Sword & Siege Crusades: Book II

by

Wargame Design Studio

  Wargame Design Studio is at it again. I am a little late to the party. It was released a few months ago, but better late than never. You have so many famous rulers in this time frame of the Crusades. Frederick I Barbarossa, Saladin, and Richard I Coeur de Lion - also called Malik Rik by his Muslim opponents (supposedly by saying Malik Rik they would frighten their children to behave). In this game you also get the rather unsettling Fourth Crusade and its conquering of Constantinople. Apparently, none of the Crusaders had a compass and landed just a little astray. As an extra added attraction, you get probably the most famous Siege of Acre included (it had quite a few). It was included in the 'Art of Sige' by SPI and was one of my favorite board wargames. This is what WDS has to say about the game:

"Crusades: Book II" is the second title in a planned trilogy documenting the Crusades launched against the Levant over several hundred years.

In the mid-12th century, the eastern Mediterranean was a complex region of competing powers. The Latin crusader states, though wealthy in ports and castles, were short on manpower. The Roman (Byzantine) Empire, a Christian great power, had its own strategic priorities and a history of lost provinces. The Muslim world, while not unified, was increasingly capable of consolidating resources under strong rulers in Syria and Egypt. Warfare was constant, influenced by both politics and piety, with alliances shifting and control of strategic locations often more important than holding empty land.

“Crusades: Book II” picks up after the Second Crusade’s failure outside Damascus in 1148. The Crusader forces abandoned the siege due to supply issues, conflicting goals, and mistrust among allies. The Levant was left with a frontier society, the Latin states of the Holy Land, which were rich in sacred significance but lacked manpower. These states aimed to maintain their territories, secure routes, and expand influence where possible.

The early period of this era was marked by vulnerability in the north. The first battle in 1149 at Inab saw Nur al-Din defeat the Principality of Antioch’s army and kill its prince, highlighting the fragility of the crusader frontier. The Latin East was not a unified “Crusader Kingdom” but a collection of lordships—Jerusalem, Antioch, and Tripoli—each with its own priorities and rivalries. Cooperation was possible but not guaranteed, and a concentrated enemy force could turn a local defeat into a broader crisis.

From the 1150s to the 1170s, the strategic landscape shifted as Muslim power consolidated. Nur al-Din’s expansion in Syria escalated the conflict from border raids to a struggle for regional dominance. The Crusader states retained strengths such as formidable castles, access to the sea for supplies and reinforcements, and the ability to attract periodic aid from Europe. However, these advantages could be undermined if an opponent could choose the time and place of battle, coordinate multiple armies, and maintain pressure on several fronts.

The rise of Saladin marked a major turning point. Emerging from the politics of Egypt and Syria, he unified resources previously divided between rival courts to wage a more coherent war. This led to a growing ability to concentrate forces and apply pressure to the Crusader states’ weakest points. In 1187, the Frankish field army was defeated at Hattin, followed by the rapid loss of inland strongpoints, most notably Jerusalem. Even where garrisons held out, the strategic balance had shifted: the crusader presence could survive but no longer dominate.

This crisis led to the Third Crusade (1189–1192), notable for its scale and for figures such as Richard I, Philip II, and Frederick Barbarossa. It also highlighted a recurring theme in Book II—crusading involved logistics and coalition warfare as much as battlefield courage. Western armies had to transport men, horses, and supplies across seas and hostile coastlines, coordinate large forces from different realms, and convert tactical victories into lasting control. Coastal strongholds like Acre were crucial as ports, depots, and gateways, but inland dominance required field armies that the Latin states struggled to maintain year after year.

The years after 1192 marked the era's challenging middle, characterized by raids, sieges, and relief marches through towns, castles, and along connecting routes. The crusader states, now focused on coastal cities and fortifications, had to defend supply lines and prevent enemy armies from isolating strongpoints. Their opponents faced operational challenges, such as assembling forces over long distances, coordinating commanders, and sustaining pressure through repeated campaigns. This period saw the strategic balance tested directly by who could seize, hold, and relieve key positions.

