Rifle & Saber: Tactical Combat 1850-1900

Rifle & Saber is a tactical (company level) simulation of warfare in "the age of the rifle," roughly from 1850 to 1900. The period was marked by a tremendous increase in the firepower of infantry units which far outstripped advances in tactics.

The game simulates battles or portions of battles from some of the most significant wars of this period. Seventeen scenarios are drawn from battles in the American Civil War (1st Bull Run, Shiloh, Gettysburg), the Franco-Prussian War (Worth, Mars-la-Tour), the Spanish-American War, and the Boer Wars. There are also battles from minor wars in Europe, South America, and India.

Included in the game are a 22" by 28" mapsheet (50 meters per hex), 400 counters (muzzle-, early breech-, and late breech-loading infantry; muzzle- and breech-loading artillery; cavalry; various game markers), a 10-page, accordion-style rules booklet, a sheet of historical notes, and various play aids. Cavalry and infantry units represent about 100-150 men, artillery units about 4-6 guns, game turns about five minutes real time.