La Patrie en Danger 1814: The Campaign in France, Part I

About this board game

La Patrie en Danger 1814: The Campaign in France, Part I is a Napoleonic campaign game for 1–3 players, with an approximate play time of 120 minutes and a 2014 release.

Set after the Battle of Nations at Leipzig, the game covers the opening phase of the 1814 Campaign in France. Napoleon has arrived at the front, facing advancing Prussian and Russian forces under Blücher. The campaign moves from a surprise French success in a snowstorm to the desperate fighting that followed on the road toward Paris.

Five battles are included, each presenting a distinct historical situation:

• Brienne, 29–30 January: French conscripts under Napoleon and Ney drive Russian and Prussian forces from the town.
• La Rothière, 1 February: Blücher attacks with overwhelming superiority, capturing 54 guns and inflicting heavy French casualties.
• Champaubert, 10 February: Marmont attacks an isolated Russian corps commanded by Olsufief.
• Montmirail, 11 February: Napoleon separates Sacken’s Russians from their allies while Mortier holds Yorck and Kleist.
• Vauchamps, 14 February: Napoleon’s flank march and Grouchy’s cavalry threaten Blücher’s retreat.

Built on the Library of Napoleonic Battles system, formerly known as the Napoleon’s Last Battles series, the game uses a scale of 480 meters per hex, one hour per turn, and approximately 400–800 men per strength point. Each Approach to Battle game lasts about 20 turns, while the full campaign links the individual battles.

La Patrie en Danger includes three 22×34-inch maps, 560 counters, 100 cards, two rulebooks, and 15 player aids. Together, these components support a focused simulation of Napoleon’s early 1814 battles and the rapidly changing fortunes of the French, Prussian, and Russian armies.