2008 · GMT Games
Unhappy King Charles! allows two players to decide whether Commons or Cavalier shall rule in England. Both seek to establish control over the country and of its economic structures. They seek not only to defeat their opponents in battle but also to seize control of the local government of England and Wales.
The game is based on We the People, Mark Herman's ingenious game on a later rebellion. As the organization of armies and states was often desultory, the cards do not provide a wide range of choices (as in Paths of Glory). The players in Unhappy King Charles! must make do with what they have. The three decks of cards - Early(1642-1643), Middle(1644) and Late (1645)- have been developed to give the correct feel for the early, middle and late war, based on storyboarding techniques. As befits a Civil War, there is treachery, bravery and stupidity in the events on the cards.
Unhappy King Charles! is played over eleven turns, each representing about four months. Brigades of troops are used to form Armies (defined Rule 3) or garrisons of fortresses (Rule 13). Only unled Brigades are on the map; the others are placed on the box of their General on the Command Displays. Generals move on the maps.
The Armies of Unhappy King Charles! are temporary massings of troops that have as much to do with feudal armies as modern revolutionaries. With inadequate supply and poor equipment it is not surprising that these armies suffer from continual desertion; and in using them you are going to have to ensure they wander the map collecting fresh recruits. Armies can be over 30,000 for a vital siege or battle or 3,000 tough cavalry under Prince Rupert or Black Tom Fairfax.
Movement activations are initiated via a numbered Ops Card, as in We the People, and are based on Army size. The smaller the Army the faster it can move. Movement across the map is by means of Areas joined by movement lines. Control of areas can change during movement if movement points are spent. Non-moving Armies can attempt interception, placing themselves in the path of the moving Army to cause Battle.
The game's basic combat unit is the Brigade, which comes in two types: Veterans (value 2) and militia (value 1). Usually militia units must be recruited before veterans of that Region. Each Region's Areas and Brigades use the same basic colour system. Fresh Brigades are received by Recruitment, which is usually limited to the unit's region of origin. Brigades lost in combat are not available for recruitment (though some Event Cards can bring them back); other losses are available.
