Fateful Lightning

Overview

A semi-monster coverage of the 1863 Battle of Gettysburg. The game uses 2 22x34 inch maps with 200 yards to the hex along with 940 counters representing individual regiments and artillery batteries along with all the leaders down to the divisional level. The map covers quite a bit of the area around Gettysburg giving players plenty of room to maneuver. While the game is at nearly the same level as SPI’s Terrible Swift Sword: Battle of Gettysburg Game, it does move more quickly due to somewhat more streamlined rules as well as an initiative system that randomizes who’s going to move next and how long a turn will last. There is even a random events chart that occasional allows a player to move and enemy unit or launch a free counter-attack. From the rulebook: “The sequence of play is move-and-shoot, but initiative rules and a variable number of turns per day keep both players guessing. The initiative rules help him who helps himself; once you gain an advantage, it’s in your best interest to keep the pressure on. Combat stresses unit morale, but can turn bloody if both units stand and fight. All-out charges can clear ground fast, but at the cost of much higher casualties.”