Between 1853 and 1867, China was engulfed in its most horrific – and deadly – civil war, the Taïping Rebellion, that cost the lives of millions of Chinese. In this game, you will play the rebellious troops of the ‘Heavenly Kingdom’ (a.k.a. the Taïping) and their other allies like the Nien bandits, against the Qing dynasty. Foreign powers intervention will play a nuisance role on both sides.

Scenario durations last from 8 turns (for the smaller ones) to over 132 turns (the 14 years grand campaign), each representing a period of one month between April 1853 and March 1867.

One player represents the Taïpings rebels and its allies, the other the Qing Empire various forces. Both have land and naval units under their command and can play some diplomatic game with foreign powers.

• The Taiping goal is to establish a viable state and a strong army in the heart of China, and once they have gathered forces and encouraged other rebellions, crush the Qings before they have realized the danger. Use help from all sources to achieve surprise and success. Speed is of importance here, but leadership problems and internal feuds may be a real danger in the long run.
• The Qings are unprepared for the rebellion and consider it a minor incident in remote areas of their huge empire. They must take conscience of the stakes as quickly as possible, before the enemy becomes too powerful and unstoppable. Troops are weak and spread out, leadership bad. Training of new forces, purchasing better weapons and hiring the right leaders is required, but this can only come when the Emperor realizes the situation (via the Qing’s Imperial Concern index).

Be careful, on both sides, of the Foreign devils (French and British forces), as they are for now neutral, but may well be, at some point, become a fearless foe or an opportunistic ally as they will attack the Empire or turn against the Taïpings. Diplomacy will them will play a crucial role.

In this game, thanks to the new economic system added to the SGS engine, you will also receive income from key cities and regions, with which you can maintain and expand your armies and fleets.

The game’s event and cards allow full replay ability thanks to the numerous various situations that they create on the diplomatic, military, political or economical fields.

Favored Side: None. Hardest to Play: Qings.