Introduction by Fred Schacher, CoV Assistant Designer & Editor: Within the Congress of Vienna InsideGMT article, A “Congress of Vienna” GMT Production Process Status Report | Inside GMT blog, it was shared that due to Playbook space limitations it would not be possible to include in the published game all Optional Rules, called OHR’s for “Optional Historical Rules”. 

That’s sadly understandable, but it’s like asking in game rule terms “Which of your children do you want to abandon?”  Fortunately, due to InsideGMT and the ability to post additional content such as Optional Rules in the GMT game site, where a host of material concerning CoV already resides: GMT Games – Congress of Vienna it doesn’t have to be! 

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The published Congress of Vienna Rulebook will contain OHRs 15.1 through 15.5. Consequently, other Optional Historical Rules, which Rulebook and Playbook space limitations result in exclusion from the printed game, shall be presented via InsideGMT.  Here’s the first of them, for OHR 15.6: The Optional Congress of Peace Rule. 

15.6 Congress of Peace (CoP) Issue Optional Historical Rule Procedure (Balance is Situational, but could be Pro-French)

As these CoP rules convey, a game of Congress of Vienna can now not only end with the last game turn; the early ending of game by an 80VP or more “Early Triumph Major Power Victory”; or the surrender of Napoleon, but through resolving a successful Congress of Peace. This mechanism, precipitated by a player winning its Issue marker during a game’s Diplomacy Phase, can also result in the game ending that turn and determining its winner.

15.6.1 Modifying the CoP Issue’s Movement During the Diplomacy Phase

As done in the Standard Rules with the Armistice Issue (see Negotiating an Issue 11.4); the Congress of Peace Issue’s Diplomacy Phase movement allows a player the option of reducing the value of his played card to end the CoP Issue marker’s movement on the Negotiation Table (This enables not implementing the Congress of Peace), thereby ignoring the rest of the played card’s point value.

15.6.2 Resolving the Congress of Peace (CoP) Issue

Congress of Peace is the last Issue that must be decided after all other Issues are Resource funded, including Sound Government (Absolutism/Liberalism, Government of France, as well as Pax Britannica being resolved). The player who wins this Issue must always pay a Resource (and it must be his first Resource spent) to activate it.  He then decides whether to initiate the CoP Procedure (see 15.6.3 Congress of Peace Procedure). If he simply chooses not to proceed, that player loses –2 VP due to his warlike, belligerent reputation. Do not proceed through CoP Procedure Steps 1-4: go immediately to concluding the turn’s Government Phase! 

If Austria Diplomacy Phase gains this Issue, Resources and activates it, then the Austrian player decides whether to initiate a CoP Procedure. Check if the Metternich Leader card was played to Negotiate or Debate this Issue at any point during the previous Diplomacy Phase (Employ the Metternich Leader marker’s “Used in Peace Congress” side as a reminder).

If so, the Austrian player immediately receives 1-3 VPs (through a halved die roll, round any fraction up).

15.6.3 Congress of Peace Four Step Resolution Procedure:

● Step One: Automatic fiasco when the difference in VP between Major Powers is greater than 15: That is, the leading VP Major Power must be within 15VP or less of the player in last place for continuing this procedure. Otherwise, the Congress of Peace fails and the players skip to Step Four.

● Step Two: Die Rolling the Political Winds: Resolve for the Major Powers as follows:  Adjust the VP Track as needed and keep a side record of the dice rolls with their effect on scoring. This record keeping is mandatory as these die rolls result in VP effects which are undone should the Congress of Peace fail:

* The player with most VP: A 1d6 is rolled and he subtracts this die roll result from his current VP total.

* The second highest VP placed player: does not add or subtract any die roll result. His VP score is unaffected.

* The third highest VP placed player: rolls 1d6 and adds this die roll to his VP score.

* The player in last VP place: does not add or subtract any die roll result. His VP score is unaffected.

* In event of a VP tie when the preceding die rolling process begins, each tied player resolves per the preceding described procedure… e.g., if two players are tied for first, they each roll a 1d6 and subtract the results from their respective VP Track positions.  The player in third thereby becomes second place, and the player in fourth place is now considered “third highest”.

* Do not consider End of Game VP for Absolutism/ Liberalism (14.2.1) nor Napoleon’s Survival (14.2.2).

● Step Three: Determine if the CoP is a Success: Should the above adjusted VP difference in scoring between the now first and second players be between 0 – 5 VPs, the Congress of Peace is a success, and the game is over. The winner is the player with the highest number of Victory Points.

● Step Four: Should the Congress of Peace Fail: If you have come here from step 1 or the adjusted VP difference between the first and second players is greater than 5 VPs, (that is, one Major Power remains sufficiently VP ascendant) the Congress of Peace fails! The game continues and the following VP penalties applied:

* -1VP to -3 VPs for the player who won the turn’s Diplomacy Phase and

* Another -1VP to -3 VPs for the player with the actual highest VP score.

*  -1VP to -3 VPs to the player who won the Congress of Peace Issue (for having wasted the Major Powers’ time & treasure).

To resolve each penalty, the player who called the CoP rolls one die and reduces the result by half (round any fraction up).  It is possible for a single player to suffer more than one of the preceding penalties.

* As applicable: Undo CoP Die Roll Results: Step Two’s effects on the VP Track are undone. That is, add/subtract the previous die roll results: e.g., the first player adds back into his total the VP subtracted for that die roll and the third player subtracts the VPs added from his previous die roll.

● With this ending of the failed Congress of Peace, the game continues with the beginning of that turn’s War Phase.

A Congress of Vienna game decided by this Optional Congress of Peace Rule

In conclusion, here’s an example, through InsideGMT articles utilizing an early Vassal version of the game (prior to Terry Leeds gorgeous artwork now gracing the current Vassal engine) of how this rule works within context of a four player Congress of Vienna Campaign Game.  Back then, we called what are now “Optional Historical Rules (OHR)” “Wargame Flavor Rules”.  However, the Congress of Peace OHR described by this piece has remained unchanged.

Congress of Vienna (with Wargame Flavor Rules) After Action Report Turns 1-5: “Austria’s Neutrality” | Inside GMT blog  is the first part of this article.  It provides background regarding the initial actions of this CoV Campaign game.  This second article shows how the Optional Congress of Peace Rule came into play to decide the game’s winner, a Major Power who was not in the VP lead when the Congress of Peace was called:  Congress of Vienna (with Wargame Flavor Rules) After Action Report Turns 6-8: “Austria at War” | Inside GMT blog. 

What an exciting conclusion to this game!  You’re particularly encouraged to read the four players (Russia, Austria, Britain, and France)’s respective closing thoughts regarding their fun Congress of Vienna Campaign Game experiences at the article’s conclusion.

Closing Note by Fred Schacher, CoV Assistant Designer & Editor: Please watch InsideGMT, which will eventually convey all Congress of Vienna Optional Historical Rules (OHR) so that none of the CoV Team’s OHR Children get left behind!  The Team appreciates readers’ understanding of the circumstances compelling this approach and for the support being provided the game.  Thank you very much!

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