is the main retreat path of the units. Each game of the series has specific lines of communications. If a unit leaves the map through a line of communications, it does not count as VPs for the other player, except when it is specified by the special rules of a game.
THE SEQUENCE OF PLAY                                                
The Sequence of Play is very simple. Each turn is divided in two parts: the First Player Turn and the Second Player Turn. The Sequence of Play is the same for both the two players. 
CAVALRY CHARGES PHASE
The cavalry has a terrible power in the shock attack when it charges. The only way to oppose an efficacy defence is for the infantry to assume the square formation and for the cavalry to countercharge. The cavalry charges take place before the movements of the other units. The rules applied to the charges and the countercharges have many exceptions to the standard rules.
The cavalry must charge in order to attack. It moves during the Charge Phase only, not during the Movement Phase. The formation of a charging cavalry unit depends on the terrain. In clear, the charging cavalry uses the line formation. In the other terrains, it uses the column formation; the terrain costs are doubled when a cavalry unit crosses a hex of town, wood or brush. In a hex of wood, brush or town a charging cavalry uses the column formation ( instead of the normal Adapted Formation ) only during the charge’s movement. A cavalry unit can remain in column or it can attempt to countercharge in order to defend itself. 
During the Cavalry Charge Phase, the phasing player announces the cavalry units that charge, but he is not obliged to indicate the targets. A cavalry unit cannot charge if it is disorganized. The units move normally with the only restriction that a charging cavalry cannot change its facing more than 60° per hex. Each charge is resolved separately. It is possible that cavalry units staked together charge at the same time and together. The charging cavalry units can start their charge from different hexes, providing the player announces he will attempt a “ combined charge “. If the charging cavalry passes adjacent to an enemy cavalry unit, the last one can attempt to countercharge ( it is necessary to make a morale check before ). If the countercharge check succeeds, the friendly cavalry can withdrawal to avoid the fight: the same thing is true is the target hex contains a cavalry unit. If an infantry unit occupies the defender hex, the defender can attempt to pass in square formation ( after a morale check ). A charging cavalry moves. The owing player can announce the target when and if he wants. A charging cavalry in line formation has two front hexes and it can attack one or the other of the two hexes. The owing player is not obliged to announce his target: the defender’s task is to guess which the target hex is. A charging cavalry can attack one or the other of the two of its frontal hexes ( never both ). A charging cavalry unit can voluntarily become disorganized, at any time, even after the charge, to be allowed to retreat two hexes. In this case, the owing player places on the cavalry unit a numerical marker showing the previous game turn number. 
All the charge’s combats ere resolved during the Melee Phase. A cavalry unit fights with the usual procedure for all the melee combat; the only exception is the countercharge that is resolved immediately. An infantry unit not in square formation has one additional step lost if attacked by a charging cavalry unit. After the charge, the cavalry unit passes to the column formation. 
If, when the combat is resolved, the target infantry unit is disorganized: 1 ) it retreats two hexes; 2 ) the cavalry unit can advance two hexes, the first is the hex of the combat, the second the first hex of the retreat path of the infantry unit; 3 ) if the first hex of the retreat contains a unit, the cavalry can charge it, but only after a successfully morale check. 
A player can announce a combined charge using several cavalry units from different hexes. These cavalries must meet when charging. This rule allows the cavalry units to fight together if countercharged. Then the cavalries can move and fight together. If the cavalry units follow different paths during the movement, they are no longer considered combined. 
An infantry unit can be in square formation at the start of the charge, or it can attempt to assume the square formation during the charge ( the infantry unit must be in good order to be capable to assume the square formation ). To attempt to form a square, an infantry unit must pass a morale check, with all the possible modifiers, except the -2 for being attacked a rear and/or flank hex. If the infantry unit passes the morale check, it assumes the square formation and all the other infantry units stacked underneath make the same. If an artillery unit is stacked with the infantry, there are three cases. 1 ) If the artillery unit is limbered, it is protected by the square, no matter what its position in the stack is. 2 ) If the artillery unit is unlimbered and stacked on the infantry, it can be used like a normal artillery unit, but the losses will be applied first to the artillery and then to the infantry. The artillery unit has not the +2 morale bonus for being stacked with a square, but the melee value of the charging cavalry is still halved. 3 ) If the artillery unit is unlimbered and stacked under the infantry, it can only add its melee value of one to the defence with the +2 morale bonus. 
An enemy cavalry unit, even if it is the target of a charge, can attempt to countercharge during the charge, the movement or the melee phases. This is a charge without movement, available only to the enemy cavalry. An enemy cavalry can countercharge when a cavalry unit enters in one of its front hexes. In order to countercharge a cavalry unit must pass a morale check. If the morale check fails, nothing happens and the countercharged cavalry can continue its movement. If the check succeeds, the countercharging cavalry can pass from column to line formation, depending on the terrain feature. Then it immediately engages the enemy cavalry unit in melee without moving. If an infantry unit is countercharged, it can attempt to pass in square formation. The countercharge is resolved like the other melee combats. The countercharged unit can fire ( if it is infantry or unlimbered artillery unit ), then the resolution of the melee combat takes place. All the units in the countercharged hex are involved in the combat. After the resolution of the combat: 1 ) the countercharging cavalry does not move ( there is no advance after combat ) and it reverts to the starting formation. 2 ) No matter the combat result, the countercharge stops the movement of the active units. 3 ) An infantry unit can engage in melee in the following melee phase. A cavalry unit that has failed its countercharge attempt will still be able to attempt other countercharge if a new possibility will arise. 
REGULAR MOVEMENT PHASE
During this phase, the active player can move all, some or none of his units, spending MPs according to formations and terrain features. 
