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	Game: Congress of Vienna	Publisher: GMT Games Search for this and related games with Noble Knight
Article ID: 14	Date: 4/7/2025 8:33:00 AM Guest Poster: The Boardgames Chronicle	Congress of Vienna - Unboxing & Overview We present today Congress of Vienna, another installment in the GMT Great Statesmen Series. The focus is on components and game overview, more content will follow. Enjoy!
Article ID: 13	Date: 1/22/2025 3:38:00 PM Poster: Doug Holt	How to Play with Each Major Congress of Vienna Game Power: France (2024 Edition) Part 2 of 2, Emphasis on War "If you lack adequate French military cards to mount a credible defense, withdraw from a map space!" Frank Esparrago and Fred Schachter continue their tips on play articles for the major powers in this game, covering part two on France. Check out how you can "...just inwardly smile without seemingly being too happily enthusiastic with one (or both) of these Allied cards in your possession."
Article ID: 12	Date: 12/27/2024 10:25:00 AM Poster: Doug Holt	How to Play with Each Major Congress of Vienna Game Power: Britain (2024 Edition) "...it is you who have many opportunities available to truly rule Britain and make her “Great”! It is an appellation to be earned!" Frank Esparrago and Fred Schachter continue their tips on play articles for the major powers in this Great Statesmen series game. Find out about the "...special ability [that] can allow you to win the Diplomacy Phase many times with 2 VP each or decide which tied player will obtain them."
Article ID: 11	Date: 10/25/2024 8:16:00 AM Poster: Doug Holt	How to Play with Each Major Congress of Vienna Game Power: France (2024 Edition) Part 1 of 2, Emphasis on Diplomacy "Which approach France pursues depends on the means you have available each turn and the other players’ idiosyncrasies as gamers." Frank Esparrago and Fred Schachter begin a number of tips on play articles for the major powers in this Great Statesmen series game. Make sure you don't neglect game dimensions of which players "...who lose sight of this are severely limiting their opportunities for victory."
Article ID: 10	Date: 8/19/2024 10:04:00 AM Poster: Doug Holt	Congress of Vienna Scenario Set-Up Maps with Associated Historical Backgrounds "...some gamers prefer a graphic approach in the form of Scenario Set Up Maps." Frank Esparrago and Fred Schachter provide some scenario oriented player aids. They point out that the intent of the scenarios is "... for players to gain experience with the system and control the pace and facets of the war to their best advantages."
Article ID: 9	Date: 11/18/2022 10:48:00 AM Poster: Doug Holt	Designing the Congress of Vienna Solitaire Game, Part 1of 2: Diplomacy and The French Bot "Challenge: How to retain some of the variability four independently minded players seek in attaining personal victory?" Frank Esparrago and David Schoellhamer begin a series looking at solitaire adaptation for GMT Games' Congress of Vienna. Check out why they make the claim that "We found the Sorcerer’s Stone to solve our game’s Diplomacy Phase challenge!"
Article ID: 8	Date: 12/10/2021 6:54:00 AM Poster: Doug Holt	Congress of Vienna’s Tactical Battle Matrix Option Part 2 of 2 – An Example of Battle "...players will regret not having withdrawn, not using a military card which was held back for another battle, a bad tactical chit choice, and of course, the inevitable final dice rolls! Oh the pain hindsight can bring!" Frank Esparrago and Fred Schachter continue discussing the tactical expansion for GMT Games' Congress of Vienna, this time with an example of play. They demonstrate the richness the expansion brings with a well laid out example, and then point out that "…readers should be reassured that the game time this takes in actual play is very fast."
Article ID: 7	Date: 12/8/2021 4:25:00 AM Poster: Doug Holt	A Congress of Vienna Option: Adding Tactical Flavor to Battles (A Tactical Battle Matrix) Part 1 of 2 "Some play testers wanted an option to study what could happen if they decided the big tactical choices in a decisive battle...". Frank Esparrago and David Schoellhamer begin an effort to make GMT Games' Congress of Vienna more grognard friendly. Check out the results when they "…could not resist the opportunity to address their desire!"
Article ID: 6	Date: 10/20/2021 4:26:00 AM Poster: Doug Holt	War or Diplomacy? The Struggle Between the Wargamer vs Eurogamer Soul in the Design and Development of Congress of Vienna "When you create a game like Congress of Vienna with its major political and diplomatic elements; you know some of the 'certainties' of a standard wargame which must be exceeded...". Frank Esparrago and Fred Schachter discuss the character of GMT Games' Congress of Vienna card driven game, in terms of how players view it. There seems to be a classic divide, in which it's "…almost like Designer Frank had two angels perched on his shoulders as he labored on his game creation… one a 'Wargamer Angel' and the other a 'Eurogamer Angel' each whispering their imprecations into his ears. Whom did he heed?
Article ID: 5	Date: 9/22/2021 7:21:00 AM Poster: Doug Holt	Congress of Vienna Standard Game After-Action-Report: “The Clash of Armies” Scenario (Turn 1 of 4 – Aug. 1813) "...the more experienced of our Congress of Vienna Play Test Teams already know that when there is disunity among Allied players France may prevail!" Frank Esparrago and Fred Schachter begin a scenario AAR for their GMT Games' Congress of Vienna card driven game. Check out how this first game turn delivers a lopsided result in which "…the Allied bed has been made. Will they be able to recuperate from this turn’s set-backs or will Napoleon go on to victory?"
Article ID: 4	Date: 4/5/2021 7:14:00 AM Poster: Doug Holt	Congress of Vienna: Designing Its Solitaire Game "...how can a good solitaire system be devised?" Frank Esparrago begins a series describing efforts to create a solitaire system for GMT Games' Congress of Vienna. Things look promising, in that Jim Gutt has already been creating flowcharts that "…sometimes generate better play results by his [Congress of Vienna] Bots than an average human player can accomplish!"
Article ID: 3	Date: 8/26/2020 8:23:00 AM Poster: Doug Holt	Interview with Frank Esparrago Designer of Congress of Vienna from GMT Games "With this title, I want players to be reminded that Clausewitz’s maxim 'war is politics with other means' is very true...". Grant Kleinhenz interviews designer Frank Esparrago about his GMT Games' Congress of Vienna, a card driven simulation of the close of the Napoleonic wars. Frank is clearly focused on both a sound design and fun: "…you have to endow the cards with characters containing 'soul'…"!
Article ID: 2	Date: 7/27/2020 11:42:00 AM Poster: Doug Holt	Congress of Vienna July 2020 Development Update "...the effort to edit and 'professionalize' Congress of Vienna‘s Rulebook is well underway...". Frank Esparrago and Fred Schachter relate the progress being made on GMT Games' Congress of Vienna, now that it has made the P500 "cut". Updates include changes to the map board, combat balancing, the card deck and the solitaire game system. Looking good!
Article ID: 1	Date: 1/31/2020 5:21:00 AM Poster: Doug Holt	A Historical Introduction to the Congress of Vienna Period Part 2 of 4: Napoleon Resurgent (Spring 1813) "At the beginning of April 1813, the French withdrawal in Central Europe caused the Allies to acquire a false sense of security...". Designer Frank Esparrago continues a series of articles familiarizing readers with the historical background for his GMT Games' Congress of Vienna, which covers the intense dynamics of the period after Napoleon's retreat from Moscow. Check out some awesome history intended to whet your appetite: "…it was time to spring Napoleon’s trap."

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