From this unstable equilibrium emerged the Fourth Crusade, intended to strike eastward but ultimately remembered for a catastrophic diversion. The decisive factors were practical rather than ideological: fleets, transport capacity, and the ability to deploy an army where needed. Entangled in Byzantine internal struggles and supported by Venice, the crusading force turned against Constantinople. In April 1204, the city fell and was sacked, shocking contemporaries and reshaping the balance of power in the eastern Mediterranean.

Between 1149 and 1204, the background covered in Book II is a story of momentum and miscalculation: how a frontier society tried to survive in a hostile landscape, how its opponents learned to coordinate and concentrate, how charismatic leaders and hard geopolitics could turn containment into reconquest, and how grand plans of kings could be derailed by money, weather, and temptation. If Book I ended with disappointment outside Damascus, Book II shows the subsequent long struggle to endure between crusade and counter-crusade, culminating in a finale that transforms the eastern world even as the original goal slips further out of reach.

The region where the game’s battles unfold encompasses the modern-day territories of Israel, Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, parts of Turkey, and Iraq. This area has been a theater of nearly 3,300 years of continuous warfare, spanning from the Battle of Kadesh (dated to 1274 B.C., the first battle to be recorded with significant detail) to the present-day conflicts.

Crusades: Book II includes 102 Scenarios – covering a variety of sizes and situations, including a solo tutorial scenario, five Training scenarios, Historical, Variant and What If versions for both head to head play and vs. the computer AI.

A range of maps are included covering all the significant locations fought over during the 3rd & 4th Crusades, the period between the 2nd and 3rd Crusades and some of lesser known locations.

The order of battle files cover the various forces that participated in the campaigns with other formations added in for hypothetical situations.

There are extensive 3d unit graphics covering all of the major armies involved.

Campaign and Scenario Editors which allow players to customize the game.

Sub-map feature allows the main maps to be subdivided into smaller segments for custom scenario creation.

Design notes which cover the production of the game, campaign notes and a bibliography that includes the sources used by the design team to produce this historical simulation game.

Crusades: Book II provides multiple play options including play against the computer AI, Play by E-mail (PBEM), LAN & Internet "live" play as well as two player hot seat.

Includes battles from all aspects of the 3rd & 4th Crusades + period between 2nd & 3rd Crusades - major encounters to small skirmishes. 102 stand alone scenarios and 4 campaigns. A sampling would be:

Inab

Ascalon

Lake Huleh

Butaiha

al-Buqaia

Harim

Bilbeis

al-Babein

Alexandria

Montgisard

Damietta

Hama

Jacob's Ford

Kerak Castle

Hattin

Jerusalem

Tyre

Safed

Acre

Arsuf

Constantinople"

 Thank you WDS, for once again charging into the breach.

 Panzer Campaigns Donbas '43

by

Wargame Design Studio (WDS)

 If you play computer wargame simulations and you have never heard of WDS, I have only two things to say: 1st, please follow the link below and prepare to be blown away. 2nd, if you are not actually a real Troll or Dwarf how do you manage to live under that rock. Also, please say hello to Regin and Fáfnir for me. But seriously, and stop calling me Shirley, the wizards of WDS are at it once again. Here in their own wonderful words are some of their thoughts on Donbas '43:

"Donbas '43' Info

**Overview

For the Germans, the Battle of Kursk was intended to be the main summer operation of 1943, aiming to slow the advancing Russians and regain the initiative. Launched on July 5, the initial victory quickly turned into a stalemate.

On July 13, Hitler summoned von Manstein and von Kluge, commanders of Army Group South and Center, to his Eastern Front headquarters, the Wolf's Lair in East Prussia. The Allied invasion of Sicily on the night of July 9–10, combined with the Soviet counteroffensive of Operation Kutuzov against the flank and rear of the northern side of the Kursk salient on July 12, along with attacks by strong Soviet forces at Prokhorovka on the same day, prompted Hitler to halt the offensive and redeploy forces to the Mediterranean theater. He ordered his generals to cancel Operation Citadel.