The movement is not mandatory and each unit can expend some or all of its MPs. A cavalry unit, which has charged during the Charge Phase, cannot move. The number of MPs that a unit can spend must be lower than or equal to the movement allowance for the current formation of the unit. A unit can change formation even if the movement allowance of the new formation is lower than the number of MPs spent by this unit: in this case, the unit stops its movement.
Depending on its formation, a unit can enter only in certain hexes. In line formation, it can enter one of the two front hexes. In column formation, it can enter the central front hex. In square, adapted or disorganized formation, a unit can enter any adjacent hex.
The voluntary change of the formation is made by staying in the hex and paying one MP for the infantry and two MPs for the artillery. A mandatory change does not cost MPs. When a unit changes formation from column to line, the two front hexes must be among the three column front hexes. An unlimbered artillery has 0 MP: but it can change formation and its movement allowance is the limbered movement allowance minus two MPs. A light infantry unit can adopt all the formations of the regular infantry. It can adopt an additional formation, Skirmishers, that allows it to fire at a range of two hexes. 
A unit spends one MP for each 60° facing change. Unlimbered artillery can change facing 60° per turn at no cost. Limbered artillery spends one MP per 60° facing change, except if the artillery is on a road. Column cavalry or infantry spend zero MP for the first 60° facing change, before or after they have entered a hex. A 180° countermarch costs two MPs in any formation. To move backward costs one additional MP.
A unit can voluntary becomes disorganized at any time, during its turn or during the Movement or Charge Phase of the opponent player. If a unit becomes disorganized, it must retreat two hexes. The owing player places a numeric marker, showing the current turn, on the disorganized unit; if the unit is cavalry, the numeric marker bears the number of the previous turn.
To pass a stream or a bridge a unit must be in column, or disorganized. In town, wood and brush an infantry or cavalry unit must be in Adapted formation; an artillery unit can only be limbered or disorganized in town. An artillery unit can move across wood hexes only along a road using the Limbered or Disorganized formation. To be eligible for road movement, an infantry or cavalry unit must use the column formation or be disorganized; an artillery unit must be limbered or disorganized to use the road movement. A unit has two MPs more, if it moves exclusively along a road. 
A cavalry unit can withdrawal one or two hexes if an enemy unit enters in an adjacent hex: a disorganized or charged cavalry cannot withdrawal. It can withdrawal several times in the same phase. Before attempting to withdrawal, a cavalry unit must pass a morale check: if it succeeds, it moves backward one or two hexes in the opposite direction of the enemy unit that can continue to move. If it fails, it becomes disorganized and it must retreat two hexes.
DEFENSIVE FIRE PHASE
The infantry and the artillery units can fire at enemy units in range ( usually against enemy units about to attack ). 
The red number on the counter indicates the firepower of a unit. For the infantry it remains constant, independently by the remaining step of the unit. For the artillery, it is halved when the unit loses one of its two steps. 
The fire range is: one hex for the infantry in line or column formation; two hexes for the light infantry in skirmishers; from five to seven hexes for the unlimbered artillery. For the opportunity fire, the range is: one hex for the infantry ( regardless its formation ); two hexes for the unlimbered artillery. To resolve the fire add the fire value of each unit that fire on the same hex ( it is not possible to fire two or more times at the same hex in the same phase ), apply the eventual modifiers then roll a die on the Fire Table. There are two possible results: 1 ) a X indicates the number of steps lost by the target; 2 ) a “ * “ indicates that the target has no loss, but it must make a morale check.
During the Defensive Fire Phase each unit can fire only one time; the same is true during the Offensive Fire Phase.
An infantry or artillery unit can execute an “ opportunity fire “ during the Defensive or Offensive Fire Phase only if an enemy unit leaves an hex into which the friendly unit can fire ( for the infantry any frontal hex, for the unlimbered artillery any hex within the front area and within a two-hexes range ). The opportunity fire is executed immediately when the above conditions are met. There is no limit to the number of the opportunity fires, and it is in addition to the defensive or offensive fire.
A unit must have a LOS in order to fire at a range of two or more hexes. The Los is checked from the centre of the hex in which the firing unit is to the centre of the hex in which the target unit is.
The LOS is blocked in these cases: 1 ) it crosses one hex of wood, brush or town; 2 ) a ridge hexside; 3 ) a hex occupied by a combat unit ( friendly or enemy ). 
Losses are recorded on each player’s Loss Sheet, by checking out the boxes starting from the right. 
If a unit passes the morale check, nothing happens; but if it fails, the unit becomes disorganized and it must retreat two hexes towards its LOCs. 
The die roll is modified by +1, when an artillery unit fires into an adjacent hex.
The die roll is modified by +1 if the target unit is an infantry unit in square formation.
OFFENSIVE FIRE PHASE
The rules are the same as in the Defensive Fire Phase. Each unit can fire only one time in this phase.
MELEE PHASE
During this phase the active player can conduct melee attacks with all of his units ( the artillery melee value is only defensive ) against enemy units in adjacent hexes.
The melee attack is always voluntary and an enemy units or stack of units can be attacked only one time per melee phase. It is possible to combine several units in one attack.
An attacking stack cannot split to attack different hexes; a defending stack must be attacked as a whole.
The melee value of a unit is printed in black, under its fire value. The melee value of a unit can be modified by: 1 ) attacker: the formation, the terrain where the attacker is and the terrain of the defender’s hex; 2 ) defender: the formation and the terrain of its hex. 
The melee strength of a unit ( attacker or defender ) is equal to its melee value multiplied by the number of steps of the unit ( computing them at the moment of the shock combat ). 
A unit can attack only into its frontal hexes. One of the two frontal hexes for a line infantry/cavalry; one of the three frontal hexes for skirmishers; the central frontal hex for a column infantry/cavalry; any one of the six adjacent hexes for a square infantry; any one of the six adjacent hexes for an infantry/cavalry in adapted order. A disorganized unit cannot melee attack.
