Advanced Napoleonic Wars

[Berkut]

I've been itching to get a new Nappy Wars game going, and while browsing BGG saw a rather extensive set of variant rules here:

http://www.boardgamegeek.com/thread/810567/much-thought-out-variants

They seem pretty advanced, and well thought out. I have no idea if they are balanced, but balance is over-rated anyway.

Anyone want to give them a shot?

I will just assume Habs and ulmont are in, so that would leave a couple more spots...

[Berkut]

I would very much prefer players who have played already, btw.

Here are the actual changes. I would be open to discussing using some and not other, although honestly that would probably just mean the game never gets going - might be better to just take them as as set and give them a shot.

Our 1813-1814 War of Liberation scenario ended up the same way the Campaign Game usually ends by the end of Turn 1: in a Sitzkrieg ! Ulm, Trafalgar, Austerlitz, Jena, Auerstadt and more were all fought 1805-1806. From Napoleon's invasion of Russia in June 1812 to the Czar's army's entry into Paris in April 1814 was less than two years.  Nothing like those two year campaigns is remotely possible in the game as it is.

These variants encourage movement and attack,encourage more naval strategy, and in general enliven the game. We've used them in two plays of the 1813-1814 Scenario and four of the Campaign Games and they have worked quite well. The second 1813-1814 game looked eerily similar to the actual historical outcome, with the Russians clattering into Paris on their last Impulse.  The four campaign games have also been more lively.

The order of these variants is:
1) Response and Battle Card Play;
2) Bonus Command Points (CPs) for Cards;
3) Reserves;
4) Keys;
5) Miscellaneous Land Operational Rules;
6) Naval Affairs;
7) Submission and Conquest;
9) End of Turn;
10) New Turn Interphase;
11) Special Card Play;
12) New-Piece: Fortress Markers;
13) Minor Map Changes

1.  RESPONSE and BATTLE CARD PLAY
Roll a die after play of a response or battle card for its event.  The nation playing the event may draw another card from the deck if the die roll is less than the CP value of the card.  Special case: If the response or battle card was a 2 CP card, replace the card on a roll of 1 or 2.   

Comment: This is reason for players to remain alert even when it's not their own Impulse.  It makes use of response cards to help other players less self-punishing.  The special case for 2 CP cards is because cards have value per se for preemption and Impulse order, a value which is the same for each card regardless of its CP value.

[Berkut]

2. BONUS COMMAND POINTS (CPs) FOR CARDS
+1 CP Bonus: In its own Impulse, each of the five Powers adds +1 CP to cards played for CP when no CP, including the card's non-bonus CP, are spent on builds or the Diplomatic Track. The CP may be spent for any other purposes, including returns from Regroup or removal of Refit markers.

+2 CP Bonus: In its own Impulse, each of the five Powers adds +2 CP to cards played for CP when all CP, including non-bonus CP, are spent entirely on land movement/attack and flagging/unflagging with Formations composed entirely of its own national Units/leaders. No other type of CP expense is permitted a card used with a +2 CP bonus.

Napoleon's Bonus CP: Whenever France uses a card for a +1 or +2 CP bonus, the leader, Napoleon, gets a corresponding +1 CP or +2 CP bonus, to be used in the same manner as the other CP on the card.

"+" Resource cards: If a Power trades a Resource for a card as a "+" play, the card drawn is as eligible for extra CP as is any other card.

Important Restrictions:
A) Minor Nations never enjoy the +1 CP or +2 CP bonus.

B) If a Power plays all of its Reserves it loses all +1 CP or +2 CP bonus capability for the remainder of the Turn. Reserves can never be played for bonus CP.

C) If a Power adds a +1 CP or +2 CP bonus to a card it may not play its last Reserve as a "+" play on the same Impulse, but may, as a "+" play, trade a Resource for a card which cannot be played on the same Impulse.

D) Reserves (whether played for CP or as Events), and cards played as Events, never get bonus CPs even if the Event only generated CPs.

E) Note that all normal movement rules apply to the spending of bonus CPs. E.g., Units/leaders using bonus CP are still subject to all forms of Attrition during movement, such as the forced march Attrition required when a Unit/leader exceeds four Duchies.

Example: On Turn 1, Impulse 1, France plays Guerre de Course for its event. Because France has not used its other Reserve, it still has bonus CP available on its Hand cards. France therefor plays a 4 CP Hand card for a +2 CP bonus. The 4 CP + 2 CP = 6 CP available can be used only for land movement and flagging/ unflagging with entirely French Formations. Also, Napoleon gets +2 CP for free, which he can use for (French formations only) land movement. On France's Impulse 2, France does not play its last Reserve, Napoleon: Imperial Guard, because to do so would be to lose all its bonus CP. Instead, France plays a 5 CP card for no bonus to make Pact with Denmark. No cards gets bonus CP when any of its CP are used for builds or the Diplomatic Track. On Impulse 3 France Preempts Austria with play of a 6 CP card for a +1 CP bonus, giving France 7 CP. These CP can be used for anything except builds and the Diplomacy Track. This time, Lannes moves a mixed French/Spanish Army 4 duchies, flagging 2 duchies on the way. This leaves 1 CP, plus Napoleon's +1 CP bonus which only Napoleon can use. Napoleon uses both these 2 CP to flag two adjacent spaces. France cannot now play Napoleon: Imperial Guard as a "+" because it's France's last Reserve and France has already played a card for a +2 bonus. On Impulse 4 France Preempts Russia. France plays a 5 CP card exclusively for movement, but cannot add +1 CP or +2 CP to it, because France plans to play its last Reserve, Napoleon: Imperial Guard on the same Impulse.

Comment: Three advantages:
1) This makes players hands less dependent on luck. Instead of CP values varying from 2 CP to 6 CP (a 1:3 ratio), CP values vary from 4 CP to 8 CP (a 1:2 ratio) if a +2 CP bonus is added to each card.
2) The bonuses also give the five Powers incentive to delay play of Reserves. Powers commonly open with a "+" Reserve play to "Get there firstest with the mostest," as General Forrest may have said. On the other hand, players risk losing their Reserves unplayed if they hold them too long. The restrictions on the CP bonuses mean the extra CP are gained at the cost of flexibility, so the decision to play cards for their bonuses is not obvious.
3) The extra CP give Powers incentive to play CP for movement rather than builds or diplomacy. A big problem is the CP expense of moving multiple Armies to a single Duchy to attack at good odds (dice at least 2:1 in small battles or +6 in big battles). The enemy may for free evade or intercept with as many Armies as you can bring to the attack. Because it costs 1 CP, equal to 1/2 Unit, to move one (1) Army one (1) Duchy, players usually build, build, build in place rather than move.

