La Guerre de l'Empereur: The Emperor's War, 1805-1815
La Guerre de l'Empereur: The Emperor's War, 1805-1815 Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
1.0 Introduction
1.1 Basic Concepts
La Guerre de l'Empereur is a game for two to seven players, in which each player represents one of the major European powers during the Napoleonic Wars from 1805 to 1815. The players will make economic and political decisions, form Alliances and go to war, and command their Armies in the field. They will have the opportunity to defeat their enemies and reshape the map of Europe.
The seven major powers in La Guerre de l'Empereur (in the order of prominence) are France, Great Britain, Russia, Austria, Prussia, Spain, and the Ottoman Empire. If you are playing with fewer than seven participants, the less prominent countries will not be represented by a player. The game's political rules and event tables allow these major powers to join Alliances, conduct campaigns, and participate in the war just as they would if they were represented by a player.
The four main elements in the game are: economics (collecting money from Provinces you control and spending it to achieve your political and military goals), politics (forming Alliances, declaring war, and using random events to help your friends and confound your foes), military strategy (maneuvering your Armies to conquer territory and gain an advantage over enemy Armies), and tactics (winning battles).
Ultimately, a winner is determined through the accumulation of Victory Points. Victory Points (VPs) are awarded to each country for achieving economic, military and political goals. Each major power has a discrete VP goal based on its relative strength at the beginning of the game. For example, Spain can win the game with far fewer VPs than France would need (see 7.1).
When any country has acquired enough VPs to meet its national victory goal, the game immediately ends and that country is declared the winner. Other players can then be ranked based on the percentage of VPs that they accumulated.
1.11 Notes on the 2nd Edition
Players familiar with the 1st Edition of La Guerre will find that, while most rule sections have undergone small but significant changes, it is fundamentally the same game. Some rules, notably Land Battles (5.6), and Surrender (5.12) have been substantially changed. A new section of notes, including designer's notes, player's notes, and historical notes has been added.
1.2 Outline of Play
La Guerre de l'Empereur is played in a series of turns, each representing a season of the year (three months). The three "Combat Seasons" (Spring, Summer, and Fall) and a Winterphase make up one game year. The current Year and Season are recorded in two spaces on the "calendar" on the map. At the conclusion of each Season, the Season marker is advanced to the next space. After the Fall Season the marker is moved to the Winterphase and the Year Marker is advanced one year. The game begins in Fall, 1805 and ends when a player achieves victory or at the conclusion of the Fall, 1815 Season.
1.21 Combat Seasons
Each Combat Season is made up of a Turn Start Phase (when players determine which allied nations will combine their moves, and which will move first), an individual Player Turn for each player, and a Mutual "Build" Phase. Countries not represented by a player will get their own turn, unless at peace or Allied to a player (in which case their actions are dictated by their player Ally [see 3.32]).
1.211 Player Turn Actions
During a player's turn he will make political decisions (including Alliances with other countries, Declarations of War, etc.), generate random events, move and initiate combat with naval Squadrons, and move and initiate combat with land Corps. Additional Victory Points can sometimes be earned during Player Turns.
1.212 The Mutual "Build" Phase
The Mutual "Build" Phase at the end of each Combat Season gives all players the opportunity to purchase new combat Divisions and naval Squadrons (see 6.0).
1.22 Winterphase
During the Winterphase taxes are collected, political discussions are held, and Victory Points are accumulated.
2.0 Components
La Guerre de l'Empereur contains the following:
- One box
- Two Countersheets: 560 counters total
- One 22x34 map
- One Rulebook (48 pages)
- Eight cardstock Player Mats (8.5 x 11)
- Three Charts & Tables Cards (8.5 x 11)
- Eleven Sheets of Game money: 132 bills total—(3) each of 1's, (2) each of 5's, 10's, 20's, 50's
- Diplomatic Tracks Card (8.5 x 11)
- Two Ten-Sided Dice
2.1 The Map
The map depicts Europe, North Africa, and part of Asia as it was circa 1805 - 1810. The map is divided into land areas and Sea Zones. Land areas, hereafter referred to as Provinces, are color coded to identify their primary political allegiance. For example, all Provinces in France are colored blue and all Minor Provinces are tan.
