Black Powder: Second Edition

About this board game

Black Powder: Second Edition is a miniature wargame for 2–120 players, with games lasting around 360 minutes, covering the horse-and-musket era from 1700 to 1900.

Take to the field to recreate famous battles including Quatre Bras, Bunker Hill, Rourke’s Drift, Blenheim, and Gettysburg. The game is designed for players who enjoy wonderfully painted armies, luxurious terrain, and dramatic conflicts fought in the company of friends.

Black Powder aims for a relaxed gaming experience rather than painstaking arguments over tiny measurements. You will not need protractors to wheel a unit, and disputes over whether a charge is just 2mm out of range are not central to the experience.

That approachable spirit can still produce stunning battles. A force that seems doomed may yet pull victory from the icy grasp of defeat, creating memorable reversals and compelling battlefield stories.

• Historical scope: Battles and armies from 1700–1900
• Miniature wargaming: Painted model soldiers and detailed terrain take center stage
• Flexible player range: Designed for games involving 2–120 players
• Notable battles: Quatre Bras, Bunker Hill, Rourke’s Drift, Blenheim, Gettysburg, and more

The rulebook itself is a substantial presentation piece: a hardback volume containing 184 full-colour pages, atmospheric anecdotes, and photographs of model soldiers. First released in 2009, the second edition of Black Powder was published in August 2018.