[Berkut]

3. RESERVES

NAPOLEON: IMPERIAL GUARD MOVEMENT BONUS
Anytime after France's Impulse 1 of Turn 1, France may play this Reserve for 10 CP if the CPs are used only to move and to place/remove Flags with purely French Formation(s) commanded by Napoleon. N:IG may not be used in this way as a Response card.
Comment: Bonaparte was fixated on invading England in 1805. The Austrian declaration of war was a surprise. This is the reason for the Impulse 1, Turn 1 restriction.

NAPOLEON: IMPERIAL GUARD ALTERNATIVE COMBAT RESPONSE EVENT
In addition to the benefit of extra dice as provided in the original text, if used after all other Response and Battle cards have been played and before any battle dice are thrown, N:IG allows France to choose and cancel one enemy Response or Battle card affecting a battle of Napoleon. No Coalition Response or Battle card may be played affecting the battle after play of N:IG.
Comment: the Allies were wise to be wary of attacking where Napoleon commanded.

PLAY of BRITAIN'S PARLIAMENT RESERVE LETS A BRITISH ALLY DRAW TWO CARDS, DISCARDING ONE OF THE TWO.
Comment: average card value is 4 CP, while Parliament is 5 CP, so using the original text of the Parliament Reserve makes a poor trade. Britain got good bang-for-buck subsidizing Russia, Austria and Prussia. This variant brings the average CP value of the Coalition ally's card up to 4.67 CP, which is close to 5 CP. But that is actually less important than letting the Coalition ally see two cards and pick the best of the two.

BRITAIN MAY PLAY ADMIRALTY TO DRAW TWO CARDS, OR TO DRAW ONE CARD AND GAIN A RESOURCE
Comment: Britain's conquest of the colonies of Holland, France and Spain strengthened Britain's commercial supremacy, provoking the jealousy of all Europe. While Europe fought, Britain profited by smuggling West Indian sugar and East Indies spices into Europe. Thus Britain may play selfishly, to maximize its own victory points through Resources, or play Admiralty for cards, for the fight in Europe. This with the changes below (under NAVAL AFFAIRS, GUERRE DE COURSE) gives France an incentive to play Guerre de Course early.

SPAIN MAY NOT PLAY PENINSULAR WAR FOR ITS EVENT IF ENEMY SQUADRONS HAVE NAVAL CONTROL OR NAVAL SUPERIORITY IN WESTERN MEDITERRANEAN, SOUTH ATLANTIC, MIDDLE ATLANTIC, and BAY OF BISCAY. See "Naval Affairs" below for definitions of Naval Control and Naval Superiority.
Comment: the point of Spain's French alliance was to allow Spain to focus on keeping open its trade with its colonies and with Europe by allowing Spain to concentrate on naval affairs.

[Berkut]

4. KEYS

FLAGGED MINOR NATION NON-CAPITAL HOME KEYS DO NOT COUNT AS KEYS FOR CALCULATING THE RULE 14.31 INTERPHASE CARD DRAW, UNLESS THEY HAVE BEEN ANNEXED AND BEAR DOUBLE FLAGS OF THE CONTROLLING NATION.  FLAGGED POWER HOME KEYS DO AUGMENT THE CARD DRAW OF THE FLAGGING NATION, EVEN WITHOUT ANNEXATION.  See Section "7 Interphase" of these variants, "Annexation," below.  Example: Britain Flags Granada, but gains no (Rule 14.31) Card Draw benefit from it.  Nor does it gain a Victory Point from it until it annexes it (Rule 15.2, below). It must Conquer Spain and Annex the Home Key Duchy of Granada before gaining any benefit from it.  If Britain Flagged Madrid it could not annex it but would at least gain some card draw benefit from it. 

FLAGGED HOME KEYS, BOTH OF MINOR NATIONS and POWERS, DO NOT COUNT AS A VICTORY POINT FOR THEIR CONTROLLER UNLESS THEY HAVE BEEN ANNEXED AND BEAR A DOUBLE FLAG OF THE CONTROLLING NATION.
Example: France Flags London and Wales but Britain does not Submit and is not Conquered at the end of the Conquest Phase.  France does not gain any Victory Points from the control of London and Wales.  However, as these are Power (not Minor Nation) Home Keys, France does gain Rule 14.31 Card Draw benefits from Controlling them. 

AUSTRIA and PRUSSIA GAIN 2 VICTORY POINTS FOR EACH NET GAIN IN KEYS OVER THEIR AT-START 9 KEYS and 6 KEYS, RESPECTIVELY. As with other Powers, they gain Victory Points for Flagging Associate Keys and for annexing (double flagging) Home Keys.  Austria and Prussia do not lose 2 Victory Points for each net loss below their at-start Keys.  Example: If Austria controls all 9 of its start Keys, it gains +6 Victory Points for controlling 12 Keys after Flagging France's Associate Duchies Milan, Rome, and Munich.  If Austria lost Prague to French control, it would control 11 Keys, two more than its at-start 9 Keys, and so would gain only +4 Victory Points.
Comment: As the smallest Powers, increases in their Keys would enhance their prestige proportionally more.  Also, Austrian and Prussian players commonly complain of feelings of weakness, helplessness, hopelessness.  This should revive them. 

LONDON IS WORTH THREE KEYS and PARIS IS WORTH TWO KEYS FOR ALL GAME PURPOSES; BRITAIN STARTS WITH TEN KEYS and FIVE CARDS; FRANCE STARTS WITH FOURTEEN KEYS and SEVEN CARDS
Comment: Britain was far more powerful in reality than in the game.  This is a realistic and easy adjustment for that. London, the largest city in Europe, had a little under one million people.  Paris was the second largest city with over one-half million.

ROTTERDAM IS WORTH a KEY TO THE NATION WHICH CONTROLS IT IF ITS ENEMIES HAVE NEITHER NAVAL SUPERIORITY, NOR NAVAL CONTROL, IN EITHER the  NORTH SEA or the NORTH ATLANTIC. (Note: Under "Naval Affairs" below France may build Squadrons at Rotterdam.)   
Comment: The populous and wealthy Netherlands would have recovered quickly if world sea lanes reopened to it. Preventing French control of the Low Countries was the major objective of Britain on the continent.  The Netherlands was of such great importance that Britain sent more troops there in 1809 (in its disastrous Walcheren Island expedition) than it sent Wellington in Spain.  Brussels as the only Key in the Low Countries does not do justice to the strategic importance of the Netherlands.

[Berkut]

5. MISCELLANEOUS LAND OPERATIONAL RULES

TWO UNITS IS THE MAXIMUM SIZE OF A NON-ARMY FORMATION

EXTRA LAND INTERCEPTION / EVASION DICE ROLL MODIFIERS
+1 if Evading or Intercepting an enemy multinational Army or enemy multinational Army Group. 

-1 if your Formation is a multinational Army or Army Group. 

-1 if Intercepting or Evading the very first Formation which the enemy moves from one duchy to another duchy in his Impulse. 