2.11 Province Information
Each Province on the map contains four pieces of information: the Province's name; an Economic Value (the number of resource points or "Gold" that the Province generates as income during the Winterphase); a Political Value (the number of Victory Points that the Province contributes to its controlling player during the Winterphase); and an Intrinsic Garrison rating, (a number that must be added to the die roll when another player attempts to capture the Province from its original owner) (5.512).
The Province's Economic Value is always the first of the pair of numbers separated by the slash; its Political Value is always the second number. If a Province's name is printed in white, that Province is immune to attack if occupied by a Corps (i.e., islands and Gibraltar: see 5.46 and 5.515). If a Minor Power has its own Corps, the uniform of the Garrison soldier in that country's Provinces will have its own distinctive design.
2.12 Types of Provinces
There are 5 different types of Provinces:
a) Home Provinces: Home Provinces of a nation are all the same color. Vienna is a Home Province of the Major Power Austria (also its capital). Home provinces are difficult for an enemy to capture permanently. Austria uses Vienna's intrinsic garrison, while conquering armies must use a garrison of occupation to hold it.
b) Minor Provinces: Minor Provinces are tan. Rome is a Minor Province. Minor provinces are relatively easy to capture. If conquered they must be occupied by a garrison of conquest.
c) Minor Provinces of a Minor Power: Brindisi is one of two Minor Provinces of Minor Power Naples. In order to build combat units of a Minor Power, all of its provinces must be conquered. In all other ways, these provinces are like normal Minor Provinces.
d) Provinces of a Loyal Minor Power: Illyria and Venezia are two provinces of a "remapable" Loyal Minor Power (the Kingdom of Italy). Before the Kingdom of Italy comes into being, Venezia is treated like a normal Minor Province, while Illyria is a "Remapable" Home Province of Austria. Once the Kingdom of Italy is formed, both provinces become Minor Provinces of the Kingdom of Italy, with a special relationship to the founding nation.
e) Remapable Home Provinces: prior to the formation of the Kingdom of Italy, Illyria is a Remapable Home Province of Austria. Remapable Home Provinces differ from normal Home Provinces only in how they're handled during a surrender. Were Austria to surrender, Illyria would be given up as if it were a minor province.
2.13 Map Clarifications
- There should be a crossing arrow in the strait between Denmark and Copenhagen.
- "Copenhagen" should be printed in white (2.11).
- Off-Map movement is not permitted: for example, a Corps may not move by land from Finland to Sweden.
- A Corps may not move directly between two Provinces that meet at the intersection of two Province boundaries. Movement is not possible between Bavaria and Vienna, between Prague and Tyrol, between Bavaria and Saxony, and between Prague and Thuringia. Movement is possible between East Prussia and Lithuania.
2.2 Counters
The die-cut cardboard playing pieces, termed "counters," represent the military units that the players will maneuver on the main map and Battlemap.
2.21 Naval Squadrons
Squadrons are identified by nationality and each piece represents sixty-four vessels ranging in size from ships of the line to frigates, sloops, and schooners. Squadrons maneuver on the map, moving from Sea Zone to Sea Zone, transport land units, and fight naval battles.
2.22 Land Corps
The basic land units in La Guerre de l'Empereur are Corps. Corps counters are "shells." Each Corps can contain up to three Divisions of Infantry, Cavalry, or Artillery in any combination (plus one cavalry—see 2.5), of the same nationality as the Corps. Major Power Corps may contain Minor Power divisions. The Divisions themselves are kept on the Player Mats except when deployed as garrisons of conquest.
2.23 Land Divisions
Corps are composed of Divisions of Infantry (about 8,000 men), Cavalry (2,500 to 4,000 men), and Artillery (72 guns). The Division counters are only placed on the main map when they are being used as Garrisons outside their home countries. Note: a Garrison is either an Intrinsic Garrison, or a single Infantry Division, while a field Army is a collection of Corps.
