Supply Lines of the American Revolution: The Southern Strategy Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• 1.0 Introduction
• 2.0 Components
  • 2.1 Mapsheet
  • 2.2 Units & Leaders
  • 2.3 Militia & Loyalists
  • 2.4 Navies
  • 2.5 Supply Cubes
  • 3.0 Set-Up
  • 3.1 Crown Set-Up
  • 3.2 Patriot Set-Up
  • 3.3 Irregular Cup Set-Up
• 4.0 Sequence of Play
• 5.0 Supplies
  • 5.1 Generating Supplies
  • 5.2 Moving Supplies by Land
  • 5.3 Effects of Loyalist Control on Supply Lines
  • 5.4 Moving Supplies by Sea
  • 5.5 Carrying Supplies
  • 5.6 Expending Supplies
• 6.0 Initiative Phase
• 7.0 Impulse Phase
• 8.0 Militia & Loyalist Actions
  • 8.1 Recruit
  • 8.2 Forage
  • 8.3 Raid (Militia Only)
  • 8.4 Hold (Loyalists Only)
  • 8.5 The Swamp Fox
• 9.0 Army Activations
  • 9.1 March Action
  • 9.2 Merging & Splitting Commands
  • 9.3 Transport (Crown only)
  • 9.4 Attack (with Leader only)
  • 9.5 Skirmish (Patriot only)
  • 9.6 Dig-In
• 10.0 Battles
  • 10.1 Accepting or Refusing Battle
  • 10.2 Attacker Commitment
  • 10.3 Defender Commitment
  • 10.4 Defender Roll
  • 10.5 Attacker Roll
  • 10.6 Victory
  • 10.7 Defeat
  • 10.8 Skirmish Battle
• 11.0 The Art of the Siege
  • 11.1 Effects of Siege
  • 11.2 Surrendering to a Siege
  • 11.3 Lifting a Siege
• 12.0 Naval Affairs
  • 12.1 Naval Movement
  • 12.2 Sea Battle
  • 12.3 Removal
  • 12.4 Rolling for Return
• 13.0 Turn End Phase
  • 13.1 Resolve Sieges
  • 13.2 New Irregulars Come Out
  • 13.3 New Irregulars Placed in Cup
  • 13.4 New Patriot Commander Heads South
  • 13.5 Political Will Track Adjustment
• 14.0 Victory
• Sample Turn
  • Sample Turn: Supply Phase
  • Sample Turn: Initiative Phase
  • Sample Turn: Impulse Phase
  • Sample Turn: Turn End Phase
• Extended Sequence of Play

1.0 Introduction

Supply Lines of the American Revolution: The Southern Strategy is a sequel to the game Supply Lines of the American Revolution: The Northern Theater, 1775-1777. To lessen the chances of the designer developing early carpal tunnel syndrome, these rules will refer to this game simply as The Southern Strategy and to its predecessor as The Northern Theater.

The Southern Strategy shares many concepts and mechanisms with The Northern Theater: both games are about generating, storing, moving, capturing, protecting, and utilizing supply in order to achieve your military objectives. However, this is a standalone game, not an expansion, and folks who have played The Northern Theater should read these rules carefully before playing The Southern Strategy.

Britain's embarrassing defeat at Saratoga in 1777 was the tipping point that finally brought France into the conflict on the side of the rebellious colonials. The British were unable to bring George Washington's Continental Army to the kind of decisive battle at which the redcoats excelled, and had little support from the local populace. London believed there would be far greater support in the Southern colonies—a delusion that Southern exiles in Britain were more than happy to enable. At the instruction of Lord George Germain, the focus of operations in the colonies was shifted to the South. The idea was to subdue each colony one at a time, turning control over to loyalists while moving on to the next colony. This would divide the colonies and give the British a stable base of support. If worse came to worst and the British were forced to come to the negotiating table, they would likely be able to maintain possession of the Southern colonies.

That was the plan, anyway. While there were early successes at Savannah and Charleston, the predicted groundswell of loyalist support never really materialized. British supply lines were harassed by—and loyalist collaborators were subject to brutal reprisals at the hands of—bands of patriot Militia fighters such as those led by "the Swamp Fox", Francis Marion, and "the Carolina Gamecock" Thomas Sumter. While this fighting raged on, British regulars sought a decisive battle with their colonial counterparts. While the hapless and incompetent Horatio Gates was happy to oblige, his replacement, Nathanael Greene, conducted a masterful campaign that expertly utilized Fabian tactics and eventually resulted in Cornwallis's capitulation at Yorktown. Greene was Washington's right-hand man and, prior to taking command, he had begrudgingly served as Quartermaster. In that capacity, he greatly improved the American supply system.

In The Southern Strategy, there are really two interrelated conflicts running in parallel: a partisan conflict fought by locals within a colony, and a more traditional military conflict fought between armies that need supplies to march and to give battle. The presence of an army within a territory strengthens the partisans, while the dominance of the partisans within a colony affects the movement and creation of supplies.

2.0 Components

The game is played with one map, two six-sided dice, 100 wooden Supply cubes (60 green Food Supplies and 40 natural wood War Supplies), and 88 counters.

2.1 Mapsheet

The map represents the four southern colonies (Virginia, Georgia, and the Carolinas between them). The map is home to Areas connected by Movement Lines, to Partisan Boxes, and to Sea Zones.

There are three types of Areas:

• Cities are Areas that generate Supplies. Each City has two boxes (left-to-right): a Unit Box and a Supply Box.
  • Units are held in the Unit Box. There is no limit to the number of Units that a Unit Box can hold.
  • Supplies are stored in the Supply Box. Each City can hold up to 8 Supplies in total.
  • Cities with an anchor symbol are Port Cities. This function comes into play vis-a-vis Sea Zones (see below).
• Forts are Areas that can hold Supplies, but cannot generate them. Each Fort has two boxes (left-to-right): a Unit Box and a Supply Box. Each Fort begins the game with 1 War Supply. Like Cities, each Fort can hold up to 8 Supplies in total.
• Points are Areas representing wilderness and farmland. They neither hold nor generate Supplies, and they provide no Defensive Bonus (10.2). They are the only Areas that can be the target of a Skirmish attack (9.5). Control of Points determines which Cities can generate Supplies. Armies occupying Points may carry Supplies, subject to the limits detailed in 5.5.

