Battlefields of the Napoleonic Wars

Errata & Faq

Please note that the Errata & Faq regarding the Battle boards can be found in the corresponding Battlefield pages.

Rulebook errata

On page 3, in the image referring to the Broken unit, the image is incorrect. The unit should only have one point of Strength.
On page 9, under “Leader movement”, it’s written that “a Leader can move […] after a Leader Action order is issued”, but it should read “after a Leader Action order has been executed” (it’s the last action to resolve after the units have been activated).
On page 12, in the ‘Evade’ section, it is stated that the assaulted unit may move to an adjacent space. As specified in the Player Aid, a unit cannot evade to a space in front of the unit that assaulted it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Commanding units

Are Command tokens only recovered through Rally, or are they recovered anyway if all have been placed on the Battle Board?
To recover Command tokens, it is always necessary to perform a Rally.
Do you place all your activation tokens first, then activate units one at a time? Or, do you place an activation token, activate a unit, place another activation token, and so on?
You must place one activation token at a time and perform the actions with the activated unit before proceeding to activate the next one.

Assault and Fire

How many dice are rolled for Fire and Assault? You always roll two dice. You roll only one dice if assaulting or firing on a unit in a space with the “Cover” rule, if you are performing a Reaction Fire, or if the special battlefield rules states so. You can never roll less than one die.
How does movement before an assault work?
In the rules and Battle boards it is actually explained in different and somewhat confusing ways. In fact it is simple: ‘assault’ is the act of attacking an enemy unit in one’s own front. This act consumes a movement point (and in fact if the assaulted unit retreats, the assaulting unit moves into space), so when the unit is activated, it may move normally according to its capabilities, and use the last available movement point to declare the assault (e.g. an infantry column may move one space and use the remaining movement point to assault, or a cavalry column may move two spaces and use the third remaining movement point to assault).
How does the Leader face on Assault and Fire dice work?
This result is a success if the unit that is firing or assaulting has a Leader of the same army in the same space as it or in an adjacent space.
Since Artillery cannot retreat, what happens when Retreat icons are rolled in an assault or fire against it?
The Artillery must take one casualty for each successful retreat icon rolled (and it’s disordered).
Heavy cavalry can advance after successful combat and do a second assault. What if the advance is into Rough terrain? Does that stop the cavalry from making a second assault?
The Heavy Cavalry cannot assault a second time if it takes ground in a Rough terrain.
Can a heavy cavalry unit that causes the attacked unit to retreat (or eliminates it) perform only a second assault, or can it perform multiple consecutive assaults as long as the dice rolls allow?
It can only perform a second assault!
When does an infantry square become disordered?
An Infantry square is disordered when fired upon (by an Infantry line or by an Artillery) or when it’s assaulted by an Infantry column.
Does a unit that assaults a broken unit or a leader, removing them without rolling the dice, still have to enter the space vacated by the assaulted pieces?
Yes, even if the dice are not rolled, the unit is still considered to have assaulted the enemy pieces.
Is it possible to add the Hazard die to reaction fire?
Normally no. It is only allowed for artillery (due to the special rules for that unit class).

Movement and retreats

Can Elite Infantry move through Rough terrain like Veteran Infantry?
No, the only ability the two infantry classes have in common is that they ignore Cover rules when firing.
If a cavalry or artillery unit can enter a space (e.g., Wood or Village) only through a road, can it exit that space without using a road?
Yes, there are no restrictions for exiting the space. Only the restrictions of the space being entered are considered.
Can artillery and cavalry units also end their movement in a normally impassable space, if they entered it via a road?
Yes, there is nothing preventing these units from stopping, for example, in a wood or village space where a road is present.
Disordered units cannot move, but can they retreat?
Yes, disordered units can retreat following the normal retreat rules.
If a unit is activated while it is in the front of an enemy unit, is it possible for it to change orientation without moving, in order to assault another adjacent unit?
Yes, if a unit in the front of an enemy unit is activated, it can either move (stopping again if another front space of a enemy unit is entered) or just stay in place and change orientation as desired.
The rules for an Entry Space say “Impassable for enemy units until Reinforcements have entered the battlefield.” Is this restriction lifted the moment any one reinforcement unit enters or is the prohibition in effect until all reinforcements have entered from that Entry Space?
The space remains impassable until all reinforcements that can enter from that space are present on the battlefield.

Rules questions?

Do you have other doubts or questions about the rules? Please Write to paolo@ingeniosohidalgo.com