The CDG Solo System is a revised GMT Edition of Stuka Joe's CDG solo method, which streamlines two-handed solitaire gameplay by decreasing turn to turn overhead and maintenance. This method of play increases narrative immersion as the great battles of history unfold on your tabletop. The GMT edition of the CDG Solo System includes professionally printed components, a custom screen-printed die, an official ruleset, and Playsheets for seven of GMT’s most popular Card Driven Games.

Gameplay Overview

The CDG Solo System plays alongside your favorite CDG and is designed to enhance your solitaire experience by reintroducing many of the best parts of wargaming that fall apart in standard two-handed play, namely, as Stuka Joe mentioned above, the narrative flow and the fog of war.

The CDG Solo System includes two Card Displays that are used to manage each side’s hand of strategy cards. At the beginning of each Side's turn, you will roll a Fate Die to determine which of the cards in one or more of the slots are available for play. Typically 2 or 3 cards are available at a time, but the final decision is ultimately yours. After a card is played, the marker on the Cards Remaining track slides one spot to the left, and then it’s time to roll the die for the other side’s turn. 

Because the turn to turn maintenance level is so low, the rhythm of play quickly becomes second nature and allows for the game to shine. The combination play between the roll of the Fate Die and the layout of the Card Displays provides many great benefits for Solitaire CDG players. First, the singular die roll provides a nearly instantaneous result that limits the player’s options so a decision can be made quickly for each side.

Second, because cards are only turned face-up when their lettered slot is rolled, the player doesn’t know all of the cards that will be available for each side. This combined with the Fate Die dictating which slots are available each turn effectively reinstates a reasonable degree of uncertainty and allows the player to focus on the options for the active side, instead of falling victim to the mental strain of trying to take every card into consideration while also pretending to not know what the other side is planning to do.

Finally, the system allows for an element of surprise. Every once in a while, the perfect strategy hangs in the balance as the die rolls. Whether things look grim (until the die roll flips the perfect card) or everything feels like it's falling perfectly in line (until the card slot you need isn't rolled), the CDG Solo System reintroduces the fog of war to solitaire CDG wargaming. The moments that don't go as planned make for the best stories.

Playsheet Support

Along with a Rules Summary and the components we’ve talked about above, the system will launch with official Playsheet support for seven GMT games:

• Caesar: Rome vs Gaul
• Commands & Colors: Ancients
• Commands & Colors: Samurai Battles
• For The People
• Illusions of Glory
• Paths of Glory
• Washington’s War

Playsheets are single sheets of rules, front and back, that contain all of the game-specific rules needed to use the system. These include a diagram of set-up, a listing of die result rulings, and modifications to the system that are necessary to meet the demands of unique game rules.

For those who are familiar with Stuka Joe’s original solo method, the Playsheets are based on the original “Tweak Sheets” and provide the same ease, simplicity, and clarity while aiding in the play experience. While the CDG Solo System is launching with support for the above-mentioned titles, the development team will continue to build more official Playsheets to support old and new CDGs in the GMT catalog.

Finally, we recognize that the CDG Solo System was a community effort and want to give back to the community that developed this system. So, GMT will make the rulebook, playsheets, and all needed files available as a free Print-and-Play download when the system is sent to the printer.

Clash of Giants: Civil War, takes the game system from Ted S. Raicer’s popular and critically acclaimed Clash of Giants WWI series to two of the storied battles of the American Civil War: Second Bull Run and Gettysburg. CoG: Civil War uses a modified version of the chit-pull Activation system of Clash of Giants II: Campaigns of Galicia and First Ypres, 1914, while retaining the CoG combat system. Every (mostly brigade-level) unit has a Tactical Efficiency Rating based on its morale, training, leadership, and experience, but even a poor unit can have a heroic moment, while the Iron Brigade might not always be made of iron. It is a true player’s system, which produces realistic results without a lot of fiddly procedures, and allows players to concentrate on the game rather than the rules.

