Levée en Masse Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Game Equipment
• Setting Up the Game
• Sequence of Play
  • A Game Turn
• Headline Cards
  • Military Activities
  • Political Activities
  • Social Activities
  • DRM Reminders
  • Special Rules and Events
  • Adding the Next Deck
• The French Army
  • Event Modifier
  • Government Modifiers
• Perform Actions
  • Political Action
  • Military Action
  • Naval Action
  • Liberation Action
  • Restore Order Action
  • One Turn Decision Points
• Housekeeping
  • Cases
• Victory & Defeat
  • Defeat
  • Victory
• Optional Rules
  • Calling a Levée en Masse
  • The Spirit of '89
• Deluxe Edition Expansion Kit
  • Setting Up the Expansion
  • Expansion Headline Cards
  • Expansion Actions
  • Expansion Victory & Defeat
  • Expansion Optional Rules
  • Scenarios
  • Varying Difficulty

Game Equipment

The Game Map: The game map shows the countries of Western Europe as they existed from 1789 to 1802. It has been superimposed with spaces for the invading armies of Britain, Prussia, Austria, Piedmont, and the Vendée (counterrevolutionaries). Square spaces represent those "in France," while round spaces are important as being "outside of France" and therefore ones that can be liberated by the player during the game.

Board explanation:

1. British Army Starting Location
2. Prussian Army Starting Location
3. Naval Action
4. Political Action Tracks
5. Paris
6. Holding Box for pieces currently not in play, but available
7. Austrian Army Starting Location
8. French Army Track
9. Political and Liberation DRM marker location
10. French Army Starting Location
11. Piedmont Army Starting Location
12. Draw Pile and Discard Pile

The Playing Pieces: The game pieces represent the five invading Armies (called "units"), one marker for each of the three political tracks (Monarchy, Despotism, and Republic), a French Army marker to keep track of the French Military Die Roll Modifier (DRM), and a marker denoting when Paris is in Disorder. There are also two Liberation markers showing spaces that have been Liberated and have formed their own independent Republics. Each Army unit shows its Army Name, Commander, Battle Value, and Flag.

Other Game Markers:

• Military DRM marker — tracks the French Army's current Die Roll Modifier.
• Navy "At Sea" marker — shows the British Navy is at sea rather than in a square land space.
• DRM Reminders — round markers placed on the map to help remember that a modifier is in effect that turn.
• Liberation Markers — placed in a French-controlled round space once the Revolution has spread there.
• Government Type Markers — each can be flipped when it reaches "5" on its Political Action Track to reveal an additional DRM.
• Disorder in Paris Marker — placed in Paris when a Journée (Day of Action) occurs.

Numbers in [brackets] on a marker represent its Battle Value and do not advance.

Headline Cards: There are three decks of Headline cards as indicated by the background color of the headline at the top: blue, white and red. These cards reveal the game's narrative and drive the enemy forces against the player. The cards are not consecutively numbered. The missing numbered cards are included as part of the Expansion Kit.

Each card shows: its Deck Color, its Title, its Card Number, any DRM in effect for that turn, Adjusted Armies, Liberation instructions, Adjusted Political Tracks, Special Events, Player Actions, and a Historical Narrative flavor line at the bottom.

Example card — PRUSSIA INVADES — France! (Card #12):

• MILITARY: -1 Military DRM. If Blocker Marker is applied to the Prussian marker, remove it.
• POLITICAL: Monarchy +1.
• SOCIAL: Journée (Day of Actions): Disorder in Paris.
• LIBERATION: Place one Liberation (2) marker in the Holding Box.
• ACTIONS: 4.
• Historical Narrative: July 1792: Spurred by the declaration of war by the French government and fearful of spreading revolution, Prussia invades France and seizes the key fortress cities of Longwy and Verdun.

Each turn, the next card is read and everything on it performed in the order listed.

Setting Up the Game

Follow these Steps to set up the game:

1. Place each of the five Army units on the starting ('5' hexagon-shaped) space of their respective tracks. The regional names on the counters correspond to the names on the region on the game map.
2. Place the Monarchy marker in the '4' box of the Monarchy track. The Despotism and Republic markers are placed in the '-1' boxes of their respective tracks.
3. Place the French Army marker on the '0' box on its track. Place the British Navy marker in the ship icon space on the map.
4. Paris begins the game "in order," so set the Disorder marker in the Holding Box on the map.
5. Place the two Liberation markers to one side, they become available when indicated by the cards.
6. Sort the cards into three decks by color: blue, white and red, then set the white and red decks aside for now.

In the blue deck remove cards #1 (The Tennis Court Oath) and #21 (The Fate of King Louis XVI); these are identified by the French flag behind their card numbers.

Place the highest numbered card in that deck (#21 in this case) face-down in the Draw Pile box on the map. Shuffle the middle-numbered cards in this deck (numbers 2 through 20 in this case) and place them face-down on top of the highest-numbered card, building up the Draw Pile (i.e., the highest numbered card will be at the bottom of the Draw Pile, signaling the end of that deck).

Finally, place the lowest numbered card of that deck (in this case, #1) face-down on top of the Draw Pile. It will be the first card of that deck revealed.

This procedure is repeated for the white deck when the blue deck is completed, and then the red deck when the white deck is exhausted (see Adding the Next Deck, below).

