Kolin: Frederick’s First Defeat – June 18, 1757

About this board game

Kolin: Frederick’s First Defeat – June 18, 1757 is a one-to-two-player historical wargame with an approximately 360-minute playing time, recreating Frederick the Great’s first defeat in the Seven Years War.

In June 1757, Frederick’s highly trained Royal Army of Prussia approaches an Austrian army positioned along a low range of hills. Frederick sets his famed oblique maneuver against the Austrian right flank, hoping another victory will force Austria to seek peace. Instead, Field Marshal von Daun calmly redeploys his forces, turning the Prussian maneuver into a brutal frontal assault.

Based on the popular La Bataille system, Kolin presents an authentic treatment of battles during the Age of Reason. Special command and movement rules reflect the inflexible, difficult nature of directing armies in this period, giving the game a distinct character compared with its Napoleonic descendants.

Players must handle infantry, cavalry, and artillery while accounting for the exceptional value of trained manpower. The battle is not a contest where troops can simply be treated as expendable cannon-fodder: every assault and tactical decision carries weight.

• 420 counters on one and a half countersheets
• Three 34 × 22-inch period maps
• First-edition standard rules
• Special rules and scenarios booklet with historical commentary by Dr. Christopher Duffy
• Separate charts and tables

That night, approximately 10,000 Prussians lie dead on the field and another 5,000 are captured. Kolin combines a detailed historical setting, period-specific command challenges, and the La Bataille system in a substantial recreation of a pivotal defeat.