We playtested both battles quite a bit. Eylau was playtested in two distinct phases. The French player always was able to ward off the cossacks. I played both sides and never ran into this issue. I cant remember the players saying anything about it being uneven either.
We did not playtest the 15 min. versions. It might have something to do with the fact that the cavalry can move further per turn. Not sure.
For Friedland: Lannes and the French cavalry in the north have to retreat early on or otherwise they will be swamped. This is what happened historically. For the Allies its either go for the knockout punch or get slaughtered with their backs to the river or retreat behind the river. It is similar to Marengo. Have you played Marengo as the French and actually held the initial positions in and around Marengo? I doubt it. Play Friedland the same way. Fall back onto your reinforcements. Its the old "Time and Space" problem. Make your opponent follow you to the west and into the waiting arms of the main French army.
On the plentiful ammunition ... I checked on that and the Allies did not run out of ammunition at the battle. There was a case during the campaign where they were low and those scenarios account for that.
Each of the scenarios in CEF has a problem and its up to the players to come up with a plan to overcome it. In the winter scenarios it is difficult.
FYI: Myself and others on the team wanted to have blind fire for the cannon but in testing it out it didn't work so John Tiller went back to the original code we were using. That was one of my only laments about the game. Call it "Fire by the map" for direct fire artillery weapons. This would have accurately portrayed both sides firing blindly into the snow. It would have been an optional rule meant only for The Battle of Eylau.
Each of these battles is closed to being as balanced as I could get them. its up to the players to come up with a winning strategy. Friedland never plays like it did historically. What Allied player is going to hesitate to attack to their fullest early on? It would be like Napoleon sitting back at Waterloo and waiting for the Prussians to arrive and attack his flank. No, in Campaign Waterloo when anyone plays the French in the Waterloo battle, the French players all go in to deliver the knockout blow to Wellington as early as possible so that they can defeat one army and then defeat the other. Similar to Friedland but enemy coming from different direction.
(Sorry I am just seeing this ... I just do not answer customer comments as much anymore having been burned out on it over the 22 years of doing this work)
