Little Big Horn: Custer's Last Stand

Little Big Horn: Custer's Last Stand
Manufacturers	TSR Hobbies, Inc.
Designers	Gary Gygax
Years active	1976
Genres	Wargame

Little Big Horn: Custer's Last Stand is a wargame published by TSR in 1976 that simulates the Battle of Little Big Horn.

Description

Little Big Horn is a 2-player wargame in which one player controls the forces of George Custer, and the other player controls the forces under Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse. The map is printed on oilskin rather than paper.[1]

Publication history

The battle had already been simulated in The Battle of the Little Big Horn published by Waddingtons in 1962. But 1976 marked the centennial of the battle, and three small games publishers brought new games about the battle to Origins II: Custer's Last Stand by Battleline; 7th Cavalry by Attack Wargaming Association; and Little Big Horn: Custer's Last Stand, a game designed by Gary Gygax, with interior art by Brian Blume, and published by TSR.[2]

Gygax described the game in 2003 as "the tactical conflict between the 7th Cavalry under Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer and the various 'Sioux' and allied Indian tribes. ... The LBH game was actually quite accurate, and the Cavalry had a fair chance to triumph, just as Custer had hoped — if they stayed together and had their pack train with ammunition with them."[3]

TSR's game did not sell well; neither did the two competing games introduced at Origins. As Gygax recalled, "Of course, all three companies suffered sales-wise, as interested gamers were divided."[3]

Reception

In Issue 28 of Moves (August/September 1976), game designer Richard Berg called the oilskin map "great for durability — horrible for playing." He also thought "the game just does not hang together well enough to justify the design." He concluded "Play is somewhat predictable and there's not much that either side can do to change it."[1]*

References

Berg, Richard (August–September 1976). "Forward Observer". Moves. No. 28. p. 31.
Ewalt, David M. (2013). Of Dice and Men: The Story of Dungeons & Dragons and the People Who Play It. Scribner. p. 112. ISBN 978-1-4516-4052-6.
Sacco, Ciro Alessandro (February 2007). "An Interview with Gary Gygax, Part I" (PDF). OD&Dities issue 9. Richard Tongue. p. 7. Retrieved 2007-11-09.

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[moves28-1] Berg, Richard (August–September 1976). "Forward Observer". Moves. No. 28. p. 31.

[ODaM-2] Ewalt, David M. (2013). Of Dice and Men: The Story of Dungeons & Dragons and the People Who Play It. Scribner. p. 112. ISBN 978-1-4516-4052-6.

[ODD009-3] Sacco, Ciro Alessandro (February 2007). "An Interview with Gary Gygax, Part I" (PDF). OD&Dities issue 9. Richard Tongue. p. 7. Retrieved 2007-11-09.