Battle Cry of Freedom

Date of Publication: October 2003

Decision Games, PO Box 21598, Bakersfield, CA 93390

Decision Games hereby grants permission for its customers to download and/or print copies of this file for their personal use. Discussion folders for this game are located on Consimworld.com's discussion board.

These rules were updated on 29 September 2003. The errata incorporated on that date are in red.

Total word count in this file: 18,225.

Game Credits
Design & Development: David P. Smith, Ph.D.
Co-Developer: Richard Trevino
Playtesters: Nick Barker, Roberto Chiavini, Glen Clark, Jerry Gibson, Tom Kassel, Jeff Key, Scott Poindexter, and Geoff and Madison Smith.
Rules layout: Callie Cummins
Card and Box graphics: Lezley Pumphrey
Made & Printed in USA. All rights reserved.
© 2002 Decision Games, Inc. Bakersfield, CA
 
Description of Play:
	This two-player card game represents the American Civil War, 1861-1865, in the theaters of war east of the Mississippi River. Each player has his own Play Deck  from which he will draw in order to play cards. In the game, each player will go though his Play Deck twice, with each deck representing roughly two years of the war. Each player has a Command Point Track, and a token (coin or other token provided by players) placed on the track keeps his current Command Point total. The Command Points in this game represent the economic, military, political and social factors that influenced the campaigns of the war, which in turn were influenced by the outcomes of the battles.
	The objective of the Union player is to capture all three Victory Condition cities (Richmond, Atlanta, Vicksburg) before the end of Deck Two; or, alternatively, to take any two of these cities and play the Presidential Election of 1864 card. The Confederate wins if the Union player cannot achieve his objectives.
	There are four types of events accounted for in each Play Deck, and each individual card contains at least two of these: Resource Events, Battle Events, Special Events, and Strategic Movement Events. Resource Events (played both before and after battles) are played only during the Resource phases and represent national will or morale, political events, economic and social effects, as well as the buildup of military strength. Battle Events and Special Events are played only during Combat. They are the cards that determine how a battle is fought. The Strategic Movement Phase Events may affect where a Battle Card is placed. This phase of the Sequence of Play allows for such elements as movement to the battlefield, turning movements, retreats from battle, and initiative shifting to the opponent, all of which go into determining where battles will be fought, if at all. 
	The game allows the player to recreate the four years of the war in three hours of gaming. In doing so, cards representing many of the key generals of the war are used in fighting battles. Of course, the war was decided on the field of battle, but this game makes clear the war was a two-way street—that battles and campaigns did not exist in a vacuum. 
	Most games or simulations on this topic have, in the past, given only a cursory look, if at all, at the complex social, economic, and political issues with which the men and women of 1861-1865 struggled. The interrelationship of these factors with military events is the focus of this game. The game should be an exciting one to play, one which will frequently go down to the wire, as a competitive game should. If some player later goes on to read further about the nonmilitary aspects of the war in order to get a better grasp of the scope and complexity of this four-year struggle that changed the course of our nation’s history, then the game will have achieved its purpose. 	
I. Victory Conditions:
	Victory conditions center around the capture of Southern cities (Victory Condition Cities). The Union player wins if he achieves either of these two objectives:
A. The Union player wins if he captures all three Victory Condition Cities (Richmond, Atlanta and Vicksburg) by the end of Deck Two. (See Victory Condition Cities in the glossary)
B. The Union player wins if he captures any two of the Victory Condition Cities and plays the Presidential Election of 1864 card by the end of Deck Two. 
Any other result is a Confederate win.
II. Set-Up:
A. The Theater Cards are placed on the table facing the Confederate player. The Eastern Theater of War is always set up on the right.
B. The Command Point (CP) Track allows each player to update current Command Points. Use any token to mark each player’s CP total. Begin both Union and Confederate at eight CPs to start the game.
C. The Sequence of Play is to be followed each turn, with this exception: Each game begins with the Combat Phase for the Battle of Manassas. The Union player has the initiative, and the Union player must play at least one Attack Card in this first major battle of the war. Both players have a nine-card hand to begin the Combat Phase.
D. Check the Campaign Game Set-Up instructions to determine which General cards should begin the game in play. All of a player’s cards are placed in his Play Deck (Exception: each player has two cards that do not begin in the Player Deck: the three-star versions of Generals Lee and Jackson for the Confederate, and Grant and Sherman for the Union). 
	Each player then shuffles his deck and deals out nine cards. The Union Play Deck has blue cards; the Confederate Play Deck has gray cards.
E. The Battle Deck, containing all the Battle Cards except the Battle of Manassas card, should be placed to one side.
F.  Each player has an equal number of Command Point cards set to one side.
III. Campaign Game 
Union Generals:
East: McDowell and Burnside
West: Halleck and Buell
Confederate Generals:
East: Joe Johnston and Beauregard
West: A. S. Johnston and Polk
Command Point Track: Eight CPs for each player
The Battle of Manassas is in play in the East
Each player shuffles his Play Deck and begins the game with nine cards.
	Begin play with the Combat Phase. The Union player has the initiative. The Union must play at least one Battle Event in this first major battle of the war.
Components: A complete game includes this rules book and 300 full-color cards and one Player Aid Card with the Detailed Sequence of Play. If any item is missing or damaged, please contact: Decision Games, Customer Service, PO Box 21598, Bakersfield CA 93390 for assistance. Also visit or website at www.decisiongames.com for the latest updates on this game and many of the other fine games produced by Decision Games. Be sure to send your Game Response card in as this registers the game and places you on the mailing list for future updates and offers.
Glossary of Terms and Key Concepts
Attack Card: Any part of a blue (Union) or gray (Confederate) Battle Event or Special Event that has a positive Combat Value number, such as +2. 
Battle Card: Any tan-colored card that has the name of a specific battle or campaign. Some battles are labeled: “Invasion Cards.” Victory Condition Cities are also Battle Cards. The Confederate player has two Battle Cards in his Play Deck: Kennesaw Mountain and North Anna.
Battle Deck: A deck consisting of all tan Battle Cards.
Battle Event: Any part of a blue or gray card labeled with one or more stars. This part of the card may be played only in the Combat Phase. The +1 found at the bottom of the non-General cards is also a Battle Event.
Before Combat: Also stated on cards as “prior to combat.” This occurs at the start of the Combat Phase, before any actions have taken place. 
Blocking: This occurs when a player replaces the Battle Card played by his opponent with another eligible Battle Card. This Battle Card may come from the Battle Deck, or in the Confederate player’s case, from his hand. Victory Condition cities may never be used to “Block.” Battle Cards that may block, and be blocked, are found on the Theater Flow Charts and on the Battle Cards.
Cancel: To turn a Battle Event or Special Event card at an angle to indicate it does not affect the battle, or that its Combat Value has been negated. It is left on the table, and any card already played with it, or added to it (ex. “Battle Elan”) is also canceled. The card is left on the table because in certain instances the Cancel effect may be negated and the card restored (Ex. Opponent plays a “Massed Artillery” card canceling all of your Massed Infantry column cards. You respond by playing “Counter-Battery,” which cancels his “Massed Artillery.” Your “Massed Infantry” cards are then turned to indicate they are in play.).
Cavalry General: Ordinarily, a Cavalry General may engage only to enable a player to draw a card from his Play Deck. A Cavalry General may not engage for the purpose of playing a Battle Event or a Special Event, unless stated on a card. 
Combat Value: (CV) The total numerical value of all Battle Event and Special Event cards played by each player during a battle. The CV of the player with the initiative in a battle must exceed the CV of the defending opponent in order to win the battle. 
Command Points: (CPs) These represent the number of cards each player may draw from his Play Deck for each battle fought during the Combat Phase. CPs for each player are recorded on the Command Point Track. The maximum CP total is 12 for the Confederate and 15 for the Union. Cards representing a player’s CP total in a Theater of War are placed on the table during the Command Point Phase. 
	Command Points actually represent a number of important factors: the application of force on the battlefield, and the factors which affect that application, and which in turn are affected by the outcome of the battle. These include political, economic and social factors, as well as military.
Command Point Cards: The Command Point cards are tan. Each player has an equal number of CP cards, from 0 to 9.

Confederate Offensive: The Union player is normally on the offensive, and is said to have the initiative in battle. The major exception is when the Confederate plays a card in the Strategic Movement Phase that allows him to take the offensive. For example: the "Strategic Offensive" card. The Confederate player then has the initiative in battle in that theater of war. 
Note also, however, the Union player might play an "Attack and Die" card at the start of the Combat Phase. That requires the Confederate player to take the initiative in that battle.
	If every Battle Card in the Battle Deck in a theater of war is controlled by the Union player, except for one victory condition city, the Confederate player may not place a card during the Strategic Movement Phase that would otherwise allow him to take the offensive. For example: the Union player has taken every Battle Card in the East (Manassas, Fredericksburg, Wilderness/Chancellorsville, Peninsula), and only Richmond remains. The Union player places the Battle of Richmond card. In the Strategic Movement Phase, the Confederate player may not play the "Strategic Offensive," "Army of Northern Virginia on the Move" or "Lee is Audacity Personified" cards.

Deck One/Deck Two: Quite a few cards in the Play Deck indicate they may be played only in a certain deck. If you are in your Deck One, and your Opponent is in Deck Two, you may not play a card that says Deck Two only. The number of the deck stated on the card refers to your own deck. If you draw the last card in your Deck One during Combat, then you are considered to be in Deck Two from that point on.
Defend Card: any part of a blue or gray Battle Event or Special Event that has a negative Combat Value (CV) number, such as -1. Defend cards are effective only if the Opponent attacks, and it is possible for a player, or even both players, to have a negative Combat Value in battle. 
	Example: Your opponent has only a Frontal Assault +1 in play. You play Massed Artillery -3 and Defend: Woods -1. Your opponent has a CV of -3. 
	Example: Your opponent has only a Massed Infantry Column +2 in play. You play Massed Artillery -3, which immediately cancels his Massed Infantry Column. The Combat Value is now zero for both sides, because your Massed Artillery is effective only when an opponent’s Attack card is in play. Your artillery, however, is ready to sweep the field if your opponent launches more attacks.
Discard: To place cards in your Discard pile. You may be forced to do so in combat by play of your opponent’s cards, or to reduce your hand to its card limit at the end of the turn.
