From: Roberto Chiavini Subject: One Review Rivoli 1797 (Vae Victis) This is the first game of the Jours de Gloire series, a derivation of the system later used by Richard Berg in his Triumph & Glory. The battle is one of the first Napoleonic victory of his first Italian Campaign and its a very good introduction to this fantastic game system. Rivoli uses the infamous LIM activation system, almost a trademark of the latest Berg's designs (a factor that I normally like very much). And Rivoli is not an exception: with only 6 Austrian corps and 4 French ones, the game plays fast and smoothly, with a terrific gaming situation, tense from start to finish (13 turns at the max, but with sudden death victory rules that are probable for both sides). The sequence of play start with the order phase (where both army commanders, Napoleon and Alvinczy, decide which of their units will receive command in that turn), then both players roll for initiative. The activation phase is the heart of the system: each corp have 2 activation markers that go in a cup; when you draw a corp marker you activate that corp; if this corp is in command for the turn, it may move and combat normally; otherwise, it has limited movement and combat capabilities, but you may choose to roll for individual corp activation (if the roll fails, all the units of that corp are finished for the activation). The activated corp may use artillery (a simple 1d10 roll plus its strength, plus modifiers), move and/or have combat, try to rally routed or disrupted units. Combat is shock only, with rules for cavalry charges, squares, and a combat system for which internal cohesion is more important than numeric strength. Combat results are normally disruption or rout, with the intent to push an army toward its edge of the map and eliminating units this way. Victory is based on objectives (for the Austrians) and on the number of enemy units routed or eliminated. Sudden death is, for the French, eliminate (or routing) 3 Austrian formations, while the Austrian player must exit from the south border of the map at least two entire columns. The situation is very interesting, as the French are advantageous at the start, with two formation against three, but with better coordination, and they may risk to win the battle in the first two-three turns, if they are brave (and lucky) enough to try pushing the Austrians out of the north border of the map; if the Austrians stand their ground a few turns, however, the superior reinforcements they receive may unbalance the situation in their favor and the French is probably forced to a fighting retreat, risking encirclement (but enjoying the central position that Napoleon so liked). The game plays very well in no more than 3-4 hours, it's very playable solitaire and it is a great addition to your Napoleonic library. I rate the system 7 ½ and the battle of Rivoli 8 ½ in a 1-10 scale.