Vendée Militaire 1793-1794 Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
• Setup
• Definitions
  • Terrain Hexes
  • Fortress Tokens
  • Battle
  • Battle Cards
  • Bonus Cards
• Sequence of Play
  • Draw
  • Battles
    • Resolving a Battle
    • Clarifications
    • Generals
    • End of a Battle
  • End of Round and End of Game
  • Victory
• Card Notes
• Example of Play
• Variants
  • Random Setup
  • Four-Player Variant
• Historical Notes

Components

• 17 double-sided Terrain hexes (hexagones Terrain)
• 6 double-sided Fortress tokens (jetons Forteresse)
• 52 White cards, split into two decks of 26 cards
• 52 Blue cards, split into two decks of 26 cards
• 1 double-sided First Player token (jeton Premier joueur)
• 2 Battle markers (1 white and 1 blue)
• 2 General markers (1 white and 1 blue)
• 1 red End-of-game marker (marqueur Fin de partie)
• 1 black Round marker (marqueur Manche)
• 1 yellow Extra General marker (marqueur Général supplémentaire)
• 1 six-sided die
• 1 Rounds board (plateau Manches)

The two sides are the Whites (Blancs, the Vendéens) and the Blues (Bleus, the Republicans). A player who plays the Whites is the White player; a player who plays the Blues is the Blue player.

Setup

I. Place the 14 starting Terrain hexes as shown in the illustration. Set aside the 3 Virée de Galerne hexes (nos. 15, 16 and 17). One of you takes the role of the Whites (Vendéens), the other that of the Blues (Republicans).

[Illustration: the 14 starting hexes numbered 1 to 14, with the hexes numbered 15, 16 and 17 set aside below the map and the Fortress tokens shown in the reserve.]

II. Place the Fortress tokens as shown in the illustration: on hexes no. 3 and 11 (Blue side), and on hexes no. 5 and 10 (White side). The remaining tokens are placed in a common reserve shared by both players.

III. Place the Round marker (black) on space 1 of the Rounds board, and the End-of-game marker (red) on space 3.

IV. Place the General markers on the symbols of their respective sides on the Rounds board.

[Illustration callout: the First Player indicator shows which player starts the round (here, the White player).]

V. Prepare your card decks: card backs are red for the White player and blue for the Blue player.

• Separate your 52 cards into 2 sets of 26 cards, using the Set I and Set II symbols.
• Shuffle the Set I cards and the Set II cards separately.
• Place the Set II cards under the Set I cards to form your draw pile.

Definitions

To understand the fundamental principles of the game, it is important to remember the definitions of the following terms, which are used throughout the rules.

Terrain Hexes

There are 17 Terrain hexes, which together form the game board. They are double-sided, so that it can be shown who controls them: the White side for the White player, the Blue side for the Blue player. Each hex is numbered to make it easy to identify during setup and when resolving card effects. Control of a hex changes (the hex is flipped over) when a player wins a battle on a hex controlled by the opponent without a Fortress token.

Each hex has two boxed values showing the number of cards each side must draw before a battle on that hex is resolved.

A symbol may designate a specific hex:

• Maritime (blue anchor symbol)
• Route Royale (bronze "R" symbol)
• Virée de Galerne (green "V" symbol)

[Illustration callouts for the hex diagrams: "Number of cards to draw, Blue player" (blue box), "Number of cards to draw, White player" (white box), "Hex number", "Symbols", and the two faces of a hex: "White control face" and "Blue control face".]

Fortress Tokens

These tokens, of which there are a limited number (6), show that a hex is reinforced by a fortification. They are double-sided (White side and Blue side) and may be used by both players. They are added to or removed from a hex depending on the results of battles. Unused tokens are placed in a reserve common to both players.

Battle

In each round, you take turns attacking by choosing one of the hexes on the board and placing your Battle marker on it. You may choose a hex controlled by your opponent (with or without a Fortress), or a hex you control without a Fortress, but only if there are still Fortress tokens in the common reserve.