Discretionary Command Points: At least half a player’s total Command Points must be placed facedown in Phase C, the Command Point Phase. Any CPs not placed at this time are called Discretionary CPs and are placed face-up in Phase F. Each player thus has the advantage of seeing his opponent’s Strategic Movement Phase play before placing Discretionary CPs. The Union must place his face-up Discretionary CPs first, followed by the Confederate.
Disengage: To indicate an engaged general is available again to play a Battle Event by restoring it to its original position. This may be done by card play during a battle, and it is also done in Phase L of the Sequence of Play.
End of Game: The game ends immediately under two conditions:
a. When the Union player has satisfied his victory condition before Deck Two is completed. Once Combat begins, the last deck is completed only after the Second Resource Phase cards have been played. If the Combat Phase has begun, and one player runs out of cards in Deck Two, his deck is then reshuffled and the entire turn is completed, including play of the Second Resource Phase cards.
b. If either player runs out of cards in his Play Deck in his second deck before the Combat Phase begins, the game is automatically over. Because the Union has not fulfilled his Victory Condition, the Confederate player wins. 
	Note: While drawing your Command Point limit of cards at the start of Combat, a player stops when he has drawn his last card in Deck Two. The deck is then reshuffled. The player may draw cards during combat from this third deck only by card play. (ex. The Union player has 13 CPs, but only two cards left in his Deck Two. He draws the two cards and combat begins. He begins his combat phase by playing “Overwhelming Numbers and Resources,” thus getting to draw two more cards. During combat he also plays “Superior Leadership,” and draws another card).	
Engage: This indicates a general is being used to bring into play a Battle Event or, in some cases, the effects of a Special Event. You engage a General card by moving it forward from your line of generals, or by turning it at an angle, or by flipping it over. Use a method that works best for you to indicate the general has been used.
General Card: Any blue or gray card with the picture of a general, and the name of the general at the bottom of the card. The number of stars on a general card indicates the rating, with one star the lowest and three stars the highest. Some generals have a split rating. In this case, the stars to the left indicate the offensive rating, and the number to the right is the defensive rating. In a battle in which the general’s army has the initiative (on the offensive), the offensive rating is used. The defensive rating is used if the opponent has the initiative.
	In battle, if a general is discarded or forced to return to the Play Deck, any Battle Events played when the general engaged remain in play.
	There are four generals who may be promoted during the game: Generals Grant, Sherman, Lee and Jackson. When the game begins, these generals begin with their split rating. The three-star versions of these general cards are set to the side of the table.  When one of the generals is in play during a victorious battle, at the end of the turn the general is replaced with the three-star version of the card.
Immediately: This wording on a card allows a player to interrupt opponent’s play in Combat in order to play a card (ex. Opponent plays a “Serious Wound,” forcing you to discard an engaged General, but you counter immediately with “Just a Flesh Wound” to save your General. Your opponent continues with his play if he wishes). 
	Example: The Confederate plays an “Entrenchments/Field Works” card and the Union plays his Command Failure. The card would be canceled unless the Confederate negated the “Command Failure” (per instructions on the card), or unless he played a Heroic Effort to save the Entrenchments.
In Play: A Battle Event or Special Event that has not been canceled. A canceled card remains on the playing surface because it may be restored, but it does not count as a card that is in play. (Example: The Confederate Player wishes to play the “Desperate Valor” card, which adds +3 combat value if four Confederate attack cards have been played. He may not play it if one of his four attack cards has been canceled). 
Initiative: The player with the Initiative (on the offensive) goes first in each battle. This player’s Combat Value, after both players have passed, must exceed your opponent’s Combat Value or lose the battle. A battle that ends with the Combat Value tied is a victory for the player on the defensive—the player without the initiative. The Union player always has the Initiative, unless changed by card play that places the Confederate player on the offensive (ex. Confederate plays “Army of Tennessee on the Offensive” in the Strategic Movement Phase). See “Confederate Offensive” above.
Invasion: There are four Invasion cards: Perryville, Antietam, Gettysburg and Washington, D.C. The South may play one of these cards if he plays a “Strategic Offensive” card, or “Lee is Audacity Personified.” Even if the Union has already placed a Battle Card in a theater, the Confederate may take the offensive, thereby replacing the Battle Card with one of the Invasion Cards. 
	There is only one instance when an Invasion card may be blocked by the Union player. If the Confederate places the Washington, D.C. card, the Union may block with either Antietam or Gettysburg. 
	If the Confederate wins at Perryville, Antietam, or Gettysburg, that Invasion card is removed from the game. If the Union wins, that Invasion card may be placed again in a later turn by the Confederate player. (See Washington, D.C. below)
Pass: In combat, when both players consecutively take no actions, the battle is over. Actions consist of playing cards or engaging generals.
	In the Strategic Movement phase, when both players consecutively choose not to play a card, the phase is over.
Peninsula Campaign Battle Card: When the Union player selects this Battle Card, he must state whether it is an Amphibious or Overland campaign. If an Overland campaign, the Confederate may block with another Battle Card. If Amphibious is chosen, it may not be blocked, but the Confederate may play a Strategic Movement card to go on the offensive. If an Amphibious campaign is fought, the Union player, prior to Combat in the East, must return any two non-General cards to the top of his Play Deck and engage any two Generals. As long as the Union controls the Peninsula Campaign card, the Confederate may not block with any battle card if the Union plays the Richmond/Petersburg Battle Card.  
Play Deck: Each player has a deck consisting of all cards of his color, either blue or gray. If a card calls for return to “top” of a deck, simply place the cards on the top of the appropriate deck. If a card calls for “return to play deck,” then those cards are returned to the Play Deck and shuffled.
Resource Event: Any part of a blue or gray card labeled with a circle icon. These may be played only in either the First Resource Event Phase or the Second Resource Event Phase.
Special Event: any part of a blue or gray card labeled with a triangle icon. These may be played only in the Combat Phase. 
Strategic Movement: any part of a blue or gray card labeled with a crossed flags icon. This is the principal movement phase of the game. In Phase E, the Union player may place his Strategic Movement card first, followed by the Confederate, and so forth, until neither player wishes to play a Strategic Movement card. 
Example 
	It is early in Deck One and the Union player has not yet won a battle. He has placed the Vicksburg Battle Card in the previous phase of the Sequence of Play. The Confederate looks at his Theater of War in the West Flow Chart to see what battles he can use to block, and he selects Shiloh to block Vicksburg. The Union player passes in the Strategic Movement phase, the Confederate also passes and the Strategic Movement ends. The Battle of Shiloh will be fought.
Example
	The Union plays the Vicksburg Battle Card, but the Confederate has blocked with the Shiloh Battle card. Now, in the Strategic Movement phase, the Union plays “Turning Movement: Cavalry Screen Effective,” and he removes the Shiloh Battle Card to his control. The Confederate may now block again or fight the battle at the original site, Vicksburg. The Confederate now chooses to block with Corinth, but the Union responds with another Turning Movement card, and Corinth is also removed to Union control. The Confederate, desperate to halt the Union drive, now has two choices: fight at Vicksburg or play another Strategic Movement card form his hand. 
Example 
	The Union has played the Fredericksburg Battle Card in the East and the Shiloh Battle Card in the West. No blocking can take place. The Union may now choose to play a Strategic Movement card, but he passes. The Confederate now chooses to play a Strategic Movement card in the East, “Strategic Offensive.” The Fredericksburg Battle Card is returned to the Battle Deck and the Confederate chooses to play the Antietam Battle Card. The Union passes, then the Confederate decides to play another Strategic Movement card, “Strategic Retreat,” in the West, and Shiloh will not be fought.
	The Union player realizes he might be up against a formidable threat in the East, so he chooses to play the “Rebel Invasion” Strategic Movement card, which allows him to shift CPs from the West to the East. The Confederate passes, the Union passes, and the Strategic Movement Phase ends.
Theater Cards: Tan cards that have the names of the Theater of War where battles may be fought (East or West). 
Theater of War, East and West: Ordinarily, when the Union player places a Victory Condition City in the Strategic Movement Phase, the Confederate may block with any Battle Card. There are, however, exceptions noted on the Battle Cards and on the Theater of War flow charts. 
Theater of War Flow Charts: These two cards provide, at a glance, a listing of battles in each theater that name which battles may be blocked and which battles may block. Players should also refer to the Battle Cards themselves for further restrictions. 
	Example: The Atlanta Battle Card states: “May not be placed unless Chattanooga and Chickamauga have fallen.”
Victory Condition Cities: These consist of the Confederate cities of Richmond, Atlanta, and Vicksburg. Each city has an intrinsic defense of -3, stated on the card. If a battle is fought at one of these cities, and the Confederate has been forced on the offensive by the Union Special Event, “Attack and Die,” the -3 intrinsic defense is still in effect.
	When all the Victory Condition Cities in a Theater of War have been captured by the Union, the following procedure is followed for the rest of the game.
	No further CPs are placed in that Theater by either player. The Confederate must keep as many of his generals in that theater as the Union player. Confederate generals may be withdrawn, but they must be immediately matched by other generals, just as long as the number of generals matches the Union number.
	No cavalry general may be withdrawn by the Confederate, even if the Union withdraws its cavalry general.
Washington, D.C.: There is a special circumstance in case the Confederate player wins a victory at Washington, D.C. In the turn following its capture, the Union player must place a majority of his Command Points in the East. No battle will be fought in the East unless the Confederate goes on the offensive. At the end of the turn, Washington, D.C. is considered to have been recaptured by the Union. The Union receives +1 CP for its recapture, but the Confederate does not suffer a CP loss. Washington is still considered retaken, even if the Confederate takes the offensive in a battle in the East.
Detailed Sequence of Play
	The Union player goes first in each phase below, unless the Confederate player gains the initiative (takes the offensive) by card play.
	Note each card in the Play Deck contains three different effects. The top half and bottom half of each card contain a Resource Event (circle icon), Special Event (triangle icon), Battle Event (star icon), or Strategic Movement Phase Event (crossed flags icon), or is labeled as Battle Card (Confederate only). Printed at the very bottom of each card is a “Frontal Assault +1” Battle Event. When you play a card, state which part of the card you are using.
A. Draw Standard Limit of Cards
	The Union player draws three cards at this time.
	The Confederate player draws three cards at this time (reduced by one for the fall of each Victory Condition city).
B. First Resource Phase
	Each player may play one Resource Event. Each card’s effect is marked on the Command Point Track (if applicable), modifying the CP total and then the card is placed in that player’s Discard Pile. Each Resource Event states on the card in which Resource Event it is to be played—either the First or Second Resource Phase. Some of the Resource Events state they may be played in “any Resource Phase.”
