Holy War is MicroGame #13 in the Metagaming Microgames series, published in 1979. Originally designed as a full-sized board game, it was compressed into a microgame format. Set inside an immense space-dwelling creature called Amtik, two factions wage religious war: the Holy Band (who worship Amtik as a god) and the Sunthrowers (who believe Amtik is merely a byproduct of cosmic systems design and want to escape). The game features three-dimensional strategic movement using a unique dual horizontal and vertical mapping system.
Components
Hex map with mega-hex spiral system (representing 3D cubic light-year volumes)
Unit counters for both factions
Rules booklet
Die/dice
Setup
Lay out the hex map.
One player takes the Holy Band faction, the other takes the Sunthrowers.
Place starting units at designated positions.
Review the faction-specific units and their abilities.
Turn Structure
Each turn consists of:
Movement Phase — Move units using the 3D movement system.
Combat Phase — Resolve attacks between adjacent or in-range units.
Actions
Movement
Movement uses a dual horizontal and vertical system within mega-hexes.
Each mega-hex contains seven connected hexes spiraling downward, representing a volume of one cubic light-year.
Units move between hexes and between vertical levels.
Ship Types
Both factions have access to a wide variety of unit types:
Ship Type
Role
Rangers
Reconnaissance/patrol
Probes
Scouting
Warp Line Generators
Movement enhancement
Luck Ships
Special abilities
Star Busters
Heavy assault
Jammerswarms
Electronic warfare
Pressorships
Area control
Psycheship
Psionic warfare
Emissary of Prayer
Diplomatic/religious
Combat types
Standard warfare
Combat
Combat is resolved between units in range.
The 3D positioning affects combat modifiers.
Different ship types have different attack and defense values.
Scoring / Victory Conditions
Each faction has specific victory objectives tied to their beliefs:
Sunthrowers: Seek to destroy or escape Amtik.
Holy Band: Seek to stop the Sunthrowers and preserve Amtik.
Victory is achieved by eliminating key enemy units or controlling objectives.
Special Rules & Edge Cases
3D combat: The three-dimensional movement and combat system is unusual for its era and adds spatial complexity.
Mega-hex system: The spiral arrangement of hexes within mega-hexes represents vertical as well as horizontal space.
Rules complexity: The game is notably complex for a microgame format, with critics noting the rules could benefit from simplification.
Asymmetric factions: The Holy Band and Sunthrowers have different philosophies and potentially different unit compositions.
Compressed design: Originally a full-sized game, some complexity was retained in the smaller format.