Battle Cards

Each player has a deck of cards in their camp's colour to resolve battles. Each card has the following information:

• A value from 1 to 5, or +1 or +2.
• A type, which may be Military, Territory, or Military/Territory. The type is shown by a text label and by the background colour of the card's value.
• An identifier showing whether the card belongs to Set I or Set II for building your draw pile.
• A text to resolve when the card is played. This may be an event or a specific effect.
• A card number used for sorting, with no effect on play.

[Illustration: a sample card "Renforts" (+2), with callouts: "Value of the card", "Type of card" (Military, Territory, Military/Territory colour swatches), "Identifier" (Set I, Set II), "Title", "Card effect", "Card number", and "Camp colour: blue = Blues, red = Whites".]

The card shown reads: "Renforts. Add 2 points to the value of a card if the battle takes place in hex no. 7 or no. 11, or play this card as a card of value 2."

Bonus Cards

Some cards have a + in front of their value. You may play one (and only one) such card in addition to add its bonus to the value of a card you played. You may also play a Bonus card as a normal card of value 1 (for the +1 cards) or value 2 (for the +2 cards). For example, it is possible to play a +2 card as a card of value 2, together with a +1 card, for a total of 3.

Sequence of Play

A game is played over 3 to 6 rounds. Each round is made up of 3 phases:

1. Draw
2. Battles
3. End of round

Draw

At the start of each round, each player draws a certain number of cards: 7 for the Blue player in every round; 7 for the White player in rounds 1 to 3, then 6 in round 4, 5 in round 5, and 4 in round 6. These numbers are also shown on the Rounds board.

If your draw pile is empty, shuffle your discard pile to reconstitute it, setting aside any Unique Event cards.

Battles

Resolving a Battle

This phase is the heart of the game. The Blue player always starts the first battle of round 1; then the White player starts in round 2, the Blue player in round 3, and so on. The players take turns designating a hex to resolve a battle, following the steps below. The player who designates a hex is the Attacker; the other player is the Defender.

I. The Attacker designates a hex and places their Battle marker on it. They may select a hex controlled by their opponent (with or without a Fortress), or a hex they control without a Fortress in order to try to build one, but only if there are still Fortress tokens in the common reserve.

II. Each player draws the number of cards shown on the hex where the battle takes place. This number is shown in the symbol for the White player and in the symbol for the Blue player.

III. The Attacker plays 1 or 2 cards (2 if a Bonus card is played) from their hand, face up.

IV. The Defender must play 1 or 2 cards (2 if a Bonus card is played) of the same type as the Attacker's last card, that is either Territory or Military, and with a higher total value. Military/Territory cards have both types. It is therefore possible to play a Military/Territory card after a Military or Territory card, and a Military or Territory card after a Military/Territory card.

V. The Attacker must again outbid, respecting the type constraints of the last card played by the Defender.

VI. And so on, until one player can no longer outbid.

Clarifications

• Outbidding is mandatory. However, you are not required to take your Bonus cards into account when deciding whether you can outbid.
• The effects of the cards you play are resolved when you play them. If you play a Bonus card, the last card played is that Bonus card. A Bonus card is always a Military/Territory card.
• A Bonus card can always be played as a normal card of value 1 for a +1 card, or of value 2 for a +2 card.
• The effects of some cards depend on the number of the hex where the battle takes place.

Generals

Once per round, each player may use their general, shown on the Rounds board. Each general has a Strategic Value from 1 to 4.

To use a general, roll the six-sided die after your opponent has played one card (or two cards, if a Bonus card was played) in a battle. If the result is less than or equal to the general's Strategic Value, those cards have no effect and are discarded.

Your opponent must, if possible, play 1 or 2 cards (2 if a Bonus card is played) again in order to outbid.

After using a general, place the General marker on its Strategic Value on the Rounds board to show that it is no longer available.

[Illustration callouts: "General marker" and "Strategic Value" on the Rounds board.]

End of a Battle

When a player can no longer outbid, their opponent wins the battle. If the Defender wins, nothing happens.