C. Command Point Phase
1. The Union and Confederate players have their Command Point (CP) total marked with a token on their Command Point Track. Each player now places two Command Point cards totaling at least half their total CPs face down on the playing surface, one in each Theater of War, Eastern and Western. A third Command Point card is placed in front of the player and represents the player's strategic reserve or Discretionary Command Points; these points will be allocated to the theaters later in the turn. CP cards with a zero may be placed face down as a bluff. 
2. The Command Point Track is adjusted, if applicable, in each Resource Phase and at the end of each Battle.
3. The revealed CP cards in a Theater of War indicate how many cards may be drawn in Phase H below, just prior to the Combat Phase.
D. Place Battle Cards/Blocking
1. The Union player must place a Battle Card in at least one Theater of War. He may choose to place a Battle in both theaters if he wishes. He may be forced to play a Battle card in a certain theater because of Confederate card play in the First Resource Phase.
2. When the Union has chosen to place a Battle Card in one or both theaters, the Confederate Player may now choose to block a Battle Card, if possible. Normally, whenever the Union player places a Victory Condition City (Richmond, Atlanta, Vicksburg), the Confederate player may block with any Battle cards in that theater, unless prevented from doing so by exceptions stated on the Battle cards or on the Theater of War flow charts. 
	Example: The Union plays one Battle Card, the Chattanooga Battle card in the West. The Confederate decides to block with the Stone’s River Battle card, and returns the Chattanooga card to the Battle Deck (note Stone’s River is the only battle that can block Chattanooga). The Battle of Stone’s River is now the battle that will be fought, unless changed by a Strategic Movement Event card (cards marked with a flag icon). 
E. Strategic Movement 
	When the Union has placed all battle cards and the Confederate player has responded by blocking, the Union player may respond by playing a Strategic Movement card (cards marked with a flag icon). The Confederate player may then play a Strategic Movement card. The Union player may then play another such card, and so forth until both players pass consecutively. Consecutive passes by both players ends the Strategic Movement phase. This is the only time in the game Strategic Movement cards may be played. They are then placed on the Discard Pile. See more examples of play in the Glossary.
	Note if the Confederate player “blocks” a Battle card, and the Union player plays a Turning Movement card in order to “outmaneuver” his opponent, the wording on the Turning Movement card states the Confederate may choose to “block” again.
      Example: The Union has played the Vicksburg Battle card in the West. The Confederate decides to block with the Stone’s River Battle card, and returns the Vicksburg card to the Battle Deck. The Union now chooses to play his first Strategic Movement card, “Turning Movement: Cavalry Screen Effective.” This card would force the Confederate to fight the Battle of Vicksburg in addition to having the Union take immediate control of the Stone’s River card. The Confederate decides he is not ready to fight such an important battle as Vicksburg, so he responds. He plays his own Strategic Movement card, “Confederate Brigades Seal Mountain Gaps,” thus negating the Union Turning Movement card, and Stones River will be fought. 
	Undeterred, the Union plays another Turning Movement card, once again removing the Stones River card to his possession, and places Vicksburg once again. The Confederate, desperate to avoid fighting at Vicksburg, blocks with the Shiloh Battle card. The Confederate passes, the Union passes, and the Strategic Movement Phase ends.
F. Place Discretionary Command Points and Reveal Facedown Command Points
1. The Union player places his discretionary CP cards face up, in one or both theaters of war. Then the Confederate player does the same. (Exception: card play during the Strategic Movement Phase may result in a player revealing his facedown CPs in the Strategic Movement Phase). 
2. The total CPs in both theaters may not exceed that player’s CP total on the Command Point Track. 
Example : The Confederate has nine CPs. He must place at least five CPs facedown in the Command Point Phase (C). He places three CP in the Western theater and two CP in the Eastern theater. He keeps four Discretionary CPs to place during this phase. Seeing the Union has placed only one Battle card and all his CPs in the Western theater, the Confederate adds all his Discretionary CPs to the Western theater.
3. A player may always place all his CPs in the Command Point Phase. Discretionary CPs are not mandatory. There is no reason to place fewer total CPs than indicated on the CP Track.
G. Remove or Place General Cards
	1. The Union player may now choose to remove any of his generals from play to his hand, then place general cards from his hand into play. The Confederate player now does the same.
	2. The normal maximum limit in each theater for a player is one cavalry general and four non-cavalry generals. This limit may be exceeded only by card play, never voluntarily. (Example: The Union player has four non-cavalry generals in the East, plus a cavalry general. He plays “Hold the Line,” which allows him to bring a general into play and to draw an additional card. This gives him five non-cavalry general cards in play. Note he cannot now pull out a general to replace with another general, because when he pulls out a general, he reverts to four non-cavalry generals and thus cannot add any others except by card play.).
	Under no circumstances, no matter what is stated on any card, may a player ever have more than one cavalry general present in a theater of war. 
3. A general normally may not be removed from one theater and then put into play in the other theater in this phase. A general removed and placed back in hand may enter play in the other theater the following turn, or may enter this turn by card play during Combat. 
4. When generals are put into play, they must first be placed in the Theater of War listed on their card. Generals who have been in play but have been sent to the Play Deck or the Discard Pile may, upon their return to hand, enter either Theater of War. In Deck Two, any general may enter either Theater of War, even if they have previously never been in play.
	The limit on the number of generals in a theater of war, of course, does not mean only those generals are present. For game purposes, they represent the generals in a particular battle who affect the battle at a critical point, for good or ill.
H. Battle Determination/Drawing of Cards for Battle
1. Under normal circumstances, the Union player has the initiative and always determines which battle will be fought first, in the event two battles are to be fought. Exception: If the Confederate has taken the initiative by playing a Confederate offensive card in the Strategic Movement Phase, the Confederate chooses which battle is to be fought first.
2. Once it has been determined which battle will be fought first (in the event there are two battles placed), both sides now draw as many cards from their Play Deck as they have CPs in the theater of war where the battle is fought. A player may voluntarily choose to draw fewer cards than he has CPs in that theater.
3. When one battle is completed, each player draws cards for the next battle, according to the CP total in that theater.
4. If only one battle is fought, CPs in a theater where no battle is fought are ignored.
I. Combat Phase	
Winning a Battle: The cumulative Combat Value of all cards is used to determine victory in a battle. The player with the initiative must exceed the defender’s total in order to win. A tie in the Combat Value is a victory for the defender (non-initiative player). Exceptions to this rule are found on individual cards. Thus, if the player with the initiative begins the battle by passing, and his opponent also passes, the battle ends immediately and the non-initiative player wins the battle. It is possible for one or both players to have a negative combat value.
	On each Battle Card and Invasion Card are split numbers that indicate CPs gained or lost as a result of Combat. The number on the left is the CP total gained by the winner, and the number on the right is the CP total lost by the loser of the battle.
1. Players may now play any cards that read “Play Before Combat,” if they wish. The player without the initiative always plays such cards first, followed by the player with the initiative. Some cards read “Play Before Combat,” meaning they may only be played at this time. Some cards read “May be played before combat,” which means they may be played at this time or anytime during the battle.
2. The player with the initiative now has the opportunity to play cards. The non-initiative player (also known as the defender), may play Attack and Defend cards, just like the player with the initiative (the player on the offensive). 
3. Only Battle Events and Special Events may be played during Combat, but General cards may be brought from hand with card play. 
4. A player may play no more cards at one time than that player has generals present in the battle. (Ex. If a player has three generals present, up to three cards may be played before sending play to his opponent). If you do not have a general present in a theater, you may still play one Special Event at a time. Play continues in this manner until both players pass; that is, neither player takes any action. When both players pass consecutively the battle is over. 
5.  Any part of a card with one or more stars is a Battle Event. Battle Events may be brought into play only by engaging a general. A one-star general may engage only to play a one-star Battle Event; a two-star general may engage to play a one or two-star Battle Event; and a three-star general may engage to play any Battle Event.
6. Special Events, noted with a triangle, may normally be played without engaging a general. Exceptions are found in the wording on the cards. Some Special Events modify battle events; these may be played at any time during combat, not necessarily as soon as the Battle Event is played. (ex. General Sherman engages to play a Battle Event, “IX Corps Assaults in Column of Brigades +2.” At any time during this battle the Union player may play the Special Event, “War is Hell,” which states: “Add to any Attack Card played when General Sherman engages.”)
7. Some cards may be played during an opponent’s play, in effect temporarily interrupting his play. (ex. : The Union player plays a Counter-Battery card, canceling a Confederate “Massed Artillery” card. Before the Union plays another card, however, the Confederate may interrupt to play a “Heroic Effort,” saving his “Massed Artillery” from being canceled). (ex. : The Confederate plays “Faulty Staff Work,” forcing his opponent to immediately play a +1 Attack card, if possible, and to cancel any one Defend card. After the Union player does so, the Confederate resumes his card play). 
	It is recommended beginning players not play cards so rapidly an opponent does not have time to play a card that reads “play immediately.” Always be aware of such cards in your hand and be ready to play them as needed.
8. Major Victory: achieved by exceeding your opponent’s Combat Value by four or more at the end of the battle. The Battle Cards state the effects, if any, of a Major Victory. Battle Cards that are also Victory Condition Cities do not provide for a Major Victory. Instead, there are split number results in the case of a Confederate victory, and in case of a Union victory. (Ex. The Union wins at Vicksburg. The Union gains 1 CP, and the Confederate loses 2 CPs).
9. Upon completion of a battle, the Command Point Track is adjusted, if appropriate. (Note: if the Union player has placed the Chattanooga Battle Card and then plays the “Chickamauga Campaign” card in the Strategic Movement phase, and the Confederate cannot counter it, Chattanooga falls and the Union gains +1 on the Command Point Track at the end of the turn, just as if a battle had been fought and won).
10. Please note no actions may be taken in a theater of war while a battle is being fought in the other theater. (Ex. A Cavalry general in one theater may not be engaged for the purpose of drawing a card if the battle is being fought in another theater).
11. See Example of Combat in Appendix.
J. Second Resource Phase
   The Union plays a Resource Event, if he wishes, followed by the Confederate player. Resource Events in this phase must read “Second Resource Phase” or “Any Resource Phase.”
K. Discard 
1.  If a player has more than nine cards in his hand at this time, he must discard until he reaches the limit of nine cards.