2.24 Commanders
Each major power begins the game with one "Primary" Army Commander. This unit moves on the map, increasing the speed and strength of armies with which it is stacked. Additional commanders can be gained through Event rolls during the game.
2.25 Generic Divisions ("Ghost" Divisions)
These are used for three purposes:
- When a rebellion occurs in a Province that has no Corps within, a generic Infantry Division is placed there to denote its temporary loss, until this generic Garrison is ousted.
- When players gain additional Divisions from the Approach to Battlefield Table, it is these generic Divisions that are deployed.
- When a player's Army is attacked in a Province in which he also has an Intrinsic Garrison, the Garrison is represented in the battle by generic "Ghost" Divisions.
2.26 Markers
Some of the counters in La Guerre de l'Empereur are markers (such as the turn record markers and markers for keeping track of each player's current VPs).
2.3 Battlemaps
An Army in La Guerre de l'Empereur is defined as one or more Corps counters, together in the same Province. When an Army moves into a Province that contains an enemy Army, a battle will usually occur (but see 5.513). Small battles may be resolved on the strategic map, but when resolving large battles, players may wish to deploy their forces onto the Battle Maps (ignore references to "reserve", "center," etc.).
2.4 Charts and Tables
There are several charts and tables used in playing La Guerre de l'Empereur. These include the Naval and Siege Tables, and tracks to record each country's current VP total and the current Season and year on the map; a Money Chart (listing the cost in Gold of all that can be purchased), a Victory Points Chart (listing potential VP gains and losses) and several random event and Political Alliance tables.
2.41 Inventory of Charts & Tables
The following Charts, Tables, & Tracks are referenced during play:
Event Tables—Administrative Events Table #1, Political Events Table #2, Strategic Events Table #3, French Diplomacy Table #4, British Diplomacy Table #5; Political Tables—Rebellion Table, NPC Alliance Table, Cancel Declaration Table, Surrender Terms, Commanders Table, Build Costs Abroad; Land Battles—Battle Sequence, Approach to Battlefield Table, Auxiliary Options, Massed Batteries, Attack Modifiers, Pursuit Modifiers, Additional Troops Table.
Displays/Tracks—Alliance Display, British Embargo Track, Enforced Peace Record.
MAP: Naval Location/Interception Table, Naval Combat Table, Siege Combat Table, Victory Points Track, Movement Allowances Table, Movement Points Track
PLAYER MATS: Money Chart, and the Victory Points Chart.
2.42 Interpreting Die Roll Results
A result of "0" is considered "ten." When two dice are rolled, the darker one may be considered the "tens" place and the lighter one "ones" in a two-digit result.
2.5 Player Mats
Each major power in the game has a Player Mat which contains a country's initial placement instructions, other data specific to that country, and a series of printed boxes, three for each Corps in that country's Army. Divisions assigned to a Corps are placed in the corresponding boxes, one Division per box. The composition of each player's Corps is not open to inspection by the other players.
Extra Cavalry Divisions: The first four Corps (1, 2, 3, 4) of the French Army only, may contain three divisions of any kind plus a Cavalry Division. This extra cavalry division is stacked on top of the other unit in the third box.
PLAYER MAT CORRECTIONS:
- The French home Provinces begin with a Political Value of 22.
- The additional Provinces controlled by Great Britain begin with an Economic Value of 6 and a Political Value of 4.
- Gibraltar is worth 10 VPs.
- The British Commander Wellington appears during the Mutual "Build" Phase of Spring, 1807.
- Austria does not place an Artillery Division in Corps #14; replace it with an Infantry Division.
- The Prussian home Provinces begin with an Economic Value of 26 and a Political Value of 8.
- The additional Provinces controlled by Prussia have an Economic Value of 4 and a Political Value of 1.
- Spain does not place a Cavalry Division in Corps #8; replace it with an Infantry Division.
