Introduction by Fred Schachter, 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 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 optional 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 on the GMT games website, where a host of material concerning CoV already resides: GMT Games – Congress of Vienna it doesn’t have to be! 

The published Congress of Vienna Rulebook will contain OHRs 15.1 through 15.5. Consequently, the other Optional Historical Rules, which limited Rulebook and Playbook space compelled exclusion from the printed game, are provided via InsideGMT.  This is the second installment.  It concludes this presentation.

But first, here’s an introduction to all Congress of Vienna Optional Historical Rules (OHRs):

Congress of Vienna’s InsideGMT OHRs (Optional Historic Rules)

15.6 Congress of Peace (CoP) Issue Optional Historical Rule Procedure (Balance is Situational, but could be Pro-French): This first installment is already available via link: Congress of Vienna’s Optional Rule 15.6 for the Congress of Peace Issue | Inside GMT blog

The OHRs within THIS piece, the second installment, consist of:

15.7  Adding Issues to the Negotiation Table and Resolving Issues (Balance is Situational)

15.8  French Replacements and Reinforcements by Front (Pro-Allied)

15.9  Revealing Card Types while Trading (Balance is Situational)

15.10 VP for the Grande Armée’s Strength (Pro-Allied)

15.11 Improved Players’ Treasuries (Balance is Situational)

15.12 VPs and British Financial Aid (Balance is Situational)

15.13 Command Control Difficulties (Pro-French)

15.14 VP Effects for Battle when Losing an Army’s/Box’s Final Unit (Pro-Allied)

15.15 Extra Space of Retreat & Advance when Attacking from Russian Home Spaces (Pro-Allied)

15.16 Maximum Military Cards per Battle (Pro-French)

15.17 Alternate French Victory Condition (Pro-French)

15.7 Adding Issues to the Negotiation Table and Resolving Issues (Balance is Situational)

15.7.1. Issues to Automatically Place on the Negotiating Table

The Treaty of Ghent Issue (Pro Allied) is always placed onto the Negotiation Table as an extra Issue marker during a turn’s Initial Phase (10.1) when the British player succeeds in meeting the Issue’s placement pre-requisite of +2 for Britain on the War of 1812 Status Track.

The Canada Annexed Issue [printed upon the back side of the Treaty of Ghent marker](Pro French) is always placed onto the Negotiation Table as an extra Issue marker during a turn’s Initial Phase (10.1) when the French player succeeds in meeting the Issue’s placement pre-requisite of +2 for France on the War of 1812 Status Track.

15.7.2. The Future Government of France Issue’s automatic Negotiating Table placement (Pro French)

Limitation: The Future Government of France Issue only can be automatically placed onto the Negotiation Table during a turn’s Initial Phase (10.1) when at least one French Homeland Space (marked FR) is Allied controlled. This Issue cannot be selected until then. Thereafter, even if France retakes all its Homeland Spaces, automatic placement of the Issue may apply if the players agree to use it.

15.7.3. Future Government of France Pawn Advancement (Pro French)

This OHR can be used in conjunction with 15.7.2 or ignored.  It is not mandatory to combine them. If the players agree, the Future Government of France Track’s dark blue pawn does not automatically move during the Government Phase simply because a player paid a Resource to Activate it.

As with the Liberalism/Absolutism and the Pax Britannica Tracks, with this 15.7.3 Optional Historical Rule the movement of the pawn is not automatic when the Issue is Diplomacy Phase won. Now, the player who wins and funds the Future Government of France Issue rolls a 1d6: a result of 4-6 is a success and the dark blue pawn is then moved a single space on the Track in accordance with rule 12.4.8.

That 1d6 die roll can be modified by spending one or more Resources before casting the 1d6 die. Any player can spend a Resource(s) to improve this die roll’s chance for success.  A Resource may not be spent to impose a negative drm.  Each Resource spent is a +1 drm to the Future Government of France die roll.

The Resource expended to win the Issue itself does not provide a drm for this die roll – only each additional spent Resource does.

15.8 French Replacements and Reinforcements by Front (Pro Allied)

French replacements and units gained through winning and Resourcing their Minor Country Issues for spaces French controlled must be placed with the Army on the Front which generated them.

