Kickstarter Tabletop Alert: 'Crossbows & Catapults'

Back in 1983, my brothers and I purchased a game at a toy store and immediately began playing it as soon as we got home. We assembled blocks together to form a wall in front of a tower and then took turns launching carroms from miniature catapults and crossbows to knock the other player’s walls down, tip over the tower, and capture the treasure hidden below. Our gameboard was the pool table in our home and we eventually purchased several of the expansions for even bigger battles. Now, 40 years later, Crossbows & Catapults has returned for a new generation as well as those of us who want to relive our childhood and share it with our children or even grandchildren.

What Is Crossbows & Catapults?

Crossbows & Catapults is a competitive, kinetic game for 2 players, ages 7 and up, and takes about 20-30 minutes to play. Players use miniature toy siege weapons to knock down their opponents castle and defeat their warriors and general on a tabletop battlefield. Crossbows & Catapults is currently seeking funding on Kickstarter, with a pledge level of $30 for a copy of the Castle Battle basic version of the game, $90 for the Fortress War set which includes more pieces and tactics cards, or $145 for the Warlord Bundle which includes new weapons, even more pieces, and faction bags to keep everything together. The Kickstarter campaign ends on Monday, July 10th, 2023.

Crossbows & Catapults was originally designed by Ray Frigard and restored by Stephen Baker, Rob Daviu, Justin D. Jacobsen, Brian Neff, and Noah Cohen. It is currently published by Restoration Games, with illustrations by Nastya Lehn. The game is scheduled to deliver in July 2024.

New to Kickstarter? Check out our crowdfunding primer.

Crossbows & Catapults Components

Note: My review is based on a prototype copy, so it is subject to change and may not reflect final component quality.

Here is what you get in the basic version of the game.

2 Crossbows
2 Catapults
1 Goblin General
5 Goblin Warriors
4 Goblin Flags
4 Goblin Shields
1 Dwarf General
5 Dwarf Warriors
4 Dwarf Flags
4 Dwarf Shields
6 Ammo Pieces
1 Sticker Sheet
20 Castle pieces (10 for each army)

The crossbows use a pinch action to propel an ammo piece horizontally across the battlefield. Players can line up their shots with a target and then squeeze the two sides together. This weapon is great for defeating enemy warriors out on the battlefield as well as for knocking down the enemy gate.

The catapults use a spring-action to launch an ammo piece in an arc. A screw and gear assembly along the wide base allows the player to adjust the angle of their shot. Lower angle shots are great for attacking the walls of a castle while higher angle shots allow the player to hit high structures or attack opposing figures hiding behind the defensive walls.

Each player has five warriors and a general at the start of a game. Not only are these figures the objectives of the game, you also need them to use your weapons. As they are moved around the battlefield, they allow players to position the crossbow or catapult near their location. Plus, if you defeat the opposing general, you get to take a bonus fire action. The Fortress War set, which includes more components, also gives each player four mercenary figures.

blocks — Each players gets these 10 castle pieces along with a gate and shields. Photo by Michael Knight.

Before the start of the game, players construct their castles using their castle pieces. In the Castle Battle standard set, each player gets 10 pieces in either tan or gray depending on their side. These pieces include two foundations, an arch, a turret, and five brick pieces as well as a castle gate. The Fortress War set includes 36 additional castle pieces (18 per player) and features some interesting pieces such as a prison with gate, spire, balcony, and stairs.

castle destruction — Use your ammo to knock down the opponent’s castle. Image courtesy of Restoration Games.

Crossbows & Catapults uses flags to show the battle area. The ammo pieces are used as projectiles and launched by the weapons. The base game comes with six red ammo pieces while the Fortress War set includes an additional six black ammo pieces.

How to Play Crossbows & Catapults

You can download a copy of the rulebook here.

The Goal

The goal of the game is to wound all of your opponent’s warriors and their general before all of yours are wounded.

Setup

Setting up a game of Crossbows & Catapults is quick and simple. Start off by choosing a clear space. It could be on a table or even on the floor. Each player then builds their castle starting by erecting the gate and then building the rest of the structure. Each castle must be one continuous structure with all of the pieces connected to each other. They must also place their four shields into four bricks and ensure that the shields and wall bricks are all facing towards the opposing castle. The two castles should be 30 inches apart. Since the box top and bottom are both 15 inches long, you can use the two of them to measure the distance.

