Description

The year is 1565 and on a tiny island in the Mediterranean, a small garrison of Knights of St John and Maltese within Fort St Elmo face off against a massive invading force of Ottomans under their supreme naval commander, Piyale Pasha. With control of the Mediterranean as the ultimate prize, will the Knights hold out long enough for relief to arrive from Sicily or will the Pasha succeed in a stunning show of military strength?
The stage is set for the greatest siege in European history.

The Great Siege of Malta is a wargame in two parts. Part 1: the Battle for St Elmo - where players can re-explore the strategies and events of the famous battle; and Part 2: the Siege of Senglea (scheduled for a 2021 release) which can uniquely be combined with part 1 (the boards will fit together) for a tabletop siege of truly epic proportions.

Both games use tokens and/or miniatures to represent the different military units available, on a gameboard presenting a detailed tactical map of the famous locations. The game offers tactical versatility within a simple ruleset that guarantees quick play. A combination of dice and card driven gameplay with a special Command Dice mechanism forces the players to think carefully which military units they will trigger for the round based on the limited available commanders. Combat dice then resolve the outcome of each attack while giving players opportunities to influence the outcomes through card play.

Game rounds represent single days of the siege with the two commanders having opportunities to manipulate their troops and play additional thematically rich special cards. The game can be played as a 'recreation of history' with known events occurring in certain rounds or as a more freeform 'what if' style of game that allows players on both sides to experiment with different strategies. Winning the game is not about destroying the enemy but instead focuses more on the balance of morale between the two opposing forces. Use superior tactics and brave challenges to improve your own morale or undermine the enemy and grab the victory!

The game is as historically accurate as we can make it. BadCatGames has worked closely with academic experts to ensure the game gives players an exciting opportunity to relive this most famous moment in european history in all its detail. Siege of Malta also presents the facts of history as they stand. The game does not take sides in any way and does not glorify either of the forces involved to the detriment of the other. The wargame is simply a gripping and thematic educational opportunity to experience this greatest of sieges.

—description from the publisher