For background, please reference the previous After Action Report of a play test of this exciting game: which is built on the game system pioneered by Mark McLauglin’s The Napoleonic Wars and refined with his GMT Wellington and Kutuzov designs.
Whenever Greg, I, or one of our fine play-testers teach 7YW:FG to individuals, at a club meeting, or in a convention setting, we’ve found explaining the game to those already familiar with The Napoleonic Wars (TNW) system, cross-referencing their existing rules knowledge by explaining the differences, the deltas, between TNW and 7YW:FG a great way to speed their achieving appreciation of how to play 7YW:FG. By doing this, we spend less time explaining the rules and more time actually having the fun of playing the game.
This article is based on the “Hand Out” we use to review with gamers the changes between TNW and 7YW:FG. We hope it provides another level of appreciation of this fine Greg Ticer design offering.
New Units:
Fort: A Unit that can’t move, but aids in the defense of the Duchy it occupies. It should be noted forts can only be built in North America, and the India Areas of Bengal, and Mysore. Forts are neutral and possess no National Character (additional battle dice) and ownership is determined by the Flag that is in the Duchy. They provide one or two additional dice for defense (max of two per Duchy) The first level of Fort cost 1CP to build, the next level (or level 2) costs 2CP more. You may only increase a Duchy’s Fort by one level per impulse (could be more with card play). Forts are “Killed” on a 5 or 6 Die roll. Other key differences from TNW Forts bring to the game:
The Fort owning player MUST first apply enemy “5” or “6” casualty die rolls result to eliminate a Fort Unit (e.g. two 5’s would eliminate a 2 Strength Level Fort or Flag Overrun a 1 Strength Level Fort alone within a Duchy) before applying casualties against any other units. In effect, a Fort absorbs all casualties before other Units do.
If compelled to retreat, a Fort Unit is eliminated instead (e.g. a single “5” resulting in the owning player being forced to retreat from a Duchy would eliminate an entire 2 Strength Level Fort).
(Sepoy, Native, Colonist and the Nawab of Bengal): These Units represent local troops raised for the defense of a Nation’s colonies. They function in all respects like normal Units. Their poor training means that these forces have a “+0” National Character. It should be noted that the Special Units can only be built in North America (Native and Colonist), Bengal and Mysore (Sepoy) and the Nawab who are unique to Bengal. Each type is separately tracked for Honors of War (HOW) purposes (more on that later).
They provide one additional dice for Combat for each Unit present. It costs 2CP to create a Colonist or Sepoy. Native Americans and Nawab SP can only enter play through a Card event and have a special ability in being immune to Attrition when traversing a Mountain Pass Line of Communication. If 50% or more of a Formation, Natives negate a defender’s +2 Pass Battle Dice. Otherwise, once in play, Native American Units are subject to all game rules, HOW, etc. However, if the British raise too many Colonial Militia in North America it can cost them one or two VP (see Table depicted on the map)
When returning Sepoys from Honors of War (HOW), no more than a Power’s initial allocation of Trained Troop Track strength (e.g. Manpower) may be returned into play during a single interphase (6BR / 4 FR Sepoys).
The Nawab of Bengal are unique in that their single Unit can be built up to a 4SP Unit through Event play. This single Unit is capable of moving on the Bengal map without a Leader. No more than one Nawab piece may be on the Bengal map at any time. The Nawab do not participate in the Honors of War (HOW) Track.
(click to enlarge)
Map and Cards, and Card Hand Sizes:
Main Map and “Mini-Maps”: In addition to Europe, there are two “Mini-Maps” for 7YW:FG: one for North America and a second for India which is divided into two distinct areas: Bengal and Mysore. Only voluntary Leader elimination and/or card Event may bring Units to and from these maps (exception: 2SP of European Units may be transferred to Europe each turn, during Interphase, once a Power conquers a colonial area). North America also has unique event card activated “Sea Lane” lines of communication solely useable by the British. These function as exclusive “clear” LOC’s (e.g. between Boston and Louisbourg).
There are no Capitals for 7YW because, to Conquer a Power in 7YW:FG, requires ALL its Keys to be under enemy control. There is no “Surrender” die roll mechanism as with TNW.
When one of the Major Powers (Prussia, Austria, Britain, or France) has all their Key’s under enemy control, the game is instantly over via “Sudden Death” and one of the Camp’s Major Powers declared game winner. Another way to achieve Automatic Victory and for the game to instantly conclude is for a Major Power to accrue 14 or more Keys. A victor is then determined with all VP’s for Keys and other sources taken into account (e.g. All Powers get 1VP each for a Resource, a Pact Ally, and uniquely for the British or French, for the level of the British Naval Control Track marker. The British can lose VP for over recruiting Colonial Militia.).