The units attacked from their flank or rear hexes have their melee value halved. 
Some units cannot melee attack: the disorganized units; the units with a melee value of zero; the artillery units.
The melee combat is resolved in this way: the melee strength of the attacker is divided by that of the defender and any fraction is rounded down in favour of the defender. Then the active player rolls a die on the Melee Table. The possible results are: 0 or 1, the number of steps lost; *, an immediate morale check; D, disorganization and retreat of two hexes; D+1, disorganization + 1 step lost and retreat of two hexes; E, elimination. 
A unit that becomes disorganized must retreat two hexes towards its lines of communication; if it cannot retreat, it is eliminated. If a unit exits the map, it is considered eliminated for the victory’s purpose.
If, after the melee combat resolution, the attacked hex is empty of the defending units, the attacker can advance into it.
RALLY PHASE
During this phase, the player can attempt to rally his previously disorganized units with morale checks.
A unit must stay at least two turns before the player can attempt to rally it. In other words, a unit can be rallied only if the number on its marker is two lower than the current turn number.
Each eligible unit can attempt to rally with all proper modifiers, including the -2 for being disorganized.
If the rally attempt succeeds, the disorganized marker is removed and the owing player chooses the formation and the orientation of the rallied unit.
If the rally attempt fails, the unit must retreat two hexes towards its lines of communication or towards an empty wood or town hex within two hexes, in any direction.
A disorganized unit can never be stacked with another unit ( in good order or disorganized ); if this happens, the disorganized unit must retreat two hexes.
The second player turn is the same than the first player turn.

ADVANCED AND OPTIONAL RULES

The Advanced and Optional Rules are intended to make the game more realistic adding new rules, some of which are very simple, others less. At the start of a game, the players, by mutual agreement, can decide if they want to use none, some or all of these rules. The Advanced and Optional Rules replace the Standard Rules in some cases. 
Here we give a brief summery following the order in the Rulebook and in some cases; we will add a comment to show how the new rules interact with the Standard ones.
OPTIONAL RULES
A light infantry unit in skirmishers formation are very vulnerable in the melee combat. So apply the sequent changes: its melee value is reduced to one; enemy fire upon skirmishers is modified by -1. A skirmisher formation can withdrawal before combat ( use the same rule that for the cavalry’s withdrawal ), but it can withdrawal only one hex.
Each time artillery is fired upon by enemy artillery, its losses are tallied as half-loss ( the fire value of that artillery is not modified by a half-loss ). The second time the same artillery unit suffers a half-loss, this second half-loss is summed with the first and the artillery unit now has one step lost, which modifies its fire value. This new rule intends to remark that the artillery fire is more effective against an infantry in close order than against a lone artillery battery with a much lower number of men.
Artillery had the problem of depending on heavy weapons, which had no movement possibility at all when left by their crew. In this perspective, add the following rule: a limbered artillery retreats normally if disorganized; an unlimbered artillery, which becomes disorganized, does not retreat, but it stays in the hex, a disorganized artillery may rally normally. If an enemy unit enters the hex, the disorganized artillery is automatically eliminated, with no combat.
The light cavalry units do not need to make a morale check to retreat before combat. The heavy cavalry has a bonus of +1 to its melee value when charging. A cavalry unit ( light or heavy ) cannot charges two turns in a row, there must be a turn of waiting between two charges made by the same unit. At the end of a charge, whatever the result is, a cavalry unit can voluntary becomes disorganized and retreats two hexes or its remaining MPs. These rules make the use of the cavalry more interesting and more adherent to the reality. During the First Empire, the cavalry was a powerful army, but also the most difficult to use, because the horses have the same importance than the men.
A unit already disorganized, suffering a second disorganization, routes ( it is not longer eliminated ). The routed unit expends its entire MA to move towards its lines of communication, when it becomes routed and each time it fails to rally itself. A routed unit that passes through a non routed unit or which is passed through by a non routed unit makes the unit in good order immediately becoming routed with all the consequences. This one is a very interesting rule, which allows the players to play a game more realistic where a unit does not disappear after a second disorganization, but it remains in play and becomes a bad example for all the other friendly units. A routed unit can made more damages than a powerful enemy cavalry charge.
COMMAND AND CONTROL
Here we write about the advance rules called “ Command and Control “ ( the most great, difficult and significant part of the section “ Advanced and Optional Rules “ ). There are four levels of the Command and Control rules ( with increasing realism and complexity ). The players can use, by mutual agreement, one or all of them ( from the simplest to the most complex ): the use of one level involves the use of all the simplest.
THE FIRST LEVEL: THE LEADERS
The players use all the standard rules with one more: optional rule for the eliminated leader. When a leader is eliminated, roll a die a second time: if the result is from one to five, the leader is only wounded and the number rolled is the number of turns that the wounded leader is absent from the map. On a die roll of six, the leader is permanently eliminated from the game. Even if only wounded, a leader gives VPs to the opponent player according with the standard rules. If Napoleon is permanently eliminated, the opponent player scores a Decisive Victory.
THE SECOND LEVEL: THE COMMAND RANGE
A unit must be within six hexes from its commander in order to be in command ( the line of command must be free of enemy units or uncontested enemy ZoC ). The subordinate leaders must be within ten hexes from their own superior in order to move: being out of command prevents only the leaders to move, not the units under their command. The OC is not affected by these rules and can always move without restrictions. The units out of command can move only to enter in the command range of their leader. For the other action ( like fire, melee combat, advance after combat and so on ), a unit out of command has no restriction. 