If the French Revolution is unfamiliar, it is recommended to play the Event Cards in numerical order the first game to get a better sense for what happened historically.

Sequence of Play

A complete game of Levée en Masse consists of a number of Turns up to the number of Headline cards in the three decks.

A Game Turn

Conduct each Game Turn by performing these Phases in this exact order:

1. Reveal the Next Headline Card: Reveal the top card in the Draw Pile and place it, face-up, in the Action Pile (a.k.a., the "Discard Pile"). When there is no card left to draw, set up the next deck (they are played in order: blue, white, then red; see Adding the Next Deck) or, when the red deck is depleted, the game ends. The top card in the Action Pile becomes the new Current Event and its activities are performed in the order listed.
2. French Army: Adjust the French Army marker based on the Government tracks and the Current Headline card to show any DRM's for the Turn.
3. Actions: Up to the number of Actions indicated on the Current Headline card may be performed in any order or combination from among the list below:
   • A. Political: Wage political attacks to advance Republicanism or to hinder Monarchy or Despotism by one (±1) on their respective tracks.
   • B. Military: Attempt to push back an active Army unit that is not on its starting ('5') space. Note: the first Military Action against every Army currently in Paris is "free" (meaning it costs no Action Points to conduct).
   • C. Naval: Attempt to push back the British army in a square space in France on its track by fighting the British Navy.
   • D. Liberate: Attempt to place a Liberation marker from the Holding Box into a French-controlled round space.
   • E. Restore Order: Attempt to remove the Disorder marker from Paris.
4. Housekeeping: Check on each of the following items:
   • A. The Fall of Paris: If an Army occupies Paris, the game is over.
   • B. Disorder: If there is a Disorder marker in Paris, reduce the Republican track by one box (but never below -1).
   • C. Conquest: If an Army controls a space with a Liberation marker, that marker is placed in the Holding Box to show that the Revolution in that territory has been crushed.
   • D. Reset DRMs: Reset the French Army marker to its zero ('0') box and remove all DRM markers on the map.
   • E. The Political Struggle Fails: If the Republic Political Track marker is still in the -1 space at the end of the Turn, the Revolution fails, and the game is over.

Repeat these Phases and Steps until either the last card has been revealed and performed, Paris falls or the Republic Political Track marker is at -1 at the end of the Turn.

Headline Cards

Each Headline card's title and flavor text (at the bottom of the card) are provided to help "tell the story" of the French Revolution and the wars and struggles which resulted from it. That flavor text has no direct gameplay effect but is reflected in the activities listed on the rest of the card.

Procedure: That turn's revealed card, i.e., the Current Event, has all of its activities performed in the order that they are listed (i.e., player Actions are performed last).

Military Activities

The Current card lists these first, indicating which, if any, Active (i.e., not rotated, removed, etc.) Armies advance toward or retreat from Paris that turn.

Advancing armies move to the next-lower numbered box along its track (e.g., from box '4' to box '3'). If there is a Liberation marker in the space that an advancing Army would move into, it must first fight that marker (i.e., the new Republic's independent forces) to see if the Army advances into that space or not. Roll a die for the Army attempting to enter that space (DRMs do not apply).

If the modified result is less than or equal to (≤) the Battle Value of the Liberation marker, that Army does not advance; it remains in its current space. If the modified result is greater than (>) the Battle Value of the Liberation marker, that Army advances into that space normally. Note that Liberation markers are removed at the end of the turn (see Housekeeping) when Armies are in their spaces.

Example: The Prussian Army is in its space '4' and is ordered to advance to its space '3,' but that space is occupied by a Liberation marker. So a die is rolled, and the result of 3 allows the Prussian Army to advance and share that space with the Liberation marker. The player must now consider whether to conduct Military Action(s) that try to push the Prussians back and protect his allied Republic or to let the Prussians crush it at the turn's end!

Retreating armies are moved to the next-higher numbered box along their track, but never past their '5' (starting) box. Inactive Armies, when instructed to move, do not and instead remain in their space.

Political Activities

Move the indicated Political marker(s) along their respective tracks, but never lower than the -1 box or higher than the 5 box.

Example: The Current card's Political (shaded) section lists "Monarchy -1; Republican +1." The Monarchy marker would be moved one box to the left, while the Republican marker would be adjusted one box to the right.

Reaction! When a "Reaction!" is the listed Political Event, if one Political marker is higher than the other two, decrease its position by one box. Then, if one Political marker is lower than the other two, increase its position by one box. If there is a tie between two markers for highest or lowest, neither is moved. Societies in the midst of political upheaval can often react to perceived shifts they consider too radical or reactionary for the time and desire for the country to move back toward the center politically. Reaction! is a way to model that in the game.

Social Activities

This might include a Journée (Day of Action) which causes the Disorder marker to be placed in Paris (if it is already there; there is no additional effect).

DRM Reminders

When a card calls for a Die Roll Modifier (DRM) that turn, you may place round DRM Reminder markers on the map as appropriate (i.e., in the designated space or on top of the listed Army or the Disorder marker) to help you remember those modifiers are in effect.

