Ran this one several times. Russian commander needs to drop behind the ridge on their left to avoid having squares frozen in line of sight of enemy infantry. Dig field worlds for the artillery in center section, and bring up the grenadiers. Use the two hills in center section to play line of sight games with the French line. Pray like a good East Orthodox boy that French commander never draws Bayonet Charge.

This will get the job done most of the time.

Time for the return match at the first scenario from the battle of Eylau as Evert and I progress through the Russian expansion. As it was Evert's turn to play the Russians his first job was the Mother Russia roll. This got him an extra block for Light infantry on the left, extra blocks for two Line infantry centre right and an artillery centre left plus an added Cossack unit on the extreme right. {For simplicity I'm using left and right from the French side rather than according to each army's viewpoint.}

Initial action was on the left flank, where both sides advanced. The French Heavy cavalry, with artillery support, crushed a Russian Light infantry unit. {That opens the score. 1:0 to the French/me.}

Gunfire from the Russian centre damaged the French units on the left. Then French Line attacked left of centre. More shooting from the Russians caused casualties amongst them and wiped out French Light cavalry right of centre. {A "Bayonet Charge" from me is followed by Evert's "Fire and Hold", taking the score to 1:1.}

The French continued to press their attack centre-left, removing the Russian artillery and killing General Bagration as the Light infantry he was attached to retreated. {3:1}

Still on the left, Russian muskets finished off the French Heavy cavalry. In exchange, the French Light cavalry entered the fray and removed a Russian Light infantry. {4:2}

Russian reinforcements, in the form of Grenadiers and Line infantry, moved left from the centre and eliminated a damaged French Line unit. {A "Force March" was useful for Evert and it's 4:3.}

The French countered, the Light cavalry putting a Line infantry into square and Line removing another one. {5:3}

With all attention on the left of the battlefield, a Russian advance on the right allowed them to eliminate a full-strength French Light infantry unit. {A lucky die roll from Evert and it's 5:4.}

The French continue attacking left and centre, musket fire removing the infantry in square while other guns drive back one of the Russian Grenadiers. {6:4}

Russian Light cavalry then swept across the centre to attack the French infantry standing there. Two Line infantry went into square. French Light cavalry stormed in to attack their opposite numbers, but came off worse. More infantry joined the fray, but the Russians took out one Light cavalry and one of the squares. {My lead disappears as the score goes to 6:6 with 7 needed for the win.}

The Russians continued to press forward in the centre, but there's suddenly more action on the right. French infantry moves forward and returns the favour by eliminating a Russian Light infantry. For good measure, the surviving French Light cavalry trots forward on the left to occupy part of Eylau town. And that's a French win. {My turn for the lucky dice and it's 7:6 - phew!}

The French win again (stats say this is 75% a French victory), but it was a much tougher fight this time. That's reflected in the aggregate score: 11:13 to Evert.

I thought this looked a fairly even fight, but the stats say it's a French victory 75% of the time. I guess that sudden death win makes a difference.

Playing the Russians, as I am, could be hard work then. Hopefully, the Mother Russia roll would bolster my forces. I was able to add a Cossack unit on the extreme left and another centre-right with the Light cavalry (I'm using left and right as shown in the pictures, not as the Russians would see it), bring a Line infantry up to full strength (next to Bagration, centre-left) and add fieldworks to the two forward artillery units.

The first action saw the Russian cavalry in the centre attack the French Light cavalry in front of them in a pre-emptive strike. The result was both sides' cavalry taking heavy casualties without anything conclusive (the Cossacks were eliminated, but there are no victory banners for them).

The Russian artillery was damaging French infantry units as they advanced in the centre and right. The French cavalry on the left attacked, putting two Russian Light infantry into square. In return, the Russian guns removed a French Light infantry, under General Desjardin, on the right, the General scampering to safety. {First blood to the Russians and the score's 1:0.}

The Russians brought more infantry forward to the hills on the right to support their artillery while the guns on the left drove the French Heavy cavalry back from the squares. However, this left a clear field of fire for French muskets and artillery to take out one of those squares. And advancing in the centre removed the Russian Line on the end of the right-hand hills, French Horse artillery taking their place. {The score swings the other way to 1:2.}

Russian Grenadiers responded to the French attack in the centre and eliminated a Light infantry, while another was destroyed by musketry from their Russian counterparts across the frozen lake on the right edge of the battlefield. {And it swings back to me 3:2.}

In response, the French Horse artillery destroyed the Russian Line under their muzzles on the hills on the right. {Evert's lucky die roll makes it 3:3.}

The French cavalry on the left resumed its attack, a second Russian infantry unit going into square. However, this put the cavalry under a lot of Russian gun muzzles and they started taking casualties. French Line infantry moved up to support the cavalry and overran the first square. {3:4}

The Russian guns removed the Light cavalry from the left attack while the Heavy cavalry retreated to a hill. {4:4}

Damaged by the French Horse artillery, one unit of Grenadiers in the centre was finished off by advancing French Line infantry while the French Line on the left overran a second square. {4:6}

The final move was French Line infantry on the left and in the centre combining to finish off the battered Russian artillery centre-left.

I thought I was doing okay there, but took too many casualties as the French advanced. Evert was able to retreat several units that had been reduced to a single block and put fresh troops into the fight, which is always useful. The question now is how well he can do with the Russians.

The French had this scenario all but won and then got a bit overconfident leading 5-2. Trying to force their way forward in the center, the French played a LGM card to move 4 Line units in proximity of the Russian line... right into a bayonet charge by the Russian Grenadiers. That evened things up very quickly as the French center dissolved. French hung on to win 7-6 as both sides struggled to win the last banner without losing one.

Russian victory 7/6!. Although my first thoughts when playing the scenario were it was almost impossible for the Russian to win because the weakness of his left flank, it turned out to be gold mine in terms of VP. Russian light cavalry performed several hit and run maneuvers and at last they pinned two french squares on the plateau. The french tried to be patient and don't make mistakes, but the two squares result in a burden too heavy to deal with.

Viridovilas found out, that his print (I can't have a look at mine print now) lists 2 Russian LC and no militia units.
That means, this scenario has to be fixed in vassal - and here as well.
Russian MI -> LC (2 LC are next to each other).

Nicely spotted Viridovilas. Could you please fix it Bayernkini?
Thank you very much

I was intending to use this for the upcoming HMGS Recon Orlando April 2014 tournament.
The play balance report was roughly even.

However.........
after playing this with Ken 4 times the French won handily each time. Pretty strong French it seems to me.
Going to look through the other scenarios for something a little more balanced.

The Website is official and we do nothing into FAQ here, if it is not official

Is that a official statement from the designer? Because I would think the church doesn´t count. Three reasons: First tacticaly a church isn´t the same think as a town, because the roads used by the supply train go through the dwelling and not through the cemetery. Second the russian player has the ability to foster the defense of a city hex but not a church hex (or should a player with a saber mrr put a city plus field works tile in the place of the church). Third in both the other Eylau battles the buildup areas are labeled: Windmill,Eylau and Church suggesting that Windmill and Church are different from Eylau. Just my opinion.

A: Yes, the church also counts since its effects are the same as a town.

The French win a Sudden Death Victory, if a French unit occupies any Eylau town hex at the start of its turn

Q: Counts the church hex to the Sudden Death town hexes too?