Napoleon at Bay: Defend the Gates of Paris, 1814

About this board game

Napoleon at Bay: Defend the Gates of Paris, 1814 is a two-player Napoleonic wargame with an approximately 180-minute playing time, recreating Napoleon’s campaign against the advancing Prussian Army.

Set on February 9, 1814, the game begins north of Sezanne at 1430 hours. Napoleon has ordered a bold move northward, while fifty-man cavalry vedettes from Doumerc’s I Cavalry Corps screen the countryside for enemy activity—especially the feared Cossacks and their long lances.

Players use cavalry scouting and screening to conceal friendly forces and locate enemy concentrations. Organization Displays hide force structure, while command and administration, march attrition, individual leader initiative, and forced marches during the enemy turn shape movement and decision-making.

• Two 22-by-32-inch full-color maps
• 360 color-coded playing pieces
• Seven introductory battle scenarios
• A continuous 31-turn campaign game
• Exclusive rules and historical notes

Combat is designed for pitched battles that can continue through multiple rounds, giving engagements a substantial presence on the map. A turn can take up to one hour, while the campaign uses the standard rules from the Campaigns of Napoleon series.

Napoleon at Bay is part of the CAMPAIGNS system. Its scale is 3,200 meters per hex, 1,000 men per strength point, and two days per turn. Released in 1997 as a completely new third edition with all-new graphics, it combines introductory scenarios with a longer campaign experience focused on reconnaissance, hidden force structure, movement, and battle.