Other Map Features Differing from TNW: The 7YW:FG map has Fortresses with defensive strengths of 1, 2, or 3. Map edges have special “Interphase Only” lines of communication to allow “off map deployments” for the Austrians and their Pact Allies off the south edge and the Russians from the east.. There are no “Swamp” connections for this game map.
Home Cards, “Plus Cards” and Special Cards: No Home Cards in this game, which uses a single 110 card deck shared by all.
Additionally, there are no “Plus Cards” (+). This means most impulses may only see a single card played for CP’s. Playing a Resource is the only TNW “plus card” vestige remaining to 7YW:FG. Resources, as with TNW, remain a “plus card play” as is play of a “Turn Reserve” Marker (see next bullet point).
The Prussians and Austrians get a special “Turn Reserve” Marker at the beginning of each turn. This may be used, as a regular or “+” card play to draw a card from the deck. If not used for this purpose, the owner may roll one die for additional Trained Troop Pool points.
The British and French also each get ONE extra card each turn, but that card is specially allocated: either for North America or India. Additional cards beyond that one obligatory card may be allocated to North America and India at player discretion. Should all three Mini-Map’s Keys and CM or SM Mustering Centers fall to a single player each; that extra card is lost to the British and French Players (who, at that point, would prefer the European War to ‘wind-down”). The next turn can see European SP’s transferred from the now conquered map at a rate of up to 2SP’s each Interphase.
If FR/BR do not use a Card for India or N. America they will suffer a minus ONE card penalty the following year. This reduction will not be imposed after the penalty year. The card played must have its Event or ALL CP’s expended in the Colonies (these CP’s could be split between different Colonies).
There is no Maximum Hand Size for a Power during a turn… at turn’s end, excess cards generate a Resource and, if any excess cards remain, they may have their CP’s used on the Diplomatic Track: such cards may not be “Mandatory Play”.
7YW:FG has a number of “Mandatory” play cards which combine CP’s with a must play event.
New Rules, Modifications to TNW Rules:
Kinder War: This is the ability to reduce enemy Trained Troop Pool Resources and/or remove enemy Flags from their non-preprinted flagged Duchies. There are Cards marked with a “K” next to the CP value indicating that this card allows the play of Kinder War.
The CP value on the card will determine the strength of the Kinder War. 1 or 2 CP will allow the nation playing the card to remove one or two European Flags from any non-fortress Duchy within three Duchies of a friendly formation which is within their camp. (including a Flag beneath an enemy Army!) OR
1 or 2 CP will allow the nation playing the card to reduce European (only) Trained Troop Pool Resources of the Nation playing the card by 1 or 2.
You are allowed, assuming a 2CP Kinder War, to remove one enemy European Flag and reduce an enemy Nation’s Trained Troop Manpower by 1. No need to spend both CP the same way. A Power needs to have a formation within 3 of an enemy flagged Mustering Center to reduce enemy Trained Troop Pool.
Camps and Camp Changes: The Seven Years War: Frederick’s Gamble features two opposing Camps: The Coalition of Britain (with its Mainland Possessions of Hannover and Hesse, color-coded British Red on the map) and Prussia versus the Imperial Camp of Hapsburg Austria (and its Pact Ally… the last vestiges of the Holy Roman Empire known as “Imperials”) along with France (and its Pact Ally of Russia under the Czarina Elizabeth). No major Power may change Camps: ever. Minor Powers, with exception of Russia and the Imperials, may change Camps. The game begins with Denmark and Sweden yet to be drawn into a Pact Alliance.
Mustering Center: This is a specially designated Duchy where new Units/Leaders are built/arrive or where Units/Leaders returning from the Honors of War box are placed. Mustering Centers are unit specific: Europe (M), Sepoys (SM), Natives (NM), Colonists (CM). Leaders may enter at any of your Nation’s Friendly Flagged Mustering Centers. Colonial Militia and Native Indian Mustering Centers may be used by whichever Power has them flagged. For example, the French could use the Albany Native/Colonial Militia Mustering Center.
Trained Troop Pool (TTP) Resources: This depicts the most Strength points a Nation has the ability to bring into the game by CP build and/or by reinforcement CP. (Strength points and/or a Leader added by card events do NOT reduce your nations TTP). A Track is used to cumulatively record each Nation’s TTP status… no TTP available, no more Units may be built! A Neutral Nation’s Trained Troop Pool Track is used while building Units. See Resources, Kinderwar, and “Bottom of the Barrel”:
The Prussians or Austrians may use their “Turn Reserve” Marker for additional Trained Troop Pool… what’s received depends on a die roll: 1-6.