Special Rules and Events

Special rules and events are noted directly on the Current Headline card. Some require elaboration:

• Die Roll Modifiers: These are highlighted in yellow and apply only that turn (i.e., while that is the Current Headline card).
• The Prussian Army: When instructed to, place the cut-out marker labeled "cannot advance to squares" beneath the counter, it cannot advance (further) into France (i.e., a square space or Paris along its track). It can advance into round spaces along its track and be attacked normally while marker is attached. This restriction is lifted (and the Prussian Army blocking marker should be removed) as indicated on various cards.
• Liberation Markers: These set up out of play and are added to the Holding Box when instructed on certain cards. From there, they can be brought into play on circle shaped spaces (see Liberation Action).

Adding the Next Deck

When the starting (blue) deck is exhausted, follow the set up procedure (below) to set up the next (white) deck to reform the Draw Pile. Similarly, when the white deck is exhausted, set up the red deck to reform the Draw Pile. When the red deck is exhausted, the game is over.

Setting Up the White Deck: Remove cards #22 (Reign of Terror Begins!) and #45 (The Treaty of Campo Formio), identifiable by the French flag behind their card numbers. Place card #45 face-down in the Draw Pile box on the map, and shuffle the middle-numbered cards in this deck (numbers 23 through 44) and place them face-down on top of card #45, building up the Draw Pile. Finally, place card #22 face-down on top of the Draw Pile. It will be the first card of this deck revealed.

Setting Up the Red Deck: Remove cards #46 (Directory Sends Napoleon to Egypt) and #60 (Napoleon Declares Himself Consul for Life), identifiable by the French flag behind their card numbers. Place card #60 face-down in the Draw Pile box on the map, and shuffle the middle-numbered cards in this deck (numbers 47 through 59) and place them face-down on top of card #60, building up the Draw Pile. Finally, place card #46 face-down on top of the Draw Pile. It will be the first card of this deck revealed.

Using three Headline card decks gives players a sense of the three historical stages of the French Revolution: the Moderate stage, the Radical stage, and the Reactionary stage.

The French Army

The performance of the French Army in battle varied by its loyalty to the current government and patriotic fervor. This is reflected by the Die Roll Modifier (DRM) position indicated by the French Army marker.

The French Army, itself, has no markers to represent it on the map. It is abstractly represented as having a "contesting presence" along every track in the same spaces where other pieces are present. Each time a Military Action is conducted the player has massed those forces for a major battle; otherwise, they are deployed along all the tracks.

Procedure: During the game's set up, and again at the end of each turn during the Housekeeping Phase, the French Army marker is reset to the '0' box on its track. During the French Army Phase (and dynamically as government fortunes change during the Actions Phase), the French Army marker is adjusted to reflect its current DRM which can never exceed ±2.

Event Modifier

During this Phase, with the French Army marker in its '0' box, first apply the "Military DRM" (if any) listed on the Current Headline card.

Government Modifiers

If the current highest (not tied for highest, but the highest) level among the Government Type markers (called the "reigning" government) is Monarchy, subtract one (-1) from the French Army DRM; if it is Republic, add one (+1) to the French Army DRM and adjust the French Army marker accordingly. Despotism has no effect on the French Army DRM - except as represented by the use of the Napoleon marker (in the Expansion) or if the Despotism Political marker reaches its 5 box and is 'flipped'.

When the creaking old Monarchy governs the French, the old ways of leading and organizing its military are a detriment to battlefield success. When the vibrant young Republic leads the nation, the army is infused with masses of new recruits (using a levée en masse, or mass conscription) filled with patriotic fervor (élan).

Example: The Current Headline card is #12, "Prussia Invades France!" Its -1 Military DRM is applied first, and the French Army marker is moved from the "0 DRM" box on its track (where it always begins this Phase) to the "-1 DRM" box.

Next, the Government tracks are checked, with Monarchy in its '3' box, Despotism in its '0' box and Republic in its '2' box. Since Monarchy is the reigning government (i.e., it is higher than the other two), one more is subtracted from the French Army, so the French Army marker is lowered again to its "-2 DRM" box. This will make success at Military Actions very difficult this turn!

Perform Actions

The player performs Actions each turn to improve the fortunes of Republican liberty, equality and fraternity through Military Action and suppression of the forces of Monarchy, Despotism, and counter-revolution. How you approach these vexing problems is the heart of the game.

General Rule: The player receives a number of Actions each turn as listed on the Current Headline card. They are used ("spent") one at a time to perform Political, Military, Naval, Liberation and Restore Order Actions in any order or combination the player desires.

You are entitled to know the result of an Action before deciding what Action (if any) to attempt next.

Important: Regardless of the die roll modifiers, a natural (unmodified) roll of 1 always results in failure, while a natural roll of 6 always results in success. No modified die roll is ever certain or impossible!

Sustained Actions: A specific Action can be repeated multiple times during a single Action Phase. That is, an Army can be the target of multiple Military and/or Naval Actions during a single Action Phase, and these need not be performed consecutively.

Failed Actions: The situation of an Action's target unit or marker does not improve as a result of a player's failure against it. That is, Armies don't advance as a result of failed French attack(s). Such targeted units and markers simply remain in place after an Action's failure.

