Abyss of Lament is a tactical game about six major battles between Frederick the Great’s Prussia and Maria Theresa’s Austria in the Seven Years War (1756-1763).

The game:
The rules are of low complexity and aim to give a good feel for the role of an army commander in the Age of Reason. Aspects like unit formations (e.g. changing from column into line, deploying skirmishers etc.) and the exact positioning of artillery batteries are abstracted under the assumption that the commander-in-chief’s subordinate commanders are – more or less – “doing their jobs”. Units represent about a brigade of infantry (Grenadiers, Line Infantry, Grenzers, Freikorps) or cavalry (Cuirassiers, Dragoons, Hussars) and are grouped into wings. Wings are important for activation and morale purposes. Fog of War and friction play a crucial role. All units are set-up face-down, so the opposing player gets to know their exact identity only when moving into contact. Which and how many units a player is allowed to activate is determined by a deck of cards (per side). These cards also regulate artillery support, scenario-specific assets and the length of a turn. Hidden units can be activated with (almost) any card, representing the relative ease of commanding uncommitted units on the approach to a battle or when held in reserve. Revealed units may in general only be activated by certain cards. This rewards the skillful use of reconnaissance assets (light cavalry and Vedette dummy-units), as revealing a unit not only offers information, but also hampers that unit’s agility. Better commanders have larger hands of cards and therefore are better able to plan ahead than their less competent colleagues.

The combat system does not use a CRT, yet allows for complex results. Combat usually results in 1 or 2 hits (sometimes more, sometimes none) the loser has to take. These can be absorbed in three different ways (retreat, disordering the unit or lowering the wing’s cohesion – a pool of "steps“ common to each wing of an army). These choices can be freely made by the owning player, but each option may be taken only a single time per given combat. If not all hits can be absorbed, the unit is eliminated. Attackers have access to less options than defenders, light troops generally have more options than other unit types. Every combat also holds a certain risk of attrition for both sides.

One major goal of the design is to eliminate every game piece, die-roll and game concept that is not strictly necessary for the game to achieve its objectives. This results in a streamlined play-experience and a visually pleasing, uncluttered gameboard. There is very little stacking. The game has a small physical footprint and a very reasonable playing time. It should be bring an average game to a satisfying conclusion in one session of two to three hours.

The battles:

Lobositz, October 1st, 1756
The first battle of the war. Frederick attacks an Austrian army under Browne that tries to cross the Elbe to support the hard pressed Saxon army. A small battle compared to later ones and a good place to learn the system. The Prussians’ have excellent quality troops and the strongest cavalry wing of the whole game, but the terrain favors the Austrian defenders.

Kolin, June 18th, 1757
The first defeat of Frederick the Great. After his victory over the Austrians at the battle of Prague, Frederick attacks a second Austrian army under Daun to drive them from Bohemia. This is a classic battle with the slightly smaller, but excellently led Prussian force attacking an Austrian army positioned on a series of hills.

Leuthen, December 5th, 1757
The greatest victory of Frederick the Great. Outnumbered almost 2 to 1 the Prussian army – hidden by small rises in the ground – marches to the left flank of an Austrian army under Prince Charles of Lorraine and achieves total surprise. A very interesting tactical situation for both sides. The Prussians have the choice of attacking on the flank as they historically did or from the front, as the Austrians originally expected. They have all the advantages as the game begins, but the longer the game lasts, the more the Austrian numbers will tell.

Hochkirch, October 14th, 1758
Frederick on the defense. Trusting in his opponent Daun’s cautious strategy, Frederick’s army is totally surprised by a daring Austrian attack of multiple columns launched from three different directions. The battle would cost the Prussians two field-marshals and Frederick his sense of confidence for some time.

Torgau, November 3rd, 1760
The bloodiest of all battles involving only Austrians and Prussians. The Austrian army under Daun is holding an incredibly strong natural position near the Saxon fortress town of Torgau. Frederick the Great divides his army: The main force under himself will attack the Austrians from the north, while a somewhat smaller force under Zieten will attack them from the south. The close terrain and density of fire made for a murderous battle, with both army commanders becoming wounded in action.

Freiberg, October 29th, 1762
The last battle of the Seven Years War. A Prussian army under Fredericks younger brother Prince Henry attack a mixed force of Reichsarmee (Imperial Army) and Austrians under Prince Stolberg. The defenders have good terrain, but suffer from their partly inferior troops.