Both Cities and Forts provide a Defensive Bonus (10.2).

Some Points have anchor symbols and count as Port Cities when moving supplies and transporting Units. References to Port Cities for these purposes include these Points.

Areas are connected by Movement Lines; two Areas that share a Movement Line are adjacent to one another, which is important when moving men and Supplies.

Each Colony has a set of Partisan Boxes where Militia and Loyalist forces (collectively called Irregulars) enter play, and can be expended to take certain Actions. If a player has more Irregular units available in a Colony's Partisan Boxes than their opponent, that player is capable of generating more Supplies in that Colony's Cities.

Along the coast are four Sea Zones, labeled A to D. The presence of the Crown Navy Unit allows the Crown Player to Transport an Army from one Port City or Sea Zone to another, while the presence of the French Navy Unit (friendly to the Patriot Player) will prevent such Transport. Navies can also assist in a Siege (11.0).

The map is also home to the following Tracks:

• The Campaign Turn Track. The game is played over a series of Campaign Turns, each representing two or three months of activity, until one player or the other achieves Victory. Two out of every five Campaign Turns are Winter Turns; during Winter Turns, neither player's Navy is available (they are fighting it out in the much more lucrative and important Caribbean theater) and the Patriot Player is unable to bring Reinforcements from the North. When the end of the Campaign Turn Track is reached, if the game has not yet ended, the marker loops around to the first Turn of the Track, and the British Political Will Track is degraded.
• The Pass Track records the number of times players have Passed in a Campaign Turn.
• The British Political Will Track tracks support in England for the increasingly expensive war. The Patriot Player wins the game by degrading this track to its "0" space, and the Crown Player by advancing it to its "9" space.

2.2 Units & Leaders

Each player has a set of counters of a single color (Patriot Blue and Crown Red), representing their fighting men, generals, and logistical staff. Each counter represents one or more Units, with the number of Units indicated by the number on the counter (i.e., a "1" counter represents one Unit, a "2" counter represents two, and so-on). At any time players can "make change", with the caveat that they are limited to the pieces provided.

Any number of Units that belong to the same side can occupy the same Area, either stacked on top of each other, or using the higher-denomination counters. A single Unit in an Area, or a stack of Units in the same Area, is called an Army:

• Only one Army may be Activated in a single Impulse (and only in a Full Impulse); this allows the player to move all Units belonging to that Army, singly or together.
• When an Army from one side moves into an Area occupied by an enemy Army, a Battle occurs. This can only happen if the moving Army has a Leader (see below).

Each player also has one Leader counter (tricorn hat symbols). Leaders are not Units and do not count as such for any reason. Leaders are required to Activate an Army that wishes to initiate a Battle. Leaders can be Captured. The Capture of a Patriot Leader bolsters support for the war in Britain; the Leader will be replaced on the next, non-Winter, Campaign Turn. The Capture of the Crown Leader (Cornwallis) immediately ends the game in a Patriot Victory.

Each player additionally has one Subordinate Leader; see 9.2 for their usage and limitations. Capture of a Subordinate Leader effects the British Political Will Track, but does not result in Instant Victory.

The Patriot Player has a special Militia Leader, the Swamp Fox (operating in South Carolina), which confers advantages when he is in play.

2.3 Militia & Loyalists

Each Player has a set of Militia (Patriot, light blue) and Loyalist (Crown, pink) counters, with a specific Colony (GA, NC, SC, VA) indicated. These units are drawn from the Irregular Cup and placed in Partisan Boxes for that Colony. During a player's Impulse, they may expend (remove) units from these Boxes to take certain Actions.

2.4 Navies

Each Player has a Navy, which moves from Sea Zone to Sea Zone. Neither Navy may be present during Winter Turns.

2.5 Supply Cubes

Supplies come in two types: green Food Supply cubes (used to Activate an Army) and natural wood War Supply cubes (used to Attack and Defend). Supplies are generated each Campaign Turn, including Winter Turns, in eligible Cities. Supplies can be stored in a City or Fort (a maximum of eight Supplies total), or carried by an Army that occupies a Point. At any time during a player's Impulse, they may freely move their Supplies along their Supply Lines (5.2). When expended, Supplies are returned to the stock to be generated again on a later turn.

Supplies are piece limited. That means that if all sixty green or all forty natural wood Supply Cubes are on the map, no further Supplies of that type will be generated on a given turn. If, during the Supply Phase, this looks to be the case, the Patriot Player generates Supplies for their Cities first, then the Crown Player generates Supplies with the leftovers (if any).

3.0 Set-Up

Place the Campaign Turn Marker on the second non-Winter Turn Space.

Place the Political Will Marker on the "4" space of the British Political Will Track.

Place one War Supply cube in each Fort.

3.1 Crown Set-Up

The Crown Player places an Army of eight Units, with the Crown Leader in Savannah, GA with four Food and four War Supplies. Then, place their Navy in Sea Zone D.

3.2 Patriot Set-Up

The Patriot Player places an Army of two Units in Charleston, SC.

3.3 Irregular Cup Set-Up

The following chits are placed into an opaque container, called the Irregular Cup:

• 2 GA Loyalists
• 1 SC Loyalist
• 2 SC Militia

The remaining Irregular Units form a pool by the side of the board, separated by Colony.

4.0 Sequence of Play

The game is played over a series of Campaign Turns, each representing two or three months of activity. Each Campaign Turn consists of the following Phases, always performed in this order:

• Supply Phase: Supplies are generated. Each Player (Crown first) then has the opportunity to move Supplies.
• Initiative Phase: Each player rolls a die. The high roller performs the first pair of Impulses in the Impulse Phase. Place the Pass Marker on the space corresponding to the highest die roll.
• Impulse Phase: Players alternate Activations in a series of paired Impulses: that is, the first player gets two Impulses, then the opponent, then the first player again. The first Impulse is a Limited Impulse, and the second a Full Impulse. Players can freely skip a Limited Impulse without penalty; if they skip their Full Impulse, it constitutes Passing. The Impulse Phase ends when both players Pass their Full Impulse consecutively, or when the Pass Marker has reached the last space on its track.
• Turn End Phase: Various procedures are performed regarding Naval affairs, siegecraft, irregulars, and reinforcements.
• Victory Check Phase: Both players check for Victory if an Instant Victory has not been obtained.

