Before the Declaration of Independence, there was unrest in the 13 colonies. Taxes and other restrictions were creating a divide between the British and their colonies. Militias were organized, arms were stockpiled, and people were beginning to choose with whom their loyalty lied.
Then the Rebellion began with the shot heard round the world. Militia and the British clashed and 273 British soldiers were killed before they made it back to Boston. Soon the Rebellion would lead to a Revolution and the Revolution to a new country.
Overview
Players control the major factions that participated in the American Revolution. The British side has the British Regulars, Loyalist Militia, and German Hessian Mercenaries. The American side comprises of the Continental Army, Patriot Militia, and French Regulars. The Native Americans are also available to be allied with either side.
Players for each side will be strategize together to coordinate their campaigns to control the colonies on the map. Players may then place reinforcements into any City Area(s) within the colonies their side controls. The game ends when a truce is called and the side controlling the most colonies wins the game.
Components
There is a lot of care and thought put into the design and components of 1775. The board is absolutely beautiful and one of the highest quality boards that I have seen. It's cut so that it lays flat and so little of a gap that it's difficult to see the folds when it is on the table. The map shows the original 13 colonies plus Maine, Quebec and Nova Scotia.
The game also comes with 205 Unit cubes. 35 red cubes represent the British Regulars, 45 yellow cubes the Loyalist Militia, 40 blue the Continental Army, and 45 white the Patriot Militia. The allies colors are 12 orange for the German Hessians, 10 purple for the French Regulars, and 18 green Native Americans.
There are 16 Battle Dice. These battle dice have different sides and colors depending on the group they represent. The target represents a hit, the man a flee, and a blank stand for a Command Decision. There are two red dice for the British Regulars, three yellow for the Loyalist Militia, 2 orange for the Hessian Mercenaries, 2 blue for the Continental Army, 3 white for the Patriot Militia, two purple for the French Regulars, and 2 green for the Native Americans.
There are also four blank turn markers that look like the Battle Dice. There is one for each faction color and a draw bag that is used to determine turn order.
There is one wooden round marker pawn and 16 double sided control flags. One side of the flag show the British flag and the other shows the American flag.
The last component is the Cards. There are 54 cards. The quality of the cards is outstanding. There are 15 red British cards, 13 yellow Loyalist Milita, 14 Continental Army, and 12 white Patriot Militia cards. The box insert is also worth noting. It is designed to either be kept as is in the box to hold all the factions components and draw bags separately or it can be broken apart by the perforations to be given to the faction players as a holder during the game. It's a great insert and just another example of the time and effort that went into the game.
Game Set-Up
The first thing players need to do is to choose a scenario. The game comes with three: The 1775 campaign, and Introductory Scenario with a shorter playing time, and The Siege of Quebec.
I will explain the set-up for the 1775 Campaign Scenario set-up, the rule book will detail the other two scenarios.
After deciding on the scenario players should choose a faction to play. They then take the corresponding units, Battle Dice, and cards of that factions color. If there fewer than four one or more players will control multiple factions on one side of the conflict. All factions must be played.
Colonies - The map shows the 13 original colonies, Maine, and the provinces of Nova Scotia and Quebec. For game purposes they will all be referred to as colonies. Each colony is color coded and divided into areas, some of which contain cities.
Placing Starting Units - Some areas on the map are marked with colored squares, which represent the starting placements for the 1775 Campaign Scenario. Populate the map areas with the corresponding colored units.
Place Additional Units - Randomly draw a turn marker. Each faction of the side drawn places four additional units of its color in areas hat already contain its side's units. Then, each faction of the other side places 4 additional units of its color in areas that already contain its side's units.
Create Reinforcement Stockpile - With the remaining units, players should create a reinforcement stockpile. These units will be placed on the map as Reinforcements at the beginning of a faction's future turns or as called for by Event Cards.
Place Control Flags - control flags are placed on the colonies that each side controls. So there should be British flags in Delaware, Quebec, and Nova Scotia. There are also American flags in Connecticut and Rhode Island.Create Player Decks, Draw Cards - Each of the four factions prepares a draw deck from the cards numbered 01-12 in its respective color. The cards above 12 are used in "The Siege of Quebec" Scenario only. Card numbers are located on the bottom right corner of each card. Shuffle the cards for your faction draw three.