Kluge welcomed the decision, as he was already pulling units back to respond to Soviet attacks on his flank. Manstein urged continuing the offensive, believing he was close to a breakthrough. Hitler remained unmoved, worried about the Allied landings and the stability of his Italian allies. However, he did agree to Operation Roland, which aimed to destroy the Soviet reserves in the southern Kursk salient, caught between both the III Panzer Corps and II SS-Panzer Corps.

On July 17, the Soviet Southwestern and Southern Fronts launched a major offensive across the Mius and Donets Rivers against the southern flank of Army Group South, pressing against the 6th Army and 1st Panzer Army. In the early afternoon of July 17, Operation Roland concluded with orders for the II SS-Panzer Corps to begin withdrawing from the Prokhorovka sector back to Belgorod. The 4th Panzer Army and Army Detachment Kempf had already anticipated the order, starting to withdraw as early as the evening of July 16. Leibstandarte's tanks were split between Das Reich and Totenkopf, and the division was quickly moved to Italy, while Das Reich and Totenkopf were sent south to counter the new Soviet offensives.

In Donbas '43, as the commander of two Soviet Fronts—the Southwestern and Southern—you have multiple armies ready to defeat the proud but battered German Wehrmacht. As the German commander, you'll need to contend with limited panzer forces worn down by fighting at Kursk. Although Panzerarmee 1 is available, only the XXXX Panzer Corps has panzer divisions. Units from the 6th and 8th Armies are present, but their corps are mainly infantry defending the river lines. The Mius River defenses are strong, but both the quality and number of men available are likely to leave them vulnerable.

Lead Soviet spoiling attacks at Izyum and the Mius on July 17, while the Germans are still engaged at Kursk, or attempt a full multi-front offensive on August 16 to clear the Donbas. This will highlight how the Germans are discovering the challenges of ‘frontage versus depth’ and why the backhand blow tactics from four months earlier are no longer effective. The stage is set! All that's needed now is for you to launch one of the key campaigns of Summer 1943 on the Eastern Front!

**Game Content

Donbas '43 includes 101 Scenarios – covering all sizes and situations, including 5 solo tutorial scenarios plus specialized versions for both head-to-head play and vs. the computer AI.

The master map (211,470 hexes) covers the entire area from the Dnepr River in the west to Izyum, Voroshilovgrad, Stalino, and Rostov-Na-Donu in the east. 

The order of battle file covers the Axis and Allied forces that participated in the campaign with other formations added in for hypothetical situations.

Order-of-Battle, Parameter Data and Scenario Editors which allow players to customize the game.

Sub-map feature allows the main map to be subdivided into smaller segments for custom scenario creation.

Design notes which cover or include the production of the game, campaign notes and sources the design team used to produce this simulation game.

**Game features include:

Phase or Turn-based play with 2 hour turns and 1-kilometer hexes.

Three levels of 2D views and two 3D views of the battlefield.

The Panzer Campaigns game engine provides multiple play options including play against the computer AI, Play by E-mail (PBEM), LAN & Internet "live" play, and two player hotseat.

**Document Preview

- Design Notes

- User Manual

- Changelog

**Credits

Scenario Designer: Daniel Asensio

Project Coordinator: David Freer

Artist: David Freer

**System Requirements

Windows 10 or 11

Processor: 1 GHz

Disk Space: 1 GB

Memory: 1 GB

Video Memory: 512 MB

This wargame is for sale at https://wargameds.com/collections/new-products - The Wargame Design Studio Store"

 As usual, WDS has created a game where you as the player are going to question your life choices. I mean if you can commit to playing 101 different scenarios in just this one game, being a monk in Shangri-la might have been a better lifestyle choice. However, for we Grognards their games are truly slices of heaven on earth. All of their games, which run the gamut from the Crusades to World War III, are filled to the brim with historical information about the campaign that you are playing. Thank you WDS, for continuing to not only flesh out more periods of military history, but for updating your older games almost on a weekly basis. 

