Risorgimento 1859: the Second Italian War of Independence

About this board game

Risorgimento 1859: the Second Italian War of Independence is a historical wargame for 1–4 players, with a playing time of approximately 240 minutes. It covers the 1859 war in which Piedmont, supported by Napoleon III and the French Army, challenged Austria.

The game includes two major battle scenarios: Magenta and Solferino. At Magenta, French forces must cross a major river to seize an important rail center while reinforcements arrive from across the map. Fighting takes place among vineyards, creating a confused battle where visibility and maneuver are crucial.

At Solferino, French and Austrian forces collide in difficult, hilly country south of the Lombardian lakes. Four French corps face seven Austrian corps, with the French attacking an Austrian-held position shaped by the surrounding hills and valleys. The battle’s brutality helped lead directly to the founding of the Red Cross.

• Battle games: Accessible rules, extensive maneuver, and combat without numerical unit Strength values.
• Morale: Combat units differ in Morale, making battlefield effectiveness more than a matter of raw numbers.
• Campaign game: A point-to-point map and unusual mechanics model coordination, concentration, guarded approaches, and early military railroad use.

The full Campaign lets players recreate the entire conflict and test whether they can avoid the mistakes made by the Austrians. Garibaldi and his partisans are also represented as an effective source of disruption, while Austrian high command ability and unit morale are significant weaknesses.

Designed by Richard Berg for the battle game and Peter Perla for the campaign game, Risorgimento 1859 combines approachable rules with a broad historical campaign.