4th Printing (25th Anniversary Edition) Note: This reprint is identical to the previous printing, except that are commissioned new map art for the game box and the game's mounted map. Also, this printing comes in a 3" deep box. As usual, any known errata has also been corrected. 

For the People is a grand strategy game of the American Civil War covering the conflict from Texas to Pennsylvania, from the firing on Fort Sumter to the end at Appomattox Court House. You take the role of either President Lincoln or President Davis and command armies, promote and relieve generals, conduct amphibious assaults, dispatch cavalry raids, and even battle incompetency and political intrigue among members of your own cabinet.

For the People includes a deck of strategy cards for conducting campaigns and incorporating the many events and personalities of the war. The Confederate player can build ironclads, naval mines (torpedoes), submarines, conduct overseas purchases, and work towards foreign intervention. The Union player can build up his naval blockade, his ironclad fleet, fight draft riots, secure the Border States, and issue the Emancipation Proclamation. Relive the history of this exciting time when our nation was torn asunder.

Time scale: 4 months per turn
Map scale: Point-to-point system
Unit scale: 6,000 men per strength point
Players: 1 or 2

Fort Sumter is a two-player Card Driven Game (CDG) portraying the 1860 secession crisis that led to the bombardment of Fort Sumter and the American Civil War. Fort Sumter is a small footprint game (11x17” mounted map) that takes approximately 25-40 minutes to play. The game pits a Unionist versus a Secessionist player. Each player uses the area control mechanic pioneered in my We The People design and immortalized in Twilight Struggle to place, move, and remove political capital. The location of political capital determines who controls each of the four crisis dimensions (Political, Secession, Public Opinion, and Armaments). After three rounds of play, the game culminates in a Final Crisis confrontation to determine the winner.

 The heart of the Fort Sumter design is the CDG system where you use Strategy cards for their value or historic event to acquire political capital from the crisis track. Political capital tokens are used to compete for control of the twelve map spaces. Here the likes of William Lloyd Garrison, Sam Houston, Jefferson Davis, and Harriet Beecher Stowe walk on stage, while the Southern states dissolve the Union.

 The twelve map spaces are grouped into the four dimensions of the crisis. You gain a victory point each round that you control a dimension’s three spaces. For example, the Armaments dimension is characterized by Federal Arsenals, Fort Pickens, and of course, Fort Sumter. In addition, each round you score a victory point for controlling your secret objective space. But beware; either player can score active objective spaces. At the end of the dual Presidential inaugurations (round three) a new Final Crisis mechanic drives the game to its hotly contested conclusion.

Utilizing a new Final Crisis Series mechanic, you may accelerate the crisis by breaching zones (escalation, tension, final crisis) that yield bonus political capital. However, beware, as the first person to breach the final crisis zone gains political advantage, yet loses victory point ground. Each game ends with a Final Crisis, where cards set-aside during the three rounds complete your final political maneuvers that determine the winner.

Can you drive the Secessionist into the Fort Sumter trap that gave Lincoln his historic victory? Can you successfully use the issue of States Rights to divide Northern opinion? Fort Sumter let’s you explore this seminal moment in American history in a fast-playing, easy-to-teach game.

Hood Strikes North is the latest design in the award-winning Great Campaigns of the American Civil War (GCACW) series. It depicts the desperate offensive undertaken by General John Bell Hood’s Army of Tennessee in November 1864 through central Tennessee in an effort to capture Union-held Nashville. Union forces defending the critical Nashville-Chattanooga corridor, led by Maj. Gen. George Thomas (“The Rock of Chickamauga”), were initially scattered and ill-prepared to meet Hood’s thrust. But under Thomas’ prudent and patient leadership, the Rebels were stopped at the gates of Nashville and then thoroughly defeated by a Union offensive in mid-December. 

Hood Strikes North will include a single map, two countersheets, and limited special rules, thereby making it a highly suitable game for newcomers to the Great Campaigns of the American Civil War series. The game is designed by Joe Balkoski (the original GCACW series creator), Chris Withers, and Ed Beach. Based on mid-19th century Tennessee county maps, the game map will adhere to the high graphic standards of its predecessors, with map design executed by artist Charlie Kibler—whose work on the series dates back to its creation in 1992.

