This article explains how to set up and begin a game of Emperor Returns and then, as the units enter the map area of Last Days of the Grande Armee, how they can be transferred onto the Last Days map. You will play Emperor Returns up until forces enter the Last Days map, and then you'll play four turns of Last Days, then play one turn of Emperor Returns.

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First take some blank counters or some post-it notes cut into half-inch squares, making sure to have the tacking edge as a part of the paper square. You'll mark four of these halfinch squares with an "x. " These "x's" are going to be placed on the Emperor Returns (ER) map to indicate the four corners of the Last Days of the Grande Armie map area. Place these four "x's" in 3211, 4123, 4405 and 5318 on the ER map (see following page).

Next indicate the main entry areas of Last Days, again using half-inch squares. You'll write the letters A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I and K. The letter A will go in 4811, B in 4709, C-3609, D-3616, E-3311, F-4920, G-4721, H4522,1-4323, and K-5014. Those will be the labeled entry areas to Last Days, for convenience, so you'll be able to see them.

It is possible to enter the Last Days map in any hex of the perimeter, however, even in unlabelled hexes such as 3820, which corresponds to hex 2201 in Last Days, and 3920, which corresponds to 1901. That's a primary road in The Emperor Returns but not in Last Days. That was in fact the Roman road--a borderline evaluation. Another possible entry hex is from 3414 on ER to 3701 on Last Days. And 4022, which corresponds to 1501.

General Course of Play

Set up and begin to play The Emperor Returns as usual. However, the French player has to select the Bruxelles option (or else there is no point in this interface). Furthermore, Napoleon and some part of the French army has to cross the Sambre somewhere on the Last Days game map. That doesn't mean the French army has to enter the Last Days map according to the historical formation. It just means that Napoleon and some part of his forces have to initially cross the Sambre somewhere on the Last Days map.

Interfacing between ER and Last Days map

Any time a unit crosses onto the area defined by the four x's, that unit will be entering the Last Days map, and will be removed from The Emperor Returns map. Any unit entering from The Emperor Returns map will enter onto a mapedge hex of Last Days.

Players will have to use some discretion. If the unit is just moving across the corner of the area and is clearly not going to stick around, then you can skip this step. It's a discretionary thing; the owning Player can always skip the step of switching to the Last Days map with his units. However, if he opts not to enter them, they can't then suddenly appear in the middle of the map. They have to enter at one of the mapedge hexes of Last Days.

Procedure for Entry

The number of Movement Points expended by a given force prior to its arrival onto the entry hex determines the game turn (morning, aftternoon, evening) in which the unit will arrive on Last Days map. If it spends one Movement Point, it will arrive in the morning of the same day. If it spends two Movement Points, it will arrive in the afternoon. If three, it will arrive in the evening. If 4, during the night. If it spends 5 Movement Points, it will arrive in the morning of the second day.

So there will be a delay, of up to five turns in Last Days, before the unit is entered (except for those units that enter after spending just one MP). Make a note of your reinforcement schedule. Simply place the units next to the appropriate entry area, in the margin of the map. Use a blank marker or another post- it to specify the exact turn of arrival. Write 14M for morning, 14A for afternoon, 14E evening or 14N night. Place this marker on the stack, and it will enter when that turn comes. You'll have to pay attention to your reinforcements.

Once they enter, those units will still be subject to the regular road column rules and the other reinforcement rules of The Last Days of the Grande Armee. They'll be treated as regular reinforcements on the specified turn and hex. Be sure to write the turn of entry on a marker and place it on the units sitting on the margin of the map.

What if there are enemy units blocking those entry hexes? The answer is: you're going to scope back out to The Emperor Returns and resolve an ER combat between those forces. One of them will retreat. It's possible that a unit will retreat onto the Last Days map, in fact, it's quite likely. Since you know that one hex in ER is equal to 2 hexes in Last Days, you'll just double your retreat result when determining the length of retreat of the units onto the Last Days map.

Pursuits will be handled as per The Emperor Returns, simply doubling them, so a one hex pursuit will take you two hexes in Last Days of the Grande Armie. Those units will be considered to have moved for that turn. You're going to note that a really long retreat is theoretically possible, and might well take you further than you could normally have moved that turn. However, don't worry about that. (It's not likely to happen.)

Units that retreat onto the map from the map edge are going to be able to move in their following turn, but not in that first turn. Such units are considered to have already moved in the turn they enter.

Example

Let's say we have the Prince of Orange moving on the 14th of June. He's going to move from his set-up location in ER toward his regular Last Days entry hex, Letter D. This is hex 3616 on the ER map, and to enter that hex, you see that he will have spent two MPs, so he will arrive on the 14th of June--not in the morning--but in the afternoon. His units may or may not be moving in column but will be subject to the regular reinforcement entry rules.

What if units have taken losses in The Emperor Returns phase of the game before they enter the Last Days map?

Such units will either enter at a reduced strength or will be eliminated. Any unit which has lost more than one-third of its starting strength will enter at its reduced strength in Last Days. If a unit has lost more than two-thirds of its starting strength, it will be considered eliminated. In this case, when the force it is a part of enters the Last Days map, that unit will be taken out of play and set aside.

Once units enter the Last Days map, you will play a turn of Emperor Returns, and then four turns of Last Days; another turn of Emperor Returns (moving only those units which have not yet entered the Last Days map), and then the four turns comprising the same date in Last Days.

Two Dutch-Belgian Forces and several Prussian Forces begin the game on the Last Days map. Other Anglo-Prussian forces may enter the Last Days map, as described above, but none of these forces may move further until a French force enters the Last Days map.