Each faction's desk consists of twelve customized cards, eight of which are Movement Cards and four that are Event Cards, If a player draws only Event Cards,indicated by the word "Event" on the card, they should show the other players, reshuffles them into his draw deck and draw three new cards.
Players from the same side may show each other their cards in order to coordinate their future actions.
Place Round Marker Pawn - Place the Round Marker Pawn on space 1 of the round track located on the bottom right side of the map.
Game Play
Rounds and Turns - The game is played over a variable number of rounds. During each round, all four Turn Markers are placed int the draw bag. Next, a Turn Marker is blindly drawn form the bag and is placed on the "1st turn space on the Turn Track. the color drawn denotes which faction's turn it is. This faction completes its turn before the next Turn Marker is drawn from the bag.
Once all Turn Markers have been drawn and all the factions have had their turn, the round ends. The round Pawn is advanced to the next round space on the Round Track and a new round begins.
Game End Check - At the end of round 3 and at the end of each subsequent round, the game end condition must be checked.
Turn Sequence - A draw Turn Marker shows which faction takes its turn next. The person who controls this faction is the Active Player and performs the following phases in order:
A. Reinforcements Phase
B. Movement Phase
C. Battle Phase
D. Draw Cards
A. Reinforcements Phase
Place Reinforcements and Fled Units. At the beginning of a turn, the Active Player pulls 4 units from his Reinforcement stockpile and places these into any City Area(s) within the colonies his side controls. Each faction has a limited supply of Reinforcements. If they have less than four units in their stockpile they place all remaining units. The Active Player may also play any Event Cards they hold in their hand if allowed during this phase by the card.
Fled Units
In addition to placing Reinforcements, any of the Active Player's units located in the Fled Units Space re-enter play by being placed into any City Area(s) within the colonies he controls.
If any Active Player begins a turn in which his side controls no colonies, then he may not place any Reinforcements or Fled Units. The Active Player loses that turn's Reinforcements and his Fled Units stay in the Fled Units space.
Controlling a Colony
When units of only one side and / or its allies (Hessians or French) occupy areas areas in a colony, that side controls the colony. Empty areas do not influence colony control. An area containing containing Native American units prohibits control of a colony. Controlled colonies are marked with either an American or British Control Flag.
If a side should move all of its units out of a colony it controls, the colony becomes neutral at the end of the round and the control flag is removed.
Allied Units
Hessian and French Units enter the game when certain Event Cards are played. These units are always controlled by their allies and never change sides.
Native Americans - Native American units is an area are independent until allied with a side. This occurs when British or American units more into an area occupied only Native American units. Once allied to a side, the Native American units are controlled by that side. Native American units in different areas may be allied to the Americans and British at the same time.
As soon as an allied Native units are left alone in an area (due to movement or battle), they become independent. They can become allied again in the future.
When Native Americans units allied to opposing sides meet in battle, the flee in equal numbers from each side until only one side or neither side has Native American units left. These Fled units are placed into the Fled Units Space.
If a side has only Native American units remaining in a battle, they become allied to the opposing side remaining in the area.
B. Movement Phase
The Active Player must play one, and only one, Movement Card during their turn. Units may be moved by land or water, depending on what the Movement Card allows. The Active Player may also play any Event Cards that they hold in their hand, if allowed during this phase by the card.
Once played, all cards are discarded, except for the Truce Cards which are placed face up along the right side of the board.
Armies are formed from units in the same area. An army can be formed wit units from factions and allies of the same side. A player can include all or some of the units, but at least 1 unit in the army must belong to the Active Player. The Active Player can then move the army.
The number of solider figures on a Movement Card represents the maximum number of armies that the Active Player may move, followed by how many areas each o the these armies may move. an army, including any of its units, may only be moved once during a turn.
Armies are moved from area to area, across area boundaries. An army must stop if it enters an area occupied by enemy units are independent Native American Units. Armies cannot drop off or pick up units while moving. Units may not move multiple times with different armies.
