The King’s War: The First English Civil War 1642-1646

About this board game

The King’s War: The First English Civil War 1642–1646 is a two-player strategic game with an approximately 240-minute playing time, released in 1989. It portrays the struggle of the English Civil War across a map showing Wales, England, and a small part of Scotland.

The game uses a point-to-point movement system. Counters represent infantry and cavalry regiments: each infantry counter represents 1,000 foot, while each cavalry counter represents 700 horse. Leader counters represent leaders of both factions, and every leader has individual ratings for seniority, army handling, movement, and tactical skills.

Players seek to force the opposing side below 50 Victory Points. This can be achieved by conquering certain key cities and counties, making territorial control central to the contest.

The sequence of play is straightforward and is divided into three separate phases:

• Movement: Includes interceptions, breaking contact, combat, and training units.
• Siege: Conducts the game’s siege activity.
• Desertion & Recruitment: Handles the changing strength of the opposing forces.

With its combination of regiment counters, differentiated leaders, territorial objectives, and a concise three-phase structure, The King’s War focuses on strategic decisions across the Civil War map. Movement, military leadership, sieges, and the ability to maintain forces all contribute to the race to reduce the other side below the Victory Point threshold.