Copyright © 2016, Decision Games and HexWar Games Ltd..
Borodino is a tactical game simulation, on a divisional scale, of the great battle fought outside Moscow during Napoleon's invasion of Russia, 1812. The battle of Borodino (5 through 7 September, 18121 was the last time in Russia that Napoleon was able to assemble enough forces to attempt a decisive battle, he failed, and this began his decline as Master of Europe that was to end at Waterloo nearly three years later.
Borodino has four distinct games included in it. There are three daily battles, for each day that the battle raged: the 5, 6, 7th of September. There is also a Grand Battle game combining all three days into one large game.
Each hexagon on the Borodino map sheet represents 400 metres of ground from side to side. Each Game-Turn equals an hour real time. The units represent the actual divisions of infantry and cavalry. except for certain units which were too large or small to represent as divisions.
The Map depicts the area around the Russian city of Borodino where the actual battle was fought. A hexagonal grid has been superimposed on the map to facilitate movement and positioning of the Playing Pieces. Movement and Combat are affected by the terrain on the map as outlined and explained on the Terrain Effects Chart. The individual hexagons will hereafter be referred to as hexes'.
(A) The following types of terrain features appear on the map:
(B) A given hex is considered to be a specific type of terrain if any or all of a specific terrain symbol appears in the hex.
(C) The names on the map are provided for historical color and have no effect upon play.
The Playing Pieces represent the actual military units that took part in the actual battle. The numbers and symbols on the pieces represent the strength, movement-capability, and type of military unit simulated by that particular playing piece. Playing pieces will henceforth be referred to as 'units'.
Combat Strength is the relative strength of a unit with regards to attack and defense, expressed in terms of Strength Points.
Movement Allowance is the maximum number of hexes which a unit may be moved in a single Movement Phase, expressed in terms of Movement Points, one Movement Point is expended for each hex entered.
The Game Length varies according to the particular battle you are playing; basically each day of battle is divided into the hours from 0600 (sun up) to 1900 sundown.
Various visual aids are provided to simplify and illustrate certain game functions, These are the Combat Results Table, the Terrain Effects Chart, the Initial Forces chart, and the Turn Record/Reinforcement Chart. Explanations accompany the charts where they appear, with The Game
The game is played in turns. Each complete Game-Turn represents one hour of elapsed time. Each Game-Turn consists of two Player-Turns:
(1) French Player-Turn.
(2) Russian Player-Turn.
(1) Movement-Phase
(2) Combat-Phase
French Player moves his units as desired.
French Player executes any and all attacks against the Allied Player's units.
Russian Player moves his units as desired
Allied Player executes any and all attacks against the French Player's units.
The Players indicate the passage of one complete Game-Turn on the Time Record.
Players repeat Steps 1 through 5 until one player wins or until the last turn is completed at which point the game is finished.
(A) No combat takes place during the Movement Phase of a Player-Turn.
(B) No movement takes place during the Combat Phase of a Player-Turn (except as directed by the Combat Resolution Table).
(C) No Russian movement or attacking takes place during the French Player-Turn and vice-versa.
During the Movement Phase of his turn, a Player may move as many or as few of his units as he desires, moving them in any direction or combination of directions.
Units are moved by counting each hex that the unit enters as the expenditure of one Movement Point out of that unit's total Movement (point) Allowance. For example, a unit with a Movement Allowance of four could move as much as four hexes in a single Movement Phase.
(A). No Enemy movement is allowed during friendly movement.
(B). No attacks, Enemy or Friendly, take place during the Movement Phase of a Player's turn.
(C). Each hex moved into by a unit costs that unit Movement Points. A unit may not expend more Movement Points in any given Player-Turn than its total Movement Allowance. Basically, all hexes cost one Movement Point to enter. However, it costs a unit two additional Movement Points to cross a river through a ford hexside. Rivers may be crossed through bridge hexsides without penalty. Rivers may not be crossed at other than fords or bridges. (See the Terrain Effects Chart). Stream hexsides may be crossed anywhere: however, to move through a Stream hexside costs one additional Movement Point, except when crossing on a road.