Next, players create the battlefield by positioning their flags, placing two on the left side at their castle line (where the front of the castle is located) and the midline, which is located 15 inches away from each castle. Then place two more flags along the right side at the castle line and the midline. The width of the battlefield can be as wide as your table allows. The battlefield also extends 10 inches (or a width of the box) back behind the castle line. Players now place one warrior on each of their flanks (the space between the castle and the left and right edges of the battlefield), one warrior on top of the castle, and two warriors and their general behind the castle. Finally, take a crossbow, a catapult, and three ammo discs and place them near the play area. You are now ready to play with the youngest player going first.

play area — The battle area all set up and ready for play. Image courtesy of Restoration Games.

Gameplay

The game is played with one player taking a turn followed by the other player. During a turn, a player may take two actions of their choice from two possibilities: move and fire. The can take two actions of one type or one action of each type during their turn. When using a move action, the player picks up one of their figures and then places it anywhere on their side of the midline. When a player chooses to fire, they choose one of their figures and then place a weapon (crossbow or catapult) near and no farther forward than one of their figures. They can then fire the weapon.

After a weapon is fired, the players then clean up the battlefield before the next action is taken. To do this, they remove any building pieces that are not connected to at least one other piece. Next they reset the flags to their original positions if they were moved. Any figures that are not standing flat on their base or that are knocked out of the play area are wounded and removed from the game. If a player wounded their opponent’s general, they may take a bonus fire action. Finally move the weapon and the ammo disc that was fired from the play area.

Game End

The game ends when all of one players warriors and general are wounded. The player with figures remaining in the game is the winner.

Why You Should Play Crossbows & Catapults

Restoration Games was kind enough to send me a prototype of the game they used at Origins once the convention was completed. While I did not have access to all of the features included in the larger sets and expansions, I was able to try out the base game along with some of the extra pieces from the Fortress War set. The Castle Battle set, which is the basic version of the game, will also be available in retail later on. This set has the basic components and is enough to play the game. However, the Fortress War set really takes the game to the next level. Not only does it have more than nearly three times the number of castle pieces, it also includes the mercenaries and tactics cards, some of which are used to bring the mercenaries into battle. These really take the game to the next level as they provide each side with some unique abilities. There are also three expansions available which add even more castle pieces, bags to hold your castle pieces, and even two new weapons. The ballista is a more advanced crossbow which uses spring action to propel ammo pieces while the trebuchet is like a catapult that can launch two ammo pieces at a time. All three expansions are included in the Warlord Bundle, which also has free shipping which can save you $25 or more. If you are thinking of the Fortress War set, really consider the Warlord Bundle since the shipping savings makes the bundle only $30 more.

fortress war blocks — The Fortress War set comes with additional and specialized pieces. Photo by Michael Knight.

As I mentioned earlier, I have been a fan of Crossbows & Catapults since 1983. While I liked the original game, this restored version is much improved, and the quality of the components is better. The building pieces are better designed and use a higher quality and thicker plastic that make then more sturdy while also being able to come apart when hit by the ammo pieces. I also like that there are no more rubber bands needed for the weapons. The springs in the catapult and other weapons provide a constant force while the rubber bands would stretch out or players would double them up so the weapons were too powerful. The tactics cards really add to the gameplay with additional tactics players can use to defeat their opponent.

Samples of the tactics cards from the Fortress War set. Image courtesy of Restoration Games.

Finally, Crossbows & Catapults is a lot of fun to play. It is quick to set up, there are no dice to roll, and it keeps players engaged the entire time. Instead of rolling dice to see if you hit and cause damage, players actually get to launch projectiles at targets and instantly see the resulting damage they cause. This is a great game for families and designed for children as young as seven years old. However, teenagers and adults will also enjoy the kinetic and destructive nature of this game. While I only got to play with some of the planned components, I am very impressed and recommend Crossbows & Catapults for veterans of the original as well as those new to the game.