The Series

The Battles of the American Revolution is a board game series designed by Mark Miklos and published by GMT Games, focusing on specific battles of the American Revolutionary War. Each volume features tactical, hex-and-counter wargames with regimental-level units, emphasizing historical accuracy and strategic depth. The series includes titles like Saratoga, Brandywine, and the Battle of White Plains, with gameplay lasting 2-6 hours depending on the scenario. Notable for its high-quality components, including mounted maps and thick counters, the series offers replayability through varied scenarios and event cards.

The Game (Newton & Oriskany)

While the main battle depicted in this volume is Newton, we have chance also to reenact the ambush at Oriskany.

The Battle of Newtown was the decisive opening salvo in what has come to be known as the Sullivan-Clinton Campaign of 1779. This campaign, undertaken to vanquish the Iroquois, was in response to frontier conditions in New York and Pennsylvania which had grown more and more acute during 1778. Britain’s Indian allies, principally the Seneca, Cayuga, Onondaga and Mohawk, terrorized the frontier settlements. Some of their incursions that year still echo through history with names like the Wyoming and Cherry Valley massacres.

From game standpoint, this volume puts a lot of emphasis on special rules with regards to Indian fighters, their tactics, strengths and weaknesses. The clash will be fierce and victory conditions will allow both sides chance for success.

The Battle of Oriskany was a major engagement of the Saratoga campaign during the American Revolutionary War. On August 6, 1777, an American column of Tryon County militia and Oneidas marching to relieve the siege of Fort Stanwix was ambushed by a contingent of Britain’s Indigenous allies and Loyalists. It was one of the few battles of the war in which most non-Indigenous participants were settlers born in the Thirteen Colonies. The Americans suffered heavy casualties during the battle.

As far as the game is concerned, this is a small, low-counter engagement with the special rules for the ambush. It plays reasonably quickly, keeps players in suspense and is simply fun to play!

Let us now look at this beautiful game and its components:

Enjoy!