
- BGG rank
- BGG #2,219
- BGG rating
- 7.1
Wooden Ships & Iron Men
- 2 players
- 60–300 min
- Complexity 3.1/5
- 1974

Rules assistance for Hold the Line: Highland Charge
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.

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Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Hold the Line: Highland Charge is an expansion for Hold the Line released in 2013 for 1–2 players, 90 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Sean Chick and its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Grid Movement, and Modular Board.
HOLD THE LINE now looks at one of the most fabled conflicts in history, the Jacobite rebellions, in HIGHLAND CHARGE. These uprisings were, as of 2013, the last battles fought on British soil. Featured here are four battles from the fearsome contest: Sheriffmuir, Prestonpans, Falkirk, and Culloden. Worthington is also offering the Killiecrankie scenario free to download. The game closely aligns with the Hold the Line system, but includes rules for Highland charges, Scottish militia, and of course the feared Highland clan units. James II lost his throne in 1689, but he and his supporters did not give the fight to reclaim his rights and titles. From 1689 to 1745 no less than four major Jacobite rebellions broke out in the Scottish highlands, often with limited aid from France and Spain. The battles were the last hurrah for a dying way of war. The Highlanders relied on assault tactics, in particular the feared Highland charge. The Loyalists, made up of British regulars and Scottish militia, used the linear tactics of the day, including volley fire, artillery barrages, and bayonets. For a time the Highlanders seemed to be tactically superior until the shattering defeat at Culloden, a battle that proved the ultimate superiority of musket and artillery fire over the claymore. As the Jacobites can you reclaim the throne for the Stuart dynasty? As the Loyalists can you protect the Hanoverian succession and deal a final death blow to absolutism in Britain? Across the way the bagpipes can be heard. The clans have mustered, the sound of cannon deafens, men shout commands, smoke fills the air. You must HOLD THE LINE!
Hold the Line: Highland Charge 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 Hold the Line: Highland Charge is 90 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 Hold the Line: Highland Charge for ages 10 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.
Hold the Line: Highland Charge has a complexity rating of 2.2 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.
Hold the Line: Highland Charge belongs to these categories: Wargame, Expansion for Base-game, and Age of Reason. Its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Grid Movement, and Modular Board. 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 Hold the Line: Highland Charge are: Sean Chick. 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 Hold the Line: Highland Charge as an expansion for Hold the Line. Expansions add new content, rules or scenarios to the base game and usually cannot be played on their own, so you need Hold the Line to use it. Check that your edition of Hold the Line is compatible, as some expansions were revised between editions.