By Shot, Shock and Faith (aka Par le feu, le fer et la Foi)

Designer	Philippe Hardy
Publisher	Hexasim
Players	2
Playtime	120 mins
Suggested Age	14 and up
Additional Info	148557/par-le-feu-le-fer-et-la-foi http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/148557/par-le-feu-le-fer-et-la-foi/forums/63

Par le feu, le fer et la foi (By Shot, Shock and Faith) allows the simulation of religious wars that occurred in France from 1562 to 1598. This civil war opposes, in a first conflict phase, protestants- otherwise known as Huguenots- to catholics, then royalists to League members after the accession of Henri IV to the throne in 1589.

The art of war during this period of the Renaissance is rapidly changing. The great feudal landlords, steeped in morals, fight alongside mercenaries motivated by sole cupidity. The diversity of the weapons that are used offers great tactical possibilities, based on impact and fire. Gendarmes, cuirassiers, reiters, harquebusiers, lansquenets and Swiss mercenaries confront each other in a merciless fight.

By Shot, Shock and Faith is a grand tactical game which, for the first time, allows the simulation of five battles of that era :
SAINT-DENIS (November 10th, 1567) [...]
JARNAC (March 13th, 1569) [...]
LA ROCHE L'ABEILLE (June 25th, 1569)[...]
COUTRAS (October 20th, 1587)[...]
ARQUES (September 21st, 1589) [...]

This is a classic game system ; « I go, You go », of average complexity, including, during the active player's phase, a sequence of reaction from the passive player, such as fire, counter-charge or tactical backstep. The maps are whith areas from 300 to 500 m by side. A color code allows to easily determine the costs of movements and the line of sight. The scale of the game is one unit for 100 to 500 soldiers or one or two guns. One game turn represents a duration of 20 to 30 minutes. A corps represents either a vanguard or a rearguard, or the main body called battle.

The combats allow to simulate charges « in wall », the merciless shocks between pikemen, the artillery fire and highlight, by a support system, the combination of iron -shock- and fire -shooting. The optional rules- caracoles, orders, lost children, looting- add even more realism to the era's battles. The rules and the five battles offered are based on a thorough bibliography and researches made into books written by (non???) contemporary authors, specifically François de la Noue for the Protestants and Blaise de Montluc for the Catholics, and also on precise topographical plans of each battlefield that is still accessible, except for Saint-Denis... Are you ready to put on the Prince of Condé's, the admiral of Coligny's, the constable of Montmorency's, Anne de Joyeuse's or Henri of Navarre's armours and to fight your enemies « By Shot, Shock and Faith » ? P3F, the new HEXASIM opus offers you this option with an innovating and elegant game.

Components

three A2 maps (597x420 mm) (two printed out on both sides, one on one side only)
540 die-cut counters of 15mm (2 sheets in A4 size, 1 in A5 size)
A rules booklet printed in full-color (16 pages)
An examples booklet printed in full-color (16 pages)
Play aids
2 dice




(source: Hexasim website)