by Bill Simoni, 21 July 2025
Saratoga was originally published in 1998 and has seen two further editions, most recently in the first Tri-Pack from 2017. This is the version being played and reviewed.
All three of these scenarios were played solo in the last few weeks. I’ve also played the base scenario several times opposed.
Can Gentleman Johnny’s Party Train (see podcast recommendation below to get the reference) make it to Albany and crush the Patriots’ dreams or will Horatio Gates and Benedict Arnold co-exist long enough to rout Burgoyne from the field?
Game 1 – Standard Campaign
This 12-turn scenario is about as close to base (or vanilla) BoAR as you can get. The scenario-specific rules are relatively light (forced garrisons, stationery Patriot artillery, and unit release conditions), which makes this an excellent entry to the series.
click images to enlarge
It also has Decisive Victory conditions that seem near impossible to me without active collusion from your opponent. Both require holding specific hexes without being in an enemy zone of control at the end of any turn. I’d love to hear stories of any game you’ve played that was won this way.
In this game, Benedict Arnold dashed into combat and dominated every single one. His counter stats (+2 DRM for combat) make him one of the best leaders in the game. I believe I rolled 8+ for every combat initiated by the Patriots and under 3 for British attacks. It was a one-sided affair that resulted in several British casualties and a comfortable Substantial Victory for the Patriots (British morale reduced to 0).
Game 2 – Freeman’s Farm
This is a scenario new to this edition, which allows an abbreviated play focusing solely on the Freeman’s Farm area of the map. Decisive Victory here is more reasonable – the side that can control two specific hexes near to the battle wins (see control markers below). The units covered with the red marker enter only if the Patriots move adjacent; additionally the British must roll for to see how many actually put down their tea and engage.
Once again Arnold and lopsided die rolls ruled the battle.
Despite a semi-successful British counter-attack, Arnold made sure to lend his battle prowess where needed to take the required hex.
Game 3 – The “Next Day”
This game was played via the Vassal module. Note that each battle has its own module, even those in the Tri-Packs. It is well-crafted, but mostly unobtrusive. As long as you mark battle results directly on the units via right-click, the module adjusts army morale for you.
Burgoyne didn’t follow up his victory on day 1 of the battle for almost 3 weeks. He rested his troops and waited for assistance from Clinton that never came (or perhaps never was meant to come).
In this scenario, additional Patriot militia potentially arrive, but Patriot ammunition is close to running out. A simple handout is used to track how many close combats certain Patriot units can be in before earning a DRM penalty subsequently.
Decisive victory is achieved for the British by holding Bemis Tavern or Fort Neilson, while the Patriots have to have an incredibly successful counter-attack against a sleeping opponent – capture the British HQ or their baggage train along the Hudson.
Arnold is confined to quarters unless the British move adjacent. Arnold took umbrage at Gates selling the first day’s battle as his success, not Arnold’s. Gates really did not like Arnold’s attitude.
As the British closed in, more and more of the Patriot units ran dangerously low on ammo. Not unexpectedly, as their ammo went, so did their morale. The British win the field halfway through the day with a substantial victory.
Final Thoughts
I’m quite enthusiastic about this series on the whole and I think that Saratoga is a great entry in the series, whether you are new or a seasoned BoAR veteran. The full standard campaign and “Next Day” scenarios can be completed in a long afternoon, while Freeman’s Farm takes 2-3 hours. With relatively few game-specific exceptions, you can focus on playing the game.
The Vassal module is excellent – it does just enough for you to ensure you don’t miss morale or VP impacts, but otherwise is unobtrusive to just playing.
I have three minor nits to pick:
- The Series Rules say that each game’s exclusive rules will indicate which units are militia. Saratoga does not; you need to figure it out on your own, which isn’t too hard since the counter images are the ones used in the Series Rules.
- As mentioned above, the Decisive Victory conditions seem to be unachievable with realistic play.
- I’m still unclear if the “Next Day” scenario is meant to be a hypothetical attack on the literal next day or if it is the Battle of Bemis Heights nearly three weeks later.
There is no bibliography provided in the game, but there is a six-page historical recap of the campaign. I heartily recommend this episode from the Revolutions podcast for more about the battle and surrounding events. It’s also the source of one of my favorite t-shirts.
Next up: The battle that lost Philadelphia but saved America – Brandywine.
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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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