5.0 Supplies

Supplies are the crux of the game: without them, nothing much happens. Therefore it's important to fully understand how Supplies are generated, stored, carried, moved, and used.

5.1 Generating Supplies

During the Supply Phase of every Campaign Turn (including the first), a City generates 1 Food Supply and 1 War Supply so long as it satisfies the following conditions:

• It is occupied by an Army or Held by a Loyalists counter.
• At least one Point adjacent to the City is not occupied by an enemy Army, or is occupied by a friendly Army.
• The City is not under Siege.

A City generates 2 Food Supplies and 1 War Supply if the player whose Army occupies the City has more friendly markers in the Partisan Box for that Colony. For example, if there are more Loyalists in SC than there are Militia, then any Cities in SC occupied by the Crown Player generate a second Food Supply cube.

Note that:

• Supplies generated by a City are placed in that City's Supply Box, and therefore stored in that City.
• Cities can only store up to 8 Supplies. If the Supplies generated for that turn would bring the City's total to more than 8 Supplies, the City only generates Supplies to take it up to 8. Any/all Food Supplies are generated before any/all War Supplies.

5.2 Moving Supplies by Land

During each Supply Phase, each player (the Crown Player first, then the Patriot Player) may move Supplies to, from, and through their Armies and the Cities they occupy. During each player's Impulse(s) in the Impulse Phase - before, during, and after the Impulse - they may likewise move Supplies. In all cases, these Supplies are moved according to the following rules:

Friendly Armies that are adjacent to one another form a Supply Line. Supplies may be moved freely up and down the Supply Line. While moving Supplies, the Player need not respect any limitations as to how many Supplies can exist in a single Area. After moving Supplies the Player must ensure that the following two conditions are met:

• No City or Fort holds more than 8 total Supplies.
• No Army occupying a Point has more Supplies than it can carry—one plus the number of Units in the Army.

5.3 Effects of Loyalist Control on Supply Lines

If a Loyalist piece Holds an Area, for the purposes of moving supplies it is not only considered to be adjacent to any directly-adjacent Area, but also to any Area that it shares an adjacent unoccupied Point, City, or Fort. For example, if Savannah is Held by Loyalists, then it is considered to be adjacent to both Charleston and Augusta, since it shares a Point in common with each of these. If a Patriot Army ever occupies the intervening Area in question, the aforementioned adjacency rule is broken. For example, if a Patriot Army occupies the Point between Charleston and Loyalist-Held Savannah, then Charleston is not considered adjacent to Savannah.

5.4 Moving Supplies by Sea

Any number of Supplies may be moved from a friendly-occupied Port City into a Sea Zone containing the player's Navy (but not containing the enemy Navy), and from a Sea Zone to an adjacent friendly-occupied Port City (so long as the enemy Navy does not also occupy that Sea Zone). Supplies may move from Sea Zone to Sea Zone when that Navy moves.

If a Navy that is still carrying Supplies is Removed during a Winter Turn, the player may move the Supplies on their Navy to a friendly-occupied Port City within its current Sea Zone, provided the enemy Navy is not present in that Sea Zone. If the owning player chooses not to, or if an enemy Navy prevents the move, the Supplies are lost.

5.5 Carrying Supplies

As stated above, an Army occupying a Point may carry Supplies equal to one plus the number of Units in that Army (Leaders do not count toward this total). These Supplies move with the Army when it Activates. If the Army moves into a friendly or unoccupied Fort or City, the Supplies are immediately stored in that Fort or City; if the Activated Army Attacks an enemy Army in a Fort or City, it carries and uses those Supplies in Battle. When an Army leaves a City or Fort, it may take Supplies from that City or Fort equal to the amount that it could carry.

If an Army's movement results in a City, Fort, or Army having more Supplies than it can store or carry, the acting player must move Supplies along their Supply Lines until everything is copacetic. If absolutely unable to do so (their opponent may offer legal suggestions if the acting player is stumped, and the acting player is obliged to follow them if no other legal course presents itself), then Supplies must be discarded from the "overstacked" Areas until all limits have been complied with (any/all War Supplies are discarded before any Food Supplies).

5.6 Expending Supplies

Supplies are expended to Activate Armies and do Battle. Expended Supplies are simply removed from the Area occupied by the Activating/Battling Army and placed off to the side. Supplies are never permanently removed from the game, and are returned to the map as needed during the Supply Phase.

6.0 Initiative Phase

During the Initiative Phase, each player rolls a die; the high roller wins Initiative, and performs actions first in the Impulse Phase. Place the Pass Marker on the space of the Pass Track corresponding to the highest die result (i.e., if a "6" is rolled, it goes on the "5-6" space).

If both players roll the same result, the Crown Player goes first, and the Pass Marker is automatically placed on the "5-6" space, regardless of the number actually rolled on each die.

7.0 Impulse Phase

During the Impulse Phase, players alternate paired Impulses, beginning with the player who won Initiative.

The first Impulse in a player's pair is a Limited Impulse; it can only be used to take a Militia or Loyalist action (8.0).

The second Impulse in a player's pair is a Full Impulse. It can be used to take a Militia/Loyalist action (8.0), to activate an Army (9.0), or to activate a Navy (11.0).

A player is never required to use their Limited Impulse, and there is no penalty for skipping it. If a player skips the Full Impulse in a pair, it constitutes Passing. If they Pass, the acting player slides the Pass Marker one space back on the Pass Track. If the Pass Marker now occupies the "zero" space, the Impulse Phase ends. If both players pass consecutively, the Pass Marker is automatically moved to the "zero" space, and the Impulse Phase ends.

