La Bataille d’Auerstædt

About this board game

La Bataille d’Auerstädt is a two-player Napoleonic battlefield simulation of the October 14, 1806 encounter between Davout’s III Corps and the army of Friedrich Wilhelm III of Prussia. With an advertised play time of 480 minutes, it is designed for serious gamers, while also allowing solitaire study.

The game uses a period map measuring 34 × 22 inches and more than 400 multi-colored playing pieces. Its revised rules are based on the award-winning system developed by Marshal Enterprises and cover the full range of features characteristic of Napoleonic warfare.

• Scale: 100 meters per hex
• Time scale: 20 minutes per game turn
• Strength scale: 50–100 men per strength point
• Unit scale: regimental and brigade size
• Components: 480 counters in the Clash of Arms edition

La Bataille d’Auerstädt offers a focused study of a major clash between French and Prussian forces, pairing a substantial playing area with a large counter mix and detailed historical rules. The result is a demanding examination of the battle for players interested in operational Napoleonic simulations.

Several editions exist. Marshal Enterprises published the original edition in 1977, while Clash of Arms released editions in 1984 and 1991. The editions differ in counter thickness, rules materials, map artwork, and order of battle details. The 1977 and 1991 editions feature separate Grenadier and Voltigeur companies for each French battalion, while the 1984 edition keeps only the Voltigeur companies separate. The map in the later Clash of Arms edition also modified the church steeple and added a sunken road.