- On the Minor Power Corps Mat, the abbreviation for Poland should be "Pol".
- Corsica has a French Garrison at start.
- Malta has a British Garrison at start.
- Finland is garrisoned by a Swedish Division taken from Swedish Corps #2. This Division must be eliminated to control Sweden; once it is gone, Sweden is controlled by whomever controls the other three Swedish Provinces. The Garrison in Finland is the ONLY case where a Minor Power may have a Garrison of Conquest; once removed it may never again be placed.
2.51 Using the Player Mat (Example)
The French First Corps counter moves on the main map during the French player's turn. The Divisions that make up the First Corps remain on the French Player Mat in the box designated #1 Corps. If the First Corps were involved in a battle between Armies, losses from that battle would be removed from the Player Mat (along with Divisions from any other Corps involved in the battle) and returned to the French force pool.
2.7 Alliance Display
The Alliance Display is used to keep track of relations between the various Major Powers during the game. Infantry Divisions are used to show which nations are Allied and which at war. Divisions of allied nations are placed in the same "Alliance" boxes. Warring alliances are placed opposite one another so that they are linked by a "War" box. If several non-aligned nations are at war with the same enemy, put them in the same Alliance box, but stack allied nations and keep non-allied nations unstacked. Enforced Peaces are recorded on the Enforced Peace Record Track by placing infantry divisions of all restricted nations on the date of their release from the enforced peace.
2.71 Build Costs Overseas
This table shows how Build Costs increase as an army's Line of Communication lengthens (6.1). To use the table, first find the total "list" cost of all the units you wish to build (shown on the Player Mats) in a particular province and cross-index that with the length of the LOC to the province. The LOC is counted from a home province (exclusive) to the destination province (inclusive). The result is the adjusted cost of those builds. A LOC traced through or into provinces in Spain, Portugal, Russia, the Ottoman Empire and Africa count double.
Example: If France wants to add 3 infantry divisions (cost $6) to a field army in Naples (LOC = 3 provinces), the final cost will be $7. If built in Warsaw, they will cost $8. If built in Moscow, they will cost $10.
3.0 Game Set-Up
The map is placed on the table with the Player Mats set up within reach of their respective players. The number of players determines which Major Powers will be Player Countries (all other major powers will be non-player countries—NPC's).
A 2 Player game is between France and Great Britain. The 3rd Player becomes Russia, the 4th Player, becomes Austria, the 5th Player, Prussia, the 6th Player, Spain, and the 7th Player becomes the Ottoman Empire.
3.1 Country Representation Bid
A bidding process is used to determine which player will represent each country. On a scrap of paper, each player secretly writes down a bid in Victory Points (bids of "zero" are permitted). All bids are revealed simultaneously. The player with the highest bid picks which of the available Major Powers he will play. The player with the second highest bid picks from the remaining nations and so on. Ties are resolved with a die roll. Once all countries have been assigned, players will start the game with their VP markers set at 100 VP minus their bid.
3.2 Player Countries (PCs)
Any country chosen by a player at the beginning of the game is referred to as a Player Country. Player Countries are always active, they accumulate VPs and Gold, and they are always represented by a player. Player Countries are major powers with their own Armies and naval Squadrons. Each player uses the information on the Player Mat to set up his starting Corps and Garrisons on the map, starting Infantry, Cavalry, and Artillery Divisions in their appropriate Corps, starting Squadrons, and acquires his initial money from the bank.
3.3 Non-Player Countries (NPCs)
Each of the seven major powers without an active player (e.g., Spain and the Ottoman Empire in a five-player game) is referred to as a Non-Player Country. During Set Up, the Corps and Squadrons of NPCs are set up as shown on their player mats.
Note: Certain NPC Corps arrive as reinforcements, and cannot be used before the indicated date.
3.31 NPC Status
NPCs will always be in one of three different states.
- Inactive: Not currently at war with, or Allied with, any Player Countries.
