This is a short summary of a game (played in 1996) of GamesUSA's Friedland, Scenario 5 (the full day). This is the best scenario in the box as a game, as it does give the Russians a chance to attack early on and achieve a position where Napoleon's arrival comes too late to push them back against the Alle. (Note that this session was played with the original GamesUSA rules, the 3.0 rules and John Mundie's refit did not exist yet.)

0600: the Russians get the first and third activation, and both are double activations. This is a true stroke of luck. The French right holds, but the Saxon division and Oudinot's 1st Res brigade lose a step.

0700: On the Russian right wing, the Guard Div gets into position for an assault on Heinrichsdorf. In the center, the 3rd and 8th Division cause a step loss and retreat to the 3rd Res Brigade, but their advance stops there due to the lack of cavalry and the need to bring the artillery up. On the left, the 1st Brigade is eliminated, and the Saxons are pushed back. Only the second extended counter of the division is still west of the Muehlen stream, in Bothkeim. The 1st Brigade is moved towards the center to fill the gap left by the loss of the 3rd Brigade's extended counter.

0800: The Advance Guard and 6th Cav attack the exposed part of the Saxons, causing the third step loss - the division loses its extended counters and only remains in Posthennen. It had to take the step loss, or the French could have advanced across the Muehlen stream in two areas at once. As it is, the Saxon cavalry still holds area 012 across the Muehlen stream, and Mortier can enter the map.

0900: The French wait until they have a double activation to clear 012 (their main reinforcements entry area, and now adjacent to the Russian left) by moving Mortier off towards the center and bringing the 2nd Res Division on board to take his place. It is immediately decimated and finally pushed back by two combined attacks, involving the Advance Guard and 6th Division, and the 2nd Division and 6h Cav. The latter manage to cross the Muehlen stream above Posthennen.

1000: Bagration, the 2nd Div and 6th Cav move from the woods into 011, eliminating the remains of the 2nd Res Div. Mortier attempts to push them back in a desperate counterattack, using his 1st Div and the Saxon cavalry in a flank attack from Posthennen. The attack fails, and a roll of '6' means that Mortier must retreat - but the Saxons have no eligible retreat area left and lose a step.

1100:Beaumont uses a failed Russian attack to position himself in area 036, thereby blocking the access to Posthenen for Russian artillery. In a desperate attempt to shore up the defense of area 025, Kollogrigov's Guard cav is moved there, but will now have to stay until the French are gone (chances of bringing it back in command are slim).

1200: The Poles are used to shore up the left wing, but this will place them out of command.

1300: The Russians get a chance to activate a wing. Docturov is activated and eliminates (after massive bombardment) two more steps of Oudinot's division. Oudinot and Lannes are out for three hours (but have virtually nothing left to command anyway - there is a single reduced brigade in front of Heinrichsdorf (now OOC and unable to move). The Russians advance into area 024, and unless the French recapture it immediately, Kollogrigov's Guard cavalry will finally be able to move. Docturov's second attack on the cavalry in 036 narrowly fails to dislodge it. The Russians still cannot get artillery up on the hill. Posthenen finally falls with the Saxon cavalry being completely eliminated. Victor's corps appears.

1400: The incredible happens. While the French are shifting units to get enough space for Victor's big push, Docturov's wing may activate again. Beaumont has been reinforced with part of Nansouty's Heavy Division, but they are still pushed out of 036, and Beaumont's command is eliminated. This completely fouls up the stacking limits for Victor's advance and finally gives Russians the opportunity to move artillery onto the Posthenen hill along the road. Also, it means that at least the first Russian line of defense is completely on the rise, giving them the defense modifier (but in exchange, Titov's 3rd division on the left flank won't be able to bring artillery up the slope. Immediately afterwards, another wing activation happens! This time, Uvarov attacks three brigades of Grouchy's division east of Posthenen. One is eliminated, the others have to retreat. The Russians take possession of the area (034) thus making a French flank attack on Posthenen impossible for now.

1500: The French start the turn with seven areas under their control. Some shifting around, and then Victor's division together with the heavy cavalry hits the Russia 3rd division, which retreats back down the slope. The Russians finally manage to bring their artillery to the frontline, and get ready for the expected onslaught.

1600: Ney arrives. However, the first activation is again Victor's, as Essen's 7th division is pushed of the Heinrichsdorf rise by the 1st, although with some losses. Senarmont's grand battery of I Corps starts firing at Heinrichsdorf. The Guard division's position in Heinrichsdorf has already become tenuous.

1700:The guard arrives, but the French forces are still so compressed that room has to be made for it before it can enter the map. However, some of the Russian divisions are now so weak that it becomes actually probable that Victor might smash his way through them (with Ney meanwhile trying to catch the Guard division if it is pinned long enough in Heinrichsdorf).

1800: The Russians get the jump on the French, and Bagration's artillery pins the French in front of the 6th division, effectively preventing any attack on his wing for the turn. The same happens to Victor in front of Heinrichsdorf. Ney is pushing back the cavalry screen on the Russian right, but it is slow going.

1900: Bagration's artillery again is devastating. Victor's assault against the Guard division goes in though, and dislocates it from Heinrichsdorf. However, Victor's 2nd division takes part in a disastrous attack in the center and is now down to its 3rd step. There was no chance at a coordinated French assault on the right, and Nansouty's cavalry is taking losses from artillery without being able to strike back effectively.

2000: Finally, it happens. The French activate first, two forces at that, and it is Victor's and Ney's corps that push Mallutin's Guards off the hill and out into the open. Bagration's bombardment finally turns out to be ineffective. The next activation also goes to the French, and Mortier sends the Polish division and cavalry against the 8th division in area 039. The Russians are pushed back across the Muehlen stream, and suddenly a large gap looms in the Russian line.

2100: Again, the French start off first, with two forces. Nansouty moves into Posthenen (undefended since the Russians were unable to react to the breakthrough) and Mortier attacks Bagration and the 6th division from the front while Nansouty comes from the rear. The Russians retreat under losses. The Poles, attacking the 8th across the Muehlen stream, are repulsed, but still cause losses. The Russian left has been pierced and will have to fall back.

2200: Another combined assault by Mortier and Nansouty throws Bagration back into the woods W of Posthenen. Only a few scattered units of the left wing stay across the Muehlen Stream. On the other flank, the remains of Dorochow's brigade hold the rise in 055, but another great assault by Ney pushes a wedge deep into the Russians, with Mallutin's Guards (now down to their fifth step) almost into the outskirts of Friedland. For all practical purposes, this is how the battle ends.

Losses:

French:
Oudinot's Grenadiers: 1/2 step left (4 steps)
2nd Div: 4 steps (elim)
Saxon Div: 4 steps (elim)
Nansouty 4 cav
1 Hart, 1 Art

Grouchy 2nd Drag 1cav
1st Light 4 cav (elim)

Mortier Polish 1
1 Art

Victor
1st 3 steps
2nd 3 steps
3rd 1 step
1 Art

Ney
3 Saxon cav
2 art

Sum: 6art, 11 cav, 20 inf (20 or 26 2/3)

Russian

Adv Guard2 2
1 cav

2nd Div 2
6th Div 1
1 Hart
1 art

14th Dv 1 art

Mallutin 4

Kollogrigov 1cav
Uvarov 3cav
Lork 3cav (elim)

Dorochow 1cav
1 art

3rd Div 3
7th Div 2
8th Div 1
3 art
1 Hart

Sum: 8 art, 8 cav, 15inf (21 2/3)

Summary: Still a marginal performance by the Russians?? The French have larger losses! There should be a -2 shift above 15 French steps lost.