This is a simulation of the decisive battle (of the same name) of the Seven Years War, fought in 1760 between the Prussian Royal Army under King Frederick, the Great, and the Austrian Imperial Army under Field Marshal Daun. It is a battalion-regiment level game with a map scale of 200 yards per hex and a unit scale of 250-300 men, or five guns, to one stacking point. The map is printed in black and blue inks on a 21"x31" sheet of buff colored heavy paper. There are two 8 1/5" x 11" sheets of die-cut 1/2" square unit counters beautifully printed on both sides. Prussian units have dark blue symbols on a light blue background, except those at the "break point" (a step-reduction system is used which are blue on white, and Guards, which are white on dark blue. Austrians are brown on tan, except those steps at the "break point", which are brown on white, There are also 7 1/2" x 11" and two 5 1/2" x 8 1/2" sheets containing various charts, tables, and errata, and a 16 page, 6"x9", rules book. It was designed by Frank A. Chadwick.

TORGAU is more conventional than MANASSAS, at least in that it uses sequential turns, rather than simultaneous movement. Like MANASSAS, however, it allows units to assume more than one type of formation. One side of each infantry unit counter has the conventional military mapping symbol for an infantry regiment or battalion plus melee, fire and movement factors and, at the upper left, the stacking points.

On the other side, instead of the mapping symbol is a thick, horizontal line, above it is the number of stacking points, and below it are the melee, fire and movement factors (not necessarily the same as the ones on the front!). The latter side represents the unit in line formation, while the former represents column formation. Square is represented by placing a "square" counter on top of the unit in line formation. Artillery units have the mapping symbol with defense and movement factors on one side to indicate limbered status and a gun symbol with defense, fire and movement factors on the back representing unlimbered status. Cavalry normally have only one formation, one side and no fire factor. However, dragoons also have separate counters like infantry, to represent them when dismounted.

As in MANASSAS units in line have fronts, flanks and rears, but in this case they always face a hex side instead of a corner and have a 3-hex front (as in ATLANTA) instead of the two-hex front in MANASSAS. There are two kinds of combat in TORGAU (as in miniatures): fire and melee. Fire is conducted during movement, each volley costing one movement factor up to a maximum of four per turn. The defender may also fire at units passing adjacent hexes. Melee is resolved after movement and fire is concluded. There are even provisions for checking morale, a la most miniatures rules for the horse and musket era. If you are into that period, especially pre-Napoleon, you should find this game well worth the $8.40 price. It is available from Game Designers' Workshop; 203 North Street; Normal,IL 61761.

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