Prussia's Defiant Stand's FAQ and IAQs

1. I assume there is no hand size limitations. You can hold as many cards as you want and still receive your 7 cards at the beginning of the turn?: No. Unused cards at the end of a year are returned to the deck to be reshuffled.
2. In the tsarina health phase could one side play both cards affecting the die roll?: Yes
3. In combat the limit on battle cards is one card per each side?: Yes, per each round. Quote from the rules: “some event cards can be played during any field battle (not fortress assaults) - only one card per player per battle per round.”
4. Initial set up please read: At start there is a 3 SP fortress in thorn Poland. Also, there is a 2 SP fortress, 3 SP infantry in dresden. There is a 2 SP bavaria infantry in Munich. These units are available for use by the Austrian player, and can be attacked by the Prussian player.; The Russian, French, and Sweden do not enter the war until turn 3 of 1757 and Prussia may not enter the Russian and French start areas, and Sweden until they enter the war. They do start setup on the board, but no movement or combat may be conducted by the units in Sweden, the units in the Russian start area, and the French start area.
5. “At the end of the first year, the Prussian’s control an Austrian 3 VP city and the allies a Prussian 1 VP city. We assume then that the VP marker is moved from zero to the +2 on the Prussian side of the track[correct]. At the end of the second year, the same situation exists. Is the VP marker then moved to the +4 on the Prussian side of the track?: No.The VP award is at the time of capture, and you keep the VP as long as you maintain control of the VP city in an enemy country.; Note: if the occupying country no longer has units occupying the enemy VP city, then the VP track would be adjusted to show that the opponent no longer controls the VP city in an enemy country. You will find that VP control over certain cities like dresden will see-saw back and forth. Dresden often changes hands where Prussia will gain the 3 VP, then lose it and then regain it again thru various turns and years in the game and the victory track will move accordingly.
6. I assume the markers mentioned in the rules are the left-over colored squares? I had one of each color block left over, no actual “markers” for turn/year/VPs. I am using one of each color block, seems to work well, but i want to make sure i am not missing any components.: Yes, you are not missing any components
7. in the beginning turns, prior to turn 3 in 1757, can either side move through the Holy Roman Empire/Poland areas? (This is before Russia/France have entered the war.) I assume not, but want to confirm.: Either side may enter, normally a large battle ends up being fought somewhere near dresden prior to Russian/French entry.
8. On a related note, during the turns prior to France/Russia entering the war, can the Prussian’s capture any victory point objectives in Poland/Holy Roman Empire?: Yes, but only dresden is worth VP, there aren’t any for Poland. The Prussian’s may not enter Sweden or the French or Russian start up areas.
9. In setup, i didn’t see any mention of the brettlach cavalry. Is it to go somewhere on the board, or is it to go in the force pool? I assume it starts the game in the force pool.: Brettlach cavalry is setup with the French if you look at the very bottom of the setup chart.
10. In setup, for the Russian/French units, do they get placed on the board at the beginning of the game but are not allowed to take any actions until turn 3, 1757? (They can still defend...) Or do the units not get placed on the board until turn 3, 1757? I assume the latter. (Except the fortresses and one troop in munich stated to be placed immediately of course.): All forces start on the board. The French forces in munich and saxony and dresden may move.
11. Can the one troop in munich be moved immediately, or is it only there for defense?: It may move
12. How many cards should there be?: 33
13. I have a fortress under siege. I want to send tropes to assist in the breakthrough. Do the units from inside the fortress and the supporting units battle together from round 1? Or, do i pick which one is main and the other reinforces?: I assume you’re talking about a fortress breakout in which case the units in the fortress and relief forces are the attacker and they all begin the battle in the first round, except you need to keep straight which units came from the fortress because if forced to retreat they go back to the fort.
14. Winter quarter -- does a leader unit providing quarter also count towards its own limit?: Only one leader in a city can provide winter quarters support and it’s his command limit, so that means frederick at full strength can support eight units plus himself if he’s at full strength.