Hood Strikes North will use the latest version of the GCACW Standard Basic Game Rules that all other games in the series use. After more than a quarter of a century of refinement, these rules are extremely well organized and relatively easy to learn, even for series newcomers. The Advanced Game rules will cover situations specifically applicable to the November – December 1864 timeframe.

Hood Strikes North includes eight Basic Game scenarios and one Advanced Game campaign, all extensively playtested:

Here Come the Rebels! (November 24, 1864, 1 turn): Introductory scenario, great for learning how to play, depicting the arrival of Nathan Bedford Forrest’s Rebel cavalry in central Tennessee, as Union forces under Maj. Gen. John Schofield hastily retreat to Columbia, Tennessee, covered by their cavalry.
The Race for Columbia (November 23 – 29, 1864, 7 turns): The initial attempt by Hood to cut off Union forces in southern Tennessee from Nashville.
A Great Chance Was Lost (November 28 – 29, 1864, 2 turns): Hood’s army outflanks Union troops defending Columbia, Tennessee, and at Spring Hill attempts to cut them off from Nashville.
We Will Make the Fight (November 30 – December 1, 1864, 2 turns): Union troops under Maj. Gen. John Schofield make a stand against Hood’s onrushing army at Franklin, Tennessee in their attempt to escape to Nashville.
The Battle of Nashville (December 15 – 16, 1864, 2 turns): Thomas takes the offensive and strikes hard at Hood’s Rebel army entrenched on the outskirts of Nashville.
The Enemy Was Badly Whipped (December 4 – 7, 1864, 4 turns): While the Rebels entrench south of Nashville, Hood orders Nathan Bedford Forrest to attack the Union stronghold at Murfreesboro in an attempt to relieve pressure on Hood’s eastern flank.
Hood’s Retreat (December 17 – 19, 1864, 3 turns): Maj. Gen. James Wilson’s Federal cavalry aggressively pursues Hood’s beaten army, but Forrest’s Rebel cavalry stands in the way.
That Devil Forrest (December 23 – 24, 1864, 2 turns): A fast-playing introductory scenario for learning how to play multiple turns. Forrest’s Rebel cavalry is the rear guard trying to delay pursuing Union infantry and cavalry.
Hood Strikes North (advanced scenario, November 23 – December 24, 1864, 32 turns): A depiction of the entire campaign.

Hood Strikes North contains:

• GCACW Series rules booklet (24 pages, including illustrations, play examples, charts)
• Hood Strikes North rules booklet (36 pages, including scenarios, the Game as History, map gazetteer, etc.)
• one 22" x 32" full-color map sheet
• two countersheets (560 counters)
• one Terrain Effects Chart
• two full-color Force Displays
• two 4-page color Charts and Tables
• two 6-sided Dice

On to Richmond II: The Union Strikes South covers some of the most famous campaigns of the Civil War in a single module for the award-winning Great Campaigns of the American Civil War (GCACW) series.  Two of the campaigns in this module have been revised, repackaged, and rebalanced for improved play; and the third is entirely new:

• On To Richmond II (which covers the 1862 Richmond Campaign) has had the Basic Game scenarios rebalanced as needed and modifications made to the rules and victory conditions for the Advanced Game scenario.
• Grant Takes Command II (which covers the 1864 Overland Campaign) has had the various basic and advanced game scenarios revised as needed.
• The Petersburg Campaign (which covers the 1864-1865 Petersburg Campaign) is an entirely new module that covers the months of battles, mostly in the open field, that started when Grant marched across the James River in June 1864 and ended with the defeat of the Confederates at Five Forks in April 1865.

The four maps included are painted by original map artist Charlie Kibler and have been significantly revised to include all the latest GCACW terrain types including hills, swamps, dams, trails and landings.  New map area has been added to cover the western portion of the Petersburg battles.  The military unit counters have been redesigned by Charlie Kibler to harken back to the counters in the original games in the series but with a more modern graphical treatment.