(D). Movement from hex-to-hex must be consecutive, that is to say, a unit may not skip hexes.
(E). Units may move through hexes occupied by Friendly units. They may not move through or into hexes occupied by Enemy units
(F). Units may not finish their Movement Phase in the same hex as other units (Enemy or Friendly). In other words, Players may not place more than one unit in a given hex.
(G). Units which enter the Zone of Control of an Enemy unit must stop. They may not travel through an Enemy controlled hex nor may they leave an Enemy controlled hex once they enter it. Of course, once the Enemy unit(s) exerting the Zone of Control upon that hex is destroyed or retreated as a result of combat, the hex is no longer an 'Enemy controlled hex', and the Friendly unit may leave.
(H). Units beginning their Movement Phase in an Enemy Zone of Control may not move at all during that Movement Phase.
(I). In any given turn a Player may choose to move none some or all of his units (consistent with the rules regarding Zones of Control). Units maybe moved less than their total Movement Allowance, but they may never be moved more than their Movement Allowance in any one turn.
(J). The only Woods-hexes which may be entered by any units are those traversed by Roads. Such hexes may only be entered from the direction in which the road enters the Wood hex: i.e. units must enter and exit Woods/Road-hexes by traveling along the road leading into and out of the Woods. Movement in non-road Woods hexes is not allowed.
(K). Once a unit has been moved, and the Player's hand is taken from the piece, it may not be moved any further during that Player-Turn, nor may it change its move without the consent of the opposing Player.
(L). Movement Points are not transferable from unit to unit, nor may they be accumulated from turn to turn.
Every unit 'controls' the six hexagons directly adjacent to the one it occupies, with respect to enemy movement and combat.
(A). All units exert a Zone of Control at all times, whether or not it is that Player's turn.
(B). Friendly units are not inhibited in any way by the Zones of Control of other Friendly units.
(C). Friendly units may enter the Zone of Control of Enemy units (i.e. they may move adjacent to Enemy units) but they may not move through an Enemy controlled hex. In other words, they must stop upon entering the first Enemy controlled hex that they encounter.
(D). Once in an Enemy controlled hex, a Friendly unit may not move out of that hex until the Enemy unit is either destroyed or retreated as a result of combat, or until the Friendly unit itself is forced to retreat as a result of combat.
(E). More than one unit may exert a Zone of Control over the same hex.
(F). The overlapping of Zones of Control between non-adjacent units of opposing armies has no effect upon those units; only when the units themselves are actually in each other's Zones of Control does the Zone of Control rule apply.
(G). Zones of Control affect adjacent opposing units mutually. That is to say, neither unit can leave the presence of the other until one of the units is destroyed or retreated as a result of combat.
(H). Zones of Control do not extend through river hexsides but they do extend through Stream hexsides. Zones of Control do extend across bridges and fords crossing river and stream hexsides.
Combat is resolved by comparing the total Combat Strength of the attacking unit(s) to that of the adjacent defending unit(s). The comparison is stated as a probability ratio:
Attackers Combat Strength to Defender's Combat Strength. The ratio is simplified to conform to the odds given on the Combat Resolution Table (the ratio is always rounded off in favor of the defending unit(s) if it does not exactly conform to the ratios given in the table). A die is rolled (by the Attacking Player) and the result is read from the appropriate line of the table. The Attacking Player immediately takes the action indicated on the table before going on to resolve any other attacks he may be executing during that Combat Phase.
Two French Infantry units (with a combined strength of eight Combat Strength Points) attack one Russian Cavalry unit (Combat Strength of three). The odds of the attack are eight to three which are then simplified (and rounded off in favor of the defender) to an odds-situation of two to one. The French Player rolls the die and looks at the results given under the '2:1' column on the line indicated by the die-roll number. The result indicated takes effect immediately.