15. And just to make sure... Combat, first round, Austrians are cavalry only. So the Prussian infantry and leaders cannot fire on them till round 2, correct? Form up cavalry are not “engaged”...: Correct, cavalry are not engaged until they charge. If you have cavalry that appear in the second round after some cavalry already charged in the 1st round, then they would attack the enemy cavalry in melee from their charge box (full CP value), or if you have excess cavalry they can charge the enemy army. If you have multiple units you can SPlit them up however you choose.
16. The game rules state that Prussia may not enter the French or Russian start areas or stralsund until those powers enter the war (though, the wording is less than clear on even this point). Are the Russian and French start areas the whole blue and green shaded areas, or just the start cities?: Actually, the Prussian’s can never enter the French and Russian “start” areas -- the flagged areas labeled as such on the map. Stralsund is off limits until the swedes enter the war, which is when the French and Russians enter. The rest of the shaded areas is fair game, even the polish fortress at thorn.
17. The retreat rules state that retreating units must retreat to an adjacently connected friendly controlled, supplied city. If no such city exists, it must go further to a nearest (though no adjacent) friendly controlled, supplied city. In so doing, it takes losses as it passes through such cities and enemy units. Moreover, the control rule states that the cities revert to previous control once enemy blocks leave.: Suppose, then, Prussia probes into Austrian lands, passing through two Austrian cities to fight a battle in the third city. Now suppose they must retreat from battle. As the rules are presently written, it appeared to us that the retreating army must retreat all the way back to Prussian territory (passing through two Austrian cities and taking losses at each one) because none of the Austrian cities they had passed through on the way to the battle are “friendly controlled” (because the Prussian army declined to drop off blocks in them as they marched to battle). Is this right? You’re absolutely correct. That’s why you need to secure your supply lines.
18. Do you roll on the frictions or war table with every single command phase?: Yes, each round after cards have been played. The only exception in play is no fow roll the first turn.
19. If two player 1 units enter a city containing 4 enemy blocks, could player 2’s two blocks free to move take the road that the attackers have entered by?: Yes, think of the lines connecting cities more as major paths with multiple roads. The movement in the game is fluid because each turn represents months. The period did not have front lines and was full of maneuver.
20. Do the Prussian’s go first in the ‘56 scenario, or do they have to “bid” (by playing the lowest/tied for lowest card) to go first?: The lowest card still decides who goes first.
21. If you draw a leader block from your reserve that has a correSPonding block (loudon, for example), do you have to remove the non-leader unit?: No, the units are not removed from play when their namesake leader appears.
22. In combat, i had a leader 2 infantry and 2 cavalry, who advanced into the charge box against a single cavalry unit which stayed in form up. The infantry and leader cannot fire on the cavalry unit in form up.: Can my cavalry units fire on the cavalry in the form up box?; At the end of the 1st round the cavalry unit in the form up box must retreat [SPecial combat situation page 9], would it take a hit because i had one more cavalry unit than he did?; No, the single enemy cavalry can only be engaged if he charges out of form up. The SPecial rule covers a forced retreat. If he does not charge he must retreat at the end of the battle round, and yes he would take a step loss from your second cavalry.
23. “If either player has unplayed cards remaining they may use one card to place new units or add replacements.” This is the only time replacements are mentioned. Does it mean that you can use the points to build up units, including leaders?: Is the the winter phase also the only time that leaders, if in supply and unbesieged, can be taken off the map and returned to the force pool?; I think i understand your question, but i’m not sure. Only replacement cards may be used to add steps to army units on the map and they may be used in any round. The free commands you may have in the winter phase can only be used to place new units on the board from the force pool. Correct on your disbanding question, except units sometimes are removed due to combining steps with other same class/CP units.

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Prussia's Defiant Stand Frequently Asked and Infrequently Asked Questions