Land Movement Cards
Land Movement Cards allow armies to move from one land area to the next. Armies are moved by the Active Player as permitted by the Movement Card he played and as modified by any Event Card(s) played.
A player does not need to move the full number of armies indicated by the Movement Card or use all the allowed movement per army.
Water Movement Cards
To move over a body of water, a Warship or Fishing Boat Movement Card must be played. Armies that have a Water Movement Card must be played. Armies that have a Water Movement Card any move from a land area adjoining a body of water to any other land area adjoining the same body of water, even if that land area is enemy occupied. A body of water ends where rivers are "greyed" out. The St. Lawrence Seaway is connected to the Atlantic Ocean for purposes of water travel. Units may only land move across river where the river are grayed out.
Fishing Boat Army Sized Limits
Fishing boats allow two armies, of up to three units each, from up to two different land areas adjoining a body of water, to move to one single land area adjoining the same body of water.
Truce Cards
Each faction has one Truce Card. These cards are played as a Movement Card. After being played, they are placed face up along the right side of the map instead of being discarded.
This enables players to track how many Truce Cards have been played. The game ends at the end of round 3 or at the end of any subsequent round in which the Truce Cards have been played by all factions of a side.
Event Cards
Each faction has unique Event Cards in its deck. Event Cards either add extra units to a map, modify movement or affect combat for the Active Player that turn. each Event Card states in which phase it can be played. The Active Player may play all Event Cards in their hand (up to two if they have them).
C. Battle Phase
A battle occurs when opposing armies occupy the same area. If there are multiple battles, the Active player chooses the order in which the battles are resolved. Any Event Cards played that may influence a battle must be assigned prior to battle resolution.
The Side that moved into the area is the attacker and the other the defender. The defending players have the initiative, and simultaneously roll their battle dice and apply the results. If units of both sides remain in battle, the attacking players simultaneously roll their Battle Dice and apply the results. The battle continues, alternating back and forth, until only one side remains in the area.
Each faction's controlling player will roll his Battle Dice and make decisions for his own units. A player rolls a number of Battle Dice corresponding to the number of their units present in a battle. The maximum number of dice that may be rolled is limited by the number of dice a faction possess.
Battle Dice Results - Each Faction's Battle Dice have a unique combination of Hit, Flle and Blank "Command Decision" faces.
Hit Results - When a Hit die face is rolled, an opponent's unit is removed from the battle and placed into its Reinforcement Stockpile. The opponents decide among themselves which unit to remove if units from more than one faction are present in a battle.
Flee Result - When a Flee die face is rolled, the faction's player removes one of his own units from the battle and places it into the Fled Units Space.
A factions Fled Units return at the beginning of that faction's next turn. Place them into any City Area(s) within colonies controlled by that factions side.
Command Decision Result - When a blank die face is rolled, that faction's player may decide to move one of his own units out of the current battle. This unit may move into any adjacent area that is not solely enemy occupied.
An Area that contains both freindly and enemy units (an upcoming battle) may be moved into by Command Decision. An area that contains only Native American units may be moved into by Command Decision, because they are independent. Once your unit moves in, they become a ally.
If a battle area is surrounded by enemy occupied areas, a Command Decision movement out of battle is not possible. An army that moved into battle by water may not move out by water with a command Dennison.
D. Draw Cards Phase
At the end of their turn, the Active Player draws his hand back up to three cards. If there are not enough cards left in the draw deck, he draws what remains.
If the Active Player has no Movement cards in his hand after he draws, he must show his cards, reshuffle them into his draw deck and draw three new cards. A player must always have one Movement Card in his hand after drawing.
The Active Player's turn is now over. A new Turn Marker is drawn from the draw bag and the next player takes their turn. If all Turn Markers have been drawn, the round is over and game end conditions are checked. If the game does not end, a new round begins.
The game end condition is evaluated at the end of round 3 and a the end of each subsequent round. The game ends at the end of a round if Truce Cards belonging to all faction of one or both sides have been played.