8.0 Militia & Loyalist Actions

During either Impulse in a player's pair of Impulses, they may activate Militia (Patriot) or Loyalist (Crown) Units in a Colony's Partisan Box as long as they have more counters, or the same number of counters, within that Colony's Partisan Box. (Exception: the Swamp Fox allows the Patriot Player to take Militia Actions within South Carolina even when those pieces are outnumbered by Loyalists.) Expended pieces are not placed into the Irregular Cup, but put to the side of the board.

The available actions are as follows:

• Recruit
• Forage
• Raid (Militia only)
• Hold (Loyalists only)

8.1 Recruit

If there is a friendly Army within a Colony, and that Army is not under Siege, the acting player may remove two of their pieces from the Partisan Box for that Colony to take a Recruit Action. Then, add a "1" strength Unit to that Army. Note: once the Swamp Fox is in play, the Patriot Player cannot use a Recruit Action in South Carolina.

8.2 Forage

If there is a friendly Army within a Colony, and that Army is not under Siege, the acting player may remove one of their pieces from the Partisan Box for that Colony to take a Forage Action. Then, add 1 Food Supply cube to the Army's supplies (carried or stored, depending upon its position and subject to the usual limits).

8.3 Raid (Militia Only)

The Patriot Player may remove 1 Militia piece from a Colony's Partisan Box to attempt a Raid Action. Roll a die and add the number of Militia pieces remaining in the Colony's Partisan Box, including the Swamp Fox if applicable. If the modified die roll is 6 or more, the Raid is successful; if it is 5 or less, the Raid fails.

A successful Raid has one of the following effects, only affecting the Colony from where the Militia piece was removed:

• Eliminate 1 Holding Loyalist in a single City or Fort that does not contain an enemy Army.
• Eliminate 1 Crown Unit from any Army that (1) occupies a Point, (2) does not have a Leader, and (3) does not have more than 2 Units.
• Remove 1 Food Cube carried by any enemy Army occupying a Point.

8.4 Hold (Loyalists Only)

The Crown Player may remove a Loyalist piece from a Colony's Partisan Box to place it in a friendly-occupied City or Fort within that Colony, provided the Area in question is not under Siege and does not already contain a Loyalist. Holding Loyalists allow a City to generate Supplies without a present Army, and modify the adjacency rules (see 5.3) to make it easier to move Supplies to the Army. These pieces do not move once they are placed, but are vulnerable to Raids (8.3). If an enemy Army moves into a City or Fort Held by Loyalists that does not contain a friendly Army, the Loyalists are immediately Eliminated.

Note: Loyalist pieces Holding a City or Fort do not count as Loyalists when determining who has the majority in a Colony's Partisan Box for the purposes of determining if someone is eligible to take a Militia or Loyalist Action, but they do count when determining the majority for the purposes of generating Supplies.

8.5 The Swamp Fox

At the end of the first Campaign Turn, the Swamp Fox counter is placed in the Irregular Cup. If and when he is drawn on a subsequent turn, he is placed in the South Carolina Partisan Box, where he remains permanently, conferring onto the Patriot Player the following advantages and disadvantages:

• May take Militia Actions in South Carolina even when outnumbered by Loyalists.
• Militia pieces expended to take a Militia Action in South Carolina are returned to the Irregular Cup instead of placed to the side of the board.
• Militia pieces in South Carolina may no longer be Recruited into the Army proper.

9.0 Army Activations

An Army may be Activated for only one of the following actions during a Full Impulse (never during a Limited Impulse), and must be able to pay the requisite cost in Supplies:

• March
• Transport (Crown only)
• Attack (with Leader only)
• Skirmish (Patriot only)
• Dig-In

There is no limit to the number of times an Army can be Activated in a Campaign Turn.

Note: during any non-passing Impulse, the acting player may freely move Supplies before and/or after Activating their one Army.

9.1 March Action

When an Army is Activated to March, all Units in that Army may be moved to any friendly or unoccupied adjacent Area(s). Patriot and Crown Units both may utilize Movement Lines to move from one Area to the next.

For every four Units in the Army, rounding up, it costs 1 Food to Activate that Army to March; for example, an Army of five Units costs 2 Food Supplies.

Units belonging to the Activated Army may all move together as a single entity, or they may split into two or more smaller Armies that each move to a different Area as part of that single Activation. Not all Units in the Activated Army are required to move; some of them may remain in the original Area. They still count as being Activated that turn, however, and therefore are still counted when calculating the number of Food Supplies required to Activate the Army. Exception: when a Leader (including a Subordinate Leader) is present in the Army, the acting player has the option of only Activating the specific Units they want to move, and thus only paying the Food Supplies required to move that part of the Army.

Leaders move with their Army during a March Activation. When an Activated Army splits into multiple Armies, the player decides with which Army the Leader moves.

If an Army enters a friendly Area, the Units from the two Armies form a larger single Army.

A Marching Army can enter a City or Fort that is Held by Loyalists if there is no enemy Army in that City or Fort, and doing so will immediately Eliminate the Loyalist piece in that City or Fort. A Marching Army can never enter an Area occupied by an enemy Army; to enter that Area, they must perform an Attack or Skirmish.

Note: at the end of a March Action, it may be possible to declare a Siege (11.0).

9.2 Merging & Splitting Commands

No Subordinate Leaders begin on the map. When an Army with a Leader performs a March or Transport Action, the player may, at their discretion, split the Army into two or more stacks as above, and may place a Subordinate Leader with one of those Armies. If the Subordinate Leader's Army ever moves into the same Area as the Leader's Army, the Armies are merged and the Subordinate Leader is removed until such a time that the player decides to split command again. If a Subordinate Leader is Captured, the Leader may split their command and assign a new Subordinate Leader.

A Subordinate Leader counts as a Leader for most respects, but with two important exceptions. Capture of a Subordinate Crown Leader does not result in an Instant Victory for the Patriot Player. Subordinate Leaders may only command an Army of up to 4 Units, and cannot enter an Area if it would bring the number of Units in their Army to more than 4.