OTR2: The Union Strikes South contains an updated version of the GCACW Standard Basic Game Rules that all the other games in the series use.  The Advanced Game rules are also standardized so players will be able to move quickly from one campaign to the other.
Richmond & Petersburg Campaigns includes a massive collection of twenty-five Basic Game scenarios and seven Advanced Game campaigns, divided as shown between the three modules:

On To Richmond II includes one new Basic Game scenario, the seven original Basic Scenarios redesigned and rebalanced, and the original Advanced Game campaign scenario extensively revised:

• The Warwick Line (3 turns, April 5 – April 7, 1862)
• Johnston’s Retreat (5 turns, May 4 – May 8, 1862)
• The Gates of Richmond (7 turns, May 26 – June 1, 1862)
• Seven Pines (2 turns, May 31 – June 1, 1862)
• Stuart’s Ride (6 turns, June 12 – June 17, 1862)
• The Seven Days (7 turns, June 25 – July 1, 1862)
• Gaines Mill (2 turns, June 26 – June 27, 1862)
• Retreat to the James (3 turns, June 29 – July 1, 1862)
• The Peninsula Campaign (advanced scenario, 112 turns, April 5 – July 25, 1862)

Grant Takes Command II includes the eight original Basic Scenarios rebalanced as needed and the four original Advanced Game campaigns.

• The Battle of the Wilderness (2 turns, May 5 – May 6, 1864)
• Grant Crosses the Rapidan (5 turns, May 4 – May 8, 1864)
• Race For Spotsylvania (1 turn, May 8, 1864)
• Bloody Spotsylvania (5 turns, May 8 – May 12, 1864)
• Sheridan Rides South (4 turns, May 9 – May 12, 1864)
• Strike Them A Blow (4 turns, May 21 – May 24, 1864)
• Bethesda Church (3 turns, May 30 – June 1, 1864)
• Trevilian Station (5 turns, June 8 – June 12, 1864)
• The Overland Campaign (advanced scenario, 40 turns, May 4 – June 12, 1864)
• Marching To Cold Harbor (advanced scenario; 17 turns, May 27 – June 12, 1864)
• Grant’s 1864 Offensive (grand campaign; 40 turns, May 4 – June 12, 1864)
• If It Takes All Summer (grand campaign; 17 turns, May 27 – June 12, 1864)

Note: the two grand campaigns require the Stonewall In The Valley maps which are not included.

The Petersburg Campaign includes nine Basic Game scenarios and two Advanced Game scenarios:

• My Best Achievement (2 turns, June 15 – June 16, 1864)
• Jerusalem Plank Road (2 turns, June 22 – June 23, 1864)
• The Crater (4 turns, July 27 – July 30, 1864)
• The Fourth Offensive (8 turns, Aug 14 – Aug 21, 1864)
• The Fifth Offensive (4 turns, Sept 29 – Oct 2, 1864)
• Burgess Mill (1 turn, Oct 27, 1864)
• Hatcher’s Run (3 turns, Feb 5 – Feb 7, 1865)
• Five Forks (2 turns, March 31 – April 1, 1865)
• Retreat to Appomattox (4 turns, April 3 – April 6, 1865)
• The Petersburg Campaign (advanced scenario, 296 turns, June 15 – April 6, 1865)
• The Last Offensive (advanced scenario, 9 turns, March 29, 1864 – April 6, 1865)

OTR2: The Union Strikes South contains:

• GCACW Series Rules Booklet (about 24 pages in color)
• Three separate specific Rules Booklets for each of the above 3 games (in color including scenarios, the game as history, map gazetteer, etc.)
• Four 22"x 32" full-color map sheets
• Five 280-piece counter sheets
• One 2-sided 11”x14” color display: GTC off map display on one side & Petersburg charts & tracks on other side
• One Terrain Effects Chart
• Two full-color Force Displays
• Two 4-page color Charts and Tables 
• Two 6-sided Dice

