The Invasion of Russia (1812)

About this board game

The Invasion of Russia (1812) is a two-player Napoleonic campaign wargame from 2014, with an advertised playing time of 960 minutes. It covers the campaign at a low to moderate level of complexity, placing players in command of armies across Russia and the surrounding states.

At the heart of the game are innovative, simple mechanics designed to capture key elements of campaign warfare during the Napoleonic period. Players must plan sweeping manoeuvres, employ feints and deception, consider forced marches, and make use of the greater flexibility and cohesion of seasoned troops.

Logistics are crucial to the campaign, adding an important constraint to strategic planning. Victory will generally go to the player who can formulate and implement a clear strategy aimed at well-defined objectives while allowing for enemy action and ill-fortune.

• A map scale of approximately 33 miles per hex
• Fifteen days represented by each game turn
• Units roughly representing divisions
• A map covering Russia and Eastern Europe
• An advanced game featuring 36 Random Event Cards

The game includes a 24-by-17-inch map, two sheets of large die-cut counters, a rules booklet, two charts, a set of Random Event Cards for the Advanced Game, and a cover-folder. Its design emphasizes the challenges of leading and coordinating armies rather than simply resolving individual battles.

As the first entry in a series covering the campaigns of the Napoleonic Wars, The Invasion of Russia (1812) offers a playable framework for exploring operational decisions, strategic objectives, and the difficulties of sustaining an army during a major campaign.