9.3 Transport (Crown only)

A Crown Army with a Leader (including a Subordinate Leader) in a Port City adjacent to the Sea Zone containing the Crown Navy Unit may be Activated to take a Transport Action. However, the French Navy Unit cannot be in the same or an adjacent Sea Zone. Any number of Units in the Army, plus one Leader, are placed into the Sea Zone, and then immediately moved, along with the Navy Unit, to an adjacent Sea Zone. It costs no Supply to do so, but any number of Supplies may be moved through and from the originating Port City.

A Crown Army with a Leader (including a Subordinate Leader) in a Sea Zone with the Crown Navy Unit adjacent to a friendly or vacant Port City may take a Transport Action. However, the French Navy Unit cannot be in the same Sea Zone. All Units in the Army and its Leader are moved into the Port City, and any number of Supplies are moved to and through that Port City, provided it does not violate the storage or carrying limits.

If a Crown Army is still in a Sea Zone when the Navy is removed during a Winter Turn, the player may move the Transported Army to a friendly-occupied or vacant Port City within its current Sea Zone or an adjacent Sea Zone provided the enemy Navy is not present in the occupied or chosen adjacent Sea Zone. If the owning player chooses not to (not sure why, but hey), or if an enemy Navy prevents them from doing so, the Army is Eliminated and the Leader considered Captured. (It's not really "captured", but has likely been moved to a more important theater of the war instead of the miserable Colonial backwaters.)

9.4 Attack (with Leader only)

An Attack allows an Army with a Leader (including Subordinates) to move into an adjacent enemy-occupied Area, initiating Battle (10.0). As with a March Activation, the Army expends 1 Food Supply for every four Units, rounding up; also as with a March Activation, the presence of the Leader means that only those Units actually participating in the Attack are Activated, and that any Units left behind in the original Area are not considered to be Activated. Additionally, the Army must have at least one War Supply.

The Units Activated for the Attack move, with their Leader, to the same adjacent enemy-occupied Area, which initiates Battle. They therefore may not split into multiple Areas.

Note: an Army being Transported cannot Attack an enemy-held Port City.

9.5 Skirmish (Patriot only)

A Patriot Army consisting of no more than two Units (with or without a Leader) may be Activated to Skirmish if they are adjacent to an enemy Army occupying a Point. An Army Activated to Skirmish is moved to the enemy-occupied Point, and initiates a one-sided Battle called a Skirmish (10.8).

The Army expends 1 Food Supply for this Activation. If the Army does not have a Leader, it must only consist of one or two Units. If the Army does have a Leader, that Leader can Activate one or two of those Units to Skirmish.

At the completion of the Skirmish, unlike a standard Battle, the Patriot Units are returned to their original Location (and, in the case of a Skirmish Activation by a Leader, they rejoin their original Army).

9.6 Dig-In

An Army in a City or Fort Activated to Dig-In is covered by a Dug-In Marker. For the remainder of the Campaign Turn, they are Dug-In:

• They cannot be Activated for the remainder of the Campaign Turn.
• They cannot Refuse Battle (10.1).
• They ignore one hit in Battle (10.5).

The Army expends 1 Food Supply and 1 War Supply for this Activation. This is not affected by the number of Units or Leaders in the Army.

10.0 Battles

Naturally, the consequence of an Attack Activation is Battle. The acting Army is the Attacker, while the enemy Army is the Defender. Battle is resolved by performing the following steps, in the following order:

• Accepting or Refusing Battle: The Defender has the option to Refuse Battle if eligible. If this option is exercised, no Battle takes place and the acting player's Impulse ends.
• Attacker Commitment: The Attacking Army expends War Supplies to earn Battle Dice.
• Defender Commitment: The Defending Army expends War Supplies to earn Battle Dice.
• Defender Roll: The Defender rolls its Battle Dice, inflicting Hits on the Attacker. This may cause a reduction in the number of dice the Attacker actually rolls.
• Attacker Roll: The Attacker rolls its Battle Dice, inflicting Hits on the Defender.
• Victory: The side with the most Units (and Leaders, total) remaining in its Army is the Victor.
• Defeat: If the Attacker wins, the Defender must make a morale check to determine if it Retreats or Stands.

10.1 Accepting or Refusing Battle

The Defender may Refuse Battle if there is an adjacent friendly or unoccupied Area (not counting the Area from which the Attacker launched its Attack), provided the Area they occupy is not under Siege. An Army that Refuses Battle moves into that Area with all Units moving into the same Area. No Supplies are expended when Refusing Battle. An Army may not move into a Sea Zone when Refusing Battle.

An Army that Refuses Battle does not take any Supplies with it, but rather abandons them to the enemy. Exception: if the Army has a Leader, the Army may take with it Supplies equal to half the number of Units in that Army, rounded down (and just Units; do not count the Leader).

When an Army Refuses Battle, no further Battle steps are resolved; the Attacker automatically occupies the Area it was Attacking. If an Army cannot Refuse Battle, or chooses not to, they instead Accept Battle, and the players move on to the Attacker Commitment step.

10.2 Attacker Commitment

The Attacker must expend War Supplies to earn Battle Dice. If Attacking a Point, the Attacker earns one Battle Die for each War Supply expended (4 Supplies = 4 Dice).

If Attacking a City or a Fort, the Attacker earns one Battle Die for every two War Supplies expended.

Unlike in The Northern Theater, both players round up this time around, and the Patriot Player can thank Baron Von Steuben for that.

The Attacker must have, and expend, at least one War Supply in order to be Activated for an Attack.

10.3 Defender Commitment

The Defender may, but is not required to, expend War Supplies to earn Battle Dice. Each War Supply expended earns one Battle Die.

10.4 Defender Roll

The Defender rolls their Battle Dice:

• For each "1" or "2" result, one Unit from the Attacker's Army is Eliminated; remove it from the map.
• For every two Attacker Units Eliminated, the Attacker's number of Battle Dice is reduced by one. Their War Supplies however are still expended.