+1 to Russian Units/leader from one Russian controlled Russian Home duchy to another Russian controlled Russian Home duchy.

+1 if your Formation is Evading or Intercepting an enemy Formation which cannot trace a Line of Communications (LOC) from the duchy it is leaving. 

-1 if your Formation cannot trace a LOC from the duchy it is leaving.

+1 if a Leader is Evading or Intercepting on his own.

LINE OF COMMUNICATIONS (LOC)
A LOC is a line of friendly controlled Duchies, from Forces in a friendly Controlled or an Uncontrolled Duchy, to their own friendly controlled Capital Duchy.   

If a Force is in a Home Duchy, it may also trace a LOC to any friendly controlled Home Key. 

At sea, LOC may be traced through zones which are Neutral, Contested, and/or friendly Controlled.  LOC may also be traced through zones where the tracing nation has Naval Superiority. (See NAVAL AFFAIRS, below, for definitions of these terms).  The land/sea intermodal Duchies of a land/sea LOC must contain Ports.

Armies unable to trace a LOC cannot Flag adjacent Duchies.

Formations unable to trace a LOC suffer adverse Intercept/Evasion dice roll modifiers.

Forces unable to trace a LOC suffer adverse Attrition effects at the end of the Turn.

Keys (including Fortress Keys) which cannot trace a Line of Communications do not count for Hand replenishment, unless they are your own Home Keys.

EACH FORMATION ROLLS ONE LESS DIE WHEN ATTACKING THE UNITS/LEADERS DEFENDING A FORTRESS DUCHY. Comment: Fortresses were arsenals and stores which controlled critical terrain, all beneficial to a defending army as well as to the Fortress garrison itself. 

2 CP TO FLAG RUSSIAN HOME DUCHIES
To Flag a Russian Home Duchy costs 2 CP.  To unflag (liberate) a Russian Home Duchy costs only 1 CP.
Comment: Russian Duchies represent much more territory than other duchies.

RAPID LEADER MOVEMENT  
Leaders may move alone into eight consecutive friendly controlled Duchies without Attrition, paying 1/2 CP per Duchy entered.   They may Flag or unflag Duchies if they use Rapid Leader Movement.  They may not move with any other Units/leaders on the same Impulse.     

ROUT, RETREAT, OVERRUN, FLAG OVERRUN, and DEBACLE
There is no roll for a Resource after a Rout.  You Rout an enemy when your battle dice 5s and 6s exceed the enemy's 5s and 6s by three or more. Rout converts your 5s into 6s.

After checking for Rout, execute any defender retreat required.  After losses for retreat Attrition, and after eliminations due to inability to retreat, check for Overrun and Flag Overrun. 

Next, roll to see if there is a Debacle. Add the number of enemy Units destroyed in the battle for all causes, including rout, retreat Attrition, and inability to retreat.  To this sum add the Battle Ratings and Command Ratings of all enemy leaders destroyed.  including non-Commanders.  Then roll 4 dice.  If the sum of the dice is equal to or less than the above sum, it's a Debacle and the Commander of the victorious Formation earns a Resource.  Example: Davout and 6 Units are destroyed.  3 + 6 + 6 = 15.  A roll of 15 or less is a Debacle which yields a Resource. 

RETURN FROM REGROUP
The maximum number of Units/leaders which may return from Regroup is 8 at London or Paris, 4 at other Power Capitals. 2 at other Homeland Duchies.

Squadrons may return (with a Refit marker) from Regroup for 1 CP to an unblockaded Port as usual or may pay 1/2 CP to enter an Atlantic zone (with a refit marker, of course). 

For purposes of return from Regroup. Mediterranean ports are regarded as blockaded if the enemy controls either Western Mediterranean or South Atlantic. 

[Berkut]

6. NAVAL AFFAIRS

SUBTRACT 1 from the Patrol Dice Roll of Squadrons in the North Atlantic and Middle Atlantic.  ADD +1 to the Evasion Dice Roll of Squadrons in the North Atlantic and Middle Atlantic. 

ZONE CONTROL, NAVAL SUPERIORITY, CONTESTED ZONES, NEUTRAL ZONES
A Nation has Control of a zone if it has s Squadron in a zone and the enemy Camp has no Squadrons in the zone.  Several Nations of the same Camp can simultaneously Control the zone. 

A Camp has Naval Superiority in a zone if 1)friendly Squadrons outnumber enemy Squadrons, and 2) the sum of friendly Camp Cannon Numbers is higher than the sum of enemy Camp Cannon Numbers. 

A zone is Contested if neither Camp has Naval Superiority but both Camps have Squadrons in the zone. 

A zone is Neutral if neither Camp has Squadrons in it.

THE LOSER OF A NAVAL BATTLE IS NOT REQUIRED TO RETREAT IF AFTER THE BATTLE ITS CAMP STILL HAS NAVAL SUPERIORITY IN THE ZONE.

SQUADRONS MAY BE BUILT IN THE 14.2 REINFORCEMENTS SEGMENT OF THE INTERPHASE OF EACH CALENDAR TURN, and ON EACH NATION'S FIRST IMPULSE, FOR 2 CP EACH; NO MORE THAN ONE SQUADRON MAY BE BUILT PER PORT; SQUADRONS MAY BE BUILT BY FRANCE OR BRITAIN AT VENDEE, ANTWERP, and ROTTERDAM.  BRITAIN MAY BUILD SQUADRONS at ULSTER and DUBLIN.
Comment: This is a reward for waiting two years to build a Squadron.  Ships-of-the-Line did take at least two years to finish.  With rules as they stand, Players if they try to build a Squadron at all will do so by using a 4 CP card which they play as their last card, because that way they can hold the card for an emergency, and you prevent your vulnerable Squadron0under-build from becoming a target.

NAVAL PURSUIT
A friendly Fleet may, for zero Maneuver cost in an enemy Impulse, roll to Pursue any enemy Fleet which is leaving the friendly Fleet's zone.  The dice roll succeeds in the same manner as an Intercept dice roll. Successful Pursuit into an adjacent zone does not force a naval battle on either side.

Each time an enemy Fleet leaves a Fleet's zone, the Fleet may roll to Pursue the enemy; there's no limit to the number of such Pursuit dice rolls a Fleet may make.  A Fleet may Pursue a moving Active enemy Fleet(s) across any number of zones. You may Pursue an enemy Fleet into a friendly controlled Port, but not into an enemy controlled Port, nor through enemy controlled Fortress Straits at Istanbul and Copenhagen.  Restriction: Your Fleets may not Pursue out of a zone where, after the enemy Fleet to be pursued has left the zone, the enemy still has Naval Superiority.

Intercepting the Pursuers. An Active enemy Fleet gets one free Intercept dice roll to force battle on a successfully Pursuing Fleet which has entered its zone.  An Inactive enemy Fleet which is separate from any Active Fleet may also roll dice, separately, once, to Intercept a Pursuing Fleet which has just entered its zone. 

