Harvest of Death: The Second Day at Gettysburg (1989)

About this game

Harvest of Death: The Second Day at Gettysburg is an excellent Tactical level "mini-wargame” released in Strategy & Tactics magazine #129. Depicts the often designed fighting in, on and around "Little Round Top" during the Rebel assault in the late afternoon of the 2nd day of Gettysburg. Players receive points for destroying enemy brigades as well as several geographical features of the battlefield such as Little Round Top, Devil's Den, the Peach Orchard, the infamous Wheat Field and the Angle. Silhouette style counters depicting Union and Rebel troops in the traditional Blue and Gray colors add to the feel of the ebb and flow of the fighting. The map is quite small but is more than useful and never seems to get crowded. One huge bonus... the game can be played solitaire, as rules have been added so a solo player can take control of the advancing Confederates, whilst the game mechanics take care of the defending Union brigades. One wishes that more "smaller” scale and sized wargames had been produced over the years, I recommend this game to all ACW wargamers and anyone who likes solo wargaming. Nominee for the 1989 Charles S. Roberts awards for Best Pre-World War II Boardgame (Charles S. Roberts Awards).

Does it fit your group?

• Group size. Works with 1 to 2. It has a designed solo mode.
• Rules load. At 2.1/5 this is a mid-weight game — expect a proper rules explanation before you start.
• Age. The publisher suggests 12 and up. That rates the rules rather than the artwork, so judge the box yourself for younger players.