Political Action

This Action is used to increase support for Republicanism or to suppress the influence of Monarchy and Despotism. The initial goal is to suppress the Monarchy and its institutions while building a new republican state. This involves removing royals and aristocrats from positions of power. Rolling the dice is a way to model these activities. As the revolution progresses, reactionary forces will begin to grow and challenge the radical nature of the revolution. Political fights to restrain this tendency and continue a representational form of government is the challenge and rolling the dice on the Despotism track is a way to model these activities. Lastly, you are trying to build the structures of a new enlightened form of representative government and create the institutions to make it function. Political infighting, counterrevolutionaries, foreign intervention, the Catholic Church, the aristocracy, the volatile nature of the Paris mob are all in play on the Republic track. Rolling dice is a way to model these competing activities.

Procedure: Each Political Action is conducted separately by designating a single Government Type marker (Monarchy, Despotism, or Republic) as its target and rolling one die. This die roll result is modified by any notations on the Current Headline card.

If the modified result is less than or equal to (≤) the Box number occupied by that Government Type marker or a natural 1, there is no effect.

If the modified result is greater than (>) the Box number occupied by that Government Type marker or a natural 6, that marker is increased (for Republic) or decreased (for Monarchy and Despotism) by one box along its track and the French Army marker is immediately adjusted, if necessary (see The French Army, above).

Example (continued): With Monarchy in its '3' box, Despotism in its '0' box and Republic in its '2' box (see illustration of previous example), suppressing the French Army DRM, the player decides to affect political changes (and thus improve the French Army DRM) before conducting any Military Actions this turn.

Since it is easier to affect a Government Type marker in a lower-numbered box, the player opts to use one Action to perform a Political Action and attempt to increase the Republic marker from the '2' box it currently occupies.

Noting that the Current Headline card has no Political DRM listed, the player rolls the die and the result is a 3, which is higher than that marker's current box number, so the Republic marker is increased from its '2' to its '3' box.

This has the immediate effect of negating the French Army -1 DRM penalty for Monarchy as the reigning government (i.e., since it is now tied with Republic, it is no longer reigning), so the French Army marker is instantly moved from its -2 DRM to its -1 DRM box.

If the player wanted to try another Political Action to either lower Monarchy or once again raise the Republic (they both have the same likelihood of success as both are on the same numbered box, '3,' on their respective tracks), if successful, the French Army marker would again be increased by one box on its track for the reign of Republicanism!

Military Action

This Action is used to fight a battle/campaign with an Army unit and drive it back one space along its track (away from Paris). An Army in its starting ('5') space cannot be attacked.

Stationary Armies: These have their Battle Values [bracketed] and are placed regardless of the presence of other pieces in their location. They do not move. If they are defeated in battle by a French Military Action, remove them from the map.

Procedure: Each Military Action is conducted separately by designating a single Army as its target and rolling one die. This die roll result is modified by the position of the French Army marker and any notations on the Current Headline card.

If the modified result is less than or equal to (≤) the Battle Value of the designated Army or a natural 1, there is no effect. The Army Battle Value or Strength Value is the number printed on the marker.

If the modified result is greater than (>) the Battle Value of the designated Army or a natural 6, that Army is retreated one space along its track (away from Paris).

To the Barricades! Each turn, the first Military Action against every Army currently in Paris is "free" (i.e., does not use one of that turn's allotment of Actions). Should these free To the Barricades! Actions fail to eject the invaders, all subsequent Military Actions to do so do consume that turn's Actions normally.

Example: These are stern days in Paris. The city is in Disorder and armies of Austria and Piedmont have just advanced into the city to deliver a coup de grace to the Republic while the British Army hovers threateningly nearby.

With Republicanism reigning over France, the player enjoys a +1 Military DRM this turn, and so decides to begin the Action Phase with the free To the Barricades! Military Action afforded against each invading army in Paris.

Against the Austrian Army, a natural roll of 1 is automatically a failure, but there is better luck against Piedmont's Army, as a roll of 3 is modified to a '4,' which is enough to push it back to Troyes (its '1' space).

The player still needs to eject the Austrian Army or lose the game, but further attempts will require drawing from that turn's allotment of Actions to do so!

Naval Action

This Action is used to defeat the Royal Navy and thus affect the British Army's logistical tail. A Naval Action must be conducted to fight the British Army in the At Sea ('4') space on its track. A Naval Action may be used to fight the British Army in France (the square land spaces, '1' and '2' on its track).

To fight a Naval Action, the player simply designates the British Navy unit printed on the map (with a Battle Value of 4) instead of the British Army unit (with its weaker Battle Value of 3).

The British Navy's Battle Value of 4 is a reflection of its strength against the navies of the French Revolution. It is more difficult to defeat but the reward is potentially much greater than defeating the British Army.

It's the Navy: The French Army marker's die roll modifier (DRM) is not applied to a Naval Action die roll. Only "Naval Action" DRMs listed on the Current Headline card apply.

Cutting Off the British Army: If victorious, the British Army retreats one space unless it was in France, in which case it retreats two spaces!

Example: The British Army is in Rouen (space 1 of its track), menacingly close to Paris, so the player decides to risk a Battle with the Royal Navy. Rolling a 5 (with no die roll modifiers), the British Army retreats back two spaces to Dunkirk.

Liberation Action

This Action is used to spread the Revolution beyond the borders of France (i.e., to round spaces on the map), thus destroying the tyranny of monarchy and spreading Republican enlightenment.

Procedure: A Liberation Action can only be performed if there is a Liberation marker currently in the Holding Box. Each Liberation Action is conducted separately by designating a single round French controlled (see below) space that does not already have a Liberation marker in it as its target and rolling one die. This die roll result is modified by any Liberation DRM on the Current Headline card.