A Resource may be expended to increase TTP. Again, a die roll determines how much.
Bottom of the Barrel: At any point in the game a nation may choose to invoke its “Bottom of the Barrel” capability. This may only be done once per game. This will increase that Nation’s TTP by eight (8). The increase to the Nation’s TTP is immediate. The penalty for this is that Nation’s National Modifier immediately suffers a -1 for attack and defense for the remainder of the game. Only the PR, BR, FR, AU, and RU may invoke this option.
Honors of War (HOW): Each unit or leader lost in the game, including Natives, Sepoys, and Colonial Militia, is placed in the Honors of War box.
During the first step of the reinforcement phase; Each Nation that has Units/Leaders in the Honors of War Box conducts a 30% reduction to their units (Fractions rounded up). The eliminated units are returned to the Nation’s force pool (a leader counts as only one SP, place the Leader in the HOW box. This leader can be returned to play earlier if the owning Nation is willing to spend the normal CPs required to build the unit.)
The remaining Units are returned to the Map by placing them on the Owning Nation’s available Mustering Center(s). The owning player may distribute these Units as they desire with the only restriction being that the Nation must possess one of its Mustering Centers (it need not be free of Enemy forces, e.g. a besieged Fortress or non-enemy Flagged Duchy… if HOW SP’s are taken in such a Duchy, Battle immediately results).
If the owning Nation does not possess any Mustering Centers their units remain in the Honors of War Box until a turn that one becomes available (it is possible that the game ends before this condition exists).
Important: there is no Regroup Box or associated function in this game: e.g. Units unable to retreat are eliminated instead and are placed in the Honors of War Box.
National Bonus (aka National Character): The Russians have different National Bonuses: +1 when attacking and +2 when defending. All other Major Power Units have a standard +2. All Minor Powers have a 0 (zero) Nationality Bonus. For a Formation to receive a National Bonus, half its Strength Points must qualify: e.g. there is a French force of 2 French, 1 Native, & 1 Colonial Militia; those 4SP receive the French +2 National Bonus.
Sieges: Although only a single Army may resolve a siege as with TNW, neither the National Characteristic Bonus nor Leader Bonus, nor the Leader himself, applies: only SP’s are considered.
A one Strength Fort is considered Overrun if it immediately falls.
7YW:FG has special cards which allow creation of 1 strength “Hasty Fortresses” in Europe in any non-Fortress Duchy. These are eliminated if the enemy captures it through Siege.
Interceptions: There are cards in 7YW:FG allowing interception from TWO Duchies away.
Army: Unlike TNW, an Army may only contain Units of its own Nationality. It may not contain SP’s of any of its Minor Pact Allies or Major Power Camp Allies. The sole exception to this are Imperial SP’s which, while an Imperial Pack Ally, may stack within an Austrian or French Army (or both).
Army Groups: A major difference between TNW and 7YW:FG is that 7YW:FG does not permit Army Group CP-driven movement upon the map.
An Army Group with a single Commander can still be formed via separate Formations individually moving to converge in a single Duchy either through each Formation’s CP expenditure or an Evasion/Interception.
Should an Army Group need to retreat, all its component Armies may retreat together.
However, if an Army Group attempts Evasion/Interception, each component Army must declare intention whether to participate before dice are rolled. Each Army individually resolves its announced Evasion/Interception. A declared Evasion /Interception may not be renounced (this could leave a component Army “twisting in the wind”.)
Furthermore, no single 7YW:FG Formation may move more than once during a round of Impulses. When a Formation completes movement, an “Impulse Complete” Marker is placed upon it (back-printed on each “Battle/Failed Intercept” Marker). For example, the French move SP’s into a Duchy. With an “Impulse Complete” Marker upon them, those SP’s could not be picked up and moved again during that same Round of Impulses by an Austrian Leader.
Naval Game: Unlike TNW, there are no “Fleet” pieces to maneuver or battle with across the map. Instead, an abstract “Naval Track” is used to determine British dominance, or the lack thereof, upon the waters.
At game end the French receive 1VP for having the marker on the 1 or 2 space or 2VP for the marker being on the zero or -1 space. The British receive 1VP for having the Naval Marker on the 7 or 8 Track Space and 2VP with the Track Marker at 9 or 10.
Position of the Naval Marker on the Track can also enable building a European SP for 4CP (French zero or less / British 9 or more). See Track for details.
Additionally, for expenditure of 1CP each through card play (not a reinforcement CP), a player may roll one die: if the result is a 5 or 6; move the British Control Marker one space on the Track in that Camp’s favor. Add one to that die roll if a British or French have or would be getting 2VP on the Track.
