Description

(from the designer:)

On June 12, 1898. Filipino revolutionary forces under Emilio Aguinaldo declared proclaimed independence of the Philippine islands from the colonial rule of Spain. The declaration of independence however was not recognized by the United States of America and Spain since the Spanish government ceded the Philipines to the USA in the aftermath of the 1898 Treaty of Paris which formally ended the Spanish American war (April 25 to August 12, 1898). Tensions already existed between both sides due to conflicting movements of independence and colonization further aggravated by misunderstandings on both sides and feelings of betrayal on the Filipino side. The tensions escalated between the former allies on February 4, 1899 when a Filipino soldier was shot by an American soldier (William W. Grayson) in Manila. Fighting soon erupted in Manila and culminated in an official Filipino declaration of war by the Malolos congress on June 2, 1899. The war would last 3 bloody years and would see a short conventional war followed by a long guerilla war which would be a prelude of things to come in Vietnam 60 years later.

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"Bolos & Krags" is a simulation of the Philippine American War 1899-1902 which saw 4 years of brutal guerilla war resulting in 4,000 American soldiers and a million and a half Filipino dead. The war influenced Mao Tse Tung to refine his people's war guerilla doctrine which would haunt the U.S. in Vietnam and Iraq many decades later.

Area impulse action movement system. 280 counters, 12 pages of rules, area map covers all of Luzon. units are leaders of regiment sized battlegroups which you equip with companies in a system similiar to Death In the Trenches/CSA. Victory centers on Political will (like Byzantium Reborn/Battle For China). Combat is the NO CRT wescom system from Death in the Trenches/CSA. Has Strategic chits(from Storm Over Taierzhuang) to give both sides a wealth of strategic options. Lots of random events.

The game shows the political and military dimensions of the war. 16 bimonthly turns. In a historical, easy to play and learn, balanced and interactive format. Playable within one evening. Interesting situation as the U.S. with military supremacy tries to fight a guerilla war with determined but poorly equipped Philippine Republic insurgencts in one of the most roughest terrain in the world.

This game includes:
Mark Twain, Bandit hunts, guerilla warfare, atrocities, Sun Yat Sen, Boxer Rebellion, Philippine Constabulary, President Mckinley, 1900 U.S. presidential elections, epidemics, Mao Tse Tung (Ok, a cameo in the random events), General Joe Wheeler, typhoon, hearts and minds and more...

This game is probably the first wargame on the Philippine American war 1899-1902 and this game will shed much needed light on a obscure part of American history.