If the modified result is less than or equal to (≤) the Battle Value of the Liberation marker or a natural 1, there is no effect and the revolution fails to take hold.

If the modified result is greater than (>) the Battle Value of the Liberation marker or a natural 6, remove one Liberation marker whose Battle Value is the one rolled against from the Holding Box (they cannot be moved between spaces) and place it in that space. It will now "defend itself" against the advances of Armies (see Military Activities) and adds Victory Points at the game's end.

Definition of "Control": A space occupied by an Army is contested. Along an Army's track, spaces with a higher number than the box occupied by that track's Army are Allied controlled. Spaces with a lower number than the box occupied by that track's Army are French controlled.

Example: The Austrian Army is in its space '3.' Space '3' is thus "contested." Spaces '1' and '2' are French controlled, while spaces '4' and '5' are Allied controlled.

Yes, this means that the French can "liberate" the At Sea space on the British track! This represents activity in British overseas colonies such as Canada or the Caribbean.

The Victory Point value would be the strength number on the Liberation marker used which represents the cost to the British Government of trying to prevent further revolution in its colonies - if a Liberation Marker is still on the British Navy space at the end of the game.

Restore Order Action

This action is used by the government to attempt to suppress urban unrest that plagued Paris during the first ten years of the Revolution.

Procedure: A Restore Order Action is conducted by first checking to see if the reigning government (see The French Army: Government Modifiers) is Republic at box '3' or '4'. If so, simply use ONE Action and remove that marker from Paris and place it the Holding Box. If the Republic is highest and in its '5' box and flipped, then Order is restored to Paris at NO Action cost. Otherwise, designate the Disorder marker in Paris as the target of this Action and roll one die (apply any Restore Order DRM listed on the Current Event).

If the modified result is less than or equal to (≤) the Battle Value of the Disorder marker, there is no effect.

If the modified result is greater than (>) the Battle Value of the Disorder marker, remove that marker from Paris and place it the Holding Box.

The years of bad harvests prior to the outbreak of the French Revolution meant chronic bread shortages in Paris. As the political situation deteriorated, Journées (French for 'Days of Action') became commonplace. Various political factions such as the sans-culottes (workers who had to wear pants instead of gentlemanly knee-breeches, known as "culottes") battled in the streets of the capital. Republican enthusiasm, however, can lead the citizenry to quash threatening discontent to protect their newly won liberties.

One Turn Decision Points

Some Headline cards include the option a player MAY choose to use. These will involve the sacrifice of one element of the game for a benefit to another element or as a risk for a potential benefit. These choices are there to reflect the fleeting opportunities that can occasionally present themselves amid greater events. These Decision Points can ONLY be used during the particular Headline card turn they are revealed in.

Housekeeping

Certain administrative game functions are checked, and their effects are applied immediately, at the end of each turn during the Housekeeping Phase.

Cases

The Fall of Paris: If an Army occupies Paris, the game ends immediately in a French defeat.

Disorder in Paris: If the Disorder marker is in Paris, reduce the Republican track by one (-1) box (but never below -1).

Conquest: If an Army occupies a space that also has a Liberation marker, that Liberation marker is removed from that space and is placed in the Holding Box.

Reset DRMs: Reset the French Army marker to its zero (0) box. It is adjusted from there during the next turn's French Army Phase. Also, remove all of the round DRM Reminder markers from the map and set them aside for later reuse, when needed.

The Political Struggle Fails: If the Republic Political Track marker is still in the -1 space at the end of the Turn, the Revolution fails, and the game is over.

Victory & Defeat

Levée en Masse is supposed to be a challenge to beat, so don't be surprised if it takes a while to master success.

The game ends in defeat when either Paris falls, the Political struggle fails, or possible victory when the red deck is exhausted. When either of these occurs, check immediately for victory or defeat as follows:

Defeat

Sacre Bleu!: If, during the Housekeeping Phase, an Army is in the Paris (0) space or the Republic marker is in the -1 box, the game ends immediately. How well you performed is described below:

You have suffered a crushing defeat if you still have at least one blue deck Headline card left. In this case, the "Republican Experiment" in France fails and the Monarchy (the Ancien Régime) continues into another century. Eventually, it will be swept away by the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia in 1917, the Spartacist Revolution in Germany in 1922, and L'Été Rouge (Red Summer) in France in 1926.

Mon Dieu!: If, during the Housekeeping Phase, an Army is in the Paris (0) space or the Republic marker is in the -1 box, the game ends immediately. How well you performed is described below:

You have suffered a decisive defeat if you still have at least one white deck Headline card left. In this case, terror rips France apart and its territories are divided as plunder among the member nations of the First Coalition. Britain seizes the Channel Ports plus Brittany, Normandy, and Calais; Austrian-Netherlands expands to include Belgium and the Somme; Prussia annexes Alsace-Lorraine; and Piedmont-Savoy expand into the southeastern provinces of Old France. A rump-state of France remains consisting of the remaining provinces in southern, central, and southwestern France with Louis XVIII as its King. For its part, Paris becomes a radical sans-culotte "free city-state" until it is finally annexed again by France in 1903.