CONVOYS
Per Impulse, Britain and France may Convoy one of their own full-strength Armies across one zone, or, Convoy an Army of up to five strength(or 2 Units without a leader) across up to six zones. 

In addition to the above Convoy, Britain and France may Convoy one full-strength Army (or two Units) across the English Channel.  Thus, Britain and France may Convoy two Armies/Formations per Impulse, if one of the Convoyed Armies/Formations crosses the English Channel.   

All other nations may Convoy one full-strength Army across one zone, or Convoy two Units/leaders across zones equal in number to their highest Reserve's CP value.   

All Convoy movement must begin in a friendly controlled port and end in a port.  Convoys ending, or intending to end, in a specific enemy Controlled port are called Invasion Convoys. After debarking, Convoyed Units/leaders may move no further in the same Impulse, but may Flag an enemy Controlled port they have entered. If it has a Line of Communication, the invading Army may also Flag duchies adjacent to the port.

Where Convoy Movement Is Permitted:
--Zones where the Convoy's Camp has Naval Control or Naval Superiority.
--Contested Zones: each time a Convoy enters a Contested Zone it must roll for Attrition.  French Attrition losses are not halved.

Where Convoy Movement Is Not Permitted:
--Zones where the enemy Camp has Naval Control or Naval Superiority.
--Convoy may not enter a number of Zones higher than the Convoying nation's highest Reserve's CP value. 

Invasion Convoys begin in friendly Controlled ports and end, or attempt to end, in specific enemy Controlled ports.  An Invasion Convoy must have Naval Superiority or Naval Control in the last zone it enters before entering/attacking an enemy Controlled port.  Contesting a zone is good enough to move a non-Invasion Convoy into a zone; an Invasion Convoy needs more: Naval Control or Naval Superiority in the zone from which the port is attacked.  The Convoy must declare the port it is to attack after entering its last zone.     

INTERDICTION of an INVASION CONVOY
What Fleets May Interdict, and How. Interdiction is a special move by inactive Squadrons to block an enemy Invasion Convoy's move into an adjacent Zone.  Only Invasion Convoys can be Interdicted.  You cannot Interdict a Convoy moving to a port friendly to it.   

Only Fleets of the nation controlling the port to be attacked by an Invasion Convoy may roll to Interdict (enter)the zone from which the Invasion Convoy's attack is to be launched (Exception: "Interdiction from Port," below).  The Interdiction roll is made immediately after the enemy Invasion Convoy enters its last zone and declares the port it will attack.  Fleets roll to Interdict in the same way as they roll to Intercept. 

No Squadron may make more than one Interdiction roll per enemy Impulse. Place an "Intercept attempted" marker(or make your own "Interrupt attempted") on any Squadrons which have (successfully or unsuccessfully) rolled to interdict.     

Interdiction from Port. Fleets in port which have not been defeated in a naval battle in the current Impulse may also roll to Interdict an enemy Convoy move into their port's zone, adding +1 to their dice roll.  These interdicting Fleets need not be of the same Nation as the port being attacked; they must be of the same Camp. 

Consequences of Successful Interdiction. If the Interdiction is successful and as a result the Invasion Convoy no longer enjoys Naval Control or Naval Superiority in the zone from which the attack is to be launched, the Invasion Convoy returns to its starting port without further CP expense, but loses any/all CP it has spent to enter the Interdicted zone.  The Interdicted Invasion Convoy rolls for Attrition in the zone where it was interdicted, and in any Contested Zones it must enter as it retreats.

A thwarted Invasion Convoy counts as the one Convoy, or as one of the two Convoys (if Britain or France), an Active nation is permitted per Impulse. 

After a Convoy is thwarted by an Interdiction, the Active nation may spend more Maneuvers to bring more Fleets/Squadrons to the Contested Zone to reestablish his Naval Superiority.  The Active nation may also pay more Maneuvers to Patrol for the enemy. 

If the Active nation reestablishes its Naval Superiority in the Interdicted zone, the original (French or British) Invasion Convoy may try again in the same Impulse to attack the same port through the same zone, using more CP to do so; this counts as Britain's or France's second Convoy for the Impulse. 

Intercepting the Interdicters . An Active enemy Fleet gets one free Intercept dice roll to force battle on a successfully Interdicting Fleet which has entered its zone.  An Inactive enemy Fleet which is separate from any Active Fleet may also roll dice, separately, once, to Intercept an Interdicting Fleet which has just entered its zone. 

Example: France is invading Kent from the English Channel.  Russia is an ally of France and has a Fleet separate from France's Fleet in the English Channel. France' Fleet and Russia's Fleet may each roll to Intercept an English Fleet which has made a successful Interdiction roll from the Bay of Biscay.

BRITISH AND FRENCH RETREAT OR EVASION CONVOY
During enemy Impulses, Britain and France may retreat-from-battle or evade-before-battle from a friendly controlled port, by Convoy, to another friendly controlled port, paying the normal CP cost for a Convoy with CP from any card.   Units/leaders retreating from battle suffer Attrition.  Successfully evading Units/leaders do not suffer Attrition.  No CP bonus is available on a card used for Convoy Retreat/evasion. Convoy Retreat/evasion is not a normal Response play, so no roll for another card is available.  Any excess CP unused for the retreat or evasion Convoy are lost.  The enemy may not Interdict a retreat or evasion Convoy as it is not an Invasion Convoy.  As per usual, the Convoy may enter only neutral zones and zones in which the Convoying nation has Naval Superiority or Naval Control.  The nation which uses a retreat or evasion Convoy is still free to make a Convoy move in its own Impulse.

RULE 13.8:  FORTRESS STRAITS and STRAIT of GIBRALTAR
Copenhagen and Constantinople are Fortress Straits: no change from rule 13.8.

The Strait of Gibraltar is a Narrow Strait. Its Fortress dice do not fire on Squadrons crossing the line between the South Atlantic and Western Mediterranean.  The Camp controlling Gibraltar has a +2 dice roll modifier when Intercepting enemy Squadrons crossing the line between the South Atlantic and the Western Mediterranean (in either direction) to enter a zone containing the Camp's Squadrons. 

Comment: the Straits of Gibraltar are far wider than the effective range of the largest guns of the Napoleonic Wars.  The advantage of holding Gibraltar was that Squadrons had an excellent chance of intercepting enemies. 

The OFFBOARD FLEETS BOX HAS TWO ZONES, the "WEST INDIES" and the "EAST INDIES."   Comment: on TNW's Deluxe Map, we use the two big blue rectangular French Army Group holding boxes for the West Indies and East Indies zones.