OTR2: The Union Strikes South credits:

• Design & Development: Joe Balkoski, Ed Beach, and Chris Withers
• Original series design by Joe Balkoski
• Map Artwork by Charlie Kibler
• Counter Graphics by Charlie Kibler and Nicolas Eskubi

Rebel Fury, Volume I of the Civil War Heritage Series, uses the low-complexity Gettysburg system featured in C3i Magazine #32. The Battles featured are Chickamauga, Chattanooga, Missionary Ridge, Chancellorsville, and Fredericksburg (solitaire). Several of the battles are linkable, covering the entire Chickamauga-Chattanooga campaigns.

This design features a new system on Civil War combat akin to the old SPI Blue and Gray Quads. Each game in Rebel Fury is quick-set-up, quick-playing, and deeply interactive. The density of counters in each scenario is low, allowing you to see and experience the big picture of the battle.

Rebel Fury places you, the player, in the role of the Army Commander (Lee, Burnside, Hooker, Bragg, Rosecrans, Grant).  You maneuver your army to find the enemy’s flanks, concentrate your forces for an attack, and determine where to commit your artillery assets.

 Units are portrayed at the Infantry/Cavalry division level. The Civil War Heritage Series game system features a new Zone of Influence/Zone of Control mechanic that controls unit formation (March/Battle) based on their proximity to your opponent. As your units close with the enemy, your forces naturally break into battle formation, where they then maneuver the last distance to engage. Unlike most hex and counter wargames, this system allows you total freedom to move units in any order multiple times, unleashing the full range of historical tactics in a simple and clean format.

Combat features a differential combat system with few but significant factors that capture the key features of Civil War division level combat. Units are rated for quality, artillery support, supporting units, and terrain. The game features artillery duels with the occasional Exploding Caisson result. The Civil War Heritage Series combat system accurately depicts the ability of units to launch multiple waves of attacks on the same position, capturing the back-and-forth nature of many famous combat duels.

Each battle features special units and situations, such as Wilder’s Brigade of mounted infantry (Chickamauga) plus other famous units and personages. If you are looking for a competitive, quick-playing Civil War battle game, Rebel Fury may be the game you have been looking to fit into your busy schedule. The short playing time (1 hour or less) entices you to play multiple battles in the same sitting. 

The Skirmisher 3 is the third magazine in the award-winning Great Campaigns of the American Civil War (GCACW) series of games.  Skirmisher 3 is centered around the module Atlanta Is Ours (AIO), so it is recommended that players should own this game to fully enjoy all the elements of Skirmisher 3.

Skirmisher 3 contains the following scenarios and articles:

• “The Skirmish Line” which discusses upcoming GCACW plans and games.
• A discussion of map improvements to the older modules On To Richmond and Grant Takes Command that are included in the forthcoming On To Richmond II release.
• An initial update on the Vicksburg game design.
• An article about the evolution of the Long Roads to Gettysburg grand campaign game by its creator.
• A 20-page rule update to Atlanta Is Ours called “AIO Lite,” which simplifies out some of the details from the campaign game to streamline play.

The Skirmisher #4 is the fourth magazine in the award-winning Great Campaigns of the American Civil War (GCACW) series of games.  Skirmisher #4 is centered around the reprint of Stonewall Jackson's Way II (SJW2), so players should own this game (or the original SJW) to fully enjoy all the elements of Skirmisher #4.

Skirmisher #4 contains the following scenarios and articles:

• “The Skirmish Line” which discusses upcoming GCACW plans and games.
• Lee’s Last Offensive, a mini-module on the Bristoe Station and Mine Run campaigns in the Fall of 1863. Designed by Niall Taylor there are 4 basic scenarios, 3 campaign scenarios, and a detailed “Game as History” article.  These scenarios use the SJW2 maps.
• A colorful set of playtest reports on the Lee’s Last Offensive scenarios.
• Battle for the Gaps, a cavalry scenario in June 1863, when the Confederate and Union cavalry engaged just west of Aldie (on the SJW2 north map) as the Gettysburg campaign was developing.
• A detailed strategy article on optimal ways to play the All Green Alike campaign.
• A lengthy replay of a SJW2 scenario, filled with images to be easy-to-follow.
• An article on battlefield staff rides that Joe Balkoski conducts for the army.
• A listing of all that is GCACW on-line, tournaments, etc.