If the Attacker wins:

I. If the battle hex was controlled by the Defender without a Fortress, flip it over to show the change of control.

II. If the battle hex was controlled by the Defender with a Fortress, return the Fortress token to the common reserve. Control of the hex does not change.

III. If the battle hex was controlled by the Attacker without a Fortress, place a Fortress token of the Attacker's side on the hex.

If the winner played one or more cards showing +1 Round as an effect during this battle, move the End-of-game marker on the Rounds board to add 1 round to the game (maximum 6 rounds).

If the winner played one or more cards showing -1 Round as an effect during this battle, move the End-of-game marker on the Rounds board to remove 1 round from the game (minimum 3 rounds).

If one of the players has no cards left in hand, the round is over. Otherwise, the Defender becomes the Attacker and designates a hex of their choice to start a new battle.

End of Round and End of Game

A round ends when, at the end of a battle, one of the players has no cards left in hand. The other player discards their remaining cards.

Move the Round marker down on the Rounds board. If, before moving it, the Round marker is on the End-of-game marker, the game ends.

Otherwise, play a new round, starting normally with the Draw phase.

Victory

At the end of the game, count the victory points (VP) for both sides:

• Each controlled Terrain hex scores 2 VP.
• Each Fortress token of your side placed on a hex scores 3 VP.

The winner is the player with the greater total. In case of a tie, the White player wins.

Card Notes

Unique Event cards: some cards carry an Unique Event (Événement unique) indication below their type. Once played, they are set aside and are not reshuffled if you need to reconstitute your draw pile.

Virée de Galerne cards: these cards extend the game board by allowing you to add hexes on the Blue side, following the layout shown below. The three Virée de Galerne hexes (nos. 15, 16 and 17) are added to the board in that arrangement.

[Illustration: the three Virée de Galerne hexes (17, 16, 15) placed in an extension above and to the right of the starting board.]

Cancellation cards: these cards have no value. They are used to cancel the card (or the pair of cards) played by your opponent. A Cancellation card cannot itself be cancelled, even by a general.

Representative of the People and Commander-in-Chief cards: these cards give you an additional general of Strategic Value 4, usable for this round only. A marker is available to place on the Rounds board as a reminder.

Some card effects depend on the hex on which they are played. Remember that Bonus cards can always be played as cards of value 1 for the +1 cards, and value 2 for the +2 cards.

Example of Play

It is the start of round 1. The Blue player designates hex no. 10, controlled by the White player with a Fortress token. They place their Battle marker on this hex. The Blue player is the Attacker, the White player the Defender.

[Illustration callouts: the Blue player's Battle marker on hex 10, which carries a Fortress token; the hex box values "0" and "2".]

The White player draws 2 cards and adds them to their hand; the Blue player draws none.

The Blue player plays the card "Diplomacy", of value 1, and of mixed Military/Territory type. The card reads: "Convert a hex without a Fortress, or remove an enemy Fortress. You may not choose the hex where the battle takes place." Its effect lets them flip a hex (other than the battle hex); in our case, they choose hex no. 2 to take control of it.

The White player must outbid. They play a Military card of value 2, and the Bonus card "Capitaine de paroisse" (Parish Captain) +1, for a total of 3.

The Blue player may play a Military, Territory or Military/Territory card, because the last card played by the White player is a Bonus card, which is of mixed Military/Territory type. They play a Military/Territory card, the "+1 Round" card "Victoire décisive" (Decisive Victory), of value 4.

The White player replies by playing a Military card of value 5, but the Blue player plays their Cancellation card, which discards that card. The card (or pair of cards) the White player has just played is discarded, and they must replay 1 (or 2) card(s).

The White player can no longer outbid and concedes defeat. The Blue player is the winner: the Fortress token is returned to the common reserve. In addition, the Blue player played a "+1 Round" card and is the winner.

The End-of-game marker is moved one space further, from space 3 to space 4 on the Rounds board. Both players still have cards, so the White player becomes the Attacker. They designate hex no. 2, controlled by the Blue player, place their Battle marker on it, draw 1 card, and the Blue player draws none.