Victory

Vive la Revolution!: If at least one red Headline card has been played, the "Republican Experiment" may have succeeded and you might have won the game. The degree of success for Republicanism and for determining your personal level of victory is explained below:

Victory Points (VPs) are gained (and lost) according to the following Steps. Computing your final score is explained below:

1. Determine the box number where the Republic marker resides and multiply that number by three (x3).
2. To that, add the number in each round space on the map (don't forget to add the British ship icon space if it was Liberated representing the agitation of British colonists in Canada and the Caribbean) that has a Liberation marker in it. E.g., a Liberation marker in a '2' space is worth +2 VPs.
3. Determine the box number where the Despotism marker resides. Multiply that number by four (x4), then subtract that value from the current score. Remember, subtracting a negative value is the same as adding a positive value. So if the Despotism marker is in the '-1' box, your score is increased by +4 VPs! (Important: It is all right if your total score goes into negative numbers; it often does.)
4. As you just did with Despotism, determine the box number where the Monarchy marker resides. Multiply that number by five (x5), then subtract that amount, too, from the current score.
5. Next, subtract the number of red cards remaining in the Draw Pile (if any).
6. But wait, it gets worse! Now subtract one (-1) for each hostile unit (e.g., a foreign Army or the Disorder marker) on a space on the map (e.g., Paris; pieces in the Holding Box do not count).
7. Finally, subtract another three (-3) points for each Army if it is occupying a square with a red x and the number 3 inside representing a loss of 3 Victory Points for each of these spaces occupied by a Foreign Army. Then for each space with a gold plus symbol on the lower right, subtract 1 Victory Point for each one of those spaces occupied by a Foreign Army.

Compare that sum to the following:

1+ VPS: This is a Republican triumph. A new wave of European Enlightenment sweeps the continent, and then the world. The institutions of divided government power, the rule of law, the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen, power from the consent of the governed, a new calendar, enshrined principles of the Scientific Revolution and the mission of government to be the guardian and champion of all of its citizens' natural rights drives out the old monarchies and empires. 1800 becomes year 1 of this new egalitarian order.

-7 TO 0 VPS: This is a Substantive victory for Republicanism. While some will talk of the "purity" that the Revolution held in the early days, and how things might have been better before government once again consolidated its power at the expense of individual liberty, most will agree that its net effect was a benefit to mankind.

-15 TO -8: This is a Minor victory for Republicanism as chaos still abounds and strong leaders still agitate among the restless masses. Great problems remain unresolved and unless the current leadership of the nation can successfully confront them, the benefits of the revolution could be forever lost. This is the historical outcome of the French Revolution (see the historical scoring example that follows).

-25 TO -16: This is a Minor defeat for Republicanism as it turns despotic in an effort to deal with the continuing crises faced by the nation. Ultimately, the Republic cannot cope and Louis XVIII is returned to the throne surrounded by foreign bayonets from the despised "Armies of Occupation" left for Louis' protection. Eventually, those armies are withdrawn to fight among themselves in future European wars, and another French Revolution breaks out a generation later. A rapid coup d'état throws France into despotism, but after a humiliating defeat to the Prussians in 1870 (who are then unified into a new German nation), a Second Republic is finally established that lasts into the twentieth century.

-26 OR LESS: This is a Substantive defeat for Republicanism as it is quickly crushed by the "Cult of Napoleon" who rules through merit and dignitas in lieu of harnessing the Republican spirit of revolution to advance the cause of France. The hard-fought Napoleonic Wars lie ahead and, without a revolution to fear, these end with the recognition by the crowned heads of Europe of the Bonaparte dynasty on the throne of France. All of this is undone by the vainglorious nephew of Emperor Napoleon I, Napoleon III, who leads France into failed and costly wars with Italy and Russia. After backing the American Confederacy and invading Mexico, public outrage results in unchecked rioting and a renewed spirit of Republicanism in France which ultimately leads to the birth of the Second Republic.

Historical Example: Historically, the French Revolution ended with the last red card played when Napoleon declared himself Consul for Life in 1802 (-0 VPs). At that point, there was a full load of Despotism (at box '4' = -16 VPs), a smattering of Monarchy (at box '1' = -5 VPs) and not nearly enough Republicanism (in the '1' box = +3 VPs) left in the government. At least the foreign enemies of the Revolution had been driven from French territory or crushed in the case of the Vendée (-0 VPs; this is huge as the British, Austrians, and Prussians were all removed from the map at the last moment by the Peace of Amiens).

In addition, some areas on the eastern frontiers had been liberated and absorbed into France (Brussels and Savoy, +5 VPs). This gave the French nation a final score of -13 VPs for a Minor victory. Had they managed the political tracks a bit better, a greater victory could have been won!

While Republicanism would soon be replaced with Napoleonic Despotism, the ideals of the French Revolution would live on and be spread throughout Europe during The Age of Napoleon.

Optional Rules

You may use either or both of these rules:

Calling a Levée en Masse

The player may, at any time during the Actions Phase, take a Liberation marker from its location on the map (i.e., a space or the Holding Box) and remove it from play completely.

In exchange for doing so, the player receives one Emergency Military Action that functions in all regards as a normal Military Action.