THIRD LEVEL: THE TACTICAL ORDERS
At this level, the OC gives secrets orders to his subordinates, who must execute them with the unit in their command. The secret orders are transmitted using an aide. In this case, a subordinate leader must be no longer within ten hexes of the OC. The OC has a MA of only three MPs per turn. The secret orders are written on a sheet of paper with the name of the subordinate commander ( in the box there are several sheets for each leader ). When the aide reaches the subordinate leader, he must make an obeisance check to verify if the order had been correctly transmitted. If the check succeeds, the order becomes executive in the next turn. Each time a leader receives an order, the last one replaces the previous. 
The tactical orders are:
Attack. The commander must engage at least one third of his units in good order; the engaged units must advance towards the enemy positions at for four hexes and then engage, if it is possible, the enemy units in combat. A cavalry corps can freely pass to a March order. 
March. The units must use the column formation in order to move. They cannot attack at all. The player can, in any moment, change this order in an attack or defence order. 
Defence. The leader can move only one hex per turn and he cannot move closer to the enemy lines of communication. When the defence order becomes operative, the player must use the reduced map ( included in the box ) to trace a line in front of the units, in the corps with defence order, this line is the defence line and cannot be crossed by any units of that corps.
Withdrawal. The leader must move two or three hexes per turn towards his lines of communication. At least one half of the units in his command must do the same. 
Retreat. All the units of the corps must move in column formation, or disorganized, towards their lines of communication for at least three hexes. No attack is allowed. This is the only order that allows the units to exit the map.
Reserve. This order is possible only at the start of a battle. The corps can move freely, but it must remain at six or more hexes from the nearest enemy unit. No attack is allowed. This order can be changed in a defence order at any moment.
A cavalry corps is more autonomous, it can pass from the attack order to the March order at any point. 
THE FOURTH LEVEL: THE WRITTEN ORDERS
The system is essentially the same as level three, with the following change: additional information is written in a free format order after the standard order on the leader sheet. Each order has two elements: a tactic ( like at level three ); an objective ( place, direction, or enemy, with possibly a time limit ) and any useful information.
Written orders. 1) The tactics ( attack, defence, march, etc. ), as at the third level. 2 ) The objective, which can be a location, a direction, an enemy ( corps or division ), which can be completed by other information, like the time limit for the action or the start hour. 3 ) The secondary order, if the primary order succeeds. 4 ) The secondary order, if the primary one fails. 5 ) A primary or secondary order can be completed by additional condition, about places, timetables or other units’ actions. A leader must execute his primary order for at least three turns. If a leader has fulfilled the condition of his primary order and he has not a secondary one, or if his order becomes irrelevant, he acts as he has a defence order. 
The orders are sent using an aide who goes from the OC to the subordinate leader. An aide has twelve MPs; he must use all his MPs per turn and end his movement as near as possible to the leader for whom the order is. When an aide reaches a leader, this one must pass an obedience check to ensure the order was correctly transmitted. An aide cannot be eliminated be enemy units for any reason; if an enemy unit move at two hexes from an aide, the enemy player moves him beyond to this distance, in an adjacent hex. 
The obedience shows the capacity of a leader to understand an order and to react to it. On each leader sheet there is his obedience value ( from three to five ). The owing player roll a die, if the result is equal or less than the obedience value of the leader, the leader has correctly received the order; otherwise, the leader fails to understand the order. If the check is a success, the new order will be in effect with the next turn: if it fails, the old order remains in effect this turn and the next one when the player must make a delay check. There are three possible results for the delay check: 1 ) the die roll is 1-4, the new order becomes effective with the next turn; 2 ) the die roll is 5, the new order will be in effect after two turns; 3 ) the die roll is 6, the order is lost, the previous one still remains in effect. 
A subordinate leader can act according with his initiative, instead of obeying to the order of the OC. He must pass an initiative check: if a leader acts so, the units under his command will have a morale penalty and if he fails, they will have some other problems. On the leader counter, there is his initiative value ( from two, the worst, to five, the best ). When a leader decides to modify the order by himself, the owing player must roll a die; if the result is equal or less than the leader initiative ranting, the new order will be effective from the next turn. In case of a success, the now order will be effective the next turn, when the units under his command will have a malus of -1 to their morale value ( only for that turn ). In case of failure, the old order remains and all the units will have a malus of -2 to their morale value the next turn. 
The orders are never revealed to the opposite player, except if he asks for it: this case happens, normally, when the asking player is not sure of the correctness of the actions of his opponent. 
As it is clear the system of the orders are very interesting and put the player in the same condition as his historical counterpart, with the great problem to give the best order at the best time with the suspense if the subordinate leader will understand it correctly. In the meantime, many things can happen, so it is very important to preview the enemy action as the overall situation; often an order good now will be a nonsense when it will be in effect. We think that the system of the Written orders is the most intriguing and interesting part of the rules. It is not too difficult to master and to use the rules of the Written orders; the thing very difficult is to play a game well using these rules. We will spend more words about the orders’ system in our analysis of the game system.
STRATEGIC DEPLOYMENT
This rule allows the player to modify the global set-up of the battle. Using this rule, the players are not obliged to have a historical set-up, but they can modify it as they want in order to have a best ( for them obviously ) starting positions. 
In the scenario booklet there is a small scale map marked with usually 16 identical squares. Each player uses his leaders in command of infantry corps, the OC and the cavalry leaders are put aside. 
The first player places one infantry corps leader counter face down on the map, in one of the four squares adjacent to his mapedge. The other player does the same. Then, alternatively, they put another counter on the mapedge, or they can move an already present leader to an adjacent square ( not enemy occupied ). This procedure lasts when one of the two players has not any leader to place or to move. 
A cavalry corps can deploy and move with an infantry corps.