2.  If a player begins this phase with nine or fewer cards, he may at this time discard one General from his hand and draw one additional card.
L. Recovery: Disengage Generals/clean-up
	Clean-Up: discard all cards played in the Combat Phase and/or Strategic Movement Phase, and remove Battle Cards. Battles won by the Union player are placed in his possession. Battles won by the Confederate remain in the Battle Deck. These Invasion Cards are removed from play if won by the Confederate: Gettysburg, Antietam, Perryville.

Appendix
Example of Play 
	The following is an example of one complete turn of the game. The example is given in narrative form, with letters in parentheses to indicate the letter of the Sequence of Play.
	This is a hypothetical fourth turn of the game. The Union has taken Shiloh in the West, but has failed to win a battle in the East. Union generals in the west are Halleck, Buell and McPherson. Union generals in the East are Meade, McDowell, Burnside and Howard. The Union has a total of nine Command Points (CPs).
	The Confederate has lost the battle of Shiloh, but has defeated the Union at Manassas and Fredericksburg. Confederate generals in the East are Joe Johnston, Beauregard, A.P. Hill, Ewell and J.E.B. Stuart. In the West, he has generals A.S. Johnston, Polk and Cleburne. The Confederate has eight CPs.
(A) Both players draw three cards, giving each player 12 cards. (B) The Union plays “Lincoln Finds a General,” and replaces Buell in the West with Rosecrans. The South, desperate for manpower, wants to play “Conscription,” but instead decides to hamstring his opponent and plays “Pressure Increases on Lincoln’s Administration.” (C) Both players now place CP cards for each theater of war. The Union player must place at least five CPs. He elects to place five in the East and none in the West. Because of the Resource played by the Confederate, he must place these CP cards face-up. The Confederate plans an invasion in the East, and places all eight of his CPs there facedown. 
	(D) The Union must place a Battle card. Since his best generals are in the West, he believes his best chance of victory is there, and he places the Corinth Battle Card. He would have placed Vicksburg, but he knows the Rebel player could have blocked it with Corinth or Stone’s River, and the Union does not have a “Turning Movement” card. Because of the Resource played by the Confederate, the Union player must also place a battle in the East, and he chooses Fredericksburg. There is no Battle Card for the Confederate player to block, so (E) the Union may now play a Strategic Movement card if he wishes, but he does not choose to do so and he passes. The Confederate, however, decides to take the war to the enemy and plays a “Strategic Offensive” in the East. He removes the Fredericksburg Battle Card. He would love to take Washington, D.C., but feels he does not have the strength to do so; instead, he chooses to play the Antietam Invasion card. The Union has no Strategic Movement card to play, and the Confederate does not choose to play another.
	(F) The Union now places his Discretionary Command Points, and decides to place all four CPs in the West, also face-up. He knows a Confederate Invasion is on the way, but he believes five CPs can stop it. The Confederate has no Discretionary CPs to place; he now reveals his facedown CP cards.
	(G) The Union has his limit of four non-cavalry generals in the East, so he chooses to remove Burnside to his hand and replace him with McClellan, a two-star general brought from his hand into play. He has no other general cards to place. The Confederate has no general to bring into play.
	(H) Since the Confederate has taken the initiative by playing “Strategic Offensive,” he chooses which battle will be fought first and he decides to fight at Antietam. The Union player draws five cards, the number of CPs allocated to the East, while the Confederate draws eight cards.
	(I) The Battle of Antietam is now fought, with the Confederate going first, since he has the initiative. He engages Stuart and draws a card, then the attack begins. He engages Ewell and sends in Forney’s Division +2, in massed infantry column, and then engages Hill to unleash Pender’s Division +3. The Confederate may play as many as five cards before sending play to his opponent, because of the Rebel’s five generals, but he wants to see the Union’s response. He turns play over to his opponent. 
	The Union engages Howard to play Massed Artillery -3, a card that cancels Forney’s attack. Forney’s division is turned at an angle to note it has been canceled. The Union then plays “Defend Breastworks-1.” The Combat Value (CV) now has the Union ahead by 1 (-4 Union, +3 Confederate), so the Union chooses to send play back to his opponent. 
	The Confederate must silence the Yankee artillery, so he plays “Counter-Battery,” thus canceling the Massed Artillery, a play that immediately restores Forney’s Division (which is turned to indicate it is in play). The Confederate follows this by engaging Beauregard to send in Hood’s Brigade +1 (which also allows him to draw a card). The CV now has the Rebel ahead by a Combat Value of five, (+2, +3, +1, reduced by -1). If the battle ended now, the Confederate would win a Major Victory because he is at least four ahead in CV. The Union cannot afford this, so he responds with vigor.
	Yankee artillery still dominates the field. The Union plays “Counter-Battery: 20 lb. Parrots,” which immediately restores the Yankee “Massed Artillery,” which in turn again immediately cancels Forney’s unfortunate division. In one fell swoop the Union has tied the score, and chooses to send play to his opponent.
	The Confederate was hoping to save some strength for the battle to be fought in the West, but he feels he must win at Antietam. He engages Joe Johnston to send Early’s Division to enfilade the enemy’s right flank, +3, and he then plays “Battle Elan +2” to add to the enfilade. The Rebel is now five ahead again, and hopes the Union has run out of steam. 
	General Meade is not ready to give up, and engages to send the X Corps to enfilade the Rebel left flank, +4 (note on defense Meade is a three-star general), and the Union is behind in CV by just one. He then plays “Rally Round the Flag” and disengages Meade. The Union plays “Defend Woods,” -1, then Meade engages once more and the XV Corps, 1st Division, outflanks the Rebel attack -1. The Confederate chooses to reverse “Battle Elan” to its +1 side. When the dust has cleared, the Union is ahead by two CV, and he sits back to see what the enemy will do.
	The Confederate plays “Refuse Flank,” reducing the Union enfilade by -2, and the score is tied. He then plays “Defend Breastworks -1,” and goes up by a CV of one. That’s the end of the road for the Union. He passes, followed by his opponent’s pass, and the battle ends with a Confederate victory. The players refer to the Antietam Invasion card to see how the Command Point Track will be adjusted. The Confederate CP track is increased by one, and the Union track is reduced by one. The Antietam card is now removed from the game. If the Union had won the battle, this Invasion Battle card would have been available again for play.
The battle now shifts to the West
	The Union player draws four cards because of his CP total in the West. The Confederate placed no CPs in the West and draws no cards. The Battle of Corinth is fought and the Union player has the initiative. First, however, the player without the initiative may play any cards that state “Play Before Combat.” The Confederate has no such card to play, but the Union does: “Discord in Confederate Command Structure,” which limits his opponent to playing no more than three attack cards in this battle. 
	The Confederate player does not want to fight with such a restriction, so he interrupts immediately to play a “Command Failure” card. This will cancel the “Discord” Special Event just played by the Union, unless the Union player negates its effects by engaging a general and returning three cards at random to the top of his Play Deck. The Union, instead, has a surprise up his sleeve: he plays his own “Command Failure” card to cancel the Confederate “Command Failure.” The Rebel player, already low on cards, decides not to negate the card; thus, the Confederate’s “Command Failure” is canceled and the “Discord in Confederate Command Structure” is now in play.
	The Union player continues by playing “Overwhelming Numbers and Resources,” which forces his opponent to discard any two non-general cards, and he gets to draw two cards from his deck. One of the cards he draws is Massed Artillery. The Union player chooses to send play to the Confederate. Since no attack cards have been played by the Union, the score is tied, and since the defender wins ties, the Confederate chooses to pass.
	The Union player now launches his assault. McPherson engages to send the II Corps to enfilade the enemy right flank +3; Rosecrans engages and the XIV Corps, 3rd Division, attacks in Massed Infantry Column +2; then Halleck engages and plays a Massed Artillery card -3. The Union is ahead by five CV. Note the -3 for the Massed Artillery is not figured into the CV yet, because the Confederate has not yet played any Attack cards. Play now goes to the Confederate.
	The Rebels attack by engaging Cleburne to play Rodes’ Division, which advances in column of brigades +2. The Confederate now plays “Seeing the Elephant.” Since all Union generals are engaged, the Yankee must choose one of his Battle Events to cancel. The Union player wants to keep the pressure on, so he interrupts the Confederate to play “Heroic Effort,” which keeps an Attack or Defend card from being canceled. (Note “Heroic Effort” may not be played whenever the player wants; it must be played “immediately” to restore a card that would otherwise be canceled.) Undaunted, the Confederate plays “Faulty Staff Work,” forcing the Union to play immediately a +1 Attack card and to cancel one Defend card. The Union has no general to engage to play an Attack card, but he has to cancel his Massed Artillery. The Confederate keeps the pressure on. He plays “Turning Movement,” which forces the Union to discard any two cards (it also forces the Union to engage a general, but this is ignored because he has no generals left to engage). The Union is now ahead by three CV, and the Rebel sends play back to his opponent.
	Desperate for more cards, the Union now plays “Union Command of Seas/Rivers,” allowing him to draw two cards and forcing the Confederate to discard a non-general card. The Union has a surprise for the enemy. One of the cards he drew just before this battle was the General Grant card. He now plays “Hold the Line!” to bring Grant into play, and draws an additional card. Grant then engages to play the Irish Brigade -1, 3rd Division, which repulses an enemy assault and counterattacks +1. The Rebel is forced to cancel his Rodes’ Division attack card. The Union is now ahead by four, and he sends play to his opponent, confident the battle is about to be his.
 	But the Confederate has some fight left. He plays “General Blunders” and the Union chooses to cancel his recently played Irish Brigade. The Confederate now plays “Hold the Line,” which allows him to draw two (much-needed) cards. Then General A.S. Johnston engages and hurls Hindman forward to assault in column of brigades +2, and the Confederate is behind by one CV. The Confederate has just played three cards, and since he has only three generals in play he must send play back to the Union.
	The Union responds by playing “Defend Breastworks -1,” going ahead by two CV and sends play back to the Confederate.
	The Rebel player just smiles as he plays “Defend Ridge Crest -2,”  tying the score, and sends play to his opponent. 
	With no generals to engage, and no special cards left to effect play, the Union player passes. The Confederate gleefully passes, knowing that he wins a tie, and the Combat is apparently over (because both players passed consecutively) but wait! The Union player now pulls the “Battle Continues” card out of his hand, which may now be played. Both players disengage any two generals and draw two cards. The Battle continues and the Union still has the Initiative. We are now in the second day of the battle of Corinth.
