2005 · Red Sash Games
Sport of Kings (SOK) covers the campaigns of the War of the Austrian Succession in the German theaters of Silesia, Moravia, Bohemia, Bavaria, and the Rhineland, beginning with the outbreak of war in 1740 and running until 1745, when Prussia withdrew from the conflict and the emphasis shifted to other theaters. From December 1740 to 1748, the War of the Austrian Succession raged on the continent of Europe.
SOK is a two or three-player operational study. One player is the French, one is the Allies, and a third may play the Prussians (under French control in a two-player game). The Allied army includes contingents from Britain, Hanover, Holland, Austria, Hesse, and Denmark. Saxony is a potential ally, but could join the Franco-Prussians instead. Under French command are Bavarian and Pfalz troops. The forces of the Empire are available to the side that can demonstrate the greater strength.
The game system is essentially the same as CoE. A number of important changes have been made to deal with the fact that there are three sides. Map scale is still 8.5 miles per hex. The counters are brigades. Units are rated for Strength (in battalions), Effectiveness (a combination of morale and training), and Movement. Turns are equivalent to months. Each turn is broken down into several phases - supply, operations, admin, etc. There are scenarios for the 1st and 2nd Silesian Wars, the Austro-Bavarian War, and the Dettingen campaign, plus a huge Campaign Game covering the entire period.