The White player plays the card "Épidémie" (Epidemic) of value 1, which makes the Blue player discard 1 card at random from their hand. The Blue player then plays the Bonus card "Renforts" +2 as a card of value 2, and the Bonus card "Arrivée des Mayençais" (Arrival of the Mayençais) +2, for a total value of 4.

The White player decides to use their general for round 1, Cathelineau. They roll a 2 on the die, which is less than or equal to Cathelineau's Strategic Value of 3. The cards played by the Blue player are discarded, and the White player plays, in their place, their last Territory card of value 3 (they have already played or discarded their 7 starting cards!).

The White player can outbid and plays a Territory card of value 4, which allows them to win. Hex no. 2 is flipped to its White side.

The round is over because the Blue player has no cards left. The White player would surely have preferred the battle to continue; their remaining cards are discarded.

The Round marker is moved to space 2, and a new round begins: each player draws 7 new cards, and the White player designates a hex first.

Variants

Random Setup

In this variant, shuffle the 14 starting Terrain hexes, and place 7 of them with their White side up, and 7 with their Blue side up. Then each player places 2 Fortress tokens of their own side on two hexes of their choice that they control, starting with the Blue player.

Four-Player Variant

Two players play the Blue side and the other two play the White side. They sit around the table alternating 1 Blue and 1 White. One of the Blue players is designated First Player and receives the associated token. At the end of each round, the token turns clockwise to determine who starts the next round.

• Draw: each player draws the number of cards required for the current round, minus one.
• Battles: a battle is resolved clockwise, starting with the First Player. If cards are to be drawn, the First Player receives the first card of their side, then the player on their left receives the first card of their side, and so on. As in the two-player game, you must outbid if possible. However, you are not obliged to outbid your partner (if the interleaved player was unable to outbid). If one side can no longer outbid the other, the round ends normally.
• End of round: a round ends if a player has no cards left after a battle. The other players discard their remaining cards.

Card effects: if a card's effect designates "a player", the player who plays the card chooses which player of the opposing side is affected by the effect.

Players on the same side may communicate and show each other their cards freely during the Battles phase.

Historical Notes

Saint-Laurent: the Vendéen holy city. Saint Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort (1673-1716) evangelised the bocage deeply at the beginning of the 18th century. He organised many missions there, very popular with the country people, and developed the cult of Mary and of the Sacred Heart, which became a future symbol of the insurrection. He died exhausted at Saint-Laurent-sur-Sèvre, which became a place of pilgrimage. In 1793, a hospital was found there in which the Sisters of Wisdom (a congregation founded by Louise Trichet, a disciple of Father de Montfort) cared for Blues and Whites alike, without distinction.

The Infernal Columns (Colonnes infernales). On 1 August 1793, the Convention voted a first decree for the annihilation of the Vendée, which provided for the execution of men "taken up arms in hand", but above all the deportation of women, children and the elderly. Two months later, on 1 October 1793, the Convention adopted an amending decree which added to the material annihilation of the Vendée the extermination of its inhabitants. These decrees were carried out in the field by Turreau's Infernal Columns in early 1794, and in the rear by the widespread massacres of Vendéen prisoners, non-juring priests, men, women and children (mass shootings and drownings by Carrier at Nantes, from December 1793 to February 1794).

The Galerne Expedition (La virée de Galerne). This operation was launched by the Catholic and Royal Army after its defeat at the battle of Cholet on 17 October 1793. The Vendéens crossed the river with thousands of wounded, women and children. Meeting only weak resistance, they seized Laval on 22 October. After several victories, the Vendéens made their way to Granville, on the coast of Normandy, in the hope of seeing reinforcements land from the British and from the émigrés. The siege was a failure, and the Vendéen army suffered a heavy defeat at Le Mans on 13 December, before being annihilated at Savenay on 23 December 1793. The fighting, disease and massacres caused the deaths of tens of thousands of Vendéens, men, women and children.