Battles with the Gringos, Mexico 1846-62

About this expansion

Battles with the Gringos, Mexico 1846-62 is a two-player historical battle game featuring four half-map engagements, each designed to play in about 180 minutes and offering a different tactical challenge. The battles are also highly playable solitaire.

Set during the Mexican-American War and the French intervention in Mexico, the game focuses on unusual battlefields and the problems confronting both sides. Terrain, concealed forces, artillery, scouting, reserves, and defensive positions all help make each scenario distinct.

• Palo Alto: The opening battle of the war, where Ringgold’s flying artillery, grass fires, and unusual personalities disrupt what initially resembles a straightforward Napoleonic battle line.
• Resaca de la Palma: A numerically superior Mexican force occupies an extremely strong defensive position, with much of its strength hidden from the advancing Americans. The scenario includes hidden deployment for two players.
• Contreras: A seemingly unapproachable Mexican position is challenged after scouting by a young Robert E. Lee. Mexican reserves may change the outcome, and the battle can unfold in very different ways.
• Puebla: The battle associated with Cinco de Mayo, in which veteran French soldiers attack a well-defended Mexican position. Cavalry charges, assaults on forts, and trenches create a balanced contest.

Each engagement presents its own setting and possibilities rather than repeating the same battlefield formula. Together, the scenarios cover battles from 1846 through 1862 and offer several ways for events to develop.

The physical game includes two 33-by-22-inch mapsheets, with two battles on each, one sheet of counters, and the battle rules. You will need GRINGO to play the battles herein. Whether played head-to-head or solitaire, Battles with the Gringos provides four focused historical engagements in one compact package.