Battle of Torgau

The Seven Years War System Volume II

by

Adhoc-Edition

  The Battle of Torgau was tactically pretty much of a draw. The Austrians did lose the heights, that were their main line of defense, after dark by an attack by Ziethen. However, both armies had been mauled by the vicious fighting and were in no shape to continue or for the Prussians to follow up this hollow victory. So, tactically you could call it a small Prussian victory. Strategically, the Austrians were becoming weaker because of the money spent on the war. After Torgau Austria was never again able to field as large an army as fought here. Prussia itself was getting worn out and soon Frederick was forced to just try and block the different armies attacking Prussia. With the death of Catherine the Great, Russia left the war in 1762. Really, all of the combatants were quickly running out of resources, except England, to continue the war. Peace was signed in 1763, and Frederick was left in control of Silesia. His land grab during the War of the Austrian Succession and Austria wanting to revenge its loss and take it back was the real cause of both wars.

 

 This is what Adhoc-Edition has to say about the game:

"Torgau 1760, the second game in the "SYWBS" series, will simulate the battle fought on the 3rd of November 1760 in northwestern Saxony during the Seven Years War. King of Prussia Frederick II the Great commanded the Prussian Army: 48,500 men (62 bns, 102 sqns) and 246 guns. F.M. Graf Leopold Daun commanded the Austian Army: 55,500 men (67 bns, 116 sqns) and 275 guns.

The games from the "SYW Battle System" (SYWBS) are highly playable grand-tactical portrayals of battles of the Seven Years War. The series’intent is to show how command operates on the battlefields, using the weapons and tactics of the period. The system emphasizes command & control and high playability.

The games all share the following characteristics: Scale = 200-220 m/hex (219-240 yrd/hex) Time = 30 min/Turn (60 min/Hourly phase) Counter = 1 Brigade, 1 Battalion, 1 to 3 Squadrons, 1 Battery. 1 Strength point = 100 men approximately.

Game components: 1 x A1 (58x81cm - 23x32") - 5.5 x A4 Countersheets (720 x 15mm 5/8" square counters & marquers and 52 x rectangular counters) - 4 x Orders/organization Sheets - 2 x Rules books (Simple & Standard V4.0) + 2 x Playbooks - 5 x Player Aid cards - 1 x Printed carton box."

This is a picture of the map from the designer. 

 The map is very well done, almost beautiful. To me, it really invokes the time period that it represents. However, because of the paper it is made from you do get some deep creases in it. I would suggest using a plexiglass piece over it. I did have one "for just such an occasion (Foghorn Leghorn)", but it seems I lost it in the move. 

 The game comes with a plethora of player aids and two rulebooks. The rulebooks are titled 'Simple Rules' and "Rules'. They are both made up of glossy paper and are printed in two columns. Both have many examples of play and have a sequence of play on the back of each rulebook. All of the documents are in full vibrant color and evocative of the time period. The Simple Rules are 27 pages long while the Rules are 39 pages long. The game takes an interesting change of pace with its playbooks. There is a separate Austrian and Prussian playbook. The first eight pages of both have identical and excellent historical recap of the battle. The six-scenario information and setups are next. The first is a 'Free Setup' one at the beginning of the battle. Scenarios two through five have the setup instructions on a full page on the left with the right side being a map. The formations that are already placed on the map at the start of the scenario are shown on the maps. Scenario six is the entire battle with the historical setups instead of the free setup in scenario one. The Austrian playbook does have a map with the troops position. The Prussians are approaching the battlefield. The Austian playbook is one page longer than the Prussian one because of the map for scenario six. The end of both playbooks has the order of battle for their respective armies. These OOB's are an integral part of the game system. More on this below.

 Now we go the player aids. They are also glossy and are made of card stock. It is easier to list them:

Austrian Terrain Effects Table/Austrian Units Data

Prussian Terrain Effects Table/Prussian Units Data

Rules Reminders (two-sided)

Charge Opponents Ratio Table/Charge Results Table

Austrian Relative Firepower Tables/ Fire Combat Results Table

Prussian Relative Firepower Tables/Fire Combat Results Table

Order of Battle for the Austrians under G.F.Z. Lacy

Order of Battle for the Prussians under G.d.K. von Ziethen (the battle was fought in two separate actions)

Order of Battle for the Prussians under Frederick II

Order of Battle for the Austrians under F.M. Graf Daun (the last two are two foldable pages)

 We advance forward now to the counters. The counters are beautiful and really immerse the player into the 18th century. Most of the Brigade counters are two or three hex rectangles. As battle or movement affect the units, normal square counters are used. The counters can show line, column, and other formations. One thing you will not find on them are number values. This paragraph will explain how to use the OOB's in the different playbooks.

