GRANDE TACTIQUE

When the game ends

• When the morale of all the divisions belonging to one player has collapsed (see Fleeing and Routing: Collapse of Morale), that player has lost and the game stops.   

• Alternatively, the game stops at sundown (as determined by the scenario's Time of Day), in which case there is no official victor.

 

Counting losses

Both sides reckon their losses in terms of Unit Points.  Begin by determining the total Unit Points of the army (including reinforcements, whether they arrived or not) at the outset of the game.  Here and in what follows, do not count the Unit Points of generals.

1. Destroyed units.  

   • First count up the Unit Points of destroyed/fled units, and add 100% of these points to the tally of losses, rounding down.

2. Remaining units.    

   • Next count up the Unit Points of units remaining on the board, and add 40% of the points to the tally of losses, rounding down.

   • This applies to the vanquished army only.  If the game has stopped at sundown, this applies to neither side.

   • Further, this applies only if the victorious army retains at least 50% of the cavalry it began with.  If not, add only 20% of the costs for these units to the tally of losses, rounding down.

3. Voluntarily withdrawn units. 

   • For both sides, count up the Unit Points of voluntarily withdrawn units, and add 20% of the costs to the tally of losses.

Having added up the losses in Unit Points for these various types of lost units, express the losses as a percentage of the total Unit Points of the  army at the outset of the game.

 

Reckoning the scale of victory

1. Compare the percentage of losses on each side, expressing them as a ratio of vanquished:victor :

   • 1:1 to 3:2 ratio: marginal victory (e.g. Eylau);

   • 3:2 to 2:1 ratio: indecisive victory (e.g. Regensburg);

   • 2:1 to 4:1 ratio: decisive victory (e.g. Austerlitz);

   • 4:1 or greater: overwhelming victory (e.g. Friedland).

2. Example:  Army A lost the battle and Army B, which won, retained more than 50% of its cavalry.  Each side began with 50 Unit Points.  

   • Army A lost units worth 25 Unit Points (destroyed), costing 25 (100%); it voluntarily withdrew units worth 15 Unit Points, costing 3 (20%); it had units worth 10 Unit Points still remaining on the board, costing 4 (40%); so Army A’s total losses were 32 out of 50 or 64%.

   • Army B lost units worth 15 Unit Points (destroyed), costing 15 (100%); it voluntarily withdrew no units; and as the victor it suffered no losses to its remaining units; so Army B’s total losses were 15 out of 15 or 30%.

   • The ratio of the vanquished to the victor’s losses is thus 64:30 or slightly higher than 2:1, which means Army B won a decisive victory.  Had the game stopped at sundown, Army A would not have suffered losses for its remaining units and the ratio would be 58:30, an indecisive victory.