(A). To engage an Enemy unit in combat, the attacking unit(s) must be adjacent to that Enemy unit during the Combat Phase of the Attacking Player's turn. (Exception: see ARTILLERY RULE);
(B) All Enemy units to which there are Friendly units adjacent must be attacked in the Combat Phase of those Friendly units. All Friendly units which are adjacent to Enemy units must participate in an attack during the Combat Phase of the Player's turn.
(C) The Attacking Player has the choice of resolving his attacks in any order he wishes as long as all adjacent Enemy units are attacked. The Attacking Player may choose which attacking units will attack which defending units as long as all of his units which are adjacent to Enemy units participate in an attack.
(D). No defending unit may be attacked more than once per turn, nor may any attacking unit attack more than once per turn.
(E). More than one attacking unit may participate in an attack against a single defending unit as long as all the attacking units are adjacent to the defender. The Combat Strengths of the attacking units are totaled into one combined Combat Strength and then compared to that of the defending unit in order to determine the odds.
(F) A single attacking unit may take an attack against two or more defending units to which it is adjacent. The combat Strengths of the defenders are totaled into one combined Strength to which the attacking unit compares its Strength to determine the odds.
(G). Players may deliberately make attacks at poor odds in order that adjacent attacks against other defenders may be made at higher odds (by allotting most of the attacking force to the major objective). Such 'suicidal' attacks are euphemistically called diversionary attacks.
(H). Whenever as a direct result of combat, an Enemy unit is thrown back retreated) or removed from play (eliminated), the victorious unit may advance into the hex formerly occupied by the defeated force. The option to advance is exercised immediately. The advance may be made even if the advancing unit is still in an Enemy units Zone of Control. Retreating and advancing due to combat is not considered as part of regular Movement and is not counted as an expenditure of Movement Points.
(I), The Combat Strength of a unit must be used as an integral whole. That is, it may not be split in order to apply some Strength Points to one attack and some to another.
(J). Units defending in Towns double their strength (on defense). Example: A unit with a basic strength of four Combat Points would defend (in a Town-hex) as if it had a strength of eight Combat Points.
(K). Units may attack across Fords or Bridges crossing Rivers hexsides but only at half their Combat Strength, as outlined on the Terrain Effects Chart. Stream hexsides have no effect on Combat. Units may attack through River hexsides, but only at half their Combat Strength, as outlined on the Terrain Effects Chart. Stream hexsides have no effect on Combat. Units may attack through River hexsides only at Fords and Bridges. The exception is Artillery units; see 'Artillery' rules.
Ae = Attacker Eliminated: The attacking unit(s) is eliminated destroyed and is immediately removed from the map.
Ar = Attacker Retreats: The attacking unit(s) is immediately moved back one hex. Lx Exchange. The defending unit(s) is eliminated and the attacking unit(s) suffer a loss AT LEAST equal (in terms of Strength Points) to that of the Defender. Only those attacking units directly involved in that particular attack may be used to make up
Ex = Exchange. The defending unit(s) is eliminated and the attacking unit(s) suffer a loss at least equal (in terms of strength points) to that of the defender. Only those attacking units directly involved in that particular attack may be used to make up this equal exchange of Strength Point losses. This will sometimes mean that the Attacker will be forced to lose more Combat Strength Points than the Defender. Both sides losses are immediately removed from the map. A surviving attacking unit may then exercise the option to advance into the hex formerly occupied by the Defender.
Dr - Defender Retreats: The defending unit(s) is immediately moved back one hex.
De - Defender Eliminated: The defending unit(s) is eliminated (destroyed) and is immediately removed from the map.
When units are forced to retreat, the victorious player decides in which direction they will be retreated, within the following restrictions:
Units may not retreat into Enemy Zones of Control, off the map, into non-Road Woods, or into Enemy-occupied hexes. If no path of retreat is open to the retreating unit (aside from the forbidden hexes described above) then the retreating unit is ELIMINATED and immediately removed from the map.