 When a player decides that his strategic deployment is satisfactory, the strategic deployment ends and the players put on the map the combat units ( a combat unit must be placed in the same square of its leader ). First the leader are placed face-up on the normal scale map. Then, alternatively ( or at the same time, if the players agree ), each player places a unit in the hex of its commander, and he execute a movement, with the full movement allowance and any allowed formation. There are three limits: 1 ) the combat unit cannot exit the map area that corresponds to the square on the small map; 2 ) the combat unit cannot move closer than three hexes of any enemy unit; 3 ) combats are not allowed. 
When the set-up is finished, the game can start following the normal rules. The corpses, not already placed, arrive as reinforcements.
This system allows the players to start the battle with different positions than their historical counterpart, with respect to the historical situation and the plausibility of their own set-up. We strongly suggest to use this rule, which has several advantages. 1 ) A great number of battle are already lost at start due to the errors in the starting positions, here the players have the total responsibility for a bad initial set-up: 2 ) the strategic redeployment is a game in the game: 3 ) you are in command and this is true from the set-up; and more other reasons. 
TIME LIMITS AND PENALTIES
In the reality, a commander has often little time to give orders and to react to the events. Seldom in the wargame, the time is simulated; this rule forces you to take your decision in few minutes and put you in the same troubles than your historical counterpart.
Each player has a limited time to execute his movement phase. If a player uses more time than his time limit, all units of that corps have their morale lowered by -1 for each thirty seconds of excess of time. A demoralized army or corps has only fifteen seconds, then for each fifteen seconds of excess of time there is a penalty of -1 to the morale level. 
FOG OF WAR: DECOYS AND RESERVES
In the basic game, each player knows everything about the enemy units, with these rules a player has less information about the enemy units and the access to them is less easy.
Each player can put two units per corps under the marker “ Reserve “, the enemy player cannot see under the marker reserve until one of his unit passes within two hexes. 
One or more decoys can be set up on the map, under any kind of unit. The opponent player does not know where they are. Only when the unit on the decoy is involved in a melee combat or suffers a loss the decoy is removed.
INTERACTIVE GAME
Each player activates one of his corps with a given time limit and then his opponent makes the same and so on until each player has activated all his corpses.
The player who has the more corpses on the map starts with the first activation, then the other player. If the number of corpses is equal, the French player activates first. When all the corpses on the map are activated, the turn is over.
The Sequence of Play is little different from the standard: 
1 ) Turn of the first activated corps ( first player ): Cavalry charges; Regular movement; Defensive fire; Offensive fire; Melee combat; Rally.
2 ) Turn of the second activated corps ( second player ): the sequence is the same.
3 ) Turn of the third activated corps ( first player ): the same as above.
And so on.
Each player has a limited time to move the units of the activated corps ( the limit is different for each battle, in Eckmuehl the limit is two minutes ). When the time is over, the player can stop the movement of his units or continue to move them, but with the penalties as described in the “ Time Limit “ section. 
The last corps activated in a turn ( regardless the side of the corps ) cannot be the first corps activated in the next turn. 
A player can activate a cavalry corps with an infantry one without any penalty. In this case, the two corpses are played at the same time as if they are a unique corp.
When a player activates a corps, he can attach two units belonging to another corps ( not yet activated ) to the activated corps: it is obviously that when the corps to which the two units originally belong they cannot be activated a second time.
We strongly suggest to use this rule, not only for love of interactive games, but, above all, for the interesting situations that arise with this rule, which recreates better the contemporaneity of the actions in a historical battle.
RANDOM EVENTS
This rule adds more flavour and uncertainty to the game without diminishing its historical accuracy.
Each player draws a number of chits at the start of the game and others during the game. Each chit corresponds to a specific event ( for example, Tactics: +1 roll bonus when resolving fire or melee ). A player is free to use them at any moment and even more than one event at the same time.
Each battle has its proper list of Random Event.
BATTLE OPTIONS
The battle options can alter the order of battle, the victory conditions or the course of the game. These options have a       greater influence on the game than the Random Events. The battle options allow to balance the game and to add variety to it. However, they do not alter the game system. Each battle in the series has its own options. The players can select them secretly. All the battle options have a cost. Each player has four points to spend choosing the battle options for his camp. Each option costs from one to three points. Each player selects secretly his options and notes them on the sheet of his OC.

THE SYSTEM: AN OVERALL VIEW

The “ Vive l’Empereur ! “ series allows the player to fight a battle of the Napoleonic Era with great realism and historical accuracy, facing the same troubles and problems of their historical counterpart. At the same time, each player is truly “ in command “ and he can change not only the starting set-up, but also other situations of the battle. Too often a military simulation, even well designed, has an inevitable conclusion. Here the players, without altering the historical possibilities of both sides, are free to fight their own battle from the start, acting better or worse than the historical leaders. The most intriguing aspect of a military simulation is the possibility to change the History; with this system, it is possible. 
When we play a historical simulation of a modern war or battle ( from the WWII to our times ), it is easy to understand the problems and the tactics; a modern war is part of our life and our system of thought: but with a fight far in time from us, the things change. We cannot command a cavalry’s charge and even the better military commander cannot deeply understand what a cavalry charge was at the Napoleonic times. We see often that a wargamer commands a cavalry regiment like a tank regiment or manoeuvres an infantry unit like a modern infantry and so on. About the command’s problems, the situation is similar and we can add that more is the time’s space between us and the historical fight, more the difficulties are.
We suggest to play using all the rules ( standard and advanced ); some rules ( like Command and Control ) can seem difficult, in reality, it is more difficult to explain them than to play them. In addition, here we give our view about the goals of the system and some suggestions.
