Washita River

User summary: In the year 1977, Atlantic produced, inside their 15 games-line called “Il Gioco delle Battaglie” (The Game of Battles), 5 "board-wargames" of the Old West/Indian Wars theme (code numbers from 1456 to 1460 in their catalog).

Each set included 1/72-HO scale toy soldiers, vehicles and accessories from Atlantic production, plus a different playing field game-map, related rules and historical introductory notes for every battle.

The game-maps (large pieces of paper of 68 for 68,5x49 cm) were photographs from above of 3D dioramas of hypothetical battlefields of the battles represented. On the back of the game-map sheets were shown the assembly diagrams for the parts contained in the package and the game rules, in four languages, with numerous illustrations for clarification.

The main fight rules were checkers/chess like: the player pieces must enter the enemy squares to eliminate his soldiers, with some hierarchical precedencies: e.g. no foot soldiers can eliminate horse-mounted ones. Non dice were used anywhere in the games.

From the publisher (Translated): Washita River - November 27, 1868 General Phil Sheridan, who commanded the troops of Missouri, carried out many attacks against the hostile Indians. Among his officers there was Lieutenant-colonel George Armstrong Custer, who, out of insubordination, had been reintegrated in a lower rank under Sheridan's orders. On 26th November 1868 Custer set off at the head of his troops. The day after, at dawn, an Indian village on the Washita River was in view of the division. Custer surrounded the Cheyennes village and ordered the attack and spared nobody: the peaceful Indian tribe whose chief Black Kier had always trusted the whites was fully overwhelmed. It was an awlul massacre and no Indian escaped death. The women and children who escaped the slaughter where taken prisoners.

RULES HOW TO START THE GAME One of the two players keeps the Americans and the other keeps the Indians. The American player moves first, but initially the soldiers are placed outside the west side of the playing map. The Indians player goes second, but start with his pieces already on the squares on the east border of the map. HOW TO MOVE A) On each square the players may place from 1 to a max. of 4 soldier pieces. B) Each piece may be moved l square at a time. C) Each piece may move in a straight line only, never diagonally. D) Each turn each player can move only the pieces that start the turn on the same square: i.e., at each turn can be moved only the pieces of 1 square (one or more of them). E) Foot soldiers only (i.e.: no vehicles or horses) may enter the squares where there are houses. HOW TO ELIMINATE THE ENEMY A) In order to eliminate the enemy pieces it is necessary to enter the square where they stand. B) Foot soldiers con eliminate only other foot soldiers (e.g.: no horse mounted ones). C) All the enemy pieces in a square are eliminated even if only a single adversary piece enter the square. WHO WINS THE BATTLE The player who succeeds in eliminating all opposing forces is the winner of the battle.