Displacement: If the only safe hex (i.e., not blocked as above) available to the retreating unit is one which is already occupied by another, uninvolved, Friendly unit, then the uninvolved unit is displaced (pushed out of its hex) by the retreating unit. The uninvolved unit is moved back (by the victorious Player) as if it were retreating, and its position is taken by the retreating unit. The displaced unit itself may not be forced into Enemy units or Zones of Control or woods. If the displacement would cause the uninvolved unit to be eliminated in this fashion, the retreating unit is instead eliminated and no displacement takes place. Displaced units can themselves displace other Friendly units in a sort of chain reaction of displacement, if that is the only safe path of displacement open to them. Artillery units which are displaced, and have not yet engaged in combat during that Combat Phase, may not fire in that Combat Phase. Units may not be forced to displace other Friendly units if they have other paths of retreat open to them.
Whenever a hex is vacated as a result of combat, the victorious unit responsible for the Enemy elimination or retreat may advance into the vacated hex. This may be done even if the victorious unit is still in an Enemy Zone of Control and/or if the vacated hex is in an Enemy Zone of Control. The option to advance must be exercised immediately. A unit is never forced to advance. A unit may never advance more than one hex as a result of combat. Advances are not counted as regular Movement and therefore expend no Movement Points.
Advances are useful in cutting off the line of retreat of Enemy units whose combat has yet to be resolved. Advancing units may not participate in another attack or defense in the Combat Phase in which they advance, even if their advance places them next to Enemy units whose battles are yet to be resolved.
Unlike Infantry and Cavalry units. Artillery units may participate in attacks by bombarding the defending unit. Artillery bombards a unit from two hexes distance. Artillery units must participate in combat when adjacent to opposing units. In other words, artillery may participate in two types of attack, depending on their distance from the defending unit (adjacent or two hexes distant). Unlike other units, Artillery units are never destroyed or forced to retreat when bombarding a unit, although they are affected by all combat results when they are adjacent to the unit being attacked.
Determine the odds of the attack in exactly the same fashion as any other attack. All results are applied in the same fashion, except that bombarding Artillery units (i.e., units firing from a range of two hexes) are not affected by combat results. Thus, if an 'Exchange' were the result in an attack solely by bombarding artillery, the defending unit would be eliminated, but the bombarding units would not be affected. Of course, other units cooperating with the bombarding Artillery units from an adjacent position including adjacent artillery units) would be affected by combat results, and they would suffer the effects of an 'Ex. Change' result.
(A) Artillery units may attack enemy units which are two hexes away, but they are never forced to attack an Enemy unit merely because it is within two hexes.
(B) Artillery units may attack alone, in concert with other Artillery units, or in concert with Infantry and/or Cavalry units. Artillery units may combine attacks from adjacent positions, and in the bombardment role of two hexes distant.
(C) When an attack fails, bombarding artillery (i.e., attacking from two hexes distant) suffer no ill effects: they are never destroyed or retreated as a result of their own failed attacks. Artillery units attacking from an adjacent position must suffer all the combat results of their attacks. Bombarding Artillery units may voluntarily elect to suffer an 'Attacker Retreat' combat result. When cooperating with other, non-artillery units, these other units always suffer all combat results no matter what the distance of the attacking artillery.
(D) Artillery units may only attack a single unit when bombarding; when attacking from an adjacent position, artillery units may attack as many units as they are adjacent to.
(E) When artillery units themselves are attacked, they suffer all combat results as do all other units. Artillery units may not use their two hex range in a defensive situation.
(F) Artillery units may fire over other intervening units (Enemy or Friendly) and Town hexes in order to attack from two hexes distant. Artillery may not fire over Woods hexes to attack Enemy units two hexes away.