Ile Martinique in the West Indies and Ile Bonaparte in the East Indies. Place a French Control marker in each Indies box to represent these two islands.  As long as they remain French controlled. France adds +1 to its Evasion dice rolls in the Indies Box.  To take either Ile Martinique or Ile Bonaparte, Britain must play a 2 CP card and move 1 or 2 Units/leaders and 1 or 2 Squadrons to the Control marker in the Indies Box.  Britain must have Naval Control or Naval Superiority in the Indies Box.  Then, at the end of each British Impulse, Britain may roll to besiege the Island, as if it were a 1-strength Fortress (it rolls 1 die in defense).  No British Army Commander is needed to make the Siege.  Movement of Units/leaders to Martinique or Ile Bonaparte does not count as one of Britain's two possible Convoys. Whether the expedition fails or succeeds, British Squadrons/ Units/leaders return to the Regroup box at the end of the turn.   

GUERRE DE COURSE and the OFFBOARD FLEETS BOX. 
Any French Squadron in either the West or East Indies prevents play of Britain's AdmiraltyEvent and prevents the Coalition's play of the Continental System Fails Event.

French Movement to the Indies Boxes.  The only way France can move Squadrons to the Indies boxes is by play of Guerre de Course.  Play of Guerre de Course gives France 6 CP = 12 Maneuvers which France can use to move French Fleets/Squadrons in any way.  If France chooses to send a French Squadron to the Indies, France must pay Maneuvers to move the Squadrons off the map to an Indies box.  The cost to move French Squadrons from one of the three Atlantic zones, off the west map edge to the Indies box is one Maneuver per Squadron.  French Squadrons bound for the Indies boxes must be declared as such, and move one-at-a-time, and must either begin in, or pass through a friendly port, which may or may not be blockaded.  After exiting a Port while declared bound for the Indies, French Squadrons may not Patrol and if Intercepted must roll to Evade. No more than two French Squadrons may exit the western map edge, with a maximum of one French Squadron going to each Indies zone. Any number of French Squadrons may make the attempt to reach the Indies boxes.

Maneuvers remaining after one or two French Squadrons move to the Indies boxes may be used freely to move other French Fleets/Squadrons. 

Special Case: If France plays Guerre de Course on its first Impulse of the Turn, it may use the 6 CP on the card for any purpose, in addition to using the CP for Maneuvers for Guerre de Course.

Comment: France now has realistic reasons to play "Guerre de Course" early. Without this variant, France would usually play GDC late in the turn, when Britain is out of cards.  But late commitment of GDC is less realistic, because commerce raiding was a long-term investment which continually harassed the enemy.  The variant also gives France more incentive than the original rules to play GdC late.  Our experience is that with the original rules, GdC is never almost never played.

British Pursuit to the Indies Boxes. When a French Squadron enters an Indies Box, Britain may immediately follow it into the same Indies Box for zero CPs with as many unblockaded British Squadrons (in Port or not) as Britain wishes.  Britain must immediately discard a Hand card (if it has one) if it fails immediately to match with at least one British Squadron a French Squadron in an Indies Box.     

Patrol and Battle in an Indies Zone. Each British Squadron in an Indies zone may pay 1 Maneuver per Impulse in each Indies zone to Patrol. Each British Squadron in an Indies zone rolls separately to Patrol.  If a Patrol is successful, and if the French Squadron does not Evade or fails to Evade, the British Squadron immediately fights a Naval battle, 1 Squadron v. 1 Squadron, against the French Squadron there.  If the first British Squadron fails to defeat the French Squadron, then the second British Squadron may pay 1 Maneuver (in the same Impulse) to Patrol.  If the second British Squadron fails to defeat the French Squadron, a third British Squadron may pay 1 Maneuver (in the same Impulse) to Patrol, etc. Each "5" Disrupt result which a French Squadron takes in a battle carries over to any second or third battle with British Squadrons in the same Impulse.  A losing Squadron Regroups after battle, unless it is a British Squadron with Naval Superiority in its Indies zone, in which case it need not Regroup. The winner of each battle (and any companion British Squadron(s) in the same Indies zone) may stay in its Indies zone or Regroup.     

For each French Squadron in an Indies zone in the Interphase, Britain loses one card from its coming Hand, but Britain's coming Hand is  never reduced below its Minimum Hand.  Once Britain has a Minimum Hand coming to it, Britain loses a Resource (if available) for each still unsatisfied card loss requirement due to French Squadrons in the Indies zones.       

Finally, Regroup any Squadrons remaining in the Indies zones in the Interphase.

Comment: This makes play of GdC not so expensive for France.  It gives France more opportunities to get Squadrons Offboard and makes Britain's task trickier.  In the original rules, 3 British Squadrons vs. 2 French Squadrons was a strong advantage.  Now, it's only a decisive 2:1 advantage in one Indies zone, and a risky 1:1 fight in the other.

[Berkut]

7.  SUBMISSION and CONQUEST

15.1 SUBMISSION, CONQUEST, CONQUEST DIE ROLL (CDR)
Conquest Die Rolls are never made against a Player Power.  There are two ways to turn a Player Power into your Subject Neutral for a complete turn: Submission and Conquest. 

Submission of a Player Power.  First, a Player Power may want to Submit because you Control his Capital.  At the end of the Conquest Phase, France loses four Resources, Britain loses six Resources. and each other Power loses two Resource if its Capital is enemy Controlled. (Russia loses four Resources if both Capitals are enemy Controlled.) These Resource point losses can easily drive a Power into negative numbers on the Resource Track.  In addition, a Power or Proxy loses one Reserve of its Capital(s) is (are) enemy controlled at the end of the Conquest Phase.  The only way to avoid these punitive Resource and Reserve losses is to Submit.

Generous Peace Mandatory Submission: The Player controlling your Capital may force Submission on you by Annexing only one non-Homeland Key, and one other Duchy, which must be a non-Key Duchy.

Abject Submission: if your Capital(s) is (are) occupied by an enemy, you may force his to accept your Submission by letting him pick any three Duchies, no more than two of which may be Keys.         

Conquest of a Player Power.  You make a Player Power a Subject Neutral if you Control all his Home Keys. If this happens, you pick for annexation, at the end of the Conquest Phase, three Key Duchies and four non-Key Duchies from the defeated Player Power's inventory of Duchies remaining since its last defeat (if any).  If available, the Duchies chosen must be either Associate Duchies, or, Duchies which would form a contiguous block adjacent to your current Duchies.               

Conquest of a Proxy
Proxies never Submit, they are only conquered.  Your Camp can conquer a Proxy by controlling all its Home Keys. Your Camp can also conquer a Proxy with a successful Conquest Die Roll (CDR).  You must make a CDR against a Proxy whose Capital you have Flagged.

If a Proxy previously was conquered, your Camp conquers it by controlling all its Home Keys remaining after the previous conquest. Duchies annexed in previous conquests or submissions are treated as if they were always part of the annexing nations and play no part in the conquest, Conquest Die Roll, & annexation process against a Proxy. 


