1792 Variant for The Napoleonic Wars
by Thomas Prowell
Yes, I know I didn't write this, but I love this game and have been working with Thomas on other game projects for ages now.
Rules
Introduction
This variant allows players to explore the 10 years of war prior to the Treaty of Amiens, beginning with the end of the French Revolution and concluding with Napoleon’s rise to power.
Prepare to Play
The 1792 Deck: The 1792 Variant requires players to substitute 9 cards in the deck. Replace the following 1805 “standard” cards with their 1792 counterparts:
 | Imperial Guard French Home Card with Levee En Masse |
| Continental System Fails (#18) with Madame Guillotine |
| The King’s Shilling (#21) with Counterattack |
| Crown Prince Bernadotte (#52) with Tsar Paul’s Madness |
| Royal Wedding (#53) with Royal Marriage |
| Malet’s Conspiracy (#63) with Bad Harvest |
| Europe Exhausted (#66) with Treaty of Amiens |
| Dos de Mayo (#69) with Egyptian Expedition |
| Treaty of Tilset (#76) with First Consul Napoleon |
2.2 Powers and Players: The 1792 Variant can be played with up to five players. When playing with less than five players, use these assignments:
| Four or less players: Russia is a Proxy. Place its Consul in the Unaligned box. |
| Three players: Prussia and Russia are both Proxies; place the Prussian Consul in the Austrian Pact box. |
| Two players: One person plays Britain and Austria with separate Hands for each. |
2.3. Pieces and Setup: The 1792 Variant includes its own set of leader counters – set all leader counters from the 1805 Standard Game aside. While no oversized Army Group leaders have been provided (because of the unlikelihood they will enter play), players may form Army Groups.
Another new type of piece is introduced in the 1792 Variant – the Duchy marker. Its use is explained in 3.3. There is also a “+1 CP” marker provided for Russia to use if it is a Proxy.
3. Rules Changes
All standard rules remain in effect except where noted below.
3.1 France: These changes apply to playing France.
| France only gets one battle die for its troops, not two. |
| France also receives only 12 CPs per Reinforcement Interphase (but note its Levee En Masse Home Card, which allows it to enter additional Units. Levee En Masse is playable if there is already a British Flag in Vendee.). |
| There are two counters for Bonaparte/Napoleon. Only one of these counters may be in play at a time. When he enters play in 1796 (Turn 3), he is Bonaparte, a 4-4 leader. Play of the First Consul Napoleon card changes him to Napoleon, a 4-8 leader. All references to Napoleon refer to the 4-8 leader, all references to Bonaparte refer to the 4-4 leader. |
Note: play of the Napoleon Abdicates card is legal even before Napoleon enters play, though he would not be “removed” or received as a free Reinforcement unless the First Consul card has been previously played. Play of Napoleon Abdicates would not require removal of Bonaparte. (If played before Napoleon enters play, it is basically a “Bourbon Restoration” card.)
3.2 Austria: This change applies to playing Austria.
· Austria’s Maximum and Minimum Hand sizes are 6 and 3, respectively.
3.3 Duchy Markers: France, Britain, Austria and Russia all begin the game with several Duchy markers on the map. Duchy markers are treated as Flags in all respects, with these two exceptions:
· The owning Power may build Units and leaders in the marked space as if it were an Associate Duchy.
· If the owning Power submits or is conquered, its Duchy markers are not automatically withdrawn as if they were Forces outside its Home or Associate Duchies. Duchy markers may be removed and Flagged in any exchange of Ceded Duchies.
Once a Duchy marker is removed from play, it may not be replaced. Duchy markers do not count against a Power’s Flag counter limit.
Note: A Duchy marker is considered to be a Force, just as a Flag would be. Because of this, Russia may not play its Holy Mother Russia home card to draw two cards while French Duchy markers are in Russian Home Duchies (unless France is an ally to Russia.
3.4 First Impulse and First Turn Restrictions: There are none. Preemptions and movement on the Diplomatic Track are allowed in the first impulse of Turn 1, unlike the standard game. And all Events cards that are normally not playable in 1805 (i.e., with the “No 1805” symbol) are likewise playable in 1792.
3.5 End of Game: The game ends automatically at the conclusion of Turn 5 (1800-1801), unless it has ended earlier via Peace die roll. The game does not automatically end if France is conquered or submits. Instead, play proceeds as normal.
Variant Design: Thomas Prowell
Original TNW Design: Mark McLaughlin
Playtesters, Support and Helpful Advice: Alan Emrich, Wray Ferrell, Edgar Gallego, Darren Kilfara, Fred Schachter ... and a special shout-out to my friends at Metro Seattle Gamers: Dave Coble, Stephen Graham, Mike Snively, Cris-Jon Lindsay, Kurt Paasch, Greg Ullrich
Click on the above artwork to get a .pdf file with the 1792 counters and markers.
Download the substitute cards (MS Word file).
Download the 1792 Player Aid sheet (MS Word file).
Download alternate card graphics from Nigel Grout (ZIP file).