- Controlled: Currently at war with a Player Country and without any PC Allies. In this case a player not Allied to the player at war with the NPC is designated to run its units. The Controlled NPC has a separate turn during the Player Turn sequence, determined by a draw of its chit (see 4.6). Controlled NPC units cannot leave their home and/or currently controlled Provinces. Units from other countries (including the Controlling PC) cannot enter the NPC's territory unless at war with the NPC. NOTE: The only units within the borders of a Controlled NPC would be the NPC's own Armies and the units of any PCs (or Allied NPCs) currently at war with the NPC. When an NPC has surrendered or reached a peace accord with all PCs, the Controlling PC immediately loses Control of the NPC and it becomes an inactive NPC.
- Allied NPC: An NPC can only be Allied with one PC at a time. If an NPC currently has an Alliance it can not join another Alliance (unless that Alliance is broken per the NPC Alliance Table). When Allied with a PC, the units of the NPC are completely under the control of the PC. The NPC is at war with the same countries as the Allied PC. The Allied PC (and any of his Allies) can move through the NPC and move and fight in conjunction with its Armies. The NPC takes its turn with the Allied PC; i.e., it does not place a movement chit into the cup (see 4.6) but moves during its Ally's turn. There are no restrictions on where Allied NPC units can go. They can move and attack anywhere that their Allied PC can move and attack.
3.4 Minor Provinces
Provinces outside the seven major powers are called Minor Provinces. Players never declare war on minor provinces or form Alliances with them. When a player's Corps successfully move into a minor Province he is considered to own it. When a major power surrenders, it loses control of all its minor provinces.
3.41 Minor Powers
Minor Provinces may be part of a Minor Power (as indicated by a national name in small type on the map). For example: the Minor Province "Brindisi" is part of the Minor Power "Naples." There are 5 Minor Powers on the map: Portugal, Denmark/Norway, Sweden, Naples, and Egypt. All Minor Powers (and three minor provinces: Holland, Bavaria and Saxony) provide additional Corps, Divisions, or Squadrons that the conqueror of that country can add to his Force Pool. After they are built, these Divisions, Corps and Squadrons are treated the same as regular units, except that they cannot be used as Garrisons. Minor Forces may be placed either in one of their national Corps, or in any other Corps belonging to their owner's nation.
To conquer a Minor Power every Province of the Minor Power must be controlled by the same major power. If even one province is controlled by another player, that minor's units may not be built (those already in play remain in play). If all of the Provinces of a Minor Powers are captured by another player, the unbuilt portion of the Force Pool is given to them but any units that are still in the former owner's Army remain until they are destroyed or desert, at which point they are placed in the current owner's Force Pool.
Desertion: Once a Minor Power has been wholly conquered, any of its Divisions held by nations other than the conqueror will begin to desert at the rate of one division per Winter Turn. Unless the Minor Power is completely conquered however, there are no desertions.
3.42 Loyal Minor Powers
There are 3 "Loyal" Minor Powers (4.73): The Grand Duchy of Warsaw (Poland), The Kingdom of Italy and The Confederation of the Rhine. These can be formed during play by a "Remapping Europe" event roll. Until they are "Remapped," these provinces are treated as either regular Minor Provinces (if tan colored), or Remapable Home Provinces (if inside one of the Major Powers). Once "Remapped", these minor nations become part of a Loyal Minor Power, with a special relationship to the Major Power that created them.
Britain can "upgrade" Sweden and Portugal from regular Minor Powers into Loyal Minor Powers if she controls them and rolls a "Remapping Europe" event.
3.43 Minor Power Combat Units
Once a Minor Power has been conquered, its unbuilt divisions are placed into the conqueror's force pool. Once built, these may either be placed into regular Corps of the conquering power, or into their national corps. Minor Power Corps counters can only contain that Minor Power's Divisions however. Minor Power Corps have their division tracks on the Minor Power Mat. All the Egyptian Divisions are placed in the Egypt box, all Swedish Divisions are placed in the Sweden box, etc. All minor Squadrons are placed on the map in their home country.