Skirmisher #4 components list:

• 56 color pages
• A half counter sheet (140 counters) for the included scenarios

Thunder On the Mississippi is the latest design in the award-winning Great Campaigns of the American Civil War (GCACW) series. It depicts Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant’s 1863 campaign to capture Vicksburg. The game is designed by Joe Balkoski (the original GCACW series creator) and Chris Withers. The game map will adhere to the accuracy and high graphic standards of its predecessors, with map design executed by artist Charlie Kibler—whose work on the series dates to its creation in 1992. 

Thunder On the Mississippi uses the latest version of the GCACW Standard Basic Game Rules, which also apply to all other games in the series. After more than a quarter-century of refinement, these rules are extremely well organized and relatively easy to learn, even for series newcomers. Two new terrain features unique to the Vicksburg region are also introduced: loess hills and coastal bluffs. The Advanced Game rules cover situations specifically applicable to this unique campaign starting with an amphibious invasion, followed by sweeping cross-country movement ending in siege warfare.

Thunder On the Mississippi includes eleven Basic Game scenarios and one Advanced Game campaign, all extensively playtested:

• The Battle of Port Gibson (May 1, 1863, 1 turn): Introductory scenario, great for learning how to play. Port Gibson was the key to containing the Union invasion, so a scattered Confederate force had assembled there. The difficult and unique “loess” terrain helped the significantly outnumbered Confederates slow down and mitigate the effects of the Union assaults. However, the 3-to-1 Union manpower advantage eventually caused the Confederates to retreat.
• Invasion & Breakout (April 30 – May 4, 1863, 5 turns): The Union invades at Bruinsburg and the Confederates race a few brigades south to Port Gibson to block them.  The Union battles to take Port Gibson and then secures Grindstone bridge to cross the Bayou Pierre. Additional CSA forces have reinforced the area but are poorly positioned to block the Union advance to Willows. The Union begins to cut off Grand Gulf and the Confederates retreat across the Big Black River.
• Unite Your Troops (May 3 – 6, 1863, 4 turns): What if Pemberton responded to the loss of Port Gibson by sending more troops south to protect the port of Grand Gulf and keep the Union from breaking out into the interior north of the Bayou Pierre at and beyond Willows? How well and for how long could the Confederates have blocked the Union?
• Yankee Blitzkrieg (May 10 – May 14, 1863, 5 turns): After the Union paused to resupply and bring in Sherman’s corps, Grant orders a wide front advance from Rocky Springs to the Northeast to cut the railroad between the Big Black River and Jackson. The Confederates shift the bulk of their force to east of the Big Black, just south of the railroad.  CSA reinforcements also start streaming into Jackson and move southwest to Raymond where a battle develops on the 12th. 
• Loring’s Memorandum (May 12-15, 1863, 4 turns): Loring’s May 9th memorandum was a plan to attack across the Big Black River with two divisions at Baldwin’s and Hall’s ferries in the Union rear while Bowen’s division south of Edwards and troops from Jackson enveloped the Union from the north. While Pemberton ignored this communication, it was a viable plan, especially if augmented by more brigades from the Vicksburg defenses.
• Grant Moves West (May 15 – 17, 1863, 3 turns): After the battle of Jackson on May 14, the Union moved west toward Vicksburg. This includes the timespan of the battles of Champion Hill and the Big Black Bridge redoubts.
• Champion Hill (May 16, 1863, 1 turn): The historic battle of Champion Hill, in which the Union army decisively defeated the Confederates.
• I Move at Once (May 16 – 17, 2 turns): A what-if battle scenario in which Pemberton follows the orders he received from Johnston early on the 14th to meet up with Johnston around Clinton. Historically, Pemberton moved to the southeast to Champion Hill to try to gain good ground on the Union supply line. If he had followed orders, with Jackson having fallen on the 14th, Pemberton would have taken an indirect route to the north of Clinton to not collide with the full Union army before he could combine forces with Johnston. Grant had good intelligence on Confederate movements and intended to attack Pemberton before the two armies could join.
• This Is Success (May 17 – 19, 1863, 3 turns): After the battle of Champion Hill, the Confederates retreated first to the region of the Big Black bridges, and then to the forts around Vicksburg. The Union routed the Confederates from their redoubts in front of the Big Black bridges on the 17th. On the 19th the Union made multiple attacks on the Confederate forts at Vicksburg, but was easily repulsed.
• Army of Relief (June 9 - 11, 1863, 3 turns): Johnston had assembled 28,000 infantry in early June to relieve the siege of Vicksburg.  These troops were both at Canton (northeast of Vicksburg), and Jackson. Grant was just starting to receive significant reinforcements, anticipating an attack by Johnston. Grant formed a makeshift command under Sherman to block Johnston. Historically, Johnston made no appreciable effort to relieve Pemberton – he missed his best opportunity to attack in early June before Grant got several new strong divisions. This is a hypothetical scenario depicting what might have happened had Johnston moved aggressively against Sherman and caught the Union command by surprise.
• Inflict All the Punishment You Can (July 6 – July 8, 1863, 3 turns): Johnston finally moved close to the east side of the Big Black River in early July but never crossed it to break the siege of Vicksburg. Sherman meanwhile had built up an Army of Maneuver to not only block Johnston, but also to attack and destroy his army. Historically, Johnston withdrew to the east on July 6th, and Sherman slowly pursued him to Jackson. In this scenario the Union player knows he must move aggressively to pin and attack some or all of Johnston’s army in the open field. Grant’s orders to Sherman were “I want you to drive Johnston out in your own way, and inflict on the enemy all the punishment you can.”
• The Vicksburg Campaign (Advanced scenario, April 30 – July 8, 1863, 1864, 70 turns): A depiction of the entire campaign from the landing at Bruinsburg to the surrender at Vicksburg to the Union pursuit of Johnston back to Jackson.