In desperation, at war with multiple European states and facing domestic insurrection, a levée en masse was decreed by the National Convention on 23 August 1793 in stirring nationalistic terms:

From this moment until such time as its enemies shall have been driven from the soil of the Republic, all Frenchmen are in permanent requisition for the services of the armies. The young men shall fight; the married men shall forge arms and transport provisions; the women shall make tents and clothes and shall serve in the hospitals; the children shall turn rags into bandages; the old men shall take themselves to the public squares in order to arouse the courage of the warriors and preach the hatred of kings and the unity of the Republic.

The Spirit of '89

If the player desires, spaces with Liberation markers that are occupied by Armies can make their own, free, To the Barricades!-type Military Action (as per Military Action, above), called a Spirit of '89 Military Action.

A Spirit of '89 Military Action differs from a regular Military Action in that:

A) Military DRMs do not apply (these are independent forces fighting for their own revolution), and

B) If a Spirit of '89 Military Action should fail, the effect is to immediately place that Liberated marker into the Holding Box and lower the Republic marker by one (-1) box (but never below -1).

Deluxe Edition Expansion Kit

The expansion kit is included with this deluxe copy of Levée en Masse. It includes 12 additional Headline cards (two for the Blue Deck, seven for the White Deck, and three for the Red Deck) with red banners to help with their identification, six additional playing pieces and these Rules for more varied game play.

The cards contain additional events that took place during the period of the French Revolution and supplement the game's main storyline.

Important: The game was designed to be challenging and regardless of the selection of cards used, the game should retain a high level of solitaire play difficulty.

Setting Up the Expansion

Simply include the new cards with the old ones of the same "color," and place the six counters aside until they enter play when their corresponding card is revealed.

Stationary Armies: These have their Battle Values [bracketed] and are placed regardless of the presence of other pieces in their location. They do not move. If they are defeated in battle by a French Military Action, remove them from the map.

Expansion Headline Cards

No One Expects the Spanish Intervention: The Spanish Army enters play on Card #19 in the '4' space on the Vendée track (which it shares) and functions like other Armies in the game. While the Spanish Army never seriously threatened Paris historically, there were a number of major battles between Republican forces and those of the King of Spain. The game allows many 'what if's' including the possibility of a successful invasion of France from Spain.

A British Thorn in Your Side: Cards #32 and #47 call for the placement of the British Support marker at a specific location along the Vendée track to assist the counterrevolutionaries in France. Regardless of this marker's current location or status, pick it up and place it as directed when indicated on the card. Throughout the Wars of the French Revolution and continuing through the Napoleonic Wars, the British War Office supported enemies of the Revolution to aid in England's struggles. This included logistical support to the forces of the Vendée and Spain using French port cities.

The Russian Bear at Your Back: Cards #50 and #52 bring Russian Armies into the game. The Russians under Suvorov arrive in Piedmont on the '4' space of the Piedmont track; while another Russian Army under Korsakov arrive in Brussels on the '2' space of the Austrian track. Because of the meager logistics of the Russian Armies, they have a bracketed strength meaning they do not move once placed on the map and are only removed if defeated by a player Military Action. The Russians joined the Allied Coalitions to destroy the menace of the Republican revolution in France. The bulk of the Russian Army operated with the Austrians in Northern Italy and successfully drove the French out of Italy, Piedmont, and Savoy. In addition, the Royal Navy transported Russian troops to the Netherlands where they fought in conjunction with both Austrian and British forces.

It Is the Best of Units; It Is the Worst of Units: Card #44 brings Napoleon himself into the game, placing his marker in the Holding Box.

Military Benefit: At any time during an Action Phase, you may remove Napoleon from the Holding Box (at no Action cost) and assign him to fight (stack with) any single Army unit, where he provides a +1 DRM to Military Actions against that Army while fighting (stacked with) it. As with the main game, the French Army exists along all Tracks in the game and is massed to conduct a Military Action. This massing of forces is where Napoleon is placed - adjacent to or on top of the Foreign Army it is battling.

Political Risk: The downside is that, while thus assigned to a campaign, there is also a -1 DRM to all Political Actions as Napoleon's reputation and importance to the State increases! While he is in the Holding Box, Napoleon has no gameplay effect.

Removing Napoleon: If, at the beginning of an Action Phase, the "Little Corporal" is attached to (fighting) an Army in either its '4' or '5' space, you may detach Napoleon from that Army unit (in triumph) and return his marker to the Holding Box (at no Action cost). Napoleon cannot be redeployed until a subsequent turn's Action Phase (because of the long travel time involved).

Historically, Napoleon fought most of his Revolutionary battles in Northern Italy and Egypt. The game allows many 'what if's' including the use of Napoleon to battle armies he historically did not engage. If you want to keep things more 'historical', then you can limit your use of Napoleon to the Piedmont and Austria tracks only. The time it takes to deploy, recall, and then redeploy Napoleon is meant to show the difficulty traveling in this period.

Expansion Actions

Military Action: When more than one unit shares the same track, only the one in the box closest to Paris can be attacked by a Military Action (i.e., you cannot attack the unit "behind it" on that track). If more than one unit occupies that space, you must engage and defeat the one with a bracketed Combat Value before engaging the other unit. If neither stacked unit is bracketed, you choose which to fight. Note that they must always be fought separately!

Expansion Victory & Defeat

The Victory Conditions remain unchanged regardless of Option, Scenario, or varied Level of Difficulty that you might select (see Victory & Defeat, above).