(G) When a unit is destroyed or retreated by attacking artillery which is not adjacent to the defender, the attacking artillery may not advance.
(H) Artillery may fire through all types of River hexsides.
(I) Artillery units may not fire, at any range, into or through woods or woods/road hexes. The woods are considered to block the artillery from firing into or through them. However, if the artillery, when firing at two hexes range, has two equi-distant, alternate paths of hexes to fire through, one of which is blocked, and the other not it may fire at the target hex.
(A) Only Russian units may benefit from being in a redoubt. French units never receive any benefit from these hexes.
(B) Russian units defending in the redoubt when attacked solely through the Front hexsides of the redoubt, have their Combat Strength for defensive purposes doubled. In addition to this, the intrinsic Combat Strength of the redoubt is added onto the doubled Combat Strength of the unit in the redoubt. This is a unitary Strength, which may not be split, i.e. the combined strength must be attacked in total.
(C) When a redoubt with a unit in it is attacked solely from the rear, i.e., exclusively through the non-Front hexsides, the unit is not doubled.
(D) When a unit in a redoubt is being attacked both through a Front hexside and a non-Front hexside in combination, the unit is not doubled.
(E) If an attack on a redoubt results in a Dr or Ex combat result the redoubt garrison unit will be destroyed.
(F) If the redoubt garrison is ever taken as a combat loss as part of an exchange when attacking then the redoubt will not be considered destroyed.
(G) If the redoubt garrison ever suffers an Ar combat result when attacking then the redoubt will not be considered destroyed, but the garrison unit will be.
(H) If a redoubt hex is ever occupied by French unit at the end of any Russian player turn then all the redoubt hexsides are considered destroyed and no longer have any effect on combat.
(I) If a destroyed redoubt is occupied (note not just the last to control) by a Russian unit at the end of the movement phase of game turns 10 and 26 then it is restored to fully functional redoubt. When a destroyed redoubt is repaired the garrison unit is also returned to play.
(J) The Russian Redoubt garrison units (zero movement allowance) never benefit from being doubled in combat.
(K) The Russian Redoubt garrison units are destroyed if forced to retreat as a combat result.
(L) The Russian Redoubt garrison are restored as normal units if a redoubt is repaired.
(A) Reinforcements may not enter the map in an enemy zoc of control.
(B) If all possible designated entry area hexes are blocked for a unit it will immediately appear in the nearest available map edge hex.
Each of the daily battle games and the Grand Battle Game have their own conditions for winning. See the particular scenario to discover how to win.
The program will usually end the game automatically where one side has no combat units left in play. The program will only continue where there may be some doubt over the ability of the remaining player to achieve the non-casualty related victory conditions.
Each of the tour scenarios detail which Set-up Map to use, what period of the Reinforcement Chart to use, and the Victory Conditions for the particular scenario, as well as the Game-Length. There is also a brief historical commentary.
The combined Russian armies had rendezvoused in front of Moscow. 120,000 men strong, to block Napoleon's advance on the ancient capital of Russia. They were under the old war hero's command: General Kutusow, recently recalled from retirement. The Russian armies began to turn an already excellent defensive defensive position into an impregnable one by the construction of strong redoubts, the fortified positions of logs, trenches, and dug-in artillery pieces. About noon the French vanguard under the command of Marshal Murat moved onto the map and began assaulting the most forward redoubt at Schevardino. For unknown reasons, Kutusov thought that the French main assault would come across the steep banked Kaiotchka river, where he tied up the bulk of his troops before slowly realizing the danger to his left flank. Too late, for the advanced position at Schevardino had fallen, and the rest of the French army was advancing. Kutusov had missed his sole chance to defeat the French army in detail.
Initial Set-up: 5th Sept., 1812. Only Russian units are deployed, as no French have arrived.
Game Turns: 1 through 8.
Victory Conditions: The Player who occupies the Schevardino redoubt hex at the end of the game is the winner.
