The Time Is: 1600 hours, 13 October, 1806: Napoleon and Lannes are standing, surveying the situation from the Windknolle, the cold insistant breeze rustling at their greatcoat flaps. Looking just to their right, they can see the road from Jena (1330) to Apolda (2032). From either side of it a valley runs down-on the left just in front of the village of Cospeda (1630) to the Muhlthal, on the right to the Saale valley at Lobstadt (1232). Beyond Cospeda, somewhat to the right, is the village of Lutzeroda (1731); and beyond that again, to the left, is the great wood of Isserstadt (1730), with the village of the same name at its farther extremity. On the right lies the village of Closewitz (1631, at the head of the ravine leading down to the Saale), situated about a mile from the Windknolle and some 200 yards to the right of the Apolda road. That road, after passing near Closewitz, mounts the slope of a broad down called the Dornberg (1731-32). Its rounded top, some 100 feet higher than the Windknolle, shuts out the view towards Apolda. Lutzeroda is just visible over the left slope of the Dornberg. As it sinks down towards the left they can begin to make out the Prussian encampments of Hohenlohe's army in the country beyond. The Saxon general, Tauenzien, now occupies the Dornberg after earlier allowing himself to be driven from the Landgrafenberg (1431) by Suchet's infantry. Supported by troops in Closewitz and Lutzeroda, Tauenzien still holds the most defensible position on the plateau; for beyond the Dornberg it becomes rolling country, perfectly open, without a considerable slope; nothing but unfenced barren fields, their crops all harvested except potatoes and turnips. To the right of the Apolda road lies a large wood, the Pfarr Holz (1631). Beyond this on the right is a clearing and then another wood, the Loh Holz (1732), which almost adjoins the woods which overfill the Rauthal, the valley leading up from Lobstadt (1232) to Closewitz. The Rauthal, starting upwards climbs at first gradually; then much steeper as it fills with woods. Halfway up to the plateau the valley branches, that to the left (as you mount) going to Closewitz, the other along the eastern edge of the Closewitz wood toward the village of Rödigen (1432). To their left, the generals standing on the Windknolle see the deep Muhlthal, separating the plateau on which they stand from that of Lichtenhain, south of Jena. As the Muhlthal rises to the broad saddle joining the two plateaux, the road called the Schnecke ("Snail"; 1629) zigs and zags, leaving Isserstadt well to its right. Up the Mulhthal runs the road to Weimar, which Lannes had been about to follow when musketry from the right upset his plans and caused him to send for the Emperor. After studying the scene from the summit of the Landgrafenberg with Lannes at his side, Napoleon clearly believed the entire Prussian army was nearby, a calculation which almost proved fatal for his trusted subordinate, Marshal Davout, further to the east at Auerstädt. For tomorrow, while Napoleon and the majority of the French fight here at Jena, Davout's IIIrd Corps alone will engage the main Prussian Army. --Adapted from F. Loraine Petre, Napoleon's Conquest of Prussia 1806 simulates the entire campaign leading up to and including Jena and Auerstadt. The players maneuver their armies over two maps representing 5,000 square miles of central Germany. The game uses a standard two-Player format. Each day comprises three six-hour turns plus a Night turn. Supply, Morale and Reorganization of units is determined at Night. Day turns are segmented as follows: In the Reorganization Segment, Players rally previously eliminated combat units. Commanders & Officers that reorganize units in this segment may not exercise any other command functions during this turn though they may move normally. In the Command Segment, Players determine the Command status of each unit. The twin concepts of Command and Initiative are central to the game. All of a Player's combat units can at least try to move and engage the enemy every turn. However, only those which are "in command" are certain to move. Players must move these units first in each Turn, without knowing how their other forces will behave. The Emperor is able to command the movements of three corps formations at once. The other Commanders in the game (three French and two Prussian) are limited to commanding units of one formation, plus one attached unit, each. Other Corps leaders are also able to control the movements of their formations, provided they pass an Initiative check during the Command Phase. Successful die rolls have the effect of placing whole formations in Command. Command Radius represents effective Command Control distance. The Command Radius is two hexes, greater along roads. Units of Corps officers who fail their Initiative check and those beyond the Command Radius of their officers may individually attempt to move and engage the enemy during a separate Initiative Movement Segment. Each unit undergoes this check separately, and must complete its movement before any other unit checks for Initiative. All command decisions work from the highest level to the lowest: Army Commanders must choose which corps and individual units they will place in Command before any Initiative attempts are made. The French Player may control his whole army on any turn it is sufficiently concentrated. Marshal Lannes' Vth Corps, Davout's III Corps, and Murat with the Cavalry Reserve are Commanders who may operate independently. Napoleon, with a rating of 3, can command any three of the Ist, IVth, VIth and VIIth Corps, plus any three units left over. By attaching the Guard to Davout and Wrede's Bavarians to Lannes he may command the whole of the Grande Armée. Prior to concentration, however, the French right wing, under Initiative, will be less dependable. In contrast, the Prussian Player's two Commanders, Brunswick and Hohenlohe both have ratings of one, and may therefore guarantee the movement of only one formation on any given turn. Only somewhat over half the remainder will move on an average turn. The Prussian Player hardly dares to attempt independent maneuvers with Corps Officers rated 2, 3, or 4. His army will likely stay together, retiring to the east behind the screen of the Saale River, and throwing out cavalry Vedettes to patch any dangerous gaps. Uses the new Six Days of Glory System Set-ups for each day of the campaign, 8 Oct.-14 Oct. Nine scenarios from meeting engagements to full campaign. Five of the 9 scenarios can begin on any day-35 situations. The two 22 x 34" maps were designed by Joe Youst. 260 Full-color counters created by Rodger MacGowan Study Folder (24 pgs), Rules Folder (16 pgs); Set-up sheets Back to Wargame Design Vol. 2 Nr. 2 Table of Contents Back to Wargame Design List of Issues Back to Master Magazine List © Copyright 1997 by Operational Studies Group. This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com