15.9 Revealing Card Types While Trading (Balance is Situational)

Although card trade rule 11.8 stipulates “specific card information cannot be provided by either party”, players may choose to loosen this restriction by allowing the two trading parties to reveal whether the Character card offered/desired is a Statesman or a Military card. 

If a player does not have the desired type of card, it does not cancel the trade if the other type is available.

Players are under no obligation to deliver the requested type of card (However, your reputation with the game’s other players could be on the line as trustworthiness, just as it was during the actual Congress of Vienna historical period, can be a factor to consider during play of the game).

15.10 VP for the Grande Armée’s Strength (Pro-Allied)

When end of turn VP are awarded (14.1):

• If the Grande Armée’s Strength is composed of 12 or more units, France receives +1VP.
• If the Grande Armée’s Strength is composed of only 0-3 units, France suffers a penalty of -1VP.

15.11 Improved Players´ Treasury (Balance is Situational)

Rule 12.3, Assignment of Resources, is modified to allow the option of saving one unexpended Resource for the next turn and deleting the rule “All Resources that the players obtain must be spent in the turn they are acquired. Resources that are not spent cannot be saved”.

15.12 VPs and British Financial Aid (Balance is Situational)

1. If both British Financial Aid markers are on the Negotiating Table at the end of the Diplomacy Phase, all three Allied players receive one Resource each.

1. At theend of Diplomacy Phase, in addition to receiving a British Financial Aid’s Resource (unless won by Britain) the following VP effects could be sustained:
2. If Russia and Austria each win a British Financial Aid marker, Britain receives an additional +1VP.
3. If France wins one British Financial Aid Issue, Britain loses -1VP (as a reflection of the loss to British national prestige and morale).
4. If France wins both British Financial Aid Issues, Britain loses -1VP and France gains +1VP.

15.13 Command Control Difficulties (Pro-French)

If either side has more than 12 units in a battle on Front A, a negative DRM is applied to that side. That player rolls 1d6 and divides the result by two (rounding any fraction up). The result is applied as a negative DRM.

However, if a battle involves Napoleon in the Paris space, the Allied player does not halve their die roll. 

15.14 VP Effects for a Battle Losing an Army/ Box’s final unit (Pro-Allied)

In addition to any other battle effects, when all units/fleets from an Army or inside a Box run out of troops (no unit/fleet remains either at the end or beginning of a battle), the owning player loses -1VP and the opposing player gains +1VP. If both simultaneously run out of troops after a battle, both players lose -1VP and neither side gains +1VP.

15.15 Extra Space of Retreat & Advance when Attacking from Russian Home Spaces(Pro-Allied)

If the Allies attack from either of their Track A (Polesia) or Track B (Lithuania) Home Spaces and the opposing French Army either Withdraws or Retreats, the following special effects apply:

• The Withdrawing/Retreating French are displaced not one but TWO spaces to the rear with the Coalition in pursuit. On Track A, the French Grande Armée moves from Poland to Saxony (Coalition pursues into Silesia). On Track B, the French Army of Elbe moves from East Prussia to Pomerania (Coalition pursues into Prussia).
• All usual VP awards are made.

15.16 Maximum Military Cards per Battle (Pro-French)

The number of military cards that can be used in a single battle is a maximum of four Military cards per side, except:

• Maximum of six Military cards by the Allies on Front A if there is a Generalissimo. The player controlling the Generalissimo may examine the available cards in both the Russian and Austrian hands and then decide how many/which cards are to be used by Austria and Russia.
• Maximum of six Military cards for the French player in Front A if Napoleon is present in that battle.
• Maximum of three Military cards for each side in the War of 1812 Box (as well as for the Denmark/Norway Box if OHR 15.2 is being played).

15.17 Alternate French Victory Condition (Pro-French)

The OHR: If Napoleon has not surrendered at the end of the game and the French player does not have the lowest VP score in a four player/Major Power contest, the French player/France is the winner.

An Option within an Option: Do not implement the French VP bonuses in 14.2.1.2 For Napoleon’s “End of Game” Survival.  Whether to use this should be decided by the players BEFORE a Congress of Vienna game using OHR 15.17 commences.

---

Previous Article: Congress of Vienna’s Optional Rule 15.6 for the Congress of Peace Issue