Description

Utilizing the basic game model first published in John Company, Gone To See The Elephant GTSTE requires absolutely no written record keeping, and as few as three standard six-sided dice.

Play is card driven, with random order of movement with players commanding Brigades composed of from two to five infantry battalions or cavalry regiments, possibly with an artillery battery.

How many Orders a General can issue in a turn to the units in a Brigade depends on his pre-determined Generalship, and the draw of a card from the Orders Deck for his level.

Orders are placed before movement each turn, then units check their Resolve to see how well those orders are obeyed--or possibly not at all!

Fire is calculated by weapon, troop types, unit Resolve, and number of Bases. Losses are taken in Bases as well.

Uncontrolled and unexpected Events can result from the effects of enemy fire, but also randomly. A distinct and separate Mexican and US Army Event Deck is provided. Unique and historical occurrences impossible to write rules for, but which could or did happen in fact, are now part of the mix as players seek to create a battle plan then react as best they can when it actually makes contact with the enemy.

Prairie fires, false truce, amazing individual acts of courage, etc, all could influence battle in Mexico, and can for the players, too.

GTSTE also provides optional Rules, including Ammunition, Stamina and Fatigue, Skirmishers, Sappers, Night Fighting, and Weather, among others.

Special Resolve advantages are available to the Mexican force which can field in miniature figures for the conduct of pre-battle Mass, a military band, field hospital, and Soldaderas supporting the soldiers.

Introducing an innovative ground scale system for basing, the game may be played with ANY size figures, from 5/6mm,10mm, 15mm, 25/28mm to 40mm, using the same 1” x .75” and 2” x 1.5” square bases without effecting movement or weapons ranges. Artillery is mounted on pre-measured triangular templates (provided with the rules) indicating maximum firing angles eliminating the need for measuring in play.

—description from the publisher