CPS: the American Revolution, aka Commands & Colors Tricorne, Grand Tactical Game of 12 Battles of the American Revolution Board Game

At first, I was hesitant with purchasing this game. I regularly play Commands & Colors: Napoleonics, yet the age of linear warfare is a fascinating period.In a lot of ways, it is identical to Napoleonics. The game holds up well replicating the tactics and combat of the American Revolution, and uses two distinct decks to drive movement and batte (Command and Combat cards, respectively). There are a variety of units between the two factions and the scenarios , each with their own capabilities and limitations.However, there are some notable differences. Units have a fixed set of dice that they roll depending on unit type, and may roll one additional die if a unit is at full strength. The dice have two Flags per die instead of two Infantry symbols, replicating the emphasis of morale in linear warfare, vice number of casualties, to achieve victory. The board is 11 hexes deep, compared to 9 of Napoleonics. New terrain is also used, such as roads and camps, providing their own set of rules alongside the more familiar terrain, which have different battlefield modifications compared to Napoleonics. Lastly, the rally system adds greater variables and may often feel cheap at times, as full-strength units can now rout off the battlefield from a bad die roll.Overall, Tricorne holds its own weight, and The French and More expansion adds more depth to it and more large-scale battles to the list. I recommend it as a starter for the franchise if you want to get in to the series without spending too much money on the expansions of the other popular Commands & Colors system games (i.e. Napoleonics, Ancients, Memoir 44) or need to tone down the complexity of the others to better learn the rules and gameplay.

All the realism and yet not hard or incomplete rules to worry about. You really are in command yet even the best plans can go wrong as you may not get the command order to do your plan (just like in real life when orders may not get to you in time) or the "Luck" of the dice roll totally goes the wrong way as can happen in a real battle.The battles are true to life as in the war, yet with luck and a solid plan victory can be yours.This is THE BEST GAME OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTIONARY WAR ON THE MARKET!P.S. You'll love the playing pieces. Takes awhile to put all the stickers on, Yet it looks great set-up on the battle field!

They exceeded my expectations. The game got here ahead of time It was the game I ordered. And there you go.

Feels like the Revolution and if you are a fan of the C&C line of games I think you will enjoy this. It might be my favorite one yet!

Just as advertised and as expcted.

Bought as a Christmas gift for my husband & he loves it! Delivery was very quick & the item came in great shape.

The battle cards being welcome additional depth. Quite bloody, well balanced, and and tense scenarios.

Command and Colors Tricorne: The American Revolution is a two player game that showcases some of the battles between the Continentals and the British from 1775 to 1781. Players will pick a side and choose one of twelve scenarios found in the game book. The board itself comes with separate map tiles that are placed on the board when a scenario asks for a type of terrain. Terrain can give bonuses or hindrances to the players in the game. The scenario chosen will also dictate the units each side will have available and what the amount of victory points required to win the game. Units are wooden blocks with a sticker of the unit it represents placed on each side of the block. Players could use some or the majority of units provided by a mission chosen.The game mechanics consists of playing with a "fog of war" system where players will each draw from a shared deck that dictates what units are ordered. The ordered units are determined by a map split into three sections. Each section can be chosen by a command card that delineates if left, right, or center sections will activate along with an amount of units.An army consists of four wooden blocks that can represent a small platoon or an entire regiment. They allow players to roll dice based on the type of unit being chosen to attack. The amount of dice rolled does not change when the number of units are reduced from four to one. They are consistently rolling the same amount of dice as a unit represents more than one person. The one thing that does change an armies attack is if it has max amount of strength, four units, and/or a leader is present. What removes a dice roll is if a player has to move in order to attack, this always reduces the roll by one. These simple set of rules always makes combat something that can be easily done and processed.Adding to the ease is the fact that dice in the game simply have symbols for the type of unit needing to be hit in the attack. This would be infantry, cavalry, artillery, sabers, and two flag symbols. A saber roll is for close-quarter combat for some troops and for trying to eliminate a players leader. The two flags are an interesting twist to the combat. When a player rolls flags against another player's units, that unit may be forced to retreat. This happening is tied thematically to the game as a unit losing its nerve in battle. That unit is then routed back to the enemy's side of the board. That is not all as that unit must make a rally check, a roll of dice to obtain flags, which if fails will cause the unit to disband and the other player achieving a victory point.Adding to the battle and strategies that can occur is the British and Continental Combat cards. These are cards that are available to one side and they are drawn along with their command cards when able. They can add dice to a particular type of unit or give a special ability. These decks fit in thematically as the particular type of training the British and Continental received or the support they have during that time period. The command cards themselves add to the theme as players will be able to do line volleys or marches.Command and Colors Tricorne: The American Revolution gives the players a good amount of strategy and moments to rally or succumb to despair. This is what is great about mechanics chosen as routing an army and seeing them break can help give a player the push they need to win the game. Also, a player can be on the brink of losing, but a well placed unit may turn the tide. The theme of the time period, and what each side had available for fighting is seen and felt. Some of the scenarios show how the continental army did not have the units to win a battle as they are only equipped with provincial units or outnumbered. The game also does a good job with the scenarios as they slowly introduce each unit type. This is helpful because some unit have different rules for attacking or new rules for moving. An example is the British Highlanders that receive a plus one die on all attack charges. Adding to that they are impossibly hard to cause a flee result against. The use of blocks for the units in the game is great. Some would prefer miniatures, but the aesthetic found in seeing a set of blocks lining up to represent an army is great. The American Revolution is a great game that ties theme with great mechanics to form memorable experiences.