Below is the final part in a series from David Waldorf covering a Manoeuvre tournament “March Madness” style. Parts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 can be found here, here, here, here, here, here, and here. Enjoy! -Rachel

Pregame Analysis

This is it: the final game. The question on everyone’s mind is whether or not Austrian Empire has it in them to topple France. Both of the previous wins for the Austrian Empire included bad moves from their opponents—can they pull together enough of a solid performance to walk away as the champions?

Meanwhile, France has the reputation of being the best army in the contest. Will they dominate in the final game as they have up to this point, or finally meet their nemesis?

Gameplay

France sets up first with a fairly typical formation, and the Austrian Empire sets up second, trying not to leave any weak points.

There is no combat for several rounds, as both sides advance units without burning through too many cards. Fighting breaks out in a few isolated places, with give and take on both sides. The first side to lose a unit is the Austrian Empire, when the French partially surround the 9^th Infantry Regiment, and Louis Nicolas Davout coordinates them in a massed attack:

The Austrians are able to reduce the French Guard Cavalry in return, and two of France’s leaders are unable to rally them. Austrian bombardment fails to dislodge them from the hilltop they are on, but they choose to withdraw when faced with a direct assault from the Austrian 14^th Infantry Regiment. The Austrians continue in their efforts to even the score, and at one point form an impressive blockade of the French units:

Finally, the Austrian Empire does even the score by eliminating the 45^th Regiment de Ligne with a committed attack from the Johann Dragoons. The French retaliate immediately, and come within a hair of eliminating the Austrian 14^th Infantry Regiment. The Austrians take a numerical lead by eliminating the French 8^th Regiment de Ligne, but their front begins to crumble as reduced units pull back from the French onslaught. Draw decks are now getting closer to the bottom—especially for the French.

The French hit back hard, with Napoleon bringing in a grand battery strike against the reduced 6^th Grenzer Regiment, knocking them out of the contest. At this point neither side has a cohesive line, and the battlefield looks like this:

The French 1^st Cuirassiers then eliminate the 4^th Infantry Regiment, and now Austria is down three units while France is down two. The Austrians bombard the reduced 2^nd Regiment de Ligne off the battlefield, evening the numerical score again.

The French are very near to the end of their deck. Plays are becoming more calculated as both sides work to gain an advantage in enemy territory. The French finish their deck first, and are able to eliminate a previously reduced 14^th Infantry Regiment. All they need to do now is eliminate one more unit, or ensure that they have battlefield control at nightfall. They come within one point of eliminating the 3^rd Infantry Regiment, but cannot follow up. They make their last move, spreading out as far as they can into Austrian territory.

The Austrians agonize over their final move, trying to eke out a victory. But even with supply lines allowing them to move an extra unit, they fall just short. At nightfall, France has won the field—and the tournament.

Analysis and Discussion

This game was close all the way through, with the Austrian Empire pulling ahead for a bit, then falling behind, and coming awful close to sneaking in a victory at the end. The French suffered a surprising amount of losses, but again played a solid game.

NOTE: The conclusion to the series probably comes as no surprise to people familiar with the game, as the French army is definitely the strongest one. I kept hoping throughout the tournament that they would get bested by someone, but it never happened.

There are rumors that there will be a Distant Lands division to this tournament in coming weeks or months, and that the winner will have a shot at dethroning the proud French army.  The exact timing of this event is uncertain, however, so check back often.  Thanks for reading!—DW.

Previous Article in this Series: Manoeuvre Tournament Part Seven: Austrian Empire vs. Ottoman Empire

Author: David Waldorf