- BGG rank
- BGG #22,372
- BGG rating
- 5.7
Gettysburg
- 2 players
- 120–240 min
- Complexity 2.2/5
- 1958
- BGG rank
- BGG #30,252
- BGG rating
- 5.5
Tactics II
1958
Rules assistance for Tactics II
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2 players
- 120 min
- 12+
- Complexity 2.0/5
Rules assistant for Tactics II
For 2 players
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Tactics II is a board game released in 1958 for 2 players, 120 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Charles S. Roberts and its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Variable Set-up, and Square Grid.
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About the game
The hobby of wargaming was born in the 1950s with the publication of the game Tactics. TACTICS II is a direct descendant of this original board wargame. TACTICS II is sort of like military chess. Different pieces, called "units" in wargames, have different capabilities just like chess pieces. The major difference is that a player can move all his pieces each turn, and after all his pieces are moved, battles are resolved against the enemy units his pieces are next to (adjacent to). The other major difference between wargames and chess is that wargames have a mapboard, divided into squares or hexagons for movement purposes. TACTICS II has a 22" x 28" mapboard portraying a fictional continent with two countries, Blue and Red. Terrain includes roads, rivers, woods, mountains, beaches, and cities. The Blue Capital can only be reached over a vast plain, bordered on the left by mountains and on the right by woods. The Red Capital is on an island and can only be reached across one of several bridges or by an amphibious invasion. Game features include special functions for headquarters units, terrain effects, invasions, airborne assaults, weather effects, replacements, isolation, and even nuclear weapons. Units represent infantry (25 per side), armor (6), mountain (2), airborne (2), headquarters (1+2+4), and amphibious troops (2) and 6 counters without symbol (You can use as replacement for headquarters having fired their nuclear missile; the 3 types of headquarter have different nuclear missiles). 100 counters in all. TACTICS II was almost always part of the Avalon Hill game line, primarily because it was sold as an introductory wargame for a number of reasons. The rules introduced many basic board wargaming concepts and were relatively low in complexity. The rulebook is divided into a basic game and a tournament game (advanced game). Both are balanced and relatively quick playing. As the opposing armies are identical in size and composition, victory is gained by a combination of logic, foresight, luck, common sense, and skill in military strategy and tactics. In 1981, an unauthorized hex map version, called Operação MX-1, was released in Brazil. It is sometimes referred to as "Tactics III".
Categories
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- The Avalon Hill Game Co
Questions and answers
Tactics II supports 2 players according to the catalogue. This is the publisher’s listed player count, so the game is designed for exactly that number of participants. Variants for other group sizes, if any, are described in the rulebook of your edition, so check it before setting up a different configuration.
The listed playing time for Tactics II is 120 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 Tactics II 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.
Tactics II has a complexity rating of 2.0 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.
Tactics II belongs to these categories: Wargame and Modern Warfare. Its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Variable Set-up, and Square 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 Tactics II are: Charles S. Roberts. 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 Tactics II 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.