If there is no valid place for the Defender to Retreat, the Army Surrenders:

• Eliminate all Units in that Army.
• Eliminate any Leader piece for that Army. The Elimination of Patriot Leaders (Subordinate or otherwise) moves the British Political Will Track one space to the right. The Elimination of a Crown Subordinate Leader moves the British Political Will Track one space to the left; the Elimination of the overall Crown Leader results in an Instant Victory for the Patriot Player.

If all Units for one side are Eliminated, they automatically Surrender, ending the Battle immediately, and any Leaders are Eliminated as well.

10.5 Attacker Roll

The Attacker rolls their Battle Dice:

• An Attacking Patriot Army Eliminates a Crown Unit for every "1" or "2" rolled.
• An Attacking Crown Army Eliminates a Patriot Unit for every "1", "2", or "3" rolled.

If the Defender is Dug-In, the first "hit" scored is disregarded (does not Eliminate a Unit).

10.6 Victory

Count the number of Units and Leaders for each Army. The Army with the highest combined total of Units and Leaders remaining in the contested space achieves Victory. If there is a tie, the Defender achieves Victory.

When the Patriot Player is the Attacker, and one of their Armies achieves Victory, the British Political Will Marker is moved one space to the left.

When the Patriot Player's Defending Army has a Leader, and the Crown Army achieves Victory, the British Political Will Marker is moved one space to the right.

10.7 Defeat

If the Defender achieves Victory, the Attacking Army is moved back to the Area it began the Impulse in. Any Supplies it carried are given to the Defender (the Defender doesn't have to worry about Supply limits until their Impulse Phase).

If the Attacker achieves Victory, the Defender must make a morale check. A morale check consists of rolling one die. If the result meets or exceeds the difference between the number of Units/Leaders in the two Armies, the check is passed. Otherwise, the check is failed and the Defender must Retreat.

If the Battle is being fought at a Point (not a City or Fort), the check is automatically failed. Save your wrist the trouble: no need to roll the die.

If the check is passed, the Defender Stands: the Attacker must move back just as it would if the Defender had achieved Victory (but the Attacking Army takes its carried Supplies with it). If the check is failed, the Defender must Retreat: they must move their Army to an adjacent friendly or unoccupied Area. The Defender may not Retreat into the Sea Box. The Defending Army takes no Supplies with it, instead abandoning any of their Supplies to the Attacker.

10.8 Skirmish Battle

When the Patriot Player Activates an Army for Skirmish, a Skirmish Battle ensues:

• The Defender cannot Refuse Battle, and does not earn any dice.
• The Attacking Patriot Player expends War Supplies to earn dice on a one-for-one basis (recall that a Skirmish Activation can only target a Point).
• The Attacker rolls dice, Eliminating a Crown Unit for each result of a "1" or "2".
• The Attacker then moves back to its original Area, regardless of what happened in the Area that the Skirmish was conducted against.

11.0 The Art of the Siege

If at the end of a player's Impulses, there exist conditions for a Siege, a Siege is automatically Declared. The conditions are as follows:

• An enemy Army occupies a City or Fort, and friendly Armies occupy two adjacent Areas; OR
• An enemy Army occupies a Port City, a friendly Army occupies one adjacent Area, a friendly Navy occupies the adjacent Sea Zone for that Port City, and the enemy Navy does not occupy that same adjacent Sea Zone.

Place a Siege marker in the enemy-occupied City or Fort.

11.1 Effects of Siege

Sieges have several important effects on gameplay:

• Cities under Siege cannot generate Supplies. Supplies cannot be moved to or from the City either by Land or by Sea.
• Armies under Siege may only Dig-In or Attack (see 11.3). They cannot March or Skirmish.
• Crown Armies under Siege in a Port City can be Transported provided the Crown Navy is in the adjacent Sea Box (in which case the Siege was Declared due to two adjacent Areas on Land being occupied by the enemy).
• At the end of every Campaign Turn, they must expend one Food Supply. If they run out of Food Supplies, they Surrender (see 11.2).
• Armies under Siege cannot Refuse Battle if Attacked. Further, if that defending Army is Defeated, and fails its morale check, it is considered Unable to Retreat and must Surrender.

11.2 Surrendering to a Siege

As noted in 11.1, at the conclusion of every Campaign Turn, an Army under Siege must expend 1 Food Supply. If they do not have any Food Supply at the time that this occurs, they automatically Surrender as in 10.7.

11.3 Lifting a Siege

An Army under Siege Activated to Attack and Victorious may return to the City or Fort they were previously occupying. At any point in which the conditions for the Siege are no longer in effect, the Siege marker is removed and the Siege is lifted.

12.0 Naval Affairs

Naval support for operations in the South is inconsistent and unreliable, which makes sense now that the French, Dutch, and Spanish are getting in on the action, and threatening the Crown's real money-makers in the Caribbean and elsewhere.

In non-Winter Turns, for a player's Full Impulse, instead of activating an Army, the player may instead activate their Navy, provided it is on the map. (Note: the Transport Action is an Army Activation that just happens to depend upon, and to move, the Navy Unit, but is not technically a Naval Action.)

A Navy may be Activated to do one of the following:

• Move (but not if it is Transporting troops)
• Initiate a Sea Battle

12.1 Naval Movement

A Navy may be moved from one Sea Zone to an adjacent Sea Zone. The presence of the enemy Navy in either Zone does not prohibit movement.

12.2 Sea Battle

If both Navies occupy the same Sea Zone, a Navy may be activated to Initiate a Sea Battle. Initiating a Sea Battle is never required.

If a Sea Battle is initiated, both players roll two dice, sum the total, and add or subtract the Naval Modifier printed on the British Political Will Track. If the marker is on a red space, the Crown Player adds the number and the Patriot Player subtracts the number. If the marker is on a blue space, the Patriot Player adds the number and the Crown Player subtracts the number. Additionally, the player who Initiates the Battle adds "1" to the total on top of the other modifier.