The first goal is the formations. In the game, a player has the opportunity to use all the formations that a combat unit of the Napoleonic times could assume. The system is so well balanced that on one hand a player is free to use a line formation instead of a column formation ( with an infantry unit, he opts for a lesser fire power but a greater melee power ), on the other hand he cannot use unhistorical formations. For example, a cavalry unit can use line formation only to charge and this is exactly what a cavalry unit of those times made. It would be a nonsense to see on the map cavalry units move in line when no commander of the era gave such order to the cavalry. At the same time, considering the scale of the game, it is impossible that an infantry regiment could be in line in a wood hex, as it should be a clear hex ( a man a tree, a man a tree and so on….do you think this could be a historical military simulation? ). 
With the limitations above, a player is completely free to select the formation he wants. To use a formation instead of another has great importance and a player should take the decision having in mind what he want that unit does. It is almost impossible to give a general rule; we can only give some suggestions. First of all, consider your unit ( these words can run for infantry, cavalry and artillery units ), its value ( fire and melee ), its morale rating, and its current position on the battlefield. Then see what it can do ( or could do ) with an eye either on the overall situation of your army either on the enemy one, having in mind your strategy and your victory condition without forgetting the enemy strategy ( or at least what you think it would be ) and his situation in the game.
We want add some other words about formations. The game allows the players to be able to use all the formations of the Napoleonic era for each kind of ground unit ( infantry, light infantry, cavalry and artillery ) with a great liberty, but with great attention to the history. In other words, you are free to adopt one formation instead of another; is the system itself that pushes you to prefer one or another, even if you can act in a way very different from a hypothetical historical counterpart. 
At this point, we write on the various actions, which a unit can do; our intention is to give some suggestions and an overall view about the Sequence of Play without pretending to be exhaustive on all the aspects of the game.
The first step and the most difficult is the cavalry charges. How it is easy to understand, a cavalry unit ( especially the heavy one ) has a terrible impact when it charges; in most cases it is sufficient a good cavalry charge to destroy a strong position defended by infantry or artillery, or both. As in reality, some hundreds of heavy cavalrymen are a tremendous spectacle to see for whom must stay and defend. The game puts in your hands all the great possibilities of a cavalry unit; it is your job to use them effectively. A cavalry not only can charge, but can pursuit too: so it is able to make great holes in the defending lines, inflicting heavy losses. It is a great thing to see the proper cavalry to smash an enemy unit after another ( this is especially true when the enemy units are light infantry, poor artillery units or infantry unable to form a square ), but we put particularly attention where our cavalry unit stops its sequence of charges. If our cavalry, even if victorious, becomes to be in great danger to be destroyed by enemy reaction or to be surrounded by the enemy, it is better to use it less. It is easy that a cavalry, with its impetus, runs to far from the friendly lines and the consequences are often disastrous. The game gives players great possibilities with the rule that the target of a charge can be announced when the charging player wants leaving the defender in great doubts. For example, a cavalry unit can charge two different infantry units. The only way to contrast a charge is the square, but one infantry unit passes and the other fails and becomes disorganized, the second one is an optimum target for the charging cavalry. The defender is often pushed to put more infantry units in square than it should be necessary and there are more possibilities than one or more units fail and become disorganized. A second positive effect ( for the charging player, of course ) is that a square has a reduced fire value, but at the same time it is a good target for the offensive fire.
The second step, the regular movement, is self-explanatory and does not need more words.
The third and fourth step, defensive and offensive fire, is interesting for several reasons. One is the fact that only the unit on the top of a stack can fire, but it is the first unit to absorb the losses too. Therefore, a player is in great troubles using light infantry stacked with line infantry. If he wants that it fire, he must put it on the top: the result is a great firepower, but also great dangers for the unit, which is less suitable for melee combat than line infantry ( or heavy infantry ). 
Because the defensive fire is resolved first, the attacker, above all if he uses infantry units in column formation, has often great losses before his units in column can reach the target and attack with a favourable odd ratio. The same is true when cavalry charges artillery units; it is not unusual to see a cavalry regiment decimated by the grapeshot of a powerful artillery unit ( remember Balaclava! ). 
The game gives the opportunity to use the light infantry as skirmishers; this is a great opportunity for the player with a good number of light infantry units, but to use them in the best mode is not easy. The light infantry cannot form square, it has less morale value than the line infantry and few steps; it is clear that it is a good weapon as support, but not suitable for front’s duties. The best way to use light infantry units effectively is to put them in terrains, which give some protections to the defender ( like behind rivers, slopes, on a hill, in town ) and with a easy way where they can escape; we think that the wood hexes are the most suitable for this purpose. A good idea is to put them behind the line infantry, but often the line of sight is blocked by friendly units; in this way the light infantry is well protected, but at the cost of few opportunities to use its abilities. 
We add some words about the opportunity fire. In the game, there is not the ZoC, a unit can move freely around an enemy unit, but every time it move from one enemy frontal hexes to another, it is subject to the opportunity fire. You are free to move your unit as you want ( there are no historical reason for the ZoC, only the game’s simplicity, we think ): on the other hand, you are advised, the cost can be very great. 
For the fifth step, melee combat, we want underline only one thing: the top unit is the first unit to absorb the losses. We think this is a good rule: is the first unit that fires, is the first unit that make morale checks, if it passes the other units in the stack have no problems. Therefore, it is naturally that it is the unit on which there is the pound of the combat. We do not like the rulebooks that allows a player to give the losses to the units he wants. For us this fact makes the losses less effectively and it is not a good historical simulation. 
The sixth step, Rally Phase, is very simple and we think there is not reason to write more words than above.
At this point, we enter in the Advanced Rules and the first and most important set of rules is the Command and Control. 
We are sure that the Command and Control system ( we refer to the all the four levels ) is the most intriguing and challenging part of the game. Players could find it too difficult, in reality it is more difficult to write than to play. We think that it is very interesting to have the possibilities to give orders using a way very near to the realty with all the problems and the need of ingenious as in the historical battle. Over these considerations, the players are free to give their own orders and so doing they are really in command. The Command and Control system depends for nothing on the good dice rolls; it depends only on the skill of the players: it recreates the historical realty in a very good way. 
