“The Great Northern War (1700 - 1721) was a military struggle between Sweden on one side, and Russia, Denmark, and Saxony-Poland on the other. The Swedish army under Charles XII was among the best in the Europe, and would win many victories. However the end result of the war was a defeat for Sweden that ended her run as a world power and cost her much of her empire. In 1708 Charles XII launched an invasion of Russia." "In June of 1709 the decisive battle of the campaign was fought at Poltava. The Swedes attempted a surprise attack on the Russian's fortified camp. They lost 1/3 of their army fighting past a line of redoubts. Hemmed in and outnumbered they had only one option left - attack! Which they did. The Russians held their ground and used their greater numbers to halt the Swedish advance and envelop their flanks. The Swedish retreat turned into a rout. The army was later forced to surrender, and Charles XII, who had been wounded on the eve of the battle, escaped to Turkey.” A miniatures wargame intended for classroom use with two teams of students (grades 6-8). The game is designed to be played on a 7.5x5 foot table using 1/72 scale plastic miniatures. Free print-and-play paper miniatures are also provided for use with the rules. The order of battle for each army (Swedish and Russian) is broken down according to the position of the units on the battlefield: the left wing, right wing, or center. In addition to a commander for each section, each army has an overall commander.