We asked the following questions and clarifications of Columbia Games. These are their official answers.

4.1 Battle Deployment

The rules state that the French player may adjust last. Does this mean that he can change any formation (from square to column, for example) as well redeploy all of his cards in each position?

YES.

4.2 Terrain Deployment

Since the French player may adjust last, does this mean he can also remove a terrain card that has been deployed face up?

NO. Terrain cards may not be moved once deployed face up. If deployed face down as decoys, they may be later removed from a position back into a player's Reserve. [See question below regarding rule 14.0 Decoys.]

4.3 Victory Condition

Is horse artillery considered to be cavalry for the purposes of occupying an enemy position to achieve victory?

NO. Horse artillery, like all artillery, cannot occupy a position by itself in order to achieve victory.

8.3 Cavalry/General Moves

May cavalry units move through a position that already contains four cards in order to reach a final position where they would not exceed this limit? May a General card move through a position that already contains one General card in order to reach a final position where there are no General cards?

YES. As noted under rule 8.0, "Stacking Limits (8.4) are ignored until [after] all movement is completed." [Emphasis added by Columbia Games.]

11.2 Woods

May artillery fire long-range at an infantry unit in woods?

NO. Only infantry may fire or use shock against infantry in woods.

14.0 Decoys (Optional)

If you deploy a General, Special, or Terrain card face-down in a position to act as a decoy, must it stay there as a decoy until discovered (and most likely eliminated)?

NO. During your turn to move, these cards may be pulled out of that position and moved back into the Reserve. On the next turn, they may be played from the Reserve just as the rules permit for each type of card. (A General that was used as a decoy could move back from the Reserve into a Battleline position again as a decoy, but only into an unengaged position. Or, that same General card could be moved forward face up as a leader to give his morale benefit to the other cards in that position.)

Recommended Rules Changes

It must be emphasized that Columbia Games' Eagles game system works quite well and doesn't require any changes for the purposes of play balance, etc. Most of the following suggested modifications are meant to eliminate situations that we felt are historically inaccurate, or to provide players with more capabilities. Players may choose to use some, all, or none of these rules.

2.0 Battle Decks

If you don't want to buy more than two decks, but would still like to play larger battles, you can ignore nationalities and battle-specific cards. For example, to fight a battle the size of Ligny using only two decks, deal all the French cards (ignore duplicates and use them), and deal both Prussian and Anglo-Allied cards to get the total of 40 cards needed.

[The corollary to this is if you want to refight each battle with the exact order of battle, you will need to buy perhaps a dozen or more decks to collect all 300 cards.]

4.3 Victory Condition

There must be at least one (1) cavalry card among the cards occupying an enemy position in order to achieve victory.

[This was one of the rules versions Columbia's playtesters tried in order to simulate the need for a cavalry breakthrough to achieve victory against the enemy Battleline. This rule will prolong the game!]

4.3 Victory Condition

If the enemy player has achieved or is about to achieve victory, you may move any cavalry cards (including one General) from your Reserve immediately into the threatened position, up to the maximum of four cards permitted in that position (plus no more than one General per position). These cards that move from your Reserve may not use Fire or Shock until the next turnÐafter they move into that position.

[This reflects situations such as when Blucher led his cavalry in a desperate counter-attack at the end of the battle of Ligny. As with the previous rule, this will most likely prolong a game.]

9.2 Column

British infantry (red cards) may not form columns. Other Allies such as Belgian and Dutch (orange cards), Braunschweiger/Brunswick (black cards), all Prussian infantry, and all French infantry may form columns.

[Columbia noted that instead of writing a rule preventing British units from forming attack columns, they made British Fire and Shock ratings identical. Therefore, there is no gaming advantage to form a British unit into column. This rule does affect the capability of the five Hanoverian units, but otherwise is provided only for historical accuracy to reflect the way British infantry foughtÐ in line or square.]

9.3 Square

Only infantry with "A" morale ratings may form square and move or attack/fire while in square. All other infantry units may form square if they do not move or fire/shock. All other infantry already in square may fire to defend their position but may not move or attack while in square.

[In Eagles, the best tactic for poor quality infantry is to form square and attack from this formation, especially against a defending unit in buildings! Only five battalions from four different French Middle Guard regiments attacked in square at Waterloo, and we're assuming therefore that only the four French "A" Guards infantry cards and the two British "A" Guards infantry cards have the capability to do this. There are no Prussian "A" cards.]

9.3 Square

Any artillery unit may, after firing, move inside an infantry square (place it under that infantry card to indicate the gunners are protected inside the square). Horse artillery may do this only if it did not already move that same turn. Only one artillery card may be protected by any one infantry card in square. Even while under the infantry card this artillery unit still counts as one of the four cards permitted in that position. If the infantry square is routed, then the artillery card under it routs also and is eliminated with the infantry unit. (The artillery unit cannot be targeted nor can it take a hit directly while protected by/under the infantry in square.) In order to fire again, this artillery unit must move out of the protection of the square back to its guns (take the artillery card from underneath the infantry card and place it separately in that position). This counts as a move, and only horse artillery may fire the same turn it moves.

[This simulates the historical ability of artillerymen to "hide" inside infantry squares, rather than force them as the game rules require to stay by their guns and most likely be destroyed by cavalry shock attack.]

9.3 Square

Cavalry which are lancers are +1F to the cavalry unit's "fire" against an infantry square.

[Three French cavalry cards, no Anglo-Allied, and three Prussian cavalry cards are affected by this rule which simulates the lancers' ability to inflict casualties against infantry in square.]

More Eagles:

Back to Eagles review
Eagles: Sample Game Turn Session
Eagles: Six Sample Cards (extremely slow download--650K)

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