"All units on the OOB's have important values, under their name. Each value is for each status of the unit: 'B' if the unit is still within its Brigade and in the same formation (Brigade counter used. unit's square counter still not used). 'F' if the unit is Well Formed within or not within its Brigade (unit's square counter is used). 'S' if the unit is shaken and, finally, 'P' if the unit is Panicked."

 This means that you will need to cross reference your units with the OOB's in the playbooks to find out their combat values. You will probably also need to swap out the larger rectangular counters for the square ones during play. I will do a close up on the OOB's to illustrate this.

 The only other thing to mention is the game is sent in a flat pack that also contains the game box to be assembled by you. The box is surprisingly strong once put together. I have had other normal sized and weight games placed on it and it had no issues.

 How do the components of Torgau measure up? In my book they get an A- for their beauty and ease of reading etc. The only thing I am not a fan of is the deep map creases. 

This is a picture of the multi-hex brigade counters from the designer

 Now we get to the crux of the matter, gameplay. I have seen a good number of beautiful games ruined by bad game mechanics. The next question to be asked is do the rules give a historical representation of 18th century warfare?

 The first thing I want to say about gameplay is this. The game does come with both Simple and regular Rules. However, like most good wargames, they adhere to the GIGO principle (garbage in, garbage out), meaning that you will have to put some effort into learning the game. If you are a seasoned wargamer of even the Napoleonic era, this game and its rules will come as no surprise. If, however, you are only used to pushing cardboard panzers it will take some time to get used to. The biggest difference between the Simple and regular Rules is the inclusion of orders into the mix. This also includes the time it takes to send an ADC off on his horse to the troops in question. Some wargamers are not a fan of orders in game rules. However, I like their addition in games that simulate warfare before radios were commonplace. It is true that the designer has given us the Simple rules to do away with more tracking and forget about the time lag. 

 When you are first presented with the game, the number of counters seems large for a smaller battle such as this. This is in comparison to other battles that have about 100K troops all totaled. The reason the counter number is so large is because of the way the game handles some mechanics. Each unit will have multiple counters depending upon its status at that moment. So, counter clutter is cut down, and you also do not have stacks of informational counters teetering on top of the unit counters.

 I believe that it most definitely helps a player to be immersed in the subject matter of the games they are playing. In fact, most of my gaming is totally dependent on what military history I am reading at the moment and not the other way round.

This is actually double-sided

 The crash of brigades and squadrons in the game seem to me to really give plausible 18th century results. The Battle of Torgau was a close and highly contested one. This was not an easy win for Frederick, as with Rossbach. In actuality the battle came down to the wire. The Prussians became the winners almost in a double overtime situation. This was not the Austrian army of the War of the Pragmatic Sanction, and the rules and the designer's ideas show that. 

 Victory is decided by points. Each side in the different scenarios have their own special conditions. Units that are panicked or removed from the board are either added to your total (enemy units) or added to your opponent's score if they were your units. Some of the scenarios also have points given for control of certain hexes. So, pretty standard fare in wargames.

 To me, the game does make a good representation of the pageantry and linear form of warfare used in the Seven Years War. The different rule sets allow the players to decide how immersed into it they can get. Even with the Simple rules you will feel like you are commanding Prussian or Austrian brigades across a battlefield from over 200 years ago. The rules are not the cookie cutter kind. They are not designed to, nor do they feel like, replicate other eras of warfare with just prettier counters. This game sucks you in and makes you not so much care about the cardboard counter, but you do get a rush when a brigade that is faltering is able to make one more push to crack the enemies line.

OOBs for both Ziethen and Lacy scenario

 Thank you Adhoc-Edition for allowing me to review this game. I am much more versed in the earlier battles in the Seven Years War like Kolin. So, this was also a chance to increase my knowledge of the era. I am also a big fan of Field marshal Daun so that also adds into the equation. Adhoc-Edition has added a few battles to their Seven Years War System in the interim. Please check out the entire line below.

