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British Lancers getting ready to make their charge. 25mm Ral Partha figures.
Two units of Dervish Infantry closing to attack. 25mm Ral Partha figures.
British Infantry, wearing khaki, formed Square. 25mm Ral Partha figures.
The Sword & the Flame: 20th Anniversary Edition Cover
The limbered-up objective at Gamestorm 2011

The Sword and the Flame (1979)

Players
2–4
Best: 2
Playing time
60–60 min
Age
12+
7.49
Average rating
128
Ratings
2.39/5
Weight
#10384
BGG rank
Outside top 5,000
Designer:Larry V. Brom
Artist:John Hagen
Publisher:Yaquinto +2 more
Average rating, ratings count, weight and rank are sourced from BoardGameGeek (BGG).
Game DNA
  • This game: Strategy 7, Luck 7, Interaction 5, Complexity 4.8, Theme 5
Strategy7.0
Luck7.0
Interaction5.0
Complexity4.8
Theme5.0

This game's strategy, luck, interaction, complexity and theme.

WargameMiniaturesBookPost-NapoleonicSimulationDice RollingMeasurement MovementTurn Order: Random

Overview

"Being a set of introductory rules for the conduct of miniature battles of the British Empire"

This one set of rules enables the miniature wargamer to play in six different Colonial periods - Pathans 1878, Zulus 1879, Boers 1880, Egyptians 1882, Dervishes 1884 and African Exploration (only in the 20th Anniversary Edition). There is no need for additional supplements or game cards.

By utilizing half-a-dozen or so six-sided dice (d6), about a dozen 10-sided dice (d10), a tape-measure and a standard set of playing cards, this was the first published set of rules to incorporate:

- Variable move distance - Specific casualty determination - Random movement and firing sequence

Figures are individually mounted, but movement, morale and combat is by the unit, with the basic unit being the 20 figures infantry platoon (or Pathan clan, Zulu Iviyo, Dervish warband), 12 figures for a cavalry troop and 4 figures for an artillery battery. Units are then added to make larger forces (company, battalion, Pathan/Dervish tribe, Zulu Ibutho, Boer Commando, and cavalry squadron). Each unit has an identifiable command figure.

TSATF has been described as a semi-skirmish game. Unit movement is determined by die roll, different types of units under different circumstances rolling differing numbers of six-sided dice. Random card draws decide which units move first, and also determine the effects of fire and combat.

"The Sword and the Flame 20th Anniversary Edition" Included in the updated 20th Anniversary Edition are many new features such as Pinning defenders, Two ranks firing, Overhead fire, Pass-through fire, Limited ammunition, Volley and independent fire, and a Rules synopsis page. The 20th Anniversary Edition is an improvement over the original edition.

The Sword and the Flame is designed for use with 25mm figures, but it can be easily suited for 15mm and 20mm miniatures.

Expansions

Waken The Storm
The Sword in the Forest
The Sword in the Caribbean: Pirate Forays Along The Spanish Main
The Sword and the Flame: Eight Hundred Fighting Englishmen
The Sword in North Africa
The TSATF Scenario Portfolio 2000
The Kris And The Flame
The Sword In Gaul
The Sword and the Flame: Event Deck
Colonial Campaigns: The Zulu War, 1879
Colonial Campaigns: Boxer Rebellion
The Sword and the Flame: The Sun Never Sets
Colonial Campaigns: Ethiopia 1887-1896
The Sword and the Flame: Supplement 1
Colonial Campaigns: Boxer Rebellion – Admiral Seymour's Relief Attempt
Gunboat Diplomacy
Colonial Campaigns: Maximilian in Mexico
Colonial Campaigns: Sikh Wars – The Rise & Fall of the Sikh Kingdom 1823-1849
The Sword and the Flame: Action Deck
The Sword and the Flame: Zulu War Action Deck
The Sword and the Flame: Terrain Effects Deck
The Sword In Africa: Safari Event Deck
The Sword In Africa: River Event Deck
The Sword In Africa: Action Deck
The Sword In Africa: Battle Event Deck
The Sword and the Flame: Northwest Frontier Action Deck
The Sword and the Flame: Mahdist Wars Action Deck
The Sword and the Flame: First Boer War Action Deck
The Sword and the Flame: Egyptian War Action Deck
The Sword and the Flame: Boxer Rebellion Action Deck
The North West Frontier Event Deck
The Sword Gone to Texas
The Sword to Adventure: A Close Combat Variant
The Sword, Cross and Gold
The Sword to Adventure
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