Minor Power Squadrons do not have to be initially purchased but begin the game on the map. When a minor changes hands, the surviving Squadrons immediately switch allegiance as well. They are placed on the nearest stack of squadrons of their new ally (this placement is not subject to interception). The Minor Squadron may be used normally in the controlling player's next turn.
3.44 Purchasing Units of a Minor Power
To purchase units of a Minor Power, a player (or one of that player's Allied NPCs) must first have conquered it.
Note that a player who previously controlled a Minor Power may retain control of one of its Corps, even as another player who is at war with the first is building divisions into his regular corps, or into the Minor Power's second Corps.
3.45 Portuguese Units at Start
Britain controls the Portuguese Squadron and Corps at the beginning of the game.
3.46 Bavarian Units at Start
The Bavarian Corps is not on the map at the beginning of the game, but the Divisions may be purchased in the first Mutual "Build" Phase by whoever controls Bavaria.
3.5 Victory Points
The Victory Point (VPs) markers for each player are all set to record 100 minus the player's bid, (i.e., if the player bid 5, he would place the "tens" marker on "9" and the "ones" marker on "5.")
3.6 Turn Markers
The first year of the game (1805) is not a complete year: the game begins with the Fall Combat Season. The Season marker is placed on "Fall," and the Year Marker in "1805." The Fall Combat Season is about to begin and after that will follow the 1806 Winterphase. Nobody is at war at the start of the game.
3.7 Sequence of Play
A) Winterphase (4.0)
- Economic Phase (4.2) a) Tax Collection Step (4.21) b) Expense Step (4.22) c) Victory Point Collection Step (4.23) d) Victory Point Purchase Step (4.25)
- Diplomacy Phase (4.3)
- NPC Alliance Phase (4.4)
B) Combat Seasons (4.5)
- Turn Start Phase (4.6) a) Military Cooperation Step (4.61) b) French player opts to go first or pulls chit of first player
- Player Turns a) Turn Preparation Sequences (4.7) (1) Optional NPC Alliance Roll (4.71) (2) Random Events (4.72) b) Peace Step (5.1) c) Alliance Step (5.2) d) War Declaration Step (5.3) e) Naval Phase (5.4) f) Land Phase (5.5) g) Active Player Determination (5.7) Pull chit to determine next player
- Mutual "Build" Phase (6.0)
4.0 Winterphase
4.1 Occurrence of Winterphase
The Winterphase occurs as the first Season of the year. It comprises the Economic Phase, Diplomacy Phase, and NPC Alliance Phase, followed by the adjustment of the Game-Turn and Year Markers.
4.2 The Economic Phase
4.21 Tax Collection Step
The main source of Gold in La Guerre de l'Empereur is from the taxing of controlled Provinces during the Winter Tax Collection Step. All players add up the Gold value (the first number in each Province) of all the territories that they control and collect that amount from the bank. Players control all Provinces in their home country that do not have a foreign Garrison. Players also control all Provinces outside their home country that contain their Garrison Divisions. Prussia, for example, would control all Provinces inside Prussia that have not been conquered by other players and all Provinces outside Prussia that currently contain Prussian Garrison Divisions.
4.211 Treasury Bills
Each PC keeps track of its treasury with the bills provided in the game. As the players spend Gold, they return the bills to the bank. When players collect Gold it is given to them from the bank. When players give or receive Gold from other players, the bills change hands between them rather than coming from the bank.
4.212 Other Income
Besides taxation, other sources of income include Gold collected from random events, war reparations from countries that Surrender, and gifts from Allies.
4.213 Loss of Capital Province
If a PC has had its capital province occupied by foreign forces for two consecutive turns, it can no longer collect taxes. It can continue to collect Victory Points and can borrow money from its Allies. The PC's existing treasury is not forfeited.
4.22 Expense Step
Each country must pay 10 Gold for each NPC with which they are Allied. Each country must also pay 5 Gold to the bank if they are currently at war with any other major power. There is no such thing as being at war with Minor Powers—they can be attacked and conquered, but there is no formal state of war.
