PUBLISHED 2000
DESIGNERS Richard Berg (Battle game) and Peter Perla (Campaign game)
DEVELOPERS David Fox, John Alsen, and Richard Berg
ART DIRECTOR Rodger B. MacGowan
MAP ART Mark Simonitch
COUNTER ART Mark Simonitch and Rodger B. MacGowan
ONLINE RESOURCES
- Living Rules
- Cyberboard Gamebox courtesy of Philippe Gicquel
- Cyberboard Gamebox for the Battle of Magenta (courtesy of Philippe Gicquel)
- Cyberboard Gamebox for the Battle of Magenta (courtesy of Pierre Miranda)
- Cyberboard Gameboxes for the Battles of Solferino and San Martino (courtesy of Philippe Gicquel)
ERRATA

Risorgimento 1859, the Second Italian War of Independence, covers the second such war, the first, in 1848, having resulted in heavy defeats at the hands of the Austrian/Hapsburg armies. But the 1859 war was different. The Piedmontese, the Italian province pressing the issue, had gotten Napoleon III and the French Army to help them. Garibaldi and his partisans were most effective in creating havoc. And the Austrians were woefully weak in high command ability and unit morale.

Risorgimento 1859 is a big game, yet easy to play. The battle games are very enjoyable with lots of maneuver and combat. The Campaign game uses a point-to-point map system. The focus is on coordination and concentration, the ability to guard avenues of approach, and the capability of units to engage in combat.

Game Components

COUNTERS	1,120 full-color die-cut counters.
MAPS	Two 22x34" full-color mapsheets, backprinted
OTHER	One 10-sided die 20-page Battle Game Rule Book 24-page Campaign Game Rule Book 16-page Play Book 5 8.5x11" Player Aid Cards

Game Features

Battles and Campaigns

Players fight the two major battles of the campaign, Magenta and Solferino (one of the largest battles in European history). The rules are relatively short and very accessible, as the battle system is designed for ease of play. For example, combat units do not have any numerical Strength! However, they do differ in Morale.

Magenta: A wild battle fought in the vineyards, where no one could see anything. Reinforcements coming from all corners of the map, as the French have to cross a major river to take the important rail center.
Solferino: The Austrians and the French literally stumble into each other in teh difficult and hilly country south of the Lombardian lakes. The battle that followed, pitting 4 French corps against 7 Austrian corps, was one of the most brutal in modern history. So brutal that it led directly to the founding of the Red Cross. The French, having started first, get to attack an Austrian-held position that takes advantage of every hill and valley.
The Campaign: Play out the entire Campaign and see if you can avoid the mistakes the Austrians made. This version uses a point-to-point system and some very unusual mechanics to model one of the first military campaigns that used railroads.

TIME SCALE	1 hour per turn
MAP SCALE	325 yards per hex
UNIT SCALE	Battalion & Regimental (battle); Division & Corps (campaign)
NUMBER OF PLAYERS	One to four