If the modified dice roll is 10 or greater, the opposing Navy is Defeated and removed from the map (it is eligible however to re-enter on a subsequent non-Winter Campaign Turn). It is possible for both Navies to be Defeated, and it is possible for neither Navy to be Defeated. A Defeated Navy Transporting an Army or carrying Supplies does not get an opportunity to disembark its cargo before being Removed; the Supplies are lost and the Army Surrenders.

12.3 Removal

Navies are Removed from the map when they are Defeated in a Sea Battle, and automatically at the start of any Winter Turn before the Initiative Phase is resolved. As noted in 5.3 and 9.3, if a Navy is to be Removed at the start of a Winter Turn, the owning player has a chance to unload Supplies and fighting forces being carried or Transported by that Navy. However, a Navy that is Removed as a result of a Defeat has no such luxury as noted in 12.2.

12.4 Rolling for Return

At the end of each Campaign Turn, so long as it is not a Winter Turn, if a player's Navy is not on the map, the player must roll one die to see if it will return; if both players must roll, the Crown Player rolls first.

If the enemy Navy is not on the map, the rolling player's Navy returns on a roll of a "1" or a "2". If the enemy Navy is on the map, the rolling player's Navy returns on a roll of a "1", "2", or "3". When a player places their Navy, they must place it in a Sea Zone that is not occupied by the enemy Navy.

13.0 Turn End Phase

During the Turn End Phase, the following steps are performed in the following order:

1. Remove All Dig-In Markers.
2. Resolve Sieges (13.1).
3. Roll for Navies to Return (as in 12.4).
4. New Irregulars come out (13.2).
5. New Irregulars placed in cup (13.3).
6. New Patriot Commander heads South (13.4).
7. Political Will Track Adjustment (13.5).

13.1 Resolve Sieges

For every Area that is under Siege, the Army under Siege must expend 1 Food Supply. If unable to do so, the Army Surrenders.

13.2 New Irregulars Come Out

One player (it doesn't matter who) blindly draws three counters, one at a time, from the Irregulars Cup. Each marker is placed in an empty Partisan Box for the indicated Colony before the next counter is drawn.

If there are no empty Partisan Boxes remaining for that Colony, the newly drawn Loyalist or Militia/Swamp Fox counter replaces an enemy counter; the enemy counter is placed to the side of the map. Note: the Swamp Fox piece itself can never be replaced.

13.3 New Irregulars Placed in Cup

Beginning with Virginia and moving south, for each Colony, each player checks to see if they have an Army present in that Colony (of any size). If so, they place one of their irregular counters (Militia or Loyalists) for that Colony (if available) into the Irregulars Cup. Note: this takes place after irregulars are drawn and placed in Partisan Boxes, not before.

During this step in the first Campaign Turn, the Swamp Fox is also added to the Irregulars Cup.

13.4 New Patriot Commander Heads South

If the Patriot Player's Leader (not Subordinate) is not on the map, the Leader is placed in any vacant or friendly-occupied Area (including a Point) in Virginia, with 6 Units carrying 2 Food Supply and 2 War Supply, providing there are sufficient Patriot Units and Supplies remaining. If there are fewer Units or Supplies available, the player deploys what is available. If all Areas in Virginia are occupied by the enemy, then the new Leader/Units do not enter on this turn.

13.5 Political Will Track Adjustment

If it is the last Campaign Turn of the year (fifth space on the track) and if the game has not yet ended, the marker loops around to the first Turn of the Track, and the British Political Will Track is degraded to the left. It is adjusted one space to the left at the end of the first year, and two spaces at the end of every subsequent year.

14.0 Victory

The Capture and Surrender of the Crown Leader (Cornwallis) will immediately and automatically result in an Instant Victory for the Patriot Player.

If the Crown Player occupies (with their Armies) or Holds (with their Loyalists) a combined total of at least 10 Cities or Forts during the Victory Check Phase of any Campaign Turn, it results in a Decisive Victory for the Crown Player.

Otherwise, Victory is achieved via manipulation of the British Political Will Track. If the track's marker is on the zero space during the Victory Check Phase of any Campaign Turn, the Crown sues for peace, resulting in a Victory for the Patriot Player. If the track's marker is on the 9 space during the Victory Check Phase of any Campaign Turn, the Patriots sue for peace, resulting in a Victory for the Crown Player. Note: this check is only made during the Victory Check Phase, and not during the Impulse Phase.

The marker advances (moves to the right) when:

• The Crown Player is Victorious in Battle when Attacking a Patriot Army that has a Leader
• A Patriot Army Surrenders
• A Patriot Leader Surrenders

The marker regresses (moves to the left) when:

• The Patriot Player is Victorious in Battle (not Skirmish) when Attacking
• A Crown Army Surrenders
• A Crown Leader Surrenders
• At the end of every Year (1 space for the first Year, 2 spaces for every subsequent Year)

Sample Turn

The printed sample turn is accompanied by map diagrams, which are not reproduced here; the text of the example is transcribed in full.

It's a few turns in, and the Crown Player has established a tentative supply network extending from Savannah through Augusta and Fort Granby. Their main force (4 Units) prepares to head North via Camden; their Subordinate Leader (4 Units) is in Charleston. The enemy (6 Units) is just north of Camden, with 1 Unit situated in Charlotte.

Previous harassment of the Patriot ingrates has allowed the Crown Player to maintain an advantage in the South Carolina Partisan Box, outnumbering the Patriots 3 to 1, preventing any Militia actions there. But with a rotten stroke of luck, during the previous Turn End Phase, the wily Swamp Fox is drawn. Even outnumbered, the Patriots can now take actions there, potentially threatening the Crown's Loyalist in Fort Granby.

Provided they win this turn's Initiative roll, the Crown's first move will be to split off one of their Units to Fort Granby, to protect the Loyalists piece there, and thus the Crown supply line. But we're getting ahead of ourselves - first, we need to resolve the Supply Phase.

Sample Turn: Supply Phase

Because they have more markers in the Partisan boxes in Georgia and South Carolina, the Crown-occupied Cities there each generate two Food and one War cube. The reverse is true in North Carolina and Virginia, giving the Patriots two Food and one War cube.

Desiring to minimize the damage that might occur should the Fort Granby Loyalist be Eliminated, the Crown Player moves most of their Supplies to their two Armies.

