The Wars of the French Revolution, 1789-1802 Levee en Masse is a solitaire game, suitable for group and classroom cooperative game play, tells the story of the French Revolution through its key events and decision points. You must stop the advances of foreign armies and the counter-revolutionary forces within France itself to defend the virtues of Republicanism. Can you suppress the forces of Monarchy and Despotism to maintain the Republican spirit in France? Can you export the revolution by liberating neighboring states and granting them their liberty? Will you be able to keep order in Paris as it suffers from riot after riot? Enlist today, grab your musket and a banner, and join the Levée en Masse! Game Data: Complexity: 3 on a 9 scale Solitaire Suitability: 9 on a 9 scale Scale: Each unit is one Army, each turn represents a variable number of weeks States of Siege #5
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Game intelligence
Each of the three factions — National Assembly, King Louis XVI, and Napoleon — is assigned to a player (or handled as available in lower player-count games). Each faction begins with a starting strength of 5. Apply faction-specific modifiers and special rules as detailed on each faction card before play begins.
Players take turns according to faction rules. The National Assembly may Restore Order at no action cost. King Louis XVI applies a -1 DRM versus the Vendée. Napoleon applies a +1 DRM to Military actions and a +1 DRM to Liberation actions. Specific turn structure details beyond these modifiers are not fully specified in the provided rulebook excerpt.
The winner is determined by faction-specific victory conditions tied to political and military control; full scoring rules are not detailed in the provided rulebook excerpt. Scoring sources: Military action outcomes, Liberation action outcomes, Restore Order outcomes, Control of key regions such as the Vendée
Source: Rulebook
The most useful rules for getting a first game right.
The National Assembly is one of three playable factions. It begins the game with a strength value of 5. Its special ability is 'Restore Order,' which can be performed without spending an action cost — i.e., it is a free action that does not consume the player's normal action allocation for that turn.
King Louis XVI is one of three playable factions. He begins the game with a strength value of 5. His faction modifier is -1 DRM (Die Roll Modifier) specifically when resolving conflicts or actions against the Vendée. This penalty applies only in that matchup and does not affect other interactions.
Napoleon is one of three playable factions. He begins the game with a strength value of 5. He receives two distinct bonuses: a +1 DRM (Die Roll Modifier) on Military actions and a separate +1 DRM on Liberation actions. These bonuses apply whenever Napoleon performs the relevant action type and are cumulative with other applicable modifiers.
The 'Restore Order' action belongs to the National Assembly faction. Uniquely, it has NO ACTION COST, meaning the National Assembly player may perform it without spending an action point or equivalent resource. The exact effect of Restore Order is tied to the National Assembly's political role in stabilizing France, though full resolution details are not provided in the available excerpt.
The game uses a DRM (Die Roll Modifier) system to adjust the result of dice rolls during conflict or action resolution. A positive DRM (e.g., +1) increases the effective die result, favoring the acting player, while a negative DRM (e.g., -1) decreases it, disadvantaging the acting player. DRMs from different sources (faction abilities, action types, situational rules) may be cumulative unless stated otherwise.
When King Louis XVI's faction resolves any action — particularly combat or conflict — against the Vendée (a counter-revolutionary region or faction), a -1 DRM is automatically applied to his die roll. This is a faction-specific restriction and does not apply to other factions fighting the Vendée, nor does it apply to Louis XVI in other matchups.
Whenever Napoleon's faction takes a Military action, a +1 DRM is applied to the relevant die roll. 'Military' actions are those categorized under the military action type as defined by the game's action framework. This bonus is a standing faction ability and is always active for Napoleon; it does not need to be activated.
Whenever Napoleon's faction takes a Liberation action, a +1 DRM is applied to the relevant die roll. 'Liberation' represents Napoleon's historical role as a liberating military force. This bonus is separate from and in addition to his Military +1 DRM. If a Liberation action is also classified as a Military action, both bonuses may apply simultaneously, resulting in a total +2 DRM.
Because Restore Order has no action cost (faction_national_assembly, restore_order_action), the National Assembly player should always use it every turn it is relevant — it is never wasteful since it costs nothing. Plan your other actions around it rather than instead of it.
Napoleon stacks +1 DRM on Military and +1 DRM on Liberation (napoleon_military_bonus, napoleon_liberation_bonus). If Liberation actions can also be classified as Military, Napoleon gains a +2 DRM — the highest single-action modifier available to any faction. Prioritize these action types to leverage his faction's full power.
Louis XVI's -1 DRM against the Vendée (vendee_penalty) is a significant disadvantage in an already balanced die roll economy. Unless other positive DRMs can compensate, Louis XVI should avoid direct engagement with the Vendée where possible, or seek game mechanics that provide DRM bonuses before entering that conflict.
The DRM system (drm_system) is cumulative. Before taking any action, calculate the total DRM from all sources — faction bonuses, action type bonuses, and situational penalties. This is especially critical for Napoleon (potential +2) and Louis XVI vs. Vendée (guaranteed -1), where the net DRM can swing outcomes significantly.
Yes. Napoleon's Military +1 DRM and Liberation +1 DRM are listed as two distinct bonuses. If a single action qualifies as both Military and Liberation, both modifiers apply, for a combined +2 DRM on that roll. Neither bonus has a restriction preventing stacking with the other.
The -1 DRM is a faction-specific penalty applied specifically in Vendée conflicts. It stacks with any other applicable DRMs (positive or negative) unless the rulebook specifies a cap. It does not override other modifiers; all relevant DRMs are summed before applying to the die roll.
No. Restore Order explicitly has NO ACTION COST. The National Assembly can perform Restore Order in addition to its normal actions for the turn, not instead of them.
No. The -1 DRM versus the Vendée is specific to King Louis XVI's faction card. Napoleon and the National Assembly do not inherit this penalty and resolve Vendée conflicts with their normal DRM modifiers.
2–4 players
3–5 players
1 player
2–6 players
2 players
1 player
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