Robert Peterson

Adhoc-Edition

Battle of Torgau

 Mark H. Walker's '65

Squad-Level Combat in the Jungles of Vietnam

by

Flying Pig Games

 This is the war a lot of us grew up with. It was there every night on the news. With only 3-13 TV channels it was hard to escape as a kid. This is just a look at what is inside the box. 

 This is what Flying Pig Games has to say about the game:

"Download the living rules PDF for 2e here.

Fast, furious, and fun. Mark H. Walker’s Squad Battles series of games are known for their beautiful components and ease of play. A card driven game that stresses accessibility over mind-numbing complexity, ’65 Squad-Level Combat in the Jungles of Vietnam uses its cards to increase uncertainty and decrease the number of rules gamers need to remember. '65 covers skirmishes from Ia Drang to Operation Starlight, and the players control U.S. Army Rifle squads, M48 tanks, M113 armored personnel, Hueys, North Vietnamese Sappers, RPD machine guns, and VC rifle squads as they attempt to outwit their opponents.

This second edition of ’65 Squad-Level Combat in the Jungles of Vietnam adds the lasting effects of artillery barrages, Desperation Fire, more immersive helicopter gaming and much more. Additionally '65 2e updates the rules and player aid cards and incorporates errata. This is a game created by gamers for gamers. We hope you enjoy it. 

Each Game Includes:

3 richly illustrated, 11” x 17” geomorphic game boards

Over 175 HUGE 1” and 1.375” counters. Bigger is better!

1 deck of 54 action cards

Full color rules and scenario booklet

Age: 14+

Players: 2-3

Playing Time: 1 hour and14 minutes to as long as you want to take.

Retail: $100.00"

The dice that come with the game are also oversized. So, that should give you an idea of how massive these counters are.

The NVA along with the VC are represented in the game.

 

The cards are well done and easy to read. There is nothing fancy about them. However, they serve their purpose admirably.

 So, what do we have inside the box? First, a word of caution. The counters are prerounded and desperately want to eject themselves from the surrounding sprues. Almost like paratroopers during a drop. The counters are not only large but are very thick. I didn't try it, but I think you could play tiddlywinks with them. My apologies for the pics not being spot on. I have just decided to join the 21st century as far as taking them for the games I look at. Please bear with me as I learn a new task. Many times, in the past I was using the companies' pictures.  However, I would have mentioned it if the pictures on their websites were not the same as what you received. In actuality, this was never the case.

 The player aids, along with the other components, are exactly what we have come to expect from Flying Pig Games.

 As the box proudly states, this is the 2nd edition of the game. Many people were clamoring for a reprint and Flying Pig Games has done you one better. I was a huge fan of the 1st edition. So, I cannot wait to see the differences stated in gameplay in this edition compared to it.

 In keeping with the move to the 21st century. I decided to try to use an AI program to write some things about this game. This is what I received:

"Shuffling Sheep has released a new war gam(nice leg???). It is called ^56. The gam is about the Vitamin War(Vietnam??). Only Crippled Cockroach could develop a gam this goodness(What about Betty Grable??). Ornithopters fill the sky of Venice above the frozen fields of Veracruz(???)."

 So, I decided not to try and decipher the rest. It resembled a drunken translation of cuneiform. I was going to use an AI picture of Mr. Walker. However, the number of extra digits and eyes made it look like a portrait done by Picasso. In all seriousness, the original '65 was an excellent tactical wargame. I hope and assume that the changes in the 2nd edition will only make playing it even more enjoyable.