	The Union player drew an Enfilade card; so Grant engages to send in the XVII Corps against the enemy right flank +3 (Note Grant is a two/three-star general, and since the Union has the initiative, Grant is considered a two-star general.) The Union is now ahead in CV by three and he sends play to the Confederate. The Confederate sees he does not have enough Defend cards or other Special cards in his hand to win the battle. He passes, the Union player passes, and the battle is over with a Union victory. The Union player gains no CPs for winning this battle, but he takes the Corinth card into his possession, thus denying another blocking card to his opponent, and he gets a little closer to Vicksburg. 
	(J) It is now the Second Resource Phase and the Union goes first. He plays “Industrial Production” and goes up one CP. The Confederate player, who won at Antietam this turn, now plays “Here Come the Rebels,” and reduces the Union by one CP. The Union player now has eight total CPs marked on the Command Point Track, while the Confederate has nine total CPs.
	(K) Neither player has in excess of nine cards in hand, so no discards take place. In fact, both players were exhausted by the two intense battles fought this turn, and both players have only two cards left in their hands. 
	(L) Both players now disengage their generals in play. They then discard all cards played this turn (Battle Events, Special Events and Strategic Movement cards). Since the Union won the battle, General Grant may now be promoted. His split card is replaced by the three-star version.
Deck One Scenario
	All rules, Set-Up, and end-of-game conditions regarding the Campaign Game are in effect, with the exception of the Victory Conditions. The game ends with the Second Resource Phase of the turn when any player has completed his first deck. Once Combat has begun, if any player runs out of cards, shuffle the cards and complete drawing your cards in the second deck.
I. Each player has a set of Victory Conditions
Confederate Victory Conditions: 
	Have at least two more Command Points at the end of the deck than the Union player.
	Win more Major Victories at Invasion battles than your Opponent has captured Victory Condition cities.
Union Victory Conditions: 
	Have at least two more Command Points at the end of the deck than the Confederate player.
	Capture more Victory Condition cities than your Opponent has won Major Victories at Invasion battles.
II. To win the game, you must achieve more of your Victory Conditions than your opponent. If you and your opponent achieve the same number of Victory Conditions, the game ends in a draw. 
Example: The Confederate player won a Major Victory at Antietam, the Union player did not capture any Victory Condition cities, while the Union player ended the deck with 10 CPs to 7 CPs for the Confederate. The game is a draw.
Example: The Confederate player won a Major Victory at Perryville. The Union player captured Vicksburg, and the Union player ended the deck with 11 CPs to 8 CPs for the Confederate. The result is a Union victory.)
Deck Two Scenario
At Start
Union Generals in Play
West:  Grant (three-star), Sherman, Thomas, Sheridan
East:  Meade, Sedgewick, Hancock, Reynolds, Pleasonton
Confederate Generals in Play
West:  Joe Johnston, Bragg, Cleburne, Hardee, Forrest
East:  Lee (three-star), Longstreet, Hood, A.P. Hill, Stuart
Command Points
Union:  11
Confederate:  11
Battle Cards in Union Possession
West:  Shiloh, Corinth, Stones River
East:  Manassas, Fredericksburg
Scenario Rules
1. The scenario begins with the placement of Command Points face down by each player.
2.   The following generals are taken out of their decks and are not used in this scenario.
	Union:  Pope, Buell, McClellan, McDowell
	Confederate:  Jackson, A.S. Johnston
3.   The following events are already considered to have taken place:
	Union card #66, New Orleans Falls; Union card #89, Tennessee Lost; Union card #82, Emancipation Proclamation—the effects on the Emancipation Proclamation card have already taken effect. Both players have played Conscription. The Union has played Blockade Tightens,
	The Confederate player chooses any five cards from his Play Deck to place in his hand, then draws four cards to complete his hand. The Union player does not choose any cards. He draws nine cards to begin the game.
Victory Conditions:  The Campaign Game victory conditions are in effect.
Gettysburg Scenario
Union generals available: 
Cavalry:  Pleasonton
Infantry:  Hancock, Meade, Reynolds, Sedgwick, Slocum, Howard
Confederate generals available:
Cavalry:  Stuart
Infantry:  Lee (three-star), Longstreet, A.P. Hill, McLaws, Heth, Hood, Early, Ewell
I.  Set-Up:
A. The Union player begins with Pleasonton and any four Infantry (non-cavalry) generals in play.
	The Confederate begins with any four Infantry generals in play.
B. All generals who aren't listed in the 'generals available' above should be removed from the Play Deck before starting. Generals listed above who aren't in the initial set up are set aside to be used as reinforcements. There are two ways by which those additional generals may enter play during the battle. There are two ways by which these additional generals may enter play during the battle.
	1. By a Special Event that allows a general to be brought from hand into battle, per normal play (limit of generals may be exceeded by card play, as always).
      	2. If a general is wounded on one day of the battle, a replacement may automatically be brought in at the start of a new day UNLESS this would exceed the normal limit of generals in a battle.
Exception:  J.E.B. Stuart may enter battle for the Confederates only at the start of the third day of battle, or he may enter earlier by Special Event card play.
II.  Special Rules:
A. The scenario begins and ends with the Combat Phase of the Sequence of Play. No Resource Events or Strategic Movement Events are used.
B.  This is a three-day battle, with the Confederate player holding the initiative.  When both players pass consecutively (take no actions), that day is over.  The next day begins with both players disengaging any two generals and drawing two cards from the Play Deck.  
	At the end of the third day of battle, the Confederate player wins the battle if his Combat Value exceeds that of the Union player.  A tie, of course, is a victory for the Union player.  Exception: At the end of the third day, a player may, if he chooses, play the Special Event entitled “Battle Continues.”  Both players have such a card, and so the battle may possibly last for five days.
	The Confederate player is assumed to be in his First Deck of Play.  The Union player is assumed to be in his Second Deck of Play.
C. No Special Events may be used that allow a general to be transferred to the battle from the other Theater of War.
Confederate Player Notes
D. The Union player draws 18 cards to begin play in the Combat Phase. The Confederate player draws 17 cards to begin play.

Rely on Your Resources
	When the game begins, the first cards the Confederate player should look for in his hand are Resource Events and Strategic Movement cards. In Deck One, in every battle you fight, you should try keep a Resource available to play at the end of the turn in the Second Resource Phase. Even if saving such a card, with a Battle Event on the same card, costs you a battle? Yes, with certain exceptions, such as at a Victory Condition city, of course, or perhaps if your opponent is on the verge of a Major Victory.
	An example is the “Cotton Diplomacy Successful” resource, playable only if the Union has not played a “Blockade Tightens” card. A player might find it difficult to save such a card, because the other end is an Enfilade battle event, the most powerful battle event in a player’s hand. This resource, however, gives you +1 CP and inflicts -1 CP on the Union. That makes this resource as powerful as, for example, the Union card “New Orleans falls.” Likewise, your best chance for an Invasion is in Deck One. When you go north, make sure you save a resource that enhances a victory on northern soil, such as “High Water-Mark of the Confederacy” or “Border State Recruitment.“
	Another essential resource is “Cavalry Raids Slow Union Offensives.” This is an excellent Deck One resource. Played only in the First Resource Phase, it not only reduces the Union by one CP, but the Union player must draw three cards less in each battle fought this turn. This card is a good one for defense, of course, but it is at its best when you accompany it with an Offensive on the same turn.
	Of course, the resources that can be of greatest help are two that are similar in effect: “Confederate Resolve Stiffens” and “Down With the Eagle, Up With the Cross.” Both these cards give +2 CPs, but only if the South is behind in CPs. If you are really pressed for CPs in Deck One, after you play one of these resources use your “High Command Initiative” Special Event to take it out of the Discard Pile and return it to the Play Deck. This gives you a potential increase of six CPs in Deck One, an increase that rivals Emancipation for the Union.
	Note both of the powerful resources above may be played in “Any Resource Phase.“ The Confederate player must always be on the watch for such cards, because resources that may be played in the first resource phase are infrequent, so “Any Resource“ cards should almost never be played in the Second Resource phase.
Defending the Confederacy
	The Confederate defenses are many, but some of the very best lay in a combination of First Resource Phase resources and Strategic Movement cards. The Confederate has a large arsenal of cards to counter the Union’s CP placement. It is imperative the Confederate try not to use the Battle Event ends of the cards described below. They are too important for aiding Confederate CP placement:
1. On to Richmond (First Resource Phase): there are three of these valuable cards to play in Deck One. Why so valuable? Because they force the Union to place a Battle Card in the East. That means you can place all your CPs there and be guaranteed of drawing them. But what if the Union also places a battle in the West, and chooses to fight it first? No problem, unless the battle is Vicksburg and there is nothing left with which to block. But even then there is a solution, as will be shown below. 
2. Strategic Offensive (Strategic Movement Phase): These cards are in the tradition of the old adage that says, “The best defense is a good offense.“ There are actually five cards in Deck One that allow the Confederate to take the offensive. Two “Strategic Offensive” cards, “Army of Northern Virginia on the Move,” Army of Tennessee on the Move,” and “Lee is Audacity Personified.” The Confederate should hoard these cards like gold. In fact, one of these cards is a favorite of mine to retrieve with the valuable “High Command Initiative.” If you have not used your “High Command Initiative“ and you are nearing the end of Deck One, use it to retrieve the “Strategic Offensive“ card that may be played in Deck Two. It makes a great defensive card when the Union drives on a Victory Condition City.
	These cards, of course, allow the Confederate to control which battle will be fought first. The South has two options when playing one of the five cards above:
	Take the offensive in the same theater where a battle card already exists and go for a Battle Card in Union control. If you fail to win, you lose one CP automatically, but the price is worth it because you have just made the Union fight again for terrain he already had, and you matched him by drawing all your cards. Taking back terrain in the West should always be a priority for the Confederate.
	Take the offensive in the theater where no battle has been placed. If in the East, you might think about an Invasion, because your generals are usually better. Expect to confront the Union’s discretionary CPs, but if you have two three-star generals in Lee and Jackson, and good battle event cards, it may well be worth the risk. It is especially worth the risk if you have a good Resource that is dependent on victory in an invasion.
	Another thing to consider: What if the Union places two Battle Cards and you are holding a strategic offensive card? Let’s suppose you do not want to risk an invasion, but you want to disrupt his offensive plans. Place all your CPs where you think it most likely he will attack. If you guess correctly, all well and good—just fight the battle. If he outguessed you, use your offensive card in the theater with your CPs. You can fight the battle first and still have cards left for the second battle—it’s up to you.