15.2 ANNEXED DUCHIES
Indicate annexation, rather than mere Control, by placing two Flags of the annexing nation on the annexed Duchy. 

Duchies may be annexed consequent to either Submission or Conquest of an enemy nation.     

Annexation Following Conquest of a Proxy
The conquerors annex all Associate Duchies of the conquered Proxy which they have already Flagged.  In addition, the conquerors annex a number of Duchies, Home or Associate, which varies by conquered nation and by whether it is the first conquest of the Proxy by the Camp or a second or later conquest by the Camp.  In every case, the conquerors pick the Duchies annexed, but only the first and third Duchies annexed may be Key Duchies.

Conquered Proxy 
DENMARK: 0 Duchies on first conquest, 1 Duchy on subsequent conquest.
SWEDEN: 1 Duchy on first conquest, 2 Duchies on subsequent conquest.
SPAIN, TURKEY, PROXY PRUSSIA: 2 Duchies on first conquest, 3 Duchies on subsequent.

The conquering nation with the most numerous Forces (Units/leaders + Flags)in the conquered Proxy determines which nations of its Camp annex the annexed Duchies.

Home Duchies other than those annexed remain with the conquered Proxy.

[Berkut]

8.  END of TURN

5.6  ATTRITION PHASE
First, Flag Attrition. Attrition non-Fortress Flags which either A) lack a Line of Communication, or, B) are in enemy Homeland Duchies where there is not at least one Unit/leader of the same Camp as the Flag.  Eliminate Flags on a 5 or 6 two of if both A) and B) apply.  If either A) or B) applies and the Flags are in a a Homeland Duchy of Spain, Russia, or Turkey, add +1 to the die roll. 

In all cases, the original controller of Homeland Duchies determines the order in which enemy Flags in his Homeland Duchies suffer Attrition.

Duchies which bear double Flags have been Annexed and are not subject to the Flag Attrition described here. 

Second, Uncontrolled Duchy Attrition. Attrition Formations in Uncontrolled Duchies.  This and Movement Attrition are the only kinds of Attrition which are halved when rolling for French Units/leaders (and then only when they are not in Spain, Russia or Turkey).  "A surviving Formation then places its Flag (or removes an opposing one) in every non-Fortress, Uncontrolled Duchy . . ."     

Third, Wintering Attrition.  All Units (not Leaders), including Neutral Units, are subject to Wintering Attrition. W.A. sends a number of Units to Regroup from each Duchy, the number being the number of Units in the Duchy divided by 4, dropping remainders.  Units which cannot trace a Line of Communication are destroyed instead of being sent to Regroup.  If Units of more than one nation are in the Duchy, divide W.A. national losses as evenly as possible, with the most recent Commander deciding odd losses. 

Units in Duchy / / Units Sent to Regroup
0-3            / / 0
4-7            / / 1
8-11           / / 2
12-15          / / 3
16-19          / / 4
20-23          / / 5
24-27          / / 6
etc.
 
Example: Archdukes Charles and John are in Venice with ten Units.  Kutusov is there with five Units.  Fifteen divided by four is 3.75. Russia commands the Army Group with Austrian permission.  Russia sends 2 Austrian and 1 Russian Unit to Regroup.       


5.62  FLIP BUILD MARKERS ON SQUADRONS to REFIT.  COMPLETE THE CONSTRUCTION of FORTRESSES. SQUADRONS NOT IN OR ADJACENT TO A FRIENDLY CONTROLLED PORT HAVE A REFIT MARKER PLACED ON THEM ON A DIE ROLL EQUAL TO OR LESS THAN THEIR DISTANCE TO THE NEAREST FRIENDLY PORT. Comment: Royal Navy on station at sea suffered more wear on its ships than did France's ships, which were snug in Port.


5.7  CONQUESTS (See Rules Section 15)


Rule 5.8  PEACE DIE ROLL
The Power (not the Player) leading the game in victory points may sacrifice a card from its next turn's Hand to add +1 to the Peace Die Roll (PDR).  The leading Power, if it has sacrificed a card, may add another +1 to the PDR by sacrificing a Resource, but not if this causes it no longer to be the leading victory point Power.

In order from highest victory point score to lowest victory point score, each of the four losing Powers (not the losing Player or Players), one-Power-at-a-time, must sacrifice a card from its next turn's Hand to subtract 1 from the PDR, if it is necessary to do so to drive the odds of success of the PDR toward zero. Each card sacrificed from a Power's next turn's Hand subtracts 1 from the PDR. 

(I.e., the losing Power with the best victory point score (even if it's a negative score: -1 is better than -2 victory points) gives up the first card, the losing Power with the second best victory point score gives up the second card, etc.  If two or more losing Powers are tied in victory points, the tied losing Powers sacrifice their cards in Reverse Movement Track Order.) 

A losing Power does not sacrifice a future Hand card to modify the PDR if the odds of a successful PDR are already zero due to the previous sacrifice of Hand cards by other losing Powers. Also, losing Powers may not sacrifice a pending Hand card if they are a Subject Neutral, or if they will have Minimum Hand next turn.

NOTE: Victory is still determined by Player.  A multi-Power Player loses the game even if he controls the winning Power at the end of the game, if the net gain/loss of victory points of all his Player Powers is less then the net gain/loss of an opposing Player's Player Powers.  Example: in a 2-Player game, Austria has +2 victory points, France +1, Russia +0, Britain -2.  The Coalition Player's net is zero, while the Imperial Player's net is +1, so the Imperial Player wins although France was not the winning Power.   

Comment: The above Peace Die Roll variant makes less likely a quick victory by luck.  It makes more likely a longer game. It distributes fairly the burden of sacrificing cards from pending Hands to modify the Peace Die Roll. 

Rule 5.8  ANOTHER PDR VARIANT
A Peace Die Roll is made only if, before cards from player's coming Hands are sacrificed for -1/+1 Peace Die Roll modifiers, the Peace Die Roll will succeed on a 3 or higher.
Comment: some love, some hate the Peace Die Roll for the way it can end the game on a 1/6, 2/6 or 3/6 chance roll.  This variant is a second alternative Peace Die Roll procedure for those who hate purely luck based wins.

Rule 5.81  VICTORY
Each Player Power gains/loses a victory point for Control or annexation of each Key gained/lost since the start of the game, as recorded on the Key Control Track.  Exception: A Player Power counts enemy Home Keys for victory points only if he has annexed them; a Player Power counts enemy Associate Keys for victory points if he either Controls them or has annexed them. .
Comment: you only get a political benefit (victory points) from enemy Home Keys if you have annexed them.

Austria and Prussia both enjoy two victory points for each point of net gain in Duchies they control or (if enemy Home Keys) have annexed. Net loss of Duchies is not doubled.  Example: If Austria controls 10 Duchies it gains +2 victory points. Its marker on the Key Control Track shows "10," but it has gained 2 victory points.