4.221 Mandatory Expenditures
- 10 per NPC ally (see above).
- 5 Gold if at war (see above).
These involuntary expenditures may leave a country with a Gold deficit. No other expenditures are possible until the deficit is made up.
4.23 Victory Point Collection Step
The way to win the game is by acquiring VPs. These can be acquired or lost in several ways, listed on the Victory Point Chart. During the VP Collection Step the players add up the VP value of all the Provinces they control and add that total to their VP track.
4.24 France's Continental System
During any turn in which (a) French troops occupy Berlin, or (b) France and Prussia are allied, the French player may declare an embargo banning British merchandise from European ports controlled by France and her allies. The French player may cancel the Continental System at any time. During each winterphase, at the end of the VP Collection Step, all player countries participating in the Continental System inflict VP losses on Britain (4.244), pay penalties to the bank (4.245) and advance their Embargo marker one space on the Victory Point track (4.246).
4.241 Historical Note
The Continental System was a powerful weapon that caused more than just financial harm to Britain, it was politically destabilizing as well. At the same time it hurt Russia, it was good for France, the Confederation of the Rhine, and Italy. Napoleon invaded Spain, Portugal and Russia to enforce the Continental System.
4.242 Ports of Trade with Britain
"Ports of Trade with Britain" include all provinces bordering on the Baltic Sea, the British Isles zone, the North Sea, and the Atlantic Ocean.
4.243 Ports Included in the Embargo
During the Embargo, (while the Continental System is in place), if France has an alliance or an enforced peace with any nation containing ports of trade with Britain, or directly controls ports of trade with Britain, then the affected trading ports are included in the Continental System and closed to British merchandise. In addition, a player country not allied with, at war with, or under an enforced peace agreement with France, may voluntarily join the embargo, closing all its trading ports, and may also leave it again voluntarily.
4.244 Embargo Effect on British VPs
Britain loses Victory Points every winter, assessed on a country by country basis, depeding on how many years that country has been part of the embargo (see 4.257). In addition, for each minor country port of trade closed to British merchandise, Britain must deduct one Victory Point.
4.245 Effect on Economic Value
During their participation in the Continental System, the participating countries have their total economic value reduced by a specified amount of Gold which increases each year the country participates in the embargo (see 4.258).
4.256 Tracking Player Country Participation
Use the VP Point Track on the map to track the number of years of participation by each country in the embargo. Move their marker forward one space on the VP Track each year. The marker only moves if a PC is participating in the embargo during that winterphase.
Example: If Spain joins the embargo a number of years after it was declared by France, she will pay $2 for her first year of participation and move her marker one space on the VP track. If still part of the Continental System the next year, she will pay $4.
A Player who voluntarily joins the embargo may withdraw from the embargo at any time. A country that is allied with France may only leave the embargo by leaving the alliance. A country at enforced peace with France automatically withdraws from the embargo when the enforced peace expires. During years of Enforced Peace with France, the marker advances normally.
A Nation's marker doesn't move during Winter Turns in which it isn't a part of the Continental System. If a country withdraws from the System, then rejoins at a later time its marker will not be reset to year one but will pick up from where it was and begin to move forward again.
4.257 VP Losses Inflicted on Britain
For each country participating in the embargo, Britain loses the number of VPs listed (in parenthesis) next to that country, in the appropriate space on the British Embargo track. For example, on the 7th turn of an embargo by France, Britain loses 5 VPs. In addition, each minor power port of trade owned by a blockading player inflicts a 1 VP loss on Britain.
4.258 Economic Loss to Blockading Country
During the Tax Collection Step each Winter Turn, each participating country suffers the appropriate income loss, as shown on the British Embargo track. This cost increases every year that the country participates in the System. The Economic costs (in Gold) are shown after the '$' on the track. For example, on the 7th turn of an embargo by France, France must pay 23 Gold.
Minor power ports of trade controlled by a