Thunder On the Mississippi contains:

• GCACW Series Rules Booklet (24 pages, including illustrations, play examples, charts) 
• Thunder On the Mississippi Rules Booklet (about 56 pages, including scenarios, the Game as History, Gazetteer, etc.)
• Two 22"x 32" full-color map sheets
• Two 280-piece counter sheets and one 140-piece half counter sheet
• One Terrain Effects Chart
• Two full-color Force Displays 
• Two 4-page full-color Charts and Tables
• Two 6-sided Dice

To Take Washington is a new Line of Battle (LoB) series game covering Jubal Early's campaign during the summer of 1864. From June into July, Old Jube swept out of the Shenandoah Valley and across the Potomac River to advance on Washington DC. By threatening the Federal capital, Early and the Confederate command hoped to divert forces from Grant's Overland Campaign, relieving the pressure on Richmond.

Historically, Early narrowly defeated Lew Wallace on the Monocacy River, outside of Frederick, MD. However, this "victory" cost him precious time and manpower. Though he went on to test the outer forts protecting Washington itself (mainly at Fort Stevens), Early was too weak and too late to take advantage of the once-denuded nature of the fortress garrisons.

As Abraham Lincoln quipped, "Mr. Early, you are late."

In To Take Washington, players first fight the Battle of Monocacy. Their relative success or failure there, as well as their raw efficiency, determines when the Confederates show up on the separate Fort Stevens map. An arrival mere hours earlier than their historical appearance makes an enormous difference in the strength of Union forces manning the defenses, since they had been stripped bare prior to Early's advance. Conversely, a mediocre showing at Monocacy will present the Confederate player with a very difficult problem at