During a battle a commander gave his orders to an aide who spent some time before to reach the destination, in the meantime the situation on the battlefield could change. Better was a commander, better he was able to image the future situation on the battlefield and to give the best orders; not only, his ability was to image the enemy strategy and to react in consequence too. All these things are recreated by the Command and Control rules in an almost perfect way. We cannot find a better system in order to put a player in face of the same thoughts, uncertainties, troubles and problems that an overall commander of the Napoleonic era did to resolve. 
The rules enable a player to give all kinds of orders he wants. Not only the tactics, but also the objectives a commander has to reach can be written on the order-sheets. It is not easy to write what exactly means to use the written orders: in our experience, we can say that it is a great opportunity for a player to show his skill. Before to give an order ( it is not important if at the start or during the game ), our brains works at their best to imagine the future situation and what the opponent could do; and when an aide sets out, there is a special emotion. At this moment, we, players, are truly on the battlefield and the simulation seems to become realty; none could say if we are right or wrong, the next turns of the game will tell us if our intuition is good or not. 
We want to add only a final comment: it is easy to cheat using these rules; in order the Command and Control system works well it is necessary that the players use all their sportsmanship even if this means a defeat! 
There are three other Advanced rules we think are able to add much flavour to the game.
The first one is: Strategic Deployment. When you are in command, this means that you are in command even before the battle: so why do you must put your units in the same manner than your historical counterpart? Too often a battle is lost from the set-up: in a historical-military simulation, it is important not only to recreate the history, but even to have a chance to modify it. Many battles are very frustrating to play for the only reason that it is impossible for one side to win. In the most cases, the game-system or the starting positions are the cause of a nonsense game. 
When you play “ Eckmuehl “ , you have the opportunity to use the Strategic Deployment rule and fight your own battle. From the first move, the set-up, you are sure that the outcome depends from you more than from the historical situation: and this goal is achieved following the historical realty, without adding unrealistic tactics or units. We can add that the Strategic Deployment gives the game a special flavour and the players begin play competitively even before the first turn. We strongly suggest to use this rule; it is easy to learn, easy to play, but gives so much to the players.   
The second is: Time Limits and Penalties. We completely agree with the designer that even the best military simulations seems not to consider the problem of time and rapid decision on the battlefield. This one is a very good historical-military simulation and you can recreate the battle of Eckmuehl in a very detailed manner; you could use all the options, which your skill suggests you. With such a vision of a historical-military simulation, what should be better than to recreate the flow of the time on a battlefield? We write about this rule having in mind some players who move a unit after GREAT and WEIGHED UP considerations; for a turn there is necessary a whole evening, for a game a whole life! Image to go back in the past and to be Napoleon on the battlefield: there are few minutes to decide, to give an order, to command your soldiers: but every decision could cost the victory. So you ask your opponent ( in Eckmuehl the Archduke Charles ) to give you more time… and naturally he gently allows you to take all the time you want: we are gentlemen of course! It sounds so ridiculous than every kind of comment is of no use. You must make your duty in the best manner with little time at your disposal; basing on our experience, we can assure you that the Time Limits rule makes a game even more competitive and absolutely no boring.
The third is: Interactive Game. This is not a special or unique rule. The interactive game is used by many wargames and it is familiar to the players. We are strongly for the use of this rule, which adds the sense of the contemporaneity of the actions made by the two sides. The player, with most corpses, actives one corps, and then his opponent makes the same; and so on from one turn to another. We are sure that using this rule, with all the others, a game of Ekmuehl becomes more than a wargame, a really historical simulation with all the flavour of being part of History.
                    
THE BATTLE OF EKMUEHL

The battle of Eckmuehl was a little ( in respect of others, of course ) fight before the two major battles of Aspern-Essling and Wagram. The game covers the fights between the French ( at the start leaded by Davout then by Napoleon ) and Austrian under the command of the Archduke Charles around the town of Ekmuehl on the road to Ratisbona. 
The game map shows the terrain around the town of Ekmuehl and the little town of Roking. The terrains’ features are difficult for the attacker: there is only a main road ( it passes trough Ekmuehl to Ratisbona ) from southern to northern map-edge and divides the map in two parts having the same area. There are two other minor roads, one running from south to north, the other from west to east; both of them converge in the main road in the northern part of the map. Woods, marshes, rough terrains and hills cover the major part of the map: there are several rivers, the most important of which flows from the western map-edge to eastern one, one hex southern of Ekmuehl. As it easy to understand, the French player has a difficult job to do and the victory conditions are not easy to be reached. Every step lost by the Austrian is ½ VP, but a French lost step is 1 VP. Above this, the French player gets one VP for each step of combat units, in good order ( no matter of the kind ), that exits the map from road to Ratisbona ( obviously on the northern edge of the map ). Each leader counts 10 VPs, Charles 20. The French corpses enter the map from south or west, the Austrian ones start the battle in the centre of the map around the town of Ekmuehl ( we write having in mind the use of the Strategic Deployment rule ). 
Now, after these generic words, we tempt to give some suggestions to both players: the best tactics, the suggested deployment, the points of strength and of weakness of the two sides.
THE AUSTRIAN PLAYER
Your army is smaller, worst commanded, less combative than the French one ( the only exception is the Grenadier Corps ). You have less artillery units than the French and your corpses are easier to be demoralized, but the defensive position, the lack of clear hexes ( there are, but very few ) give you a great hand. 