"At game end, each Player also gains a point for each surviving Minor Pact and Player Power Resource he has."  But if a Player Power has a negative Resource number on the Resource Track (see 16.0 Resources, below), subtract the negative number's absolute value from the Player's victory point score. Example: if a Player Power's Resource marker is at -2 on the Resource Track, subtract 2 from the Player's victory point score.   

Rule 5.82 EXTRA AUTOMATIC PEACE CONDITIONS
At the end of the (5.7) Conquest Phase check for these Automatic Peace conditions as well as the original ones:

Russia, Austria, Prussia, or Britain wins if it is ahead in victory points and has at least seven victory points. 

France wins if has made every nation except Russia and Britain either a Player Ally, a Pact Ally, or a Subject Neutral.

France wins if both France and another Power have met their Automatic Peace victory condition, unless France has already surrendered, Submitted, or Capitulated.   

If no Power has won by the end of the Turn 5, the 1813-1814 Turn, the Power presently leading in Victory Points wins. 

Comment: Bonaparte could have achieved the above almost anytime 1807-1812. Turkey was at war with Russia.  Austria and Prussia were Subject Neutrals or Allies of France, except for Austria's brief rebellion crushed at Wagram (1809).  Spain was a Pact Ally until Dos de Mayo 1808.  Denmark was a Pact Ally for the whole period.  Sweden and Spain could both have been crushed or wooed if Napoleon had tried hard enough. 

TOURNAMENT POINT (TP) SCORES
Prussia: in the Two, Three and Four Player Games, Nonplayer Power Prussia counts as an imaginary Player for scoring purposes.  Nonplayer Power Prussia could theoretically win the tournament.  Wouldn't that be embarrassing?

Two Player Game
Winner: 11 TP
First Runner Up: 1 TP.
Second Runner Up: 0 TP.

Three Player Game
Winner: 9 TP
First Runner Up: 2 TP
Second Runner Up: 1 TP
Third Runner Up: 0 TP

Four Player Game
Winner: 6 TP.
First Runner Up: 3 TP
Second Runner Up: 2 TP
Third Runner Up: 1 TP
Fourth Runner Up: 0 TP

Five Player Game
Winner: 6 TP
First Runner Up: 3 TP
Second Runner Up: 2 TP
Third Runner Up: 1 TP
Fourth Runner Up: 0 TP.

Le Gloire: If France wins an (5.82) Automatic Peace victory by conquering Britain or Russia, add 3 to its TP score. 

[Berkut]

9. NEW TURN INTERPHASE

Rule 14.2  REINFORCEMENTS
14.22  Placement of Reinforcements
Reinforcement Units/leaders may be placed in their (friendly Controlled) Capital or in any friendly Controlled Home Duchy adjacent to their Capital.  If none of these duchies are available then reinforcement Units/leaders may be placed in the friendly Controlled Home duchies nearest their Capital.  A nation lacking any friendly Controlled Home Duchies places reinforcement Units/leaders in the Regroup Box. 

14.3 Resume Play
14.31 Draw Hands
1. All nations, in Order of Movement, draw one card for every two Keys they control or their Minimum Hand Size (whichever is greater, 14.32).  (Exceptions: Minor Proxy Home Keys you Control, unless you have annexed them or they are Capitals, do not count for Hand replenishment.  Also, Keys (including Fortress Keys) which cannot trace a Line of Communications do not count for Hand replenishment, unless they are your own Home Keys.).  There is no maximum Hand draw, regardless of Maximum Hand Size  Comment: Minor Proxy Home Duchies were economically unimportant.  Add in political turmoil of a foreign occupation and they would be even less important. Major Power Home Duchies represent more economically substantial regions, and so contribute to Hand Size even when not annexed.   

3.  Delete bullet 3 of RULE 14.31, "Draw Hands."  Bullet 3 gave a maximum hand to any Subject Neutral which wants it. 
Comment: it's not realistic that a defeated nation gets more cards than it got before its defeat.  

BRITAIN'S MAXIMUM HAND SIZE IS FIVE CARDS
Comment: this is recognition due one of the two superpowers of the age.  Also, it's compensation for Britain's greater Guerre de Course and invasion convoy vulnerabilities. 

[Berkut]

10.  On Rule 16.0  RESOURCES

Rule 16.1  Acquisition and Loss
The Resource Track can indicate negative numbers as well as positive.  Use the "+" side of a Resource marker to indicate a nation has a positive number of Resources.  Use the reverse side (with the three soldiers silhouetted) to indicate the nation's Resource number is negative. Negative Resource numbers count against a Player Power's victory score and cannot be traded in for cards.

"A nation gains one Resource . . .
--during the Interphase of each Turn it has more cards than its Maximum Hand (14.31-14.35); 
--as a result of certain events;"
--after a successful Debacle dice roll following Rout(See Miscellaneous Operational Rules above);
--by Looting a Capital.  The first nation to Flag an enemy Capital (other than Copenhagen or Stockholm) gets to loot one Resource, adding +1 to the Looting nation's Resources on the Track, and subtracting one (1) from the Looted nation's Resources on the Track. A Resource can be Looted only if the Looted nation's Resource marker is at +1 or higher on the Track. Exceptions: adjust the Track two spaces in each direction for the looting of Paris, and adjust the track three spaces in each direction for the looting of London.

Resources may not be traded.  (No change.)

Loss of Resources. 
A Submitted Player Power does not automatically lose all its Resources when it Submits, but giving Resources to an enemy may be part of a negotiated Submission.  A nation may not cede so many Resources that it is driven into negative numbers on the Resource Track. 

Loss of Resources due to enemy Control of your Capital.  At the end of each Conquest Phase, a Power loses two Resources for each of its Capitals which is enemy Controlled.  Exceptions: France loses four Resources if its Capital is enemy controlled, and Britain loses five Resources if its Capital is enemy controlled.  These Resource losses can drive a Power into negative numbers on the Resource Track. 

(In addition to Resource losses, note that a nation loses the use of one Reserve if its Capital is enemy controlled in the Interphase when new cards are dealt.  This and the Resource losses combined are a significant inducement to Submit, avoiding both penalties.)   

Liberation of a Capital. When a Capital is liberated after a loss of Resources due to enemy occupation of the Capital, the Capital's Player Power gains one Resource.  Example: if Vienna is French occupied for two Conquest Phases, the Austrian player loses 4  Resource points on the Resource Track.  If the Austrian Player then liberates his Capital, he gains only 1 Resource on the Resource Track.   

Maximum and Minimum Resources
No nation may have more than +6, and no nation may have less than -6 Resources.

Starting Resources
France starts with 2 Resources.  Britain, Austria, Russia, Prussia, Turkey and Spain each start with 1 Resource.  This means that in the 2-player game the players start tied, with the Coalition winning the tie.  In the 3, 4 and 5 player games France starts with a lead of 2 victory points (Pact with Spain, 1 more Resource than the other Player Powers).

