Description

From the Rules Booklet (of around '8'-pages in length):" With Fire and Sword is a game type simulation of the Thirty Years War period. From 1618 to 1648 most of Western Europe was engulfed in a brutal dynastic struggle. The game is an operational/strategic Level simulation with each turn representing one year and military units representing armies of various types and strengths." This is basically a (2) player game with (1) player having the "Habsburg" forces, while the other player has the "Anti-Habsburg"(or 'Coalition') forces. There are (3) Scenarios presented, beginning the Game at either '1618', '1630', or even '1636'. Players will need to provide their OWN '6'-sided DIE, before commencing play. This game is described as: "A medium complexity strategic game of this period of turmoil." The TROOP 'strengths' can be considered as 'hidden' since the FRONT of the 'counter' depicts ONLY that it is a TROOP, while on the REVERSE of them is the actual 'strength' denomination. The scale is given as '48'-kilometres across EACH 'Hex' and "Yearly" Game Turns. This Game was produced in either a "Plastic Baggie" form, or as a "Boxed" edition, for those that might find one of these versions.

The gamemap(of '3'-colors~BLUE, TAN, GRAY or a combination of those) depicts an area encompassing Eastern France & the 'Benelux' countries, over to mid-Poland/Hungary, and from Northern Italy up to the Baltic Coast. As is usual with the excellent production values of the fine folks at "Simulations Canada", this gamemap has plenty of useful information contained upon the 'Gamemap', such as: a 'Terrain Key'; a 'Victory Point Track'; (3)~"Resources Available" Charts(for EACH of the '3' Scenarios); an 'Event Generation' Table; 'Movement & Winter Attrition' Tables; with 'Field and Siege Combat Results' Tables. There are '200' Game counters(printed on FRONT and BACK) in quite a large variety of COLORS, such as: RED; Dark RED; BURGUNDY; BROWN; PINK; YELLOW; GREEN; BLUE; Dark BLUE; Light BLUE; TAN; GRAY and WHITE. These mainly consist of TROOP and LEADER counters, with small silhouettes for them, while there are other 'Informational'(with appropriate 'silhouettes') ones as well, such as: 'CONTROL'; 'Siege'; 'Plague'; 'Famine'; 'Barren'; 'Sacked'; 'Rebuild'; 'Game Turn'; numbered counters from '1~6'; and (2) sets of 'Victory Point Track' markers('1' SET for EACH player).

The "Sequence of Play" is as follows:
A.-Payment and Recruitment Phase:
1.-Pay Units on Map. 2.-Recruit new Units. 3.-Place new Leaders. 4.-Wounded Leaders recover.
B.-Flip 'Sacked' Markers and Remove 'Rebuilding' Markers.
C.-Event Phase: 1.Roll Yearly 'Event' and any Scenario *Special* 'Event'.
D.-Initiative Phase
E.-Movement and Combat Phase: [1st Player]
1.-Movement 2.-Field Combat 3.-Siege Combat
F.-Movement and Combat Phase: [2nd Player]~same as 1st Player.
G.-Siege Maintenance Phase
H.-Removal of 'Barren' counters placed previous year.
I.-Winter Attrition Phase
J.-Control Phase