- BGG rank
- BGG #3,202
- BGG rating
- 7.8
The Guns of Gettysburg
2013
Rules assistance for The Guns of Gettysburg
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–4 players
- 180 min
- 13+
- Complexity 3.7/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for The Guns of Gettysburg
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
The Guns of Gettysburg is a board game released in 2013 for 2–4 players, 180 minutes per game, and ages 13 and up. It was designed by Bowen Simmons and its main mechanics are Area Movement, Variable Set-up, and Secret Unit Deployment.
About the game
The Guns of Gettysburg is a simulation of the largest battle of the American Civil War. Like Bowen Simmons's previous games, Bonaparte at Marengo and Napoleon's Triumph, The Guns of Gettysburg uses a diceless and cardless system for governing movement and resolving combat. Units in the game are represented by linear blocks rather than the traditional hex and counters, giving the game an appearance that evokes 19th-century battlemaps. The Guns of Gettysburg has simple rules and fast play but still reflects the historical limitations of the actual conflict. Though it preserves the aesthetics and "fog of war" mechanisms of Bonaparte at Marengo and Napoleon's Triumph, The Guns of Gettysburg is neither a sequel nor a successor to either game but a wholly new system of its own.
Categories
Designers
Publishers
- Mercury Games
- Simmons Games
Questions and answers
The Guns of Gettysburg supports 2–4 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 The Guns of Gettysburg is 180 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 The Guns of Gettysburg for ages 13 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.
The Guns of Gettysburg has a complexity rating of 3.7 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-weight 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.
The Guns of Gettysburg belongs to these categories: Wargame and American Civil War. Its main mechanics are Area Movement, Variable Set-up, and Secret Unit Deployment. 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 The Guns of Gettysburg are: Bowen Simmons. 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 The Guns 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.