A Mighty Fortress (wargame)

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A Mighty Fortress (Reformation and Counter-Reformation, 1532-1555) is a 1977 board wargame from SPI that models the religious and political conflicts of the Reformation in 16th-century Europe. The title comes from a well-known Martin Luther hymn.

Players and setting:
- Six powers: England, France (Scotland is treated as part of France for the game), the Ottoman Empire, the Habsburgs (Charles V’s realms), the Pope, and the Lutherans (German states).
- Goals involve conquering cities and territories and spreading or defending religious faiths. Victory points are earned for achieving goals by the end of the game.

Game length and structure:
- The game has 24 turns, each representing one year.
- Each turn starts with a diplomacy phase. Then players take turns: moving fleets, armies, and missionaries; fighting battles or engaging in theological debates. Lutheran and Jesuit missionaries can clash, with consequences for the losing side. After actions, players collect taxes to fund new forces.

Design and publication:
- Designed by Rudolph Heinze, developed by Richard Berg, with graphic design by Redmond A. Simonsen.
- Released in 1977 as a ziplock game, later produced in flatpack and bookshelf boxes.
- It briefly reached #6 on SPI’s Top Ten list but did not sell well, and critics were not enthusiastic.

Reception and legacy:
- Critics felt the game mixed too many aims (military and religious) without balancing them well. Some said the religious aspects were oversimplified and that the Papal player’s tools were weak or late in the game.
- The financial side of warfare made actions expensive, which could slow play and reduce excitement.
- Some reviews suggested the game had great ideas and historical notes, but its execution was disappointing and sometimes unbalanced, especially favoring the Lutherans.
- A new edition was released by Excalibre Games in 2011.
- The GMT game Here I Stand (2006, revised 2017) covers the same period and acknowledges A Mighty Fortress as a forerunner.
- Later commentary noted the game’s unusual subject matter contributed to modest sales, but also saw potential if errata were addressed.