The game is won by the side that controls the most colonies. Games can end in a tie. In case of a tie, neither side wins and America becomes a southern province of French Canada.
My Thoughts
One of my favorite things about board games are the pieces, the components, that move around the board, that you can pick up and feel. One doesn't get the same interaction with IOS or video games; only board games. So for this reason, the components, the board, and sometimes even the box itself comes under scrutiny, as they are all part of the game. I have only good things to say about the components for 1775. The box insert, the game board, the artwork, the dice, and the cards are all amazing. I really wish more boards were of the quality of 1775's, it lays flat right out of the box, with no gaps between the folds. The insert is useful for both storage and game play. Plus, you have the option to leave it as or tear it apart so each player can have their own tray. The dice and Turn Markers are beautiful and chunky. They are fun to roll and will stand up to a younger player's abuse. The cards have beautiful artwork and Event cards even have a little bit of history to explain them. There is a lot of care and thoughtfulness that went into every level of this game.
As a history teacher, and a fan of history, I like the extra effort put into the end of the rulebook with the explanation of the 1775 Rebellion and the Event Cards that were added to the game.
There is both strategy and luck at play in 1775. Where and when to move your troops, allying with the Native Americans, and when to attack all depends on the strategy you choose. But there is also the luck of your card draws and the dice. In the games I have played so far, have not been able to bring out my French Allies or Hessian allies (depending on the side.) They are not necessary to win the game, but they are very helpful. I just haven't drawn the cards before the end of the game.
Rolling dice also adds another element of luck. You may bring a far superior army into battle but lose on dice rolls. Of course you can be on the other side where you small army beats up your powerful foes; another win for the underdog. What is definite is that this is not a pure strategy game, so those looking for pure strategy look elsewhere.
I don't enjoy heavy war games, I like them simple with limited options and the addition of dice and cards is also preferred. This is what I have found in 1775. You only have 12 cards during the first scenario, and only draw three in your hand at a time. I didn't feel overwhelmed by options when playing. I know by the card I played, I can move three armies two spaces and that is all. I could use an Event Card as well. Of course when it came to choosing which armies and where it did get a little more complicated. I like the Event cards that helped you move more armies, add extra units, and bring in your allies. I didn't so much like when the Benedict Arnold card was played on me, making me lose control of a colony.
The Command decision result is also useful and can keep a colony from falling into your enemies hands, or take an army from a lost battle to the next one to be fought. So, no matter what is rolled players are left with useful actions. The dice rolling and strategic decisions offer a nice blend of thematic game and Euro game mechanics.
There is also minimal downtime during the game, with either two players or four players. During a four player game you will be discussing and planning with your partner. And each turn may be a chance for you to roll your battle dice. Turn order is determined by the Turn Markers being pulled from the bag so you never know when your next turn will be. This has both advantages and disadvantages for players. You can't predict when you will next play so a thought out move may not work after your opponent takes two turns in a row. I also believe there is a distinct advantage to going last after the second Treaty of Paris card has been played. It is one of my issues with the game. When that card comes out and your opponent needs only one more colony to win you better hope you have good luck with your dice rolling. Of course, many will say that careful planning ahead of time will negate that last move. But the possibility is there and I don't like it. I was the one who won the game because of it. It just felt like a shallow victory.
Overall I have really enjoyed 1775: Rebellion, the game play is solid, the components amazing, and the game length just right. It's a game that families can play together, school children can use as a fun way to learn about the beginning of the American Revolution, and couples can enjoy as a light war game. Luck and card draws may keep heavy war gamers away but even they can enjoy the blend of Euro and thematic game mechanics. It a game that I know will stay in my collection based on theme, fun factor, and ease of play.
Quick Stats:
Designer:Beau Beckett, Jeph Stahl
Artists: Jarek Nocon, Steve Paschal
Publishers:Academy Games, Asyncron Games, Ediciones MasQueOc, Schwerkraft
Players: 2-4
Game Length: 75 minutesAges: 10 and up
Photo Credits: Jeph Stahl (jstahl) (2), Brian Sinclair (Brian Sinclair), Kevin Duke (kduke)
Thanks for sharing your great pictures!
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