Description

On January 17, 1781, Banastre Tareltons' [sic] Brigade of Light Infantry broke cover shortly after dawn, and faced a low hill sloping to a crest about 1/2 a mile away. A few hundred yards away were the American Rangers, the three light infantry companies that formed the pickets of the American position. Behind them, about half way up the slop stood 300 American Militiamen, none of them eager to face the enemy. But at the crest stood the American line. Six hundred regulars, they were the heart of the American force. Wearing bright blue uniforms, they stood in straight lines measured carefully by their officers. At the crest of the hill stood Morgan, the swashbuckling American light infantry commander. The British had chased him for two weeks, and now they had him, for he could go no further.

This game is at best an experiment in muzzle-loading warfare. If it works out, and I feel it has, we shall produce a line of such games.

—description from the publisher

A game depicting the American Revolutionary War battle of Cowpens. The game does not define its time or unit scales.

American units, except for cavalry, are deployed on the map. Cavalry units being off-map but are allowed to enter at any time. British units enter the map on designated turns during the first nine turns of the game. The turn order starts with one side firing, moving, and then designating bayonet assaults. This is followed by a defensive fire phase, after which the bayonet assaults are resolved. The opponent then executes the same phases which constitutes a completed game turn.

A CRT is used for combat resolution. Unit rankings include an attack factor, defense factor, movement factor, and range. Victory conditions are based on points received for destruction of units, ranging from 3 points for destruction of a militia unit to 10 points for destruction of a cannon unit. You win by scoring 10 or more victory points than your opponent. A margin of less than 10 victory points results in a draw.

The Battle of Cowpens was published in the first issue of JagdPanther magazine. While the rules and counters for the game were re-released in a 2012 PDF reprint of the magazine, the game's map could not be located and the publisher has asked for a scan of the map from anyone who owns the original edition.

—user summary