	Here is a combination once played against me in the Strategic Movement Phase. As the Union player I placed one battle, Chattanooga. In the Strategic Movement Phase the Confederate played “Mud March.“ I would be limited to drawing only four cards before combat, but that is how many CPs I had placed; so I chose not to cancel the battle. I thought we were finished with the phase, but he had a surprise for me. He then played a “Strategic Offensive“ in the West and placed Perryville. Since I had not canceled “Mud March,“ I then had to fight at Perryville and draw only four cards! 
A Battle Delayed is a Battle Won
	Want to draw cards while your opponent draws few or none? Then here is the combination to use: one of the five strategic offensive cards along with one of the three Strategic Movement cards below:
Strategic Retreat: Here is my favorite combination. For example, you’ve placed a majority of your CPs in the West, expecting the Union to keep driving there. He chooses instead to place only a battle in the East. What an opportunity you now have. You play “Strategic Retreat” in the East, which means that battle will NOT be fought. You then play your strategic offensive card in the West, and watch your opponent grind his teeth. You will draw more cards than your opponent and you get to take back terrain from Union control. If you then retrieve this card with “High Command Initiative,” you can pull this off twice in Deck One.
Mud March: This card forces your opponent to draw no more than four cards at the start of combat in the theater where played. Assume the Union has placed only one battle card, in the West, while you placed a majority of CPs in the East. You then play “Mud March“ in the West in the Strategic Movement Phase. The Union has the option of canceling the battle, and let’s suppose he does so because of the severe limitations imposed by this card. You just smile and play a strategic offensive card in the East, and you draw all your cards while he doesn’t. 
McClernand’s Arkansas River Expedition: This card is just like the “Mud March“ above, except it occurs only when Vicksburg is placed, and the Union can draw only three cards in combat. What Union player would dare take on Vicksburg, drawing only three cards, when the Confederate might be drawing all of his? He is almost certain to cancel the battle. When he does, launch your offensive in the East and draw all your cards. 
The Winning Edge
Retreat Before Battle: This cancels the battle, unless the Union negates the card by engaging one of his generals and discards any two non-general cards. He probably will fight the battle. That’s why it’s also good to play this card when the battle if fought where you also have your CPs—it will give you another edge in battle.
Pressure Increases on Lincoln’s Administration: This Resource Event card forces the Union to play all his CP cards face up, and to place a battle card in each theater of war. At least his options of surprising you are severely limited. 
Stonewall in the Valley: Don’t overlook this First Resource Event card. If a battle is placed in the East, the Union player must return four cards at random to the top of the Play Deck prior to combat. You can use this card for defense—the Union will not want to launch an offensive in the East with this card in play. Play it, then prepare to match his CPs in the West. But it is also great in combination with a strategic offensive card. Whether your opponent places a battle in the West, or in the East, take the offensive in the East and you will draw all your cards. He will place four back at random and you should have the edge in battle.
Like a Duck Hit on the Head: The quote is from Lincoln’s comment after Chickamauga, and it has a similar effect in this game. When this Second Resource Event card is played, the Union may play no more than three Attack cards in battle in that theater next turn. This is a nice way of forcing your opponent to place his CPs in the other theater.
Crisis of Command: Let’s say the game is early in Deck Two. You have played more cards in this deck than your Opponent, but the CPs are close and you suspect that Emancipation is just around the corner. You need cards now—to burn the deck, and to fill your hand with the key defense cards needed to slow the Union juggernaut. At a battle at a non-Victory Condition City, go ahead and let him win without putting up a defense. Just play this one card, and engage your Cavalry General, and you should be able to draw six to nine cards. You just gave up terrain, but you should be compensated with a much-needed draw.
	Of course, you can’t save every one of the cards above in your hand, and you will never have to. They will come to you gradually throughout Deck One, and one of them you will use twice, thanks to “High Command Initiative.” These cards are essential to success for the Confederate player. Judicious use of the cards above should see the Confederate with a CP lead at the end of Deck One, or no worse than close to a tie with the Union, and almost certainly Vicksburg will still be yours. The key is discipline, a constant reminder to yourself not to throw away the cards above in battle, when they can do so much more for you otherwise.
Player Notes: Union
A War of Attrition
	The Union has superior resources—that’s no surprise—but without careful planning on your part the South can overcome the great materiel advantage of the North. Your opponent has an advantage when it comes to First Resource Event Phase cards, and so take advantage of as many of them as possible. 
	For your resource cards labeled “Any Resource Phase,” try your best to play them only in the First Resource Phase. This gives you the advantage, of course, of a one-two punch: a Second Resource Phase card followed quickly by your “Any Resource” card in the next First Resource Phase. You have three “Conscription” cards to use in the first Resource Phase, but one of them has an Enfilade on the same card. Tough call, but in Deck One, if you are behind in CPs, forfeit the Enfilade and rely on the military draft. Still need more manpower? Your “German and Irish Immigrants” card will do just fine for another +1 (if you can stand to lose the Massed Artillery on the same card). You will also find the “Contrabands” card just as useful; it just takes down your opponent, instead of increasing your CPs. And when your opponent plays conscription, you have “Dissent in the Confederacy” waiting for him.
	Then, of course, we have the two resources no Union player can do without: “Union Resolve Stiffens” and “Springtide of Northern Hope.” Make up your mind to play these +2 resources only in a First Resource Phase. Just as with their Confederate counterparts they can be played only when you are behind in CPs, which is usually the case in Deck One. These two cards have saved the day on many occasions. You even have an edge over the Confederate version of “Springtide of Northern Hope.” His is called “Down With the Eagle, Up With the Cross,” but can only be played only if he is down by three CPs, and only if he has not lost a Victory Condition city. Your “Springtide” card has only one minor condition—you just have to have two battle cards in your possession.
	I comment below on the Emancipation Proclamation card, but suffice to say when you finally play your “Preliminary Emancipation” and you go down two CPs because of it, it is imperative to have one of the two cards above in your hand. Losing two CPs from “Preliminary Emancipation” is easier to take when it is followed up immediately in the next First Resource Phase with one of the two cards that adds two CPs.
	By the end of Deck One, if you are tied or ahead in CPs, you certainly have the advantage in resources, because the Confederate has just seen his best deck end, and you are ready to grind him down. Of course, it also helps if you have taken a lot of terrain by the end of Deck One, such as three battles in the West and two in the East. Then you are in great shape; otherwise, expect a long, hard, road to the Victory Condition cities. More than likely, however, you will be slightly behind in CPs by the end of Deck One. As some of your best Battle Event cards become available in Deck One, just as the South’s ability to win on the battlefield lessens, it is time to apply the Resource cards that will grind down the South once and for all.
Free at Last
	In a separate article I have spelled out all the cards in the Union and Confederate decks that deal with emancipation. Here I will stick to how and when some of the cards should be played. In many games I have seen a Union victory hinge on the factor of emancipation. I believe you will find there are only two types of games where Emancipation will not be played. One is where the North is so far ahead emancipation is simply not needed. Yes, that is a dismal thought, but it is in line with the political winds of the time. Remember that emancipation was certainly not welcomed with open arms on the North’s home front, as can be seen in several cards in this game. So, if Mr. Lincoln could win the war by freeing none of the slaves—then it can also happen here. The second type of game is where the Union is doing so poorly you don’t think you can afford the -2 CP initial cost or you believe you just have to use the Enfilade on the other end of the Emancipation card.
	Let’s assume, though, an average game where you believe you will need Emancipation to break the South. First rule of thumb: do NOT emancipate the slaves in Deck One! Too rigid? OK, here’s an exception. If you are a card-counter, keep a special eye out in Deck One for these two Confederate cards: “Union Border States Waver” and “U.S. Congressional Elections.” If you play Emancipation in Deck One, with the first card above he can send you down two CPs, while he goes up by two—a four point swing! The Confederate can play his “Congressional Election” card only after your Preliminary Emancipation card, but before you have played Emancipation. It takes you down by two CPs. Let’s say you have seen both those cards used in Deck One, and you see no reason to delay Emancipation—wait! Has he used “High Command Initiative” to retrieve a card from the Discard Pile? If so, if could be one of these—it’s not worth the chance.
	Let’s play it safe. You have held on to both the Preliminary and the Emancipation cards in Deck One (or you retrieved one with your own “High Command Initiative”). You should be ready to play the Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation card in the Second Resource Phase following your first victory in Deck Two. You go down two CPs, but you have planned carefully and you have “Union Resolve Stiffens” or “Springtide of Northern Hope” to play in your next Resource phase to get back those two CPs you lost. Then, on the next Second Resource Phase, you play the Emancipation Proclamation. For the next three turns you will go up one CP, while the Confederate loses one CP. But don’t stop there—keep grinding him down—focusing on Resource cards that take him down rather than send you up in CPs.
	Here is where emancipation really shines as the key to Union victory. You have two great resources just waiting for play of the Emancipation Proclamation card: “African-American Soldiers Prove Their Valor” and “Men of Color: To Arms! To Arms!” Both of those cards give you a two-point swing in CPs, and the latter can even be played in the FIRST Resource Phase. Coupled with the devastating effects of Emancipation itself, you can see why this is probably the key Resource in the entire game. But expect your opponent to be prepared for it. He knows it’s coming after a Union victory early in Deck Two, and he will fight even harder to keep that victory from you. And he will have a “Resolve Stiffens” card of his own to lessen the damage, but his days of CP advantage are over.
Grant Moves South
	Winston Churchill once wrote of the Kaiser that he wanted Napoleon’s victories without fighting Napoleon’s battles. All the great resources discussed above will be to no avail unless you defeat the South on the battlefield. That’s nothing new, but it takes more than tactical expertise, it takes careful planning in the all-important Strategic Movement Phase.
	Keep the Victory Conditions in mind at all times: take all three Victory Condition cities, or take any two and play the Presidential Election of 1864 card. And to play the Presidential Election card, you must be at least 10 CPs ahead of your opponent. With that in mind, all your strategy must be funneled to driving on and capturing at least two of the cities. All battles won get you closer to those cities. Your resources give you the Command Point edge to help you win those battles—but therein lies the rub—getting to the Victory Condition cities. On several occasions I’ve seen the Union player fail to launch a single attack on any Victory city in the entire game. The Confederate has tremendous defensive capabilities, and you must learn how to overcome them.
