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
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| 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).
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| 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
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