Historical Background
"A hero of Egypt and Austerlitz can never forsake me!”, Napoleon to Rapp, March 1815
Whilst Napoleon advanced the bulk of the French Army to its fateful meeting with Blucher and Wellington, he directed
General Rapp and V Corps to defend France's border on the Rhine. Three days after Waterloo, Rapp withdrew from the
Rhine pursued by Schwarzenberg's Army. As news of Napoleon's defeat filtered through the ranks, Rapp re-energised
his demoralised troops to make a stand along a river line just north of Strasbourg.
The Austrian III Corps attacked in a piecemeal fashion, against a vigorous French defence. Forcing the enemy to
withdraw, Rapp achieved victory before falling back on the city. It was to be the last pitched battle of the Napoleonic Wars.
The stage is set. The battle lines are drawn and you are in command. Can you change history?
Battle Notes
Austrian Army
• Commander: Crown Prince Wilhelm of Württemberg
• 5 Command Cards
• (Optional 2 Tactician Cards)
• Move First
French Army
• Commander: General Jean Rapp
• 5 Command Cards
• (Optional 3 Tactician Cards)
Victory
8 Banners
Special Rules
• The River Souffel is impassable except at the bridges.
• The Kolbenbach is a fordable steam but does not affect Infantry. It breaks a cavalry charge. The unit may charge out
however, if it occupies a stream hex at the start of a turn.
• Prussian (grey) & Portugese (brown) blocks represent Württemberg & Hessian units. Use the same characteristics as
for the standard units. No iron will.
• French Line Infantry are Conscripts. No melee bonus and retreat 2 hexes.
• • The Austrian player gains 1 Temporary Victory Banner at the start of the Austrian turn when the coalition has four or
more units on the French side of the Souffel. As long as the coalition has four or more units across the river, the Victory
Banner is retained.
• Each town hex of Dingsheim, Mundolsheim and Soffelweyersheim forms a Start of Turn Temporary Majority Victory
banner worth 1 banner to the side occupying more of those hexes than the other. The banner is lost as soon as the
majority is lost.
• The town hex of Bischheim yields a Start of Turn Permanent Victory banner to the Austrian side when occupied by
the Austrian side at the start of their turn.
• The French may withdraw through Bischheim. No Victory Banner is gained but the unit or leader may escape destruction.
In the unlikely event that only coalition blocks remain on the board, the coalition win, regardless of victory banners.
Reinforcements:
Three groups of reinforcements may be placed during the game. Entry of reinforcement units requires play of a command
card capable of ordering those units within the relevant section, including "Take Command". Leaders may enter
attached or, if the Command card allows, separately. Partial entry is allowed and remaining units may enter on any
subsequent turn. Entry is performed during the Movement phase and counts as movement.
Vassal note: Reinforcement pieces are to be found in the Special Window (Game Options menu or press F2).
From Austrian turn 2, Prince Adam's Cavalry division (leader, Pr-HC, Pr-LC, Pr-HA) may be ordered to enter in the center
section. If the entire division is held in reserve, then at any point, the Austrian player may declare that the group is on a
flanking manoeuvre (see next); thereafter the group may only enter via a successful flanking manoeuvre.
Adam's flanking manoeuvre (activation): Austrian player rolls 2 dice before playing a command card. If a least one Cavalry
result is obtained, Adam's flanking maneouvre is activated. Attempting activation voids the option to enter via the center.
Adam's flanking manoeuvre (once activated): After 3* or more new banners have been distributed, Prince Adam's Cavalry division
division may be ordered to enter via any of the 3 hexes at the board edge between the Kolbsenbach and the Souffel.
Once 5* or more new banners have been distributed, Prince Emil's division (leader, Pr-GR, P-LN) may be ordered to enter
on the Austrian baseline in the Austrian right section.
On any French turn, where the Austrian side has one or more units on the French side of the Souffel, units from Grandjean's
division (leader, LT, LN) may be ordered to enter via Bischheim.
*Once a reinforcement criterion is met, it is considered met for the rest of the game. Don't include the French objective
in banner counts for reinforcement checks.
Sources:
Napoleon's Last Gamble: Battles of the Hundred Days (2016), Kevin Zucker.
The Greenhill Napoleonic Wars Data Book, Digby Smith
"Courageous Count Jean Rapp & The Napoleonic Wars", Military Heritage, Volume 2, No. 5, April 2001
The Battle of La Souffel – France’s last victory in 1815, Hagen Seehase, Militär Aktuel
The Battle of La Souffel, Age of Eagles Scenario by GRW, 2011
Austrian Army of the Upper Rhine, 1815, The Nafziger Collection of Napoleonic Orders of Battle