Special rules: The Russian Player may not move any of the units north of the Great Redoubt until 1500. Beginning on 1500, the Russian Player may begin moving one unit per Game-Turn. Once a unit has begun moving, it may continue. Thus on 1500, the Russian Player may move one of the frozen units, on 1600 he may move that one plus another one, etc.
On this day, the remainder of the French armies arrived on the battlefield, bringing their total strength up to 135,000 men. The Russian Kutusov was still slow to realize the peril of his left flank for his concern with the Kalotchka front. But the French too were slow to realize what was happening in the Russian minds, and Napoleon preferred to assemble. all of his troops and reconnoiter the Russian positions. Thus the day passed without any serious fighting, Meanwhile Napoleon planned.
Game Turns: 11 through 24.
Victory Conditions: The Player who at the end of the game holds three or more of the redoubts on the map, whether destroyed or not, is the winner.
On this day the battle reached its climax. Finally realizing his danger. Kutusov began shifting his forces to his left. Napoleon opened the day with a poorly coordinated frontal assault on the Russian fortifications which was slaughtered. All day long, from 0600 on, he threw his troops against the Russian redoubts, gaining them several times, but never for long enough to destroy them before Russian counterattacks drove his troops out. Finally the Russians ran out of men, and refused to commit their Imperial Guard. They fell back from the French assaults, as nightfall approached. But the darkness ended the fighting, and the Russians stole away the following morning before the French closed with them. The exhausted French could not pursue.
Game Turns: 27 through 40.
French Decisive victory: Move 60 Combat Points of units off the east edge of the map between the two roads inclusive before the game ends. Once units are exited they may not return.
French Substantial victory: Russians must have twice as many or more Combat Point losses as the French, with a minimum of 40 Combat points.
French Marginal victory: occupy all redoubt hexes on the map at the end of the game.
Russian Marginal victory: Occupy all redoubt hexes at the end of the game that were on the east side of the Front Line at the beginning of the game.
Russian Substantial victory: French must have more Combat Point losses than the Russians at the end of the game.
Russian Decisive victory: Fulfill requirements of both Russian Marginal and Substantial victories.
This game ties all three days of the battle together, so that Players may fight using all of the alternatives open to the original commanders rather than be restricted to a particular day.
Initial Set-Up: 5th Sept., 1812. Only Russian units are deployed as no French have arrived yet.
Game-Turns: 1 through 40.
French Decisive victory: Move 60 Combat Points of units off the east edge of the map between the two roads inclusive before the game ends. Once units are exited they may not return.
French Substantial victory: Russians must have twice as many or more Combat Point losses as the French, with a minimum of 40 Combat points.
French Marginal victory: occupy all redoubt hexes on the map at the end of the game.
Russian Marginal victory: Occupy all redoubt hexes at the end of the game that were on the east side of the Front Line at the beginning of the game.
Russian Substantial victory: French must have more Combat Point losses than the Russians at the end of the game.
Russian Decisive victory: Fulfill requirements of both Russian Marginal and Substantial victories.
General Rule: Between each day of battle. there are two Game-Turns of 'night'.
Procedure: Each Player continues moving in the same sequence as during the days of battle, except that movement is restricted, and combat is forbidden. Units may not engage in combat during these night periods, and are restricted in movement.
(A) During the night Movement Phases no unit may enter an enemy ZOC, but may leave enemy ZOC's.
(B) Units adjacent to enemy units at the end of the 1900 turn may move out of that adjacent hex during either of the two night movement phases. If they do not move out of the hex they are not required to attack.
(C) The Russian Player may not move any of the units north of the Great Redoubt until 1500. Beginning on 1500, the Russian Player may begin moving one unit per Game-Turn. Once a unit has begun moving, it may continue. Thus on 1500, the Russian Player may move one of the frozen units, on 1600 he may move that one plus another one, etc.
(D) All such inactive Russian units are all automatically activated from the first night game turn.