Napoleon 1807

After the defeats of Auerstedt and Jena, Prussia collapsed but has not yet surrendered. Their Russian ally arrives from the East to defy Napoléon. The tough Polish campaign is beginning.

When the game meets History:

Napoléon 1807 is a game at the crossroads of History and simulation. It uses the same game system as Napoléon 1806. With Napoléon 1807, in 1 to 2 hours two players will relive the clashes between Russians and French in the heart of Winter 1806-1807 in Poland. Three campaigns are proposed that retrace the terrible events that will culminate in the famous battles of Pultusk, Eylau and Friedland. Napoléon 1807 is intended for seasoned grognards as well as for young conscripts who want to try a new gaming experience. Strategy, anticipation, decision, are the engines of the Napoléon 1807 game system.

Historical background:

After the flamboyant campaign of 1806 in Prussia and despite the defeat, Frederick William III refused capitulation and took refuge in Königsberg with the 18,000 men of the L’estocq corps, waiting for the arrival of Russian troops. Napoleon, who decreed the Continental blockade in November 1806, pursued the routing Prussian troops to secure control of the Baltic ports. The Russians, for their part, entered Poland and the first skirmishes between the two armies took place in late November on the banks of the Vistula river. The Polish campaign will last more than six months, and will see three distinct phases before concluding with the victory of Napoleon at Friedland.

How to play Napoléon 1807:

Napoleon 1807 lets you relive this campaign, which historically saw both sides clash in the battles of Pultusk, Eylau and Friedland. Each turn represents two days, and each connection on the map approximately 20 kilometers. Players take turns carrying out operations with their corps.

Fatigue management is one of the main elements of the game and simulates exhaustion of the troops as they multiply marches and combats. A player with little foresight may see his army corps disintegrate progressively through attrition.

Each player has a historical order of battle, listing the corps constituting his army and their strengths in infantry and cavalry. Each corps is lead by a general or a marshal with the brightest giving bonuses to their troops. At the heart of the game, the cards are used to resolve moves, combats, Fatigue recovery and can also be used as Events.

Scalable rules:

The rules of Napoleon 1807 are split into two parts and also have an initiation version to allow young gamers to discover the joys of strategy wargames. In the rules of the Conscript, the blocks representing the Corps are placed face up on the map. The rules of the Grognard introduce the fog of the war in a progressive way. Players can hide their order of battle behind the provided screens. Also they can place their blocks upright, hiding the identification to their opponent. Finally the introduction of Vedettes, allows to hide units.

Russians vs French:

After the Prussian campaign of 1806, the victorious French troops are exhausted and far from their logistical bases. They will have to face a tough opponent in difficult weather conditions. The fighting will be more indecisive and fiercer than ever. As Pultusk and Eylau take place in the middle of winter, players will also have to fight against the adverse weather events that will undoubtedly occur.

3 campaigns in 1:

The Polish campaign is divided into three distinct phases. The first led to the battles of Pultusk and Golymin at the end of 1806. The second will see both sides fight during the bloody battle of Eylau. Finally, the last will end with the battle of Friedland which will finally be a great victory for Napoleon, sealing the end of the fourth coalition, and lead to the signing of the Treaty of Tilsit. Napoleon 1807 will allow to relive these three campaigns, each time offering a historical placement,and an open placement to test your own strategies.

Pultusk - This scenario describes the failure of Napoleon’s maneuver on the Russian rear at the end of 1806. Taking advantage of a timid Russian offensive, Napoleon tries to surprise them by setting up a vast maneuver of envelopment to their right. Delayed by a terrible weather, the French corps get bogged down in the mud and fail to cut the enemy’s retreat. The campaign ends with the double frontal battle of Golymin and Pultusk which results in many unnecessary losses. The two armies decide to take their winter quarters to heal their wounds. This vast scenario of maneuver can be played in 2 hours. At Pultusk, Kamenski was appointed commander-in-chief by the czar. 69 years old, almost crippled, he forces a movement penalty to the corps that accompany him. Six days after the beginning of operations, pretexting an illness, he will give up his command.

Eylau - This scenario begins after the resumption of hostilities in the heart of the Polish winter. Bennigsen goes on the offensive, taking advantage of the scattering of the French corps who took winter quarters. He plans to destroy Bernadotte’s lonely troops and then retreat to reinforced positions planned in advance around Heilsberg. In terrible weather conditions, the armies will fight bloody battles without being able to gain the upper hand over their opponent. The Eylau butchery will put an end to these sterile clashes. This scenario can be completed in 1h30’ of play. During the battle of Eylau, the Emperor sends the Augereau corps in support of the Davout corps who is in difficulty. But, blinded by the snow, the French columns offer their flank to the Russian grand battery and are decimated.

Friedland – This scenario is the last phase of the campaign in the spring of 1807. The two armies are strengthened but Napoleon enjoys a clear numerical superiority. Again Bennigsen tries to surprise the French by going on the offensive but is quickly forced to withdraw. This time, Napoleon learned the lesson and finally manages to get ahead of the Russians in front of Friedland as they fall back to Königsberg. The victory is finally here for the French troops. This scenario has the benefit of being brief and intense. No draw, one of the two sides must prevail. Play time 1h15’.

During the campaign, the Prussian citadels, reinforced by large garrisons, required long sieges before capitulating.

Initiation scenario - A last short scenario will focus on the days preceding the Battle of Eylau in a short number of turns, allowing to smoothly discover the game system and its specificities. The campaigns of Pultusk and Eylau will have as unique feature to be able to finish before the normal end of the scenario. Indeed, it is possible that the troops set their winter quarters, ending prematurely the scenario.