Volley & Bayonet

About this board game

Volley & Bayonet is a tabletop battle game for 2–4 players, with a listed playing time of 240 minutes, covering the great conflicts of the black powder era.

Set between the adoption of the socket bayonet around 1700 and the widespread issue of machineguns and magazine rifles around 1890, the game lets players recreate battles from a remarkably dynamic period. Its rules can be used across the era, with modifications that provide period flavor and cover newer weapons.

Each turn represents one hour on the battlefield, while the manual notes that a turn can be played in just fifteen to thirty minutes. The system is suitable for miniatures from 5mm to 30mm, and existing stands can be used by tacking them onto Volley & Bayonet-sized bases.

The game opens the campaigns of Marlborough, Frederick, Napoleon, Lee and Grant, and Bismarck to the table. It also includes complete scenarios for almost a dozen battles, offering a foundation for recreating major engagements rather than limiting play to small actions.

• Battles of the American Civil War: 10 scenarios and a campaign system using the A House Divided board game.
• Napoleon Returns: four scenarios covering the 1815 campaign, with background and extensive information on armies and uniforms.
• Austria Stands Alone: five scenarios for the 1809 campaign, plus historical background and army and uniform information.
• Waterloo campaign: further coverage through the expanded Napoleon Returns scenario book.

Originally released in 1994, Volley & Bayonet offers a broad framework for exploring the warfare, armies, and battles of the 18th and 19th centuries with miniatures on the tabletop.