Capital Resource
You may not spend your last Resource as a "+" play for a card.   

Comment: It is in the interest of the conqueror(s) to agree to accept a Player Power's Submission, because that's the only way he's going to be able to annex Homeland Duchies, receiving victory points for them.  Perhaps he can also extort some non-Key Home Duchies or even a Resource. Also, the defeated Player Power will always have some means of resistance as long as a submission/deal is not negotiated.  It's in the Player Power's interest to Submit because he is hemorrhaging Resources while his Capital is enemy Flagged.

[Berkut]

11. SPECIAL CARD PLAY

Scarce Supplies
You may avoid the necessity of sending Units/leaders to Regroup to satisfy the demands of the Scarce Supplies event. You do this by paying for Supplies: immediate payment of 1 CP per Unit/leader, paid from cards or Reserves which are then immediately discarded.

Great Redoubt confers its benefits only on the defender.

Baltic Venture and Egyptian Venture
Naval Superiority in a zone is sufficient to establish zone control for purposes of these cards.

Oldenburg and Continental System Fails
Oldenburg counts as a Prussian Key if it is Prussian controlled, if the North Sea is Coalition controlled, if Prussia is in the Coalition, and if the Continental System Fails Event is in play. If counted as a Prussian Key, it is worth two victory points for the Prussian Player if Prussia is above its at-start 6-Keys inventory.
Comment: Oldenburg corresponds to Hamburg and Bremen. Napoleon thought Hamburg so important that he left his best, Marshal Davout and a corps, to fortify it even as the main French army retreated to France in 1813.

Midturn Winter Attrition
If Denmark has had two Impulses, including Pass Impulses, any Power may play a card for 5 CP or 6 CP for a Midturn Winter Attrition event. The 6 CP may not be from the Power's Reserve(s) or last card. Once a nation declares a Midturn Winter Attrition, no other nation may do so for the remainder of the turn.

Midturn Winter Attrition does not include the other types of end of Turn Attrition, viz., Flag Attrition and Uncontrolled Duchy Attrition. Nor are there any Naval Builds. It does include rolling a die for each Squadron not adjacent to a friendly port, and placing a Refit marker on the Squadron if the die roll equals or is less than the Squadron's distance to the nearest friendly port.

Comment: each turn represents two years, so there should occasionally be some midturn attrition due to winter. Note that you can play a 6 CP card, or 5 CP card for the +1 CP bonus for Midturn Winter Attrition. The optimal moment tactically to do this is when the enemy lacks a Line of Communication; if that happens his Attritioned Units are eliminated, not Regrouped.

[Berkut]

11. SPECIAL CARD PLAY

Scarce Supplies
You may avoid the necessity of sending Units/leaders to Regroup to satisfy the demands of the Scarce Supplies event.  You do this by paying for Supplies: immediate payment of 1 CP per Unit/leader, paid  from cards or Reserves which are then immediately discarded.

Great Redoubt confers its benefits only on the defender.

Baltic Venture and Egyptian Venture
Naval Superiority in a zone is sufficient to establish zone control for purposes of these cards.

Oldenburg and Continental System Fails
Oldenburg counts as a Prussian Key if it is Prussian controlled, if the North Sea is Coalition controlled, if Prussia is in the Coalition, and if the Continental System Fails Event is in play.  If counted as a Prussian Key, it is worth two victory points for the Prussian Player if Prussia is above its at-start 6-Keys inventory.
Comment: Oldenburg corresponds to Hamburg and Bremen.  Napoleon thought Hamburg so important that he left his best, Marshal Davout and a corps, to fortify it even as the main French army retreated to France in 1813. 

Midturn Winter Attrition
If Denmark has had two Impulses, including Pass Impulses, any Power may play a card for 5 CP or 6 CP for a Midturn Winter Attrition event.  The 6 CP may not be from the Power's Reserve(s) or last card.  Once a nation declares a Midturn Winter Attrition, no other nation may do so for the remainder of the turn. 

Midturn Winter Attrition does not include the other types of end of Turn Attrition, viz., Flag Attrition and Uncontrolled Duchy Attrition.  Nor are there any Naval Builds.  It does include rolling a die for each Squadron not adjacent to a friendly port, and placing a Refit marker on the Squadron if the die roll equals or is less than the Squadron's distance to the nearest friendly port.
 
Comment: each turn represents two years, so there should occasionally be some midturn attrition due to winter. Note that you can play a 6 CP card, or 5 CP card for the +1 CP bonus for Midturn Winter Attrition.  The optimal moment tactically to do this is when the enemy lacks a Line of Communication; if that happens his Attritioned Units are eliminated, not Regrouped.


12.  NEW PIECE: FORTRESS MARKERS (FMs) 
A nation may lay down FMs in the Reinforcement Phase or the nation's first Impulse of the Turn for 3 CP at any friendly Controlled Duchy with a LOC. FMs have no effect until completed; they are completed in the next NAVAL/FM BUILDS PHASE, if they have a LOC.  FMs may be built anywhere except Gibraltar.  A FM completed where there is no Fortress has the same effect as a 2-strength Fortress.  A FM completed at an existing 2-strength Fortress upgrades it to a 3-strength Fortress. A FM completed where there's a 3-strength Fortress upgrades it to a 4-Strength Fortress.  Only one new FM may be built per Duchy per turn.  The maximum strength of a built-up Fortress is 4.  FMs under build are removed if the enemy controls the Duchy, or lays Siege to a FM's Fortress Duchy, at any time before the FM is completed.  Completed FMs are removed if the enemy successfully Sieges it.   

FM affect Control of Duchies in the same manner as the Fortresses printed on the map.  FM do not turn a non-Key Duchy into a Key Duchy. 

Example: France has annexed Konigsberg.  France pays 4 CP in the 1809 Reinforcement Phase to place a FM on K-berg.  In the Naval Builds Phase at the end of the turn, France flips the FM to its completed side, making K-berg a 3-strength Fortress.   Later, Kutuzov and 6 Units Siege it successfully.  The FM is removed but the underlying Fortress Duchy remains a Fortress.
Comment: both sides, especially the French, made extensive use of new Fortifications.

13.  MINOR MAP CHANGES

GIBRALTAR IS A KEY, DUAL ASSOCIATE DUCHY OF BRITAIN AND SPAIN
Comment: really, the barren Rock with its tiny port a Home Duchy? Britain would sacrifice Dublin or even Kent before Gibraltar? Stick a snip of brown Post-It note on the top half of the Duchy space.

ROTTERDAM and ST. PETERSBURG ARE CONNECTED TO ADJACENT DUCHIES ONLY BY MARSH CONNECTIONS.

[garbon]

Is this a blog?

[Solmyr]

I would be up for it. I have played in a couple of games we had here on Languish, so I know the basic rules.