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The King's War: The First English Civil War 1642-1646
1989
Rules assistance for The King's War: The First English Civil War 1642-1646
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2 players
- 240 min
- 12+
- Complexity 3.4/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for The King's War: The First English Civil War 1642-1646
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
The King's War: The First English Civil War 1642-1646 is a board game released in 1989 for 2 players, 240 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Charles Vasey and its main mechanics are Point to Point Movement.
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About the game
A strategic game about the English Civil War. This game uses a point-to point system for movement. The counters represent infantry and cavalry regiments of resp. 1000 foot and 700 horse. The leader counters represent leaders of both factions, each leader has its own unique ratings for seniority, army handling, movement and tactical skills. The map shows Wales, England and a small part of Scotland. Aim of the game is to force the other side below 50 Victory Points. This can be done by conquering certain key cities and the counties. Sequence of play is easy and only contains 3 separate phases: Movement (incl. interceptions, break contact, combat and training of units), Siege and the Desertion & Recruitment phase.
Categories
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Clash of Arms Games
- Pike and Shot Society
Questions and answers
The King's War: The First English Civil War 1642-1646 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 The King's War: The First English Civil War 1642-1646 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 The King's War: The First English Civil War 1642-1646 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.
The King's War: The First English Civil War 1642-1646 has a complexity rating of 3.4 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 King's War: The First English Civil War 1642-1646 belongs to these categories: Wargame, Civil War, and Pike and Shot. Its main mechanics are Point to Point Movement. 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 King's War: The First English Civil War 1642-1646 are: Charles Vasey. 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 King's War: The First English Civil War 1642-1646 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.