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Hell Before Night: The Battle of Shiloh
- 2 players
- Complexity 3.0/5
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Fateful Lightning: The Battle of Gettysburg
1994
Rules assistance for Fateful Lightning: The Battle of Gettysburg
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 1–2 players
- 240 min
- 12+
- Complexity 2.7/5
Rules assistant for Fateful Lightning: The Battle of Gettysburg
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Fateful Lightning: The Battle of Gettysburg is a board game released in 1994 for 1–2 players, 240 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Chris Perello and its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Grid Movement, and Hexagon Grid.
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About the game
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.”
Categories
Designers
Publishers
- XTR Corp
Questions and answers
Fateful Lightning: The Battle of Gettysburg supports 1–2 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Fateful Lightning: The Battle of Gettysburg is 240 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Fateful Lightning: The Battle of Gettysburg for ages 12 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Fateful Lightning: The Battle of Gettysburg has a complexity rating of 2.7 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Fateful Lightning: The Battle of Gettysburg belongs to these categories: Wargame, Civil War, and American Civil War. Its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Grid Movement, and Hexagon Grid. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Fateful Lightning: The Battle of Gettysburg are: Chris Perello. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Fateful Lightning: The Battle of Gettysburg as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.