Defeat (Optional):

• If, during a Housekeeping Phase while the Blue deck is in play, the Vendée Army is in the Versailles (1) space, King Louis XVI is rescued and the game ends immediately in a Crushing Defeat.
• If, during a Housekeeping Phase while the White deck is in play, the Austrian Army is in the Arras (1) space, Louis XVIII is installed on the throne of France by Austrian arms and the game ends immediately in a Decisive Defeat.

Expansion Optional Rules

You may employ any or all of the following Optional Rules in any combination desired:

Nothing Is Free: While the To the Barricades! rolls remain free Actions, this rule exacts a political price for them. For each successful To the Barricades! roll, add one (+1) to Monarchy while in the Blue Deck, or to Despotism while in the White or Red Decks.

"A Single Battalion Sometimes Decides the Day": Once per turn, you may "commit your last reserves" and re-roll a Military Action. Regardless of the outcome, at the end of the Housekeeping Phase, flip that Army back and place a -1 DRM marker in the French Army area. The penalty for committing the last reserves is a -1 DRM for the French Army on the next turn (only).

"He Who Fears Being Conquered Is Sure of Defeat": If Paris is in order, you can take the forces maintaining that order and commit them elsewhere in France. At any time during an Action Phase, you may voluntarily place the Disorder marker in Paris and either:

1. Take an additional Military Action that turn to fight any Army in a square space (i.e., inside France itself), OR
2. Receive a +1 DRM for a Military Action against any Army in a square space (i.e., inside France itself) after the die is rolled! I.e., it can be used as a "tie breaker" to achieve a victory.

Decisive Military Outcomes: The French Army can fight battles that lead to more decisive on-map outcomes. While it is rotated due to the effects of Card #9 (see The Prussian Army), the Prussian Army and Military Actions against it ignore this rule.

• Decisive Victories: Army units have two new status levels: Disorganized (symbolized by rotating them 90 degrees on the map); and Routed (symbolized by rotating them 180 degrees on the map). No Army can ever be worse off than "Routed" (i.e., the effects of additional decisive victories on a Routed Army are ignored).

  Enemy Army Recovery: When instructed to Advance a box, a Disorganized Army instead "recovers." That is, it remains in its current box and is rotated 90 degrees back toward its normal status. Thus, a Routed Army is reduced to merely Disorganized, and a Disorganized Army fully recovers when ordered to Advance a box.

  A decisive victory is achieved whenever a natural 6 is rolled (regardless of any DRMs that might be applied to it) during a Military Action. In addition to any possible movement of the targeted Army itself, it is also rotated 90 degrees. Furthermore, add one (+1) to the highest marker on the Political track (if two or more Political markers are tied for highest, then this does not apply).

  Where Napoleon fights, an automatic decisive victory occurs on a natural roll of 5 or 6, but then one is added (+1) to Despotism instead of the highest track.

  Note that an Army in the highest-numbered box on its track can now be pressed by a Military Action. Each victory won against such an Army still does not retreat or remove it from play, but does cause it to be rotated by 90 degrees (i.e., so as to Disorganize and then Rout it).

• Decisive Defeats: While rolling a natural 6 (above) brings a decisive victory, rolling a natural 1 can potentially bring about a decisive defeat! A decisive defeat occurs whenever a natural 1 is rolled (regardless of any DRMs that might be applied to it) in a Military Action against an Army.

  After a decisive defeat occurs, roll a second die; if the result is less than or equal to (≤) the box number that Army occupies, it advances one space to the next lowest-numbered box on its track! If the second roll's result is greater than (>) its current box number, there is no effect (i.e., that decisive defeat did not allow the Army to advance).

  Regardless of the above, after a decisive defeat, subtract one (-1) from the highest marker on the Political track (if two or more Political markers are tied for highest, then this does not apply).

  The net effect of this rule tends to favor the player as it can significantly slow the advance of the enemies of the French Revolution – however, there is always the possibility that it could allow an Enemy Army to advance faster than it normally would, and that can be very exciting!

Scenarios

Below are game set up variations, called "scenarios:"

The Extended Game: Simply add the 12 new cards to their respective decks. By forcing a player to hold out longer and deal with additional armies, the addition of more cards alters the level of difficulty slightly against the player. However, the expansion also gives the player Napoleon and an extra Liberation marker to help in their struggle to preserve Republicanism and the Revolution.

Chronological Puree: Normally, the Headline cards can be shuffled within their respective decks to provide some historical 'what-if's.' In this scenario, shuffle all of the cards together into a single large deck and play through them that way. This could lead to some bizarre situations (e.g., Louis XVI attempting to escape from France after he's been executed), but the sequence of advancing Armies, the Political and Social events will mix to make a very different game experience.

The Historical Game: For students of history, the game and this expansion can be played in chronological order by simply arranging the Headline cards in numerical sequence. This will give you a better sense of the historical narrative.

For the purist, there is a degree of sequencing that can sometimes put one event before another in a strictly chronological sense but was done to preserve the challenge of the game and keep certain types of events together for thematic purposes.

Varying Difficulty

Besides using the above Optional Rules to alter the game's difficulty, the simplest way to adjust the difficulty level of the game is to add or subtract the number of Actions per Headline card. If you cannot seem to win, then add an Action every fifth card played - simply turn the fifth card played at a 45 degree angle in the Current Event pile to keep track. Conversely, if you feel that the game is too easy, subtract one Action point for every fifth card played.