Commands & Colors Tricorne: The American Revolution

Commands & Colors Tricorne: The American Revolution

Game Design by Richard Borg

By design, Commands & Colors Tricorne – The American Revolution is not overly complex. The game is based on the highly successful Commands & Colors game system, where the Command cards drive movement while creating a “fog of war” and the battle dice resolve combat quickly and efficiently. Commands & Colors Tricorne – The American Revolution, however, introduces many new game concepts, which will add historical depth and provide even the most veteran Commands & Colors player many new play experiences and challenges.

The scale of the game fluctuates, which allows players to effectively portray some of the larger American Revolution battles, as well as smaller size skirmish actions. In some scenarios, an infantry unit may represent an entire brigade, while in others a unit may only represent a few companies of soldiers. Still the linear tactics of the period, that you will need to execute to gain victory, conform remarkably well to the advantages and limitations inherent to the various American Revolution Armies of the day, and the battlefield terrain features on which they fought. To further emphasize the differences in battlefield doctrine between the British and Continental forces, each army has its own unique deck of Combat cards.

Players, that are familiar with other Commands & Colors games, will soon note that unit combat losses in a Tricorne game are typically not as great as other games covered in the Commands & Colors series. This is a direct result of the linear tactic fighting style of the armies that fought during the American Revolution. Unit morale is the main thematic focus in a Tricorne battle as it was historically. Knowing that an entire unit, that has only taken minimal losses when forced to retreat, may actually break and rout from the battlefield, will definitely keep players on the edge of their command chairs during an entire battle.

The 12 battles, showcased in the scenario section of this booklet, feature a stylized battlefield map that emphasize the important terrain features and highlight the historical deployment of forces in scale with the game system. These scenarios are a smattering of some of the better-known engagements of the American Revolution.

• Bunker Hill -17 June 1775
• Long Island (Grant’s Attack) – 27 August 1776
• Long Island (British Flank March) – 27 August 1776
• Freeman’s Farm – 19 September 1777
• Bemis Heights – 7 October 1777
• Bemis Heights (British Redoubts) – 7 October 1777
• Monmouth – 28 June 1778
• Camden – 16 August 1780
• Cowpens – 17 January 1781
• Guilford Courthouse – 15 March 1781
• Hobkirk’s Hill – 25 April 1781
• Eutaw Springs – 8 September 1781

Product Information:

• Complexity: 6 out of 10
• Solitaire suitability: Best enjoyed by two players
• Time Scale: The scale differs by scenario
• Map Scale: The scale differs by scenario
• Unit Scale: The scale differs by scenario
• Players: 2
• Playing Time: 60-90 minutes

Components:

• Battlefield Game Board (Mounted)
• 5 Terrain and Accessories punchboards containing:
• 72 Double-sided Terrain Tiles
• 26 Double-sided Victory Banner counters
• 60 Command cards
• 48 Combat cards (25 British, 25 Continental)
• 5 Block and Dice Label sheets
• 2 Double-sided Summary Cards
• Rule and Scenario Booklet
• 309 Blocks: blue Continental units, red British units, dark blue German units comprising:
  • 252 small, red, blue, dark blue blocks for infantry units
  • 20 medium, red, and blue blocks for cavalry units
  • 37 rectangular, red, blue and dark blue blocks for leaders and artillery
• 8 Battle dice
• Box and Lid

NOTE: All components are comparable to the quality you expect in any Commands & Colors game.

Game Credits:

• Designer: Richard Borg
• Developers: Paul Miller, Stan Oien, Rick Thomas
• Cover Art, Stickers and Package Design: Michaël Monfront
• Map, Card Design and Layout: François Vander Meulen
• Rules Layout: Ken Dingley
• Title Art: Robert Shields