Robert Peterson

Flying Pig Games

Mark H. Walker's '65

 Pontiac's War: Frontier Rebellion, 1763 - 1766

by

Compass Games

 I was an avid reader of Allan Eckert and Francis Parkman books in my youth. They both wrote about the early frontier days of the thirteen British Colonies in North America. I had always read about the indigenous people since I was old enough to hold a book. I am not sure if it was in an Eckert book or somewhere else that I first read about Pontiac (Obwaandi'eyaag) the Odawa (Ottawa) War Chief, and his rebellion against the British. This was just after the end of the French & Indian War. British hubris, especially commanding General Jeffery Amherst's, was in full swing and their treatment of the natives was part of this. The British believed that they had beaten the French and that now most of North America belonged to them. This was without any thought of the natives who actually lived there. The Indians were no part of the peace treaty between France and England. The frontier turned into a powder keg after the French troops left and the English took over their forts. This game is about what happened after the fuse was lit.

 This is what Compass Games has to say about the game:

“I mean to destroy the English and leave not one upon our lands.”  Pontiac

“It is not in the Indian’s power to affect anything of consequence.” Major Gladwin.”

"Pontiac’s War: Frontier Rebellion, 1763-1766 followed on the heels of the French and Indian War which ended in 1763. Thanks to Indian resentment over the French surrender of their lands and the harsh policies of General Jeffery Amherst, governor-general of British North America, 20+ Indian nations rose up under the charismatic leadership of the Ottawa sachem, Pontiac and the Lenape Holy Man, Neolin. When the powder-smoke cleared, 450 British soldiers and countless Indians had lost their lives. Two thousand settlers were either killed or captured and 4000 more had been displaced. Moreover, Britain’s foreign conflicts had put the Crown 140 million £ in debt. These expenses led directly to a series of unpopular taxes in North America which in turn led directly to another uprising, our colonial revolution.

Pontiac’s War attempts to recreate the reaction of Indian leaders to British mishandling of frontier politics and the impending colonial crisis it presaged. Building on the point-to-point system and loose Indian alliances used in King Philip’s War and Blood on the Ohio, this design expands frontier conflict using Battle cards to introduce combat chaos, British expenditure on troops, Uncertain Indian Arms supply, siege rules, the capture of prisoners, French interference and trader influence.

The game offers five short introductory scenarios (15-30 minutes), three one-year campaign scenarios (2 hours), and one three-year grand campaign (5-6 hours). Although not a solitaire design, it is solitaire friendly. Players will appreciate the high-production quality of the components which includes a MOUNTED game map and large, 5/8″ size punch-out counters."

Product Information:

Complexity: 4 out of 10

Solitaire Suitability: 5 out of 10

Time Scale: Seasonal turns (approx. 3 months per turn)

Map Scale: Point-to-Point map (approx. 60-75 miles between points)

Unit Scale: 30-50 men, 4-6 artillery guns, individual officers and sea vessels

Players: 1 or 2 (best with 2)

Playing Time: from 15 minutes (intro scenarios) to 6 hours (grand campaign)

Components:

One 22 x 34″ MOUNTED game map

Four Counter Sheets of deluxe, 5/8″ punch-out counters

106 Game Cards

16 Wooden Cubes

11 Player Aid Cards

Rules Booklet

Eight 6-sided dice

Box and Lid

This is the center part of the map. I am still trying to figure out the best placement for the Indians in the first turn.

 The game comes with a colorful mounted map. It shows the territory from Wisconsin to New York and Pennsylvania, along with all of the area in between. The English forts are displayed on the map. The many and varied Indian Nations villages are also on display. The map has all of the pertinent information on it. The turn track, razed forts, and Indians arms, among others, are all right there for the player. The writing on the map is nice and large. The map has point-to-point movement. The game comes with two Off-Map Forces sheets. These are made of card stock and are a half page in size. Next up are two full sized Player Aids. These have the Charts and Tables on one side, and the Combat Sequence on the other. These are both full sized pages and are both made of card stock. The last Player Aid has the 'Indian Nation Activation' rules on it. It is also full sized and made of card stock. It is only single-sided. The Rulebook is 36 pages in length. However, the rules themselves only take up the first 18 1/2 pages. Then comes the information to play the three shorter scenarios and the campaign game. This is followed by a description of some historic sites and then the Designer's Notes. This is followed by a first turn playthrough from page 25 until page 36. This is a very nice addition to be able to see the game being played and the rules you need to use. The game comes with four counter sheets. The counters are nice and large and very easy to read. Both sides have their own deck of cards. Each side has a deck of 50 cards. They are of normal game size, but they do seem to be sturdier than most. The game actually comes with 16 six-sided die, eight per side, and small plastic cubes (these are for use on the Indian Nation Activation Player Aid).