	The easiest city to take should be Vicksburg. It has fewer blocking cards to contend with than Atlanta, and it will normally have weaker generals than the ones defending Richmond. The first battle you should fight in the West should be Stones River. It is the only battle that can also block Chattanooga, so taking it is a good start on the road to Atlanta as well as to Vicksburg. Keeping your eyes on your Strategic Movement cards at all times means you are always on the look-out for “Turning Movement” cards. You have five of those, two of them with no conditions attached. Those are the cards that allow you to bypass, or turn, the Confederate out of his defensive blocking cards, and continue your drive on a Victory Condition city. Place the Vicksburg card with two of those in your hand and you are likely to fight the battle there—have three in your hand and you are almost guaranteed to fight the battle at the city. Of course, your opponent will be keeping you off balance with his blocking cards and with cards that negate your turning movements. Most frustrating is when you reach a city and he plays a Strategic Offensive card and you end up fighting a battle you already have in your possession. If that happens, just dig in and make him pay for it by winning the battle.
	Want to make Atlanta your priority? After you take Stones’ River, play the Chattanooga card. In the Strategic Movement phase you play your “Turning Movement: Chickamauga Campaign” card. If he negates it, just play another Turning Movement card and the city of Chattanooga is yours. Not only do you get the +1 CP for the fall of the city, you now get to place the Chickamauga battle card. If you win the battle, you are suddenly at the gates of Atlanta, and it only took you one turn to get there!
	You have several Strategic Movement cards you can use against the Confederate whenever he launches an offensive, but they are most useful only in Deck One, when the South has great offensive capability. You will probably find they are not worth saving once you get into Deck Two.
Marching Through Georgia
	Between two evenly matched, experienced opponents, the game will come down to the wire, usually with Vicksburg taken, and the Union closing in on Atlanta and/or Richmond. At this point, late in Deck Two, you must have the Presidential Election card in your hand, and you better have the “March to the Sea” card. If you take Atlanta, its four-point CP swing just may give you the 10 CP lead you need in order to play the Election card. But if it doesn’t, you will need to “March to the Sea.” This additional four-point swing will ensure victory—assuming Deck Two did not run out taking the last city. You have to be able to play Presidential Election in a Second Resource Phase, then follow up with “March to the Sea” in the next First Resource Phase. Just make sure there IS a next turn. If Richmond is the second city to fall, and you still are not 10 CPs ahead, you still have to go for Atlanta, or pray for other Resources to bring the Confederate down before the deck runs out.
The Emancipation Proclamation: Simulation and History

	While I have never played any historical simulation or game that portrayed adequately the Emancipation Proclamation, I confess that my experience is largely confined to games published prior to approximately 1990. There may now exist a game that treats the Proclamation and all of the variables that surrounded its reason for being, and its effects, but I doubt if such a portrayal exists. Neither Battle Cry of Freedom: A Civil War Card Game, of course, nor any simulation, can do justice to such a complex factor of the American Civil War, but I have attempted to make it an integral part of this game, just as it was in the war itself.
	I agree with those who call the Proclamation the most revolutionary document ever penned up to that time by an American President. I reject the cynical, and erroneous view in my opinion, that the Proclamation actually freed no slaves, nor had any great effect on the war. Such a view was common among the Revisionist historians of 60-70 years ago, men who saw the war as having little to do with slavery, but no objective assessment today can ignore the impact this document made on the nation.
	In game terms, the Union and Confederate players cannot dismiss the implications of the Emancipation Proclamation. The Union player will find it is not an automatic decision to play the Proclamation card, for a risk is there, just as it was for President Lincoln. First of all, before the Proclamation may be played, the Union player must play the “Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation” in a Second Resource Phase immediately following a Union victory. Playing it after the Battle of Antietam would be historical, but for game purposes any victory will do. But here’s the rub: the Union loses two Command Points (CPs) for playing the Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation. In a game where each Command Point is crucial, this is a severe penalty, but it helps reflect the opposition to emancipation in the North, certainly by the Democrats, as well as by conservative Republicans. It also helps to simulate the losses suffered by Republicans in the mid-term election of 1862, held less than two months after the announcement the Emancipation would go into effect on January 1, 1863, in all states or parts of states still in rebellion against the government.
As a further penalty, if the Union plays the Preliminary Emancipation card in his Deck One, the Confederate can counter with “U.S. Congressional Elections,” sending the Union down another two CPs, and reflecting a severe backlash against Republican policy, in the army and on the home front, as well as at the polls. Losing two CPs, possibly followed by more losses from Confederate Resource Event cards, may be a condition from which the Union will find it difficult to recover.
	As Lincoln was once supposed to have said, “I would like to have God on our side, but I must have Kentucky.” This attention to the fine balancing act of keeping the Border States (Missouri, Kentucky, Maryland and Delaware—the slaves states within the Union) loyal to the Union cause, is reflected in a Confederate card, “Union Border States Waver.” It can only be played by the Confederate if the Union plays the Emancipation Proclamation in Union Deck One. Its play adds +2 CPs to the Confederate and reduces the Union by 2 CPs. The Confederate has a difficult decision here: does he save this card, hoping Mr. Lincoln will attempt emancipation before the northern people are ready for it? On the other half of the same card is an Enfilade, a valuable Battle Event, one which may turn the tide in battle for the Confederate. 
	Two other Confederate cards serve as incentive for the Union to play Emancipation:
Mason and Slidell Diplomacy: +2 CP, -1 Union CP. Play in Second Resource Phase immediately after a Major Confederate victory. May not be played after Emancipation Proclamation.
	Once again, the other end of this card is an Enfilade card, which the Confederate would have to give up if he intends to save it. The devastating effect of this card is perhaps exaggerated, but helps serve to remind the Confederate player of the possible effect of a Major Victory, a fact that will also dwell in the Union player’s mind.
Union Generals Fremont and Hunter attempt Emancipation: -1 Union CP. -2 Union CP if played immediately after a victory in an Invasion. Use only before Emancipation Proclamation Card has been played. Second Resource Phase Only.
	Mr. Lincoln’s irritation at these two attempts at local emancipation, particularly Fremont’s attempted emancipation of slaves in Missouri, is well known. This card reflects the deep concern in the Border States of such actions. 
	If the Union player can bite the bullet, so to speak, and play the Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, here are the cards he may then play:
Emancipation Proclamation: Play in Second Resource Phase anytime after Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation. Add +1 to Union CP now and add +1 CP at the end of each of the next two turns. Subtract -1 Confederate CP now and subtract -1 CP at the end of each of the next two turns. 
	These CP shifts represent a number of variables: slaves and free blacks recruited to serve in the Union armies; the slaves who slipped away in droves from farms and plantations wherever Union armies ventured; the diplomatic effect of the Proclamation upon Great Britain, which never again considered recognition of the Confederacy; uplifting the moral cause of the Union; striking against the thing that all knew had, somehow, caused the war; as well as reflecting the loss to the Confederacy of slaves and their manpower.
African-American Soldiers Prove Their Valor: +1 CP, -1 Confederate CP. Play in Second Resource Phase anytime after Emancipation Proclamation has been played.
	Further emphasis upon the impact of African-Americans to the Union war effort. As Howell Cobb of Georgia stated in 1864: “If slaves will make good soldiers, our whole theory of slavery is wrong.” They made good soldiers.
Men of Color: To Arms! To Arms!: +1 CP, -1 Confederate CP. Play in any Resource Phase after Emancipation Proclamation has been played.
	Frederick Douglass: “Once let the black man get upon his person the brass letter, U.S.; let him get an eagle on his button, and a musket on his shoulder and bullets in his pocket, and there is no power on earth which can deny that he has earned the right to citizenship.” The wording of this card, from a common recruiting poster, represents not just the nearly 200,000 African-Americans who served in the Union army, but the moral effect as well. A prominent historian has suggested recently the African-American contribution to the Union cause in actual combat was negligible. Even so, he argues, their use was essential in guarding supply lines, holding forts, and otherwise releasing white soldiers for combat roles. The moral effect, he writes, cannot be overstated. This card represents, as well as the previous ones, the conclusion that these “black regiments marked the transformation of a war to preserve the Union into a revolution to overthrow the old order.”
British Workers Support the Union: +1 CP. Second Resource Phase, only if the Emancipation Proclamation has been played.
	The British aristocracy may have identified with the southerners, but the mass rallies in English factory cities for the Union cause, despite the loss of cotton shipments, are depicted here.
Great Britain Recognizes the Confederacy: +2 CP, -2 Union CP. Play if Confederate CP is at least eight greater than Union CP, but only if Union has not played Emancipation Proclamation.
	If a Union player finds himself down by eight CPs (most unlikely, but possible), play of this card will practically ensure victory by the Confederate. At least the Emancipation Proclamation will prevent play of this card.
Design History

	This story begins in the Spring of 1996, when a friend of mine, Richard Trevino, and I challenged each other to design a card game based on a historical subject. We had gamed together for a decade, and almost always with boardgames. There was, however, one non-boardgame that we played scores of times, and always had great fun doing so: Avalon Hill’s Up Front. Sometime in late 1995 I was tinkering with a Civil War game similar to Up Front, but with brigades instead of individual soldiers, to be something along the lines of the Army of the Potomac vs. the Army of Northern Virginia, for which each scenario would be a different battle. I played with the idea, and actually got a stack of index cards and started making playing cards, while toying with the rules in my head.
	When Richard and I challenged each other, I decided to change the Up Front version to a strategic level card game of the American Civil War, but one that would also have a tactical flavor. So in the Spring of 1996, after a short period of planning and creating cards, hand-written on index cards, the basic design was completed. And though the game has changed since those early days, the basic design and cards are unchanged to this day.
	Before I go any further with this tale, let me digress to fill you in on my gaming background. At age 10 I played my first “wargame,” American Heritage’s Battle Cry (whose title must have stayed with me). Two years later, at Christmas of 1961, my uncle gave me a copy of Avalon Hill’s D-Day and I was hooked. I was an early subscriber to SPI’s Strategy & Tactics in the early 1970s and by the late 70s almost any “monster” game I could find was my favorite. Bloody April was one of my favorite gaming experiences—I even loved all the paperwork and preparation. After such a monster-gaming session, I might wind down with AH’s Third Reich. The more detailed and complex, the better I liked the game. From 1979-1983 I was a regular playtester for Yaquinto, and you can see my name in the playtest credits for a dozen or so of their games. But time took its toll. As the years rolled by and professional and family obligations chipped away at my gaming time, I found I no longer had the desire for lengthy games. By the mid-nineties, family games mostly prevailed, save for a few treasured games of Up Front. My very modest collection of 400+ games had dwindled down to about 50 I just couldn’t let go of—the rest I had given away or sold.
