From: Roberto Chiavini Subject: A few more reviews for the Summer I ROUGHRIDERS (Simulation Workshop) First DTP game from this publisher to reach my "combat" table, Roughriders is a beer and pretzel simulation of the assault of San Juan Hill, during the war between Spain and the U.S. in 1898. The components are adequate for a similar design, with a bland map, nice counters (which you have to die-cut, but are already mounted), a few tables and a short rules booklet, written good enough to be understood with only a couple of reading through. Each unit has a rating for combat strength and for morale. There are also leader counters, which are necessary for command and control. Teddy Roosevelt is a replacement leader, but if he enters play, there are morale benefits for units stacked with him. The sequence of play is command control (out of command range units are halved in movement and may not assault an enemy position), reinforcements, reserve activation, movement, defensive fire, offensive fire and assault. Most of the rules are very simple, and the course of play is not hindered by frequent reference to the rules booklet. Combat uses two six-sided dice, as morale checks. There are even several "chromatic" rules, like baloon observer for the American player, gatling gun, dynamite gun (which jams 4 out of six times!!), journalists (very important for the victory conditions!!), and Spanish Sharpshooters. There are two scenarios, one historical (better for solitaire play, as the Spanish player is too limited in his strategy by the few units he controls) and the other which add several other units to the Spanish, making the contest real tough between almost equal armies. As I say earlier, the game is a good DTP design, a little too beer and pretzel for my tastes, too predictable in his historical version (not too good even solitaire, if you mind rolling tons of dice), but otherwise very interesting and peculiar for the subject. I rate this game 6 in a scale 1-10.