Soldier’s Companion

About this board game

Soldier’s Companion is a two-player set of 19th-century colonial miniatures rules with an approximately 120-minute playing time, first released in 1989.

Built on an elaboration of the basic system mechanics used in Sky Galleons of Mars, the game provides a solid foundation for combat across several environments. Its rules support the excitement of colonial warfare while adding the adventurous possibilities associated with Space:1889.

The system can handle more than conventional ground engagements. Its combat framework covers:

• Land combat
• Aerial combat
• Aquatic combat
• Land juggernauts, combat tripods, and aerial fliers

These options allow Soldier’s Companion to move between different styles of 19th-century conflict. Players can include unusual machines and vehicles, or use the rules for a more grounded battle involving a rag-tag British column fighting through the passes of the Northwest Frontier.

Whether focused on colonial campaigns or on the broader adventure of its Space:1889 setting, the game offers a unified miniatures rules system for battles on land, in the air, and on the water. Its combination of conventional forces and imaginative war machines gives the rules a distinctive place among 19th-century colonial combat games.