 	The time I once spent gaming was mostly going to researching and writing. Texas A&M University Press published my first book in 1992: Frontier Defense in the Civil War. That was followed by two more which I co-authored: Lone Star Blue and Gray: Essays on Civil War Texas, and Guerillas, Unionists, and Violence on the Confederate Home Front, which became a History Book Club selection in August of 1999. Add to that a two-volume work I edited, published by American Heritage Press, Perspectives in American History. In addition, I added a number of articles on Civil War topics in historical journals, and 50+ speeches on Civil War topics at Civil War symposiums, seminars, Civil War Round Tables, etc. So when I began to design a Civil War game in the Spring of ’96, I wanted to portray many of those elements of the war which I had never seen portrayed to my satisfaction, if at all, in any strategic game—and I had played every strategic-level Civil War game published prior to 1990.
 	I believe it is pretty evident what games have influenced my design. Many games in the past have used a generic “Resource Points” or “Command Points,” or similar nomenclature. My original design provided for both “Command Points” and “Morale Points.” The Morale Points would track the national will of the Union and the Confederacy, as it was affected by battles and political events, as well as by economic and social factors.
 	The Command Points represented the ability to bring force to bear upon the battlefield, which also accounted for a variety of non-military factors. The system is now simplified to just a Command Point Track, which combines all the military, political, economic, and social factors into one. Simplicity was the principal reason for the change.
 	Victory Game’s Civil War used a chit system to allocate “resources” to the three theaters of war, somewhat similar to what I have in place. For the tactical aspect of the game, I must confess to being influenced, as far as I can tell, by only one other game: a card game called Middle Earth. I was always a Tolkien fan, loved the books, and couldn’t resist buying the card game when it came out in the mid 90s. Later, when I introduced my sons to my Civil War card game design, they said: “Dad, this is sorta like Magic.” Groan—I knew my oldest son played the card game, Magic, but I had no interest at all in the game, and knew little about it—until I found out that Middle Earth had borrowed from it. Ah, well, I hope the resemblance to my game is only superficial. 	
	I was determined from the start that my game would not have a board, nor would it use dice. That’s simply one of the parameters I laid down for myself—part of the challenge and the uniqueness of the game. So the playtesting began in the Spring of ’96, and intensified in the late summer and fall of that year. I was roping my friends into playing, and I had all kinds of scenarios to try. There were three theaters of war; I’ve since dropped the Trans-Mississippi. I had one-deck, two-deck, and three-deck scenarios, and scenarios for just one theater of war, or two, or all three.
 	By late fall I considered submitting the game for publication, and in early 1997 the wife of a friend of mine did the art work for the cards on her computer. No more index cards! I just printed the cards out on cardstock, had them cut, and I was in business.
	By the Spring of 1997, I was ready to submit the game for publication. The first company I had in mind was Columbia Games, largely because I thought my strategic game might be a good complement to their Dixie series card game. I also planned to submit it to Avalon Hill, mostly, I suppose, out of my respect for having played their games for 36 years.
	So I sent out my cover letters and waited. I heard from Tom Dalgliesh of Columbia Games and Don Greenwood of Avalon Hill, received guidelines for submission, and was ready to go. In fact, I spoke with Tom on the telephone and he said he would have it evaluated within four weeks and that I would hear from them soon after. No mention of evaluation time from Avalon Hill, which was fine with me, just as long as they gave it a look.
 	So at the end of March  97 I mailed a playtest copy to both companies. Two months later there was still no word, which surprised me in regard to Columbia Games, since I was told it would be just four weeks—yes, I was THAT naive. I was out of the country for the first three weeks in June, then returned and expected to find CG’s evaluation waiting. Nope, nothing in the mail. So when three months had passed by, on July 1 I emailed Tom Dalgliesh to gently remind him about my submission and to inquire as to its status.
	No reply, so one week later I emailed him again. Still nothing. Ten days later I emailed Grant Dalgliesh and asked him if he knew anything about the status of the game. He returned my email promptly. Grant said that he checked and that he found my copy of the rules lying in a file, apparently unread by anyone, but he stated that the game itself could not be found. I replied and said that was fine, that I had another playtest copy and could mail it right away. He answered and said, essentially, thanks, but no thanks. He said they were really busy at the moment and just wouldn’t have time to evaluate any games for a while. Sigh. 	
	In the late summer of ’97 I heard from AH. They turned down the game, but at least they sent along the playtester comments. Don Greenwood said in his letter that he turned the playtesting over to Ben Knight. Ben said in his opening comments that “I was prepared not to like this game.” Ok, not exactly what you want as a first impression from a playtester. I remember my playtesting days at Yaquinto—there were plenty of submissions I hated within the first hour of trying, but never tried one “I was prepared not to like.” Ah, well—back to the comments. Ben said that he spent about four hours with the game in solitaire play. Naturally, that means he read the rules and looked at the cards, because, of course, the game cannot be played solitaire. It’s a card game, after all.
 	He did say that it was the best Civil War card game in the country, but before I could feel good about that he added, “but that’s not saying much.” Looking back, at the time he was right. For positive aspects of the game, he enjoyed the decision making imposed by the cards as the best part of the game. I think he nailed what I also think is the most interesting part of the game: the decisions required by the split cards in any type of planning in the game. He did not like the battle cards, too dull he said, without enough emphasis upon how leaders influenced battles. I thought that was odd, since little could be done in battle without engaging generals, and they were ranked at differing abilities.
	He then ended his letter with what now appears to be an interesting comment. He said that AH was probably going to go ahead and put its resources into another Civil War project they had in mind. Maybe that was to be For the People, I’m not sure. He then mentioned that he looked forward to one day designing his own Civil War card game. 	Well, I was disappointed, but not terribly so. I now had some comments to consider in case I wanted to tweak the game, and I normally would have started to do so. Real life, however, intruded. In the fall of ’97 I now had administrative duties added to my plate (my choice), and everything else on the gaming front got pushed to the back burner. Then, as fall turned to winter and then to spring of ’98, I had played almost no games since summer, my Civil War game had not been looked at, and there seemed to be no time in the future to do so.
 	So from then until the summer of 2000 my game remained in a box, although each summer or vacation I had thought I would take it out again to tweak it, I never did. I was in Florence that summer, taking my usual three-week journey to Europe with my students. There I met up with Roberto Chiavini, whom I had met the summer before at his game store, a stone’s throw from the Duomo. The year before, he and I had played Up Front, but this summer he talked me into playing a new game that I had heard about, but had never tried: Blue vs. Gray. As you know, it’s a strategic level card game of the Civil War, but has a map system of interlocking tiles that are built as the action in the game expands. We had a great time playing, though we later discovered we weren’t playing it correctly. There was time for one game, then I was back to my students and another great visit to Italy.
 	When I returned home I played the game with Richard Trevino (I had bought a copy from Roberto). We tried one game and had great fun, but I never played it again. When it was over, I simply thought “my game is as good as this, and as much fun to play.” So Blue vs. Gray inspired me to get my design back out and see if I couldn’t do something with it.
	There have been two key changes in the game since I first submitted it back in ’97. The first of these came in the first week of re-examining the game. I scrapped the Morale Points on the track and cards, and changed the way that Command Points affect play. Before, one could only play as many cards in a battle as you had generals present, and generals had to engage in order to play both Battle Events and Special Events, with very few exceptions. I now changed play so that there was no pre-determined limit to the number of cards played—the number of generals present no longer determined the number; at the same time I decided that no longer would a general have to engage to play any Special Event.
 	The Command Points in a theater would determine how many cards were drawn prior to combat, but now there would be a much greater number of cards being played in each battle. The result was a much more exciting feel to combat, with the sense of simultaneous action, decisions to make, and responding to your opponent’s actions as never before.
	The second key change came from a suggestion by Richard Trevino, whom I had pressed into service as chief playtester and sounding board. Richard kept wanting a map for the game, which I always resisted, but he ended up with something that at least satisfied his cartographic desires, and a system which works well with the game. His was the idea for the Confederate to be able to “block” battles placed by the Union player. When I added the Strategic Movement phase there was a definite sense of maneuver prior to battle, as well as the surprise effect of invasions, turning movements, retreats before battle, etc.
 	The game itself, as I mentioned above, is essentially the same as my original design, but because of the changes just described, it is a much better model of the actual war. As for changes on the cards themselves, the Resource Events have survived almost completely intact, just as written back in 97. You will notice many of the titles for the Special, Battle, and Resource events come from quotes from the war or from book titles, just to keep a historical flavor. Alas, I had to cut many of my favorites, in order to keep the decks to a manageable size.
	The only significant addition to the cards has been with the Strategic Movement event cards, as this was lacking in the first version. The number of General cards has been reduced because the first version of the game included the Trans-Mississippi. That theater was dropped, but there are now cards to indicate activity in that theater. Likewise, I rejected splitting the Western Theater of war into two parts. It gives the impression that only there was only one army in the Western theater for both sides, but the upside to simplifying the game, with an eye to excitement and play balance, took precedence. And of course, I can always argue that since the time element is relative from one turn to the next, the game simulates the actions of two armies while showing only one.
	By the late Spring of 2001 I was ready to send the game out for blind playtesting, something I had neglected to do back in ’96. I put out a call for volunteers on Consimworld, and started rounding up playtesters in the Dallas-Ft. Worth metroplex. I soon had an international team of playtesters: two in the United Kingdom, one in Italy, and the rest here in the States. I mailed the playtest copies and all through the summer of that year I coordinated the playtesting with a YahooGroups website I set up for my playtesters. All the rules, scenarios, examples of play, photos of the set-up, etc., were in the Files Section, while the testers could ask questions and make comments in the Discussion folder. So many people involved in the testing greatly enhanced the final product. Input resulted, for example, in the addition of Discretionary Command Points, a change in the upper limit of Confederate Command Points, and in the tweaking of cards to help with play balance, such as the “Resolve Stiffens” cards. The discussion of the game on the website by so many talented gamers made fascinating reading for me. I did not accept every suggestion, however, so any sins of omission or commission are all mine.

- - - end of file - - -