Sample Turn: Initiative Phase

The Crown Player rolls a one and the Patriot Player a two. The Patriot Player will have the first move, and the Pass Marker is placed on the 2 space.

Sample Turn: Impulse Phase

Patriot First Impulse Pair. As predicted, the Patriot Player uses their Limited Impulse in South Carolina to Raid Fort Granby. They remove their Militia piece and roll the die, adding "1" for the Swamp Fox. The roll is a "5", modified to a "6". The Loyalist piece is returned to the pool. Because the Swamp Fox is present, the removed Militia piece is put directly into the Irregulars Cup.

Crown First Impulse Pair. The Crown Player skips their Limited Impulse. Their Full Impulse is used to activate their main Army for an Attack. One Unit is left behind on the point so that on their second Impulse, they can March them to Fort Granby, to place a new Loyalist there on their third. The odds don't particularly favor the Patriot Player, who Refuses Battle, retreating to the point north-east of Camden. They're forced to leave behind half of their supplies, taking only one War and one Food Cube.

Patriot Second Impulse Pair. The Patriot Player uses their Limited Impulse in North Carolina, removing a Militia piece to take a Forage action, giving the Patriot Army a second Food Cube. For their Full Impulse, the Patriot Player splits the Army, keeping two Units under a Subordinate at the point, and moving four Units under their main Leader into Wilmington. Because only the Units moving to Wilmington are actually Marching, the Patriot Player only pays one Food Cube - the one that was Foraged.

For their Full Impulse, the Patriot Player activates their Army and Marches it into Camden.

On their next turn, the Patriot Player could activate the Wilmington Army and move it to the point south-west of Wilmington and south-east of Camden. This would fulfill the conditions for a Siege in Camden, which would be disastrous for the Crown Player.

Crown Second Impulse Pair. The Crown forgoes their Limited Impulse. Instead of going into Fort Granby to restore their Supply Line, their Full Impulse will have to be used in reaction to the Patriot threat. They mull over options - pulling back from Camden, attacking the Patriot Subordinate force, or blocking the Point with their Subordinate Army - and decide that the last one is the safest bet.

Patriot Third Impulse Pair. Now the shoe is on the other foot; the Crown Player could, on their next Impulse, very easily lay Wilmington to Siege. The Patriot's main Army could strike the Crown's Subordinate Force, but if they fail to dislodge the enemy, they'd be left with no Food Cubes with which to withstand a Siege.

Again using their Limited Impulse in North Carolina to Forage for a Food Cube, they give it to their Subordinate Army, and use it to Activate that Army for a March. One Unit stays behind; the rest moves north.

Crown Third Impulse Pair. The Crown Player skips their Limited Impulse. Their Full Impulse is used to at last go to Fort Granby.

Patriot Fourth Impulse Pair. Once again, the Patriot Player relies on their North Carolina Militiamen to scrounge up some grub. This time however they skip their Full Impulse, sliding the Pass Marker from the "2" space to "1".

Crown Fourth Impulse Pair. This forces the Crown Player's hand somewhat; if they let the turn end before they can put Wilmington to Siege, the Patriot Army there is going to collect two Food and one War cube in the next Supply Phase - more than enough to wait out a Siege. And so they have to strike now. After finally placing their Loyalist in Fort Granby, their main Army is activated for an Attack. They leave one Unit behind to keep watch in Camden, then move their remaining force into the point held by the solitary Patriot Unit. That Unit predictably Refuses Battle, retreating north.

This now satisfies the conditions for a Siege, and a Siege marker is placed in Wilmington.

Patriot Fifth Impulse Pair. The Subordinate Army Marches into Guilford, leaving one Unit behind at the Point.

Crown Fifth Impulse Pair. The Crown Player passes, ending the Turn.

Sample Turn: Turn End Phase

The Patriot Army in Wilmington loses its Food Cube. If the Siege is not lifted by the end of the next turn, it will Surrender. Both sides roll for the return of their Navies; neither Navy heeds their call. New Irregulars are drawn, and they're all Militia: two are placed in Virginia, and one in South Carolina; the Militia now outnumbers the Loyalists in the South Carolina Partisan Box, 2-1.

It's likely that the Patriot Army in Wilmington is a goner, but there's a good chance the Subordinate Patriot Army will head for Camden. If successful in dislodging Camden's defenders, they can attack the main Crown Army, leaving it nowhere to Retreat. That's if there are enough Patriot Impulses in the next turn, and the Crown Player is likely to Pass early and often to avoid that…

Extended Sequence of Play

Supply Phase. Occupied/held Cities generate 1 Food and 1 War (2 Food and 1 War if player has majority in Partisan Boxes for that Colony). Crown Player may move Supplies, followed by the Patriot Player.

Initiative Phase. Both players roll a die. High roll goes first, and determines starting space for Pass Marker. If tied, Crown goes first, and Pass Marker is placed on 5/6 space.

Impulse Phase. Each player has a pair of Impulses - first Limited, then Full.

• Limited Impulse: Militia/Loyalist activation only
• Full Impulse: Militia/Loyalist, Army, or Navy activation
• Passing a Limited Impulse does not move Pass Marker; passing a Full Impulse does.

Militia/Loyalist Actions

• Recruit (8.1)
• Forage (8.2)
• Raid (8.3), Militia only
• Hold (8.4), Loyalist only

Army Activations

• March (9.1): 1 Food per 4 Units
• Transport (9.3): no cost, Crown only
• Attack (9.4): 1 Food per 4 Units, Leader only
• Skirmish (9.5): 1 Food, 2 Units or less, Patriot only
• Dig-In (9.6): 1 Food and 1 War

Naval Actions

• Move (12.1)
• Sea Battle (12.2)

Turn End Phase

• Remove Dug-In Markers
• Resolve Sieges (13.1)
• Roll for Navies to Return (12.4)
• New Irregulars come out (13.2)
• New Irregulars placed in cup (13.3)
• New Patriot Commander heads South (13.4)
• Political Will Track Adjustment (13.5)