FAQ & 2025 Rules Update
Since their debut in 2016, the Eagles of Empire Skirmish Rules have gained a loyal following among historical wargamers drawn to the tactical flavor of the Franco-Prussian War and early WW1. Great rules are never static - they evolve through play, discussion, and feedback. At their core, they’re frameworks built by wargamers for wargamers, designed to bring a specific historical period to life through finely tuned mechanics and evocative miniatures.
Over the years, your feedback has helped shape and refine the EoE system. This FAQ outlines our latest updates and clarifications to the core rules (Drill Book I & II) as well as the Loire Campaign Book.
If you and your gaming group have questions, suggestions, or ideas, we’d love to hear from you. Eagles of Empire is a living project - and your voice helps guide its march forward.
Recommended Rules & Adjustments for better play
2025.07.20
Unit Card Adjustment
Francs-Tireurs
The Francs-Tireurs unit card currently lists their weapons as Chassepot rifles with a range of 27". We recommend updating this to reflect their more historically accurate armament—Tabatière rifles—with a reduced range of 18". This change better represents the second-rate equipment commonly issued from French army depots to these irregular units.
2025.07.20
Doctrine Card Adjustment
Austriae est imperare
On the Austrian Doctrine card "Austriae est imperare!", the activation Cut Off Supplies costs 2CP and blocks income from any Tactical Objective on the table. We suggest limiting this ability to once per game per Objective - meaning each Objective may only be shut down a single time during the game.
2025.07.20
Movement Rate Bonus
Roads
We suggest to implement a 2" Movement Rate bonus for all units moving via roads on the table. In order to get the bonus, the unit has to start it's move on a road. This bonus also stacks with double movement activations like the German "Prussian Tactics" Doctrine Card activation. Examples an infantry unit with a Movement Rate 0f 6" will increase it's MR to 8" while moving via roads. This bonus applies to all unit types, also cavalry and artillery.
2025.08.28
Freshly Raised & Charged by Cavalry
Garde Mobiles
Q: If Moblots are charged by a cavalry unit, do they need to make the morale check with 2D6, because of their Freshly Mobilised and Charged by Cavalry rules?
A: The Freshly Mobilized rule represents the unit’s low morale and cohesion under impending attack from a formed enemy unit. So, already when they see the cavalry coming at them, some of them might start to run. The Charged by Cavalry rule represents the casualties incurred by cavalry clashing into and trampling over infantry. So, I think these two should both be in effect, and should be rolled – and can be rolled simultaneously as 2D6 with 4+ to save.
2025.08.28
Woods, Rough Ground and Cavalry
Terrain
Q: Is cavalry only forbidden to enter woods, or are they also restricted from all types of rough ground? I’ve seen both versions in the rulebooks. It would feel strange if cavalry could not cross small streams or plains, for example, when these are classified as rough ground.
A: While woods are always off-limits to formed cavalry, it is generally agreed that cavalry can cross small streams, hedges, and similar obstacles. Another example would be a small fence or wall. The best approach is probably to agree with your opponent at the start of the game, before initial deployment, which terrain features are crossable and which walls or obstacles are too high for horses to jump.
2025.08.28
A Draw during H-2-H
Hand-to-Hand Fighting
Q: If there’s a draw in hand-to-hand combat, must the attacker retreat 3", or can they decide? In the video you said they can decide, but in the rulebook it is written that they have to retreat.
A: A charge and ensuing hand-to-hand combat that ends in a draw should result in the attacker moving back 3" to reform. This adds another layer of enjoyable tactical tension, as it puts pressure on players to seize the initiative for the following round, enabling the player with the initiative to potentially gain the momentum of charging.
2025.08.28
Retreat 3" after a Draw
Hand-to-Hand Fighting
Q: In the Infantry Drill Book, on page 32 it says that losers of hand-to-hand combat retreat 3", but on the Rules Summary (page 35) it says losers retreat half of their movement. So in the case of Francs-Tireurs or cavalry, it would be more than a 3" retreat.
Which rule is correct?
A: The correct rule is a 3" retreat, regardless of the unit’s movement characteristic.
2025.08.28
Buying VPs in R1
Victory Points
Q: Initial CPs: At the beginning of the battle you receive some initial Command Points to buy units. Can these also be used to buy VPs (perhaps not wise, but is it allowed)?
A: Yes, you may purchase VPs with any amount of the initial CPs.
2025.08.28
Attacking into buildings
Movement & Charges
Q: When defending an obstacle or building, if the attacker loses hand-to-hand combat and retreats 3" from the building, is it intended that it would then take them two rounds before they could charge again? For example, my squad of Francs-Tireurs heroically defended against a squad of Zouaves trying to charge into a café, and the latter retreated away from the building. We decided that they could not charge again the next round, as they were then more than 2" from the building.
A: I think you played this correctly. Charging into a building will usually happen through windows or doors, so the full weight of the attacker is only fed into combat piece by piece. That’s the reason for the movement restriction: it takes time to feed a full unit into a house.
2025.08.28
When to use "Scout Cavalry"
Units & Special Abilities
Q: Hussars have the Scout Cavalry rule. Does the movement happen in the Shooting Phase if they decide to use it instead of firing?
A: Yes. This unit can replace its Shooting ability with an 8" move, executed as part of the Shooting Phase where it would normally fire. It’s a great way to add mobility in the early game, or to react to enemy movement and get the unit out of harm’s way.
2025.08.28
Initiative & Shooting
Shooting Phase
Q: Who shoots first—the player with the initiative, or the player who moved first? There seem to be two versions in the rulebook.
A: It should be the player with the initiative. The section in the book (pp. 24–25) can be confusing, but it essentially means that the player who had the initiative in the Movement Phase also has the initiative in the Shooting Phase. It is possible to surrender initiative in the Movement Phase, but otherwise, the player who has initiative in the Movement Phase also retains it in the Shooting Phase.
2025.08.28
Multiple Doctrine Activations
Doctrine Cards
Q: Can you use the French Infantry Doctrine on a cavalry unit in command, or is it restricted to infantry as the title suggests? Are there restrictions on how many times you can use doctrines per round, and can you use the same doctrine on one unit multiple times?
A: The Doctrine Cards will always state if there are specific restrictions (e.g., “infantry unit in command”). If you have the resources, you may activate the same Doctrine multiple times per round, but never on the same unit. However, you may use different doctrine activations on a single unit during one round.
2025.08.28
Cavalry Officers
Doctrine Cards
Q: If you recruit a squadron of cavalry, can you then use a cavalry doctrine in addition to the infantry doctrine chosen at the beginning of the battle? Are there currently any cavalry doctrines?
A: Yes. Recruiting a full squadron of cavalry will trigger an attached officer. This officer then grants access to the chosen Doctrine Card that the player has added for this particular game. There are a few different Doctrine Cards to choose from, but none specifically for cavalry at this point.
2025.08.28
Heroes as Officers
Heroes
Q: When you buy a Hero for a squad/section, is it in addition to a possible Officer in the unit, or does it replace the Officer? And is the Hero attached to one squad or to the whole section (in the case of a section)? For example, when would the Hero be removed as a casualty? As I understood it, you can also attach a Hero to a single squad if you want.
A: A Hero represents an Officer of repute and replaces the Officer miniature if the unit already had one. The Hero will follow a section, and if the section is reduced to a squad, the Hero follows that squad until it is eliminated and removed from play. As you mention, the Hero can also be attached to a single squad, at the cost of having only that squad’s unit strength to “hide” behind.