First Sino-Japanese War, 1894-95 is a wargame covering the war between the emerging Empire of Japan and Manchu China of the Qing Dynasty. The historical campaign saw the Japanese armed forces win a considerable victory against their Chinese and Korean foes, but this was not preordained. In addition, a significant Japanese reverse, either at sea or on land would have had major political repercussions in Tokyo. The game has two players: Japanese and Manchu (the latter includes both Chinese and Korean forces). The Japanese and Manchu armies have inherent differences, and these are modeled by the rules. The Japanese have a national force organized along modern lines for the period of 1894-95. The Manchu armies are a mix of quasi-feudal and semi-trained units. Basically, the Japanese player is trying to beat the historical record while the Chinese are using their advantages, such as they are, to turn the tide.

Each Game Turn represents one month of operations in summer, spring and fall, and two months in winter. Each grid line is about 50 kilometers across. Ground units represent anything from battalions through divisions and larger hordes. Naval units represent one to three battleships or cruisers, or a flotilla of torpedo boats.

22x34 inch game map and a sheet of 176 5/8 inch counters

Designer: Joseph Miranda