Deck Reshuffle: The deck is not reshuffled at the end of each Year. Four 7YW: Frederick’s Gamble cards allow it (two Hand of God cards, Europe Exhausted, and Extorted Loans),
Battle Cards: Artillery type Battle Cards may not be used in India or N. America.
Forced March: There is no penalty for moving as many Duchies as possible in 7YW: Frederick’s Gamble (e.g. roll for Attrition as of the “x” Duchies moved, a feature of TNW.)
Attrition: A Formation must roll for Attrition whenever it departs a non-friendly Flagged Duchy in this game. This is for movement, interception, and/or evasion (e.g. a Formation moving into an enemy Duchy from a non-friendly Flagged Duchy suffers TWO Attritions.) Additionally, any Army which cannot trace a line of communications over friendly-controlled Duchies to a friendly-controlled Home Key during an end of turn Attrition Phase must resolve Attrition. Multiple Attrition resolutions may be required.
Over stack Attrition: A limit of no more than 12 SPs (counting the leader) may occupy a Duchy or that Duchy must undergo attrition. A Player must correct that by end of their next Impulse or suffer Attrition for the entire stack.
VOLUNTARY LEADER REMOVAL: Removing a Unit/leader from the map can be done at any time with the intent to rebuild elsewhere on the map. The Leader may not be rebuilt before the reinforcement phase following the leader’s removal. The leader may be rebuilt in any of your Nation’s Friendly Flagged “Mustering” centers.
Resources: In 7YW:FG, in addition to using a Resource to draw a card…
A Resources may be used to roll a single die to gain the resulting number Trained Troop Pool Resource Points for the player’s Power or one of its Pact Allies (but the resultant total may never be more than the TTP Points the Nation began the game with.
Furthermore, to obtain a Resource via the routing or complete elimination of an enemy Army, with so many “zero” rated leaders on the map (unlike TNW), a natural die roll of “one’ (1) always results in obtaining a Resource. .
Each Major Power commences the game with TWO Resources (FR, BR, PR, and AU).
Rout: In 7YW:FG the delta of casualties needed to cause a Rout is FOUR, not three as is the case with the other games of this series.
TNW “Parliament” Card Ability: During each turn’s card deal, the British have the option of giving a non-Mandatory card from their hand to the Prussians and the French have the option of giving a non-Mandatory card from their hand to the Austrians or Russians.
Minimum Card Hand Ability to Influence Peace Die Roll: Unlike TNW, if a Power has sufficient Keys to support its Minimum Card Hand (e.g. six Keys for the Austrians to support their Minimum Hand Size of 6); that Power may still play a card to influence the Peace Die Roll. Simply being at Minimum Hand Size in of itself does not prevent influencing the Peace Die Roll (e.g. if Prussia is reduced to five Keys or less, then it could not influence the die roll).
Diplomacy: . If the Neutral proxy is in the “PARTNER” box, that Major power whose Diplomacy Track has the marker may decide how to use the Proxy’s Card either for CP builds or the Event if the card is “yellow” (not RED). The Major power may not move any Neutral units before “Pact” status is obtained. If the Neutral proxy is in the “AIDE” box, that Major power may look, and only look, at that Neutral Nation’s Card while it is face-down.
Like Pre-Emption becoming available, Unlike TNW, Neutral Power cards are not played until the first Round of Impulses are complete.
Additionally, if Russia is Neutral with a Foreign War underway, 1CP plus any odd CP not used for building SP are used for end the war dice roll.
Political Restrictions for Moving Formations Upon the Map:
Political Realities: Unlike TNW, where a Formation of any Power can move anywhere on the map (e.g. Turks to Spain); the British were loathe to battle Austrians and Russians. They, in turn, shared that sentiment and there was not a single major battle between these Powers during the entire course of The Seven Years War.
To reflect this in the game:
The Prussians and French may move Formations anywhere on the game map.
The Austrians and their Pact Allies may not enter British Continental European territory which is red color-coded on the map (Hanover/Hesse).
The British may not enter Prussia over the eastern border between their Continental European territory, nor may a British Formation enter Saxony or Austria.
Or consider this another way… the Prussians may fight any member of the Imperial Camp while the British may only fight the French. The French can fight the British and/or Prussians while the Austrians, with their Imperial Pact Allies, can only fight Prussia. The Russians may only fight Prussia.
The Imperials can become Neutral, but they are forbidden from joining the Coalition Camp.
A Formation may temporarily violate this prohibition if evading or retreating from Battle. The Formation must on its next Impulse move into permitted territory or be placed within the Honors of War Box. At no time may a Formation use CP’s or an Event Card (e.g. a two Duchy Interception) to enter a forbidden Duchy as defined above.