Wilderness War

Wilderness War is Volko Ruhnke’s card-driven simulation of the French and Indian War from 1755 to 1760. One player commands Britain’s regulars, provincials, forts, and colonial militia; the other controls French troops, Canadian auxiliaries, fortifications, and a broad network of native allies. Each year begins with new hands of strategy cards. A card can trigger its historical event or supply operations points for activating forces, building forts, bringing reinforcements, or conducting political and military activity. Armies move between connected locations on a point-to-point map whose wilderness, waterways, cultivated regions, and fort networks shape every campaign. Field battles use leaders, troop quality, tactical cards, and dice, while sieges can consume entire seasons. Smaller auxiliary forces raid exposed settlements and stockades, forcing both sides to balance concentrated offensives against a sprawling frontier. The French begin with mobility and native support; Britain’s greater manpower arrives gradually and becomes decisive only if it can be organized before the war’s political clock expires. Victory points swing through objectives, successful raids, fortresses, and control of key spaces, and several scenarios let players begin at different stages of the conflict.