by Bill Simoni, 2 February 2026
Savannah, published in 2005, marks a distinct departure from the relatively straightforward first three volumes of the series. Most strikingly, this game can be played with 3 players (British, American, and French), although it is simple for one person to play the allied sides. Secondly, turns are of varying lengths. Turns 1-15 represent one or more days from September 10th through October 8th. Turns 16-25 each cover the standard one hour. Finally, a random event deck has been added to the game, introducing hidden information. This reduces GMT’s rating of its solo suitability from 8 (out of 9) to 2.
The multi-day turns also have new phases added to cover key aspects before the main battle. These new phases are weather, drawing random events on some turns, the French building siege works, and siege/bombardment by the French and British. The latter two phases only start on turn 9.
In addition to the campaign scenario, a historical scenario is also available, which consists of turns 16-20. The game starts with the historical French attack, before the Americans were ready.
Campaign Scenario
While the historical scenario offers a quick tactical fix, the campaign scenario is the meat of the game for me, as usual. I played the campaign scenario at the Armchair Dragoons Fall Assembly against Richard, who had participated in my learn-to-play session the year before. Spoiler alert: I apparently taught him too well! We had a 3-hour slot, which was ambitious to say the least. Based on this one play, I think 5 hours would be ideal to have a comfortable playtime. That being said, several of the early turns go quickly as there are no allied units on the board to start the game, they only have the majority of their units on the board come turn 7, and the British have limited opportunities to venture outside their defensive perimeter.
As I struggled to get my French forces where I needed them to be, I realized we had forgotten that certain French reinforcements come in from a variable hex, much closer to the action than where I was bringing them in from. I will not forget that rule in the future. That meant my batteries couldn’t get in place soon enough to be effective.
I finally started building my siege works in roughly the historical spot (see the red circle in the below picture). Looking at my watch and wanting Richard to get to have some more fun than shuffling defenses around, I executed my option to start the main attack early by a couple of turns, meaning the next turn is turn 16, regardless of what the current turn is.
I never inflicted sufficient damage to his defensive fortifications, so the attack never gained much purchase. Turns out throwing yourself repeatedly against solid defenses isn’t conducive to winning.
Final Thoughts
After three volumes of “standard” line battles, Savannah breathes fresh life into the series before it risked growing stale. It transforms the BoAR system from a tactical exchange into a tense, operational puzzle. While I slightly lament the dip in “perfect” solo-suitability due to the hidden event cards, the narrative depth they add is a worthy trade-off—and a dedicated solo player can easily manage both hands.
Some might worry the British player has less “to do” while hunkered down, but I find such defensive management engaging. The challenge of cracking that British nut has me itching for a rematch.
Because Savannah and Pensacola were excluded from GMT Games’ Tri-Pack II, you’ll need to scout the secondary market for a copy. It isn’t particularly rare, and for anyone looking for a fresh take on an under-gamed American Revolution battle, it is an excellent addition to the shelf.
Next up: Monmouth
You can chat about this game in the Age of Gunpowder section of our discussion forums
Battles of the American Revolution Series
Mentioned in Dispatches Episode ~ Series Intro ~ Saratoga ~ Brandywine ~ Guilford Courthouse ~ Eutaw Springs ~ Savannah ~ Monmouth ~ Pensacola ~ Germantown
Camden Event Podcast Episode
Saratoga Digital ~ First Impressions ~ Gaming vs The AI
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