|
| |
1870 was published in 2001 specifically to accommodate the many large-scale engagements of this important war - from a few divisions to several corps per side.
The intention was to enable gamers to recreate very large battles without getting bogged down in extraneous details more appropriate for regimental-size skirmishes -- indeed, the normal command per player in most games is a corps or two: two to six infantry divisions.
Extensive morale and fire modifiers, multiple movement and fire opportunities, and national or troop type nuances have therefore been kept to a minimum in the interest of finishing a reasonably faithful approximation of a large historical battle in an afternoon.
A half-scale variant of the basic rules enabled smaller engagements to be fought simply by doubling the number of stands per unit in
1870 and 1859, while even smaller engagements are possible in
1864 using a quarter-scale version.
|
 |
Typical pages of the rules section are well-illustrated with examples of play, formation diagrams, and game board photographs |

|
 |
As much a source book as a rule set, the extensive historical notes, military chronology, annotated bibliography and detailed orders of battle provide ample reference material for custom designing additional campaigns or battles |

|
 |
1870 features 14 historical scenarios, covering Imperial and Republican phases of the war, while
1859 includes seven Italian and seven Danish scenarios. All have detailed maps and complete orders of battle. Enabling gamers to accurately recreate the wars' most interesting battles. Each scenario also includes "what if" variants positing historically plausible alternative missions or forces |

|
 |
A multitude of diagrams also helps the gamer understand the nuances of formations, maneuvers, and tactics, as well as visually differentiating the three different playing scales available. |

|
|