Using the Strategic Deployment rule, you have a great possibility to get a strong defensive position. At start, you have two corps ( the IV leaded by Rozenberg and the III leaded by Hohenzollern ); you can spend four points to choose your battle options. We suggest to spend them to bring the 1st and 2nd division of the III corps ( without them this corps is very small and cannot be able to make an efficacy defence ): at the fifth turn arrives your Grenadier corps ( leaded by Lichtenstein ). The best set-up is to deploy the IV corps western of Eckmuehl and the III between Eckmuehl and Roking; Charles can be deployed northern of Eckmuehl, in the middle of the two Austrian corpses. Put your units in terrains that give you the best advantages and start the battle with a defence order for both your corpses ( if it should be necessary there is Charles to give new orders and in short spaces an aide reaches a corps commander in one turn ). We think that it is important to defend your artillery units and use at the best your light infantry as skirmishers without negating your artillery the line of sight for the defensive and offensive fire. The best solution is artillery stacked with your strongest line infantry units; in this way, you have two advantages: the firepower of artillery and the protection of the infantry, above all against the French cavalry charges. The use of your cavalry is all in your hands: when the moment comes, your cavalry can give a great aid and several problems to the French. Your first, and we think unique, goal is to hold the positions until the fifth turn when the Grenadier corps enters into the map. Not to be too afraid for your losses, you can loose more men than the French and win the battle ( remember that an Austrian step lost counts ½ VP, but a French one 1 VP ). 
When your Grenadier corps arrives, you finally have several strong units with high morale rating. A March or attack order are the best, giving one or the other depends upon the situation on the battlefield. Use this corps to defend the way to Ratisbona: the units under the command of Lichtenstein are a wall against the French. The most important thing is not to allow that the French units exit the map on the way to Ratisbona. If you reach this result, be sure that the victory is in your hands. 
THE FRENCH PLAYER
First of all, you have all the advantages: your army is greater than the Austrian is, your commanders are better, the firepower of your artillery units is formidable, you have a total supremacy in cavalry and, finally, you ARE Napoleon. However, there are two problems: the difficult terrains, which limit your power and the cost of your losses that is double of the Austrian. For the first one, you can do at least nothing. It is impossible to change the terrains’ features; the only thing you can do is to avoid, as much as possible, to attack in marsh or wood hexes or across streams and even in town is better to put great attention. However, you are compelled to attack and the defender is often in difficult terrains: we suggest to attack after a good bombardment in order to reduce the defender. Use your powerful cavalry only when the result is sure; against disorganized infantry units or artillery units alone in a hex. Sometime you cannot avoid charging an artillery unit that could inflict great losses to the charging cavalry, but it is better some losses on a strong unit than to have too Austrian artilleries on the map. 
For the second you have put in your mind that this is not a battle of destruction of the enemy army: you win, this is the only way, if you are able to move as many units as possible from the map along the road to Ratisbona. This is a difficult job; your part is more difficult to play than the Austrian is. We try to give same suggestions to reach your goals and to win the battle.
The Strategic deployment is the first step. The best set-up is: Davout ( the III corps ) on the southern map-edge, Lefebvre ( the VII corps ) on the eastern map-edge; Vandame ( the VIII corps ) and Lannes ( the reminder of the III corps ) enter as reinforcements during the first turn. The first, we suggest, from the eastern map-edge, the second from the southern one ( Napoleon and few other units enter the map on the fifth turn and they can be taken in reserve ). In this way, you have the two strongest corpses in the southern part of the map and the other two from the eastern one.  Use the two weaker corpses to make a constant pressure on the Austrian, without making more than an attack order compels, and the other two ( with attack orders ) to drive the Austrian away from the road to Ratisbona as soon as possible. When the road to Ratisbona is secured, give a march order to the one of the two corpses ( if Napoleon is already on the map, the best is the Davout’s corps ) in order to exit the map before the Austrian Grenadier corps can reach their defensive positions. The second important thing is the Battle Options. We think that the best choice for you is: 1 ) the Grenadier corps enters in the sixth turn and not in the fifth ( two points ); 2 ) the French starts with ten VPs ( one point ); 3 ) each French corps can suffers five additional steps lost before to be demoralized ( one point ). 
All of your corpses have to start with attack orders: if and when you are sure to have enough VPs to gain the victory, the best is to give new defence orders. Napoleon arrives later, so normally he cannot exit the map; it is more suitable that he remains to give new orders when the time comes. 
Obviously, these are only some suggestions; each game is different and much depends from what does your counterpart. We think it should be almost inutile to write more about how to move the units or what to do and when; each French player must react in the best way to the Austrian moves. You have only to remember two things. 1 ) You have two minutes to move the units of one corps, two minutes, trust us, are very few so you must think what to do before the activation in order to move mechanically the units; this is the only way to move every unit without penalties. 2 ) You can win only gaining VPs for the units escaped from the map, a battle of attrition only favours the Austrian: in other words you must be effective, fast in taking decision and executing them and capable to use at their best all of your units and your commanders.  A little Napoleon!

A FINAL JUDGEMENT

To end this review, we write some few words to give our opinion about the game system and the scenario. On the first view, the game system could seem difficult, especially for the Command and Control rules: in realty, it is more difficult to write a review about it than to master it or to play a game. What is difficult is to play well. What we appreciate of this system is its great realism with great flexibility. The system allows you to be really in command of an army of the Napoleonic era facing all the problems and troubles of your historical counterpart. More strictly about Eckmuehl, here the Austrian player is able to do his game and not only to watch what the French does: and this is a great thing in comparison with Eckmuehl scenarios using different systems. 
Even the better games have their Achilles’ heel. If you read French, all is good: but if you do not speak French and must use the English version, the same things seem different. Not only the translation is bad made, but also, what is even worst, the same rule seems different in original French version and in the English version. We have no solution for this, the only thing is to study French; but this could seem too much to play a game!