This is the same area of the map (I am still debating my first turn placement) with the addition of a card form both decks. Atrocities on both sides were the name of the game in this conflict. 

 The game rules show us the actual realities of the conflict. The Indian Nations are disjointed and have their own agendas. The British forces are, of course, under their officer's control but are hamstrung in different ways. The Indians' pressing concern is to keep their Arms Track, guns and ammunition, as high as possible. To do this they must take forts and win battles. One of the major reasons that the war took place was because the British were starving the Indians of powder and ammunition that they now used for hunting. By taking forts and winning battles, they can replenish their limited supply of guns and ammunition. Great Britain nearly bankrupted itself during the Seven Years War. This was a global conflict that taxed even the British treasury. So, the number of troops in North America was pared down to keep costs low. As the British player you can add to your forces, but the amount of these forces and their shipping etc. comes with a cost in victory points. So, the Indian player needs to attack, and spend Arms points to do so, but they have to weigh out the loss in arms compared to their possible gain. 

 The game is played in seasonal turns. British Officers and Indian Sachems are prime targets for their enemies. The Indians will be hard pressed if they lose the five victory points for the loss of both Pontiac and Neolin. Neolin was the Lenape/Delaware Prophet. As in some other Indian Wars a native prophet (Neolin) was preaching a return to a lifestyle before the Colonials appeared. There are no stacking limitations, except in forts and during winter (the Off-Map Player Aids come in handy). The game has rules about captives, ambushes, and the destruction of both settlements and native villages. The Indians have to raze as many British forts as possible, and the British can knock the different Nations out of the war by destroying all of their villages. The Indians can move ten points per turn, and the British can move eight. Captives play a large part in the game. The game also gives both players a deck of Combat Cards to be used with, you'll never guess, Combat. Some of the cards also affect the game in other ways in the bigger picture. In the Campaign Scenario the British player has a historical setup to adhere to. In that same scenario there are some rules to adhere to setting up the Indians, but the player is given a lot of leeway. The big question for the Indian player is whether to try and take Detroit on the first turn or not. You can have enough different Nations warriors at Detroit to try it. The other strategy is to spread out your forces and sweep up the numerous smaller English forts first. Historically the latter idea was tried with Detroit trying to be taken by a coup de main. The additions of the cards to play along with luck of the die makes either one a viable option for the Indian player. The victory conditions are based upon the realities of that moment in time. Obviously, the British and Colonials, given their power and population and time, would eventually steamroll over the different tribes. At best, historically, the Indians could have kept the status quo for a decade or more. 

 The game comes with these scenarios:

The Rising - Spring, Summer & Fall 1763

The British Response - Spring, Summer & Fall 1764

The Inconclusive Conclusion - Spring, Summer & Fall 1765

Pontiac's War - The Full Campaign 1763 - 1765

There are also five Introductory Scenarios. Four of them are of two turns each and the fifth has four turns.

The designer has also added six optional rules to help give the players even more replayability and ways to use their gray matter.

This is the Sequence of Play:

Indian Reinforcement

 1. Optional Annual Activation

 2. Key Leaders

 3. War Belts

British Reinforcements

 1. Militia Volunteers

 2. (Spring) Guinea Loans

Indian Movement/Combat/ Both sides replenish cards

British Movement/ Combat/ Both sides replenish cards

Supply/ Siege Attrition

Rebuild Forts & Rally

Lift Sieges/ Wintering

Determine Victory Points

Advance the Turn Marker

 There is a sheet of errata that can be downloaded here:

Pontiac's War Official Clarifications Sheet

You can also download the Rulebook.

 Thank you, Compass Games for allowing me to review this very well-done game on Pontiac's Uprising. I also want to thank the designer John Poniske for developing a game on this important historical period.

Robert Peterson

Pontiac's War: Frontier Rebellion, 1763 - 1766

Compass Games