Set Up
Diplomatic Status: Imperial Camp
Initial Keys/Hand: 13/6
Maximum/Minimum Hand: 8/4
Unit Bonus: 1 extra battle die
Reinforcements: 12 CPs
Conquest DRM: –2
Picardy: 3 Units, Dumoriez
Warsaw: 1 Unit, Kosciuszko, Duchy
Brest: 1 Unit, 2 Squadrons
Artois: 1 Unit, 1 Squadron
Bordeaux: 1 Unit, 1 Squadron
Normandy: 1 Unit, 1 Squadron
Marseilles: 1 Unit, 1 Squadron
Munich: 1 Unit
Wurttemburg: 1 Unit
Posen: Duchy
Thorn: Duchy
Lodz: Duchy
Masuria: Duchy
Lublin: Duchy
Courland: Duchy
Kovno: Duchy
Vilna: Duchy
Grodno: Duchy
Borisov: Duchy
Pinsk: Duchy
Zhitomir: Duchy
Upland: Duchy
Hoche, Pichegru and Moreau are available from the start.
Bonaparte is not available until 1796.
Massena is not available until 1798.
ENGLAND
Diplomatic Status: Coalition Camp
Initial Keys/Hand: 9/4
Maximum/Minimum Hand: 4/2
Unit Bonus: 1 extra battle die
Reinforcements: 6 CPs
Conquest DRM: –1
Rotterdam: 2 Units, 1 Squadron, Duchy
London: 1 Unit, York
Lisbon: 1 Unit, 1 Squadron
Naples: 1 Unit
Hanover: 1 Unit, Duchy
Oldenburg: Duchy
Hesse: Duchy
Channel: 3 Squadrons
Bay of Biscay: 3 Squadrons
Western Mediterranean: 1 Squadron
Mid-Atlantic: 1 Squadron
Abercromby is not available until 1800.
AUSTRIA
Diplomatic Status: Coalition Camp
Initial Keys/Hand: 11/5
Maximum/Minimum Hand: 6/3
Unit Bonus: 1 extra battle die
Reinforcements: 8 CPs
Conquest DRM: –1
Vienna: 3 Units, Wurmser
Salzburg: 2 Units, Mack
Brussels: 1 Unit, Duchy
Genoa: 1 Unit, Duchy
Linz: 1 Unit
Tyrol: 1 Unit
Venice: 1 Unit
Moravia: 1 Unit
Budapest: 1 Unit
Koloszvar: 1 Unit
Prague: 1 Unit
Antwerp: Duchy
Ardennes: Duchy
Piedmont: Duchy
Milan: Duchy
Romagna: Duchy
Urbino: Duchy
Rome: Duchy
Corfu: Duchy
Charles is not available until 1796.
Melas is not available until 1798.
John is not available until 1800.
RUSSIA
Diplomatic Status: Unaligned
Initial Keys/Hand: 6/3
Maximum/Minimum Hand: 4/2
Unit Bonus: 1 extra battle die
Reinforcements: 8 CPs
Conquest DRM: –1
Smolensk: 3 Units, Suvarov
Kiev: 2 Units
St. Petersburg: 1 Unit, 2 Squadrons
Sevastopol: 1 Unit, 1 Squadron
Moscow: 1 Unit
Odessa: 1 Unit
Malta: Duchy
Fersen is available at the start.
Alexander is not available until 1800.
PRUSSIA
Diplomatic Status: Coalition Camp (Austrian Pact Ally if Proxy)
Initial Keys/Hand: 4/2
Maximum/Minimum Hand: 4/2
Unit Bonus: 1 extra battle die
Reinforcements: 8 CPs
Conquest DRM: –1
Anhalt: 2 Units
Konigsberg: 2 Units
Danzig: 2 Units
Berlin: 1 Unit, Brunswick
Leipzig: 1 Unit
Hohenlohe is not available until 1796.
OTTOMAN TURKS
Diplomatic Status: Unaligned
Initial Keys/Hand: 5/2
Maximum/Minimum Hand: 3/1
Unit Bonus: 0
Reinforcements: 4 CPs
Conquest DRM: –2
Constantinople: 2 Units, Grand Vizier, 1 Squadron
Sofia: 1 Unit, Ahmed Pasha
SPAIN
Diplomatic Status: French Aide
Initial Keys/Hand: 5/2
Maximum/Minimum Hand: 3/1
Unit Bonus: 0
Reinforcements: 4 CPs
Conquest DRM: –2
Madrid: 2 Units, De La Union
Cadiz: 1 Unit, 2 Squadrons
Galicia: 1 Unit, 1 Squadron
SWEDEN
Diplomatic Status: British Friend
Initial Keys/Hand: 3/1
Maximum/Minimum Hand: 3/1
Unit Bonus: 0
Reinforcements: 2 CPs
Conquest DRM: +2
Stockholm: 1 Unit, 1 Squadron
Straslund: 1 Unit
Gustavus is available from the start.
DENMARK
Diplomatic Status: French Friend
Initial Keys/Hand: 2/1
Maximum/Minimum Hand: 3/1
Unit Bonus: 0
Reinforcements: 2 CPs
Conquest DRM: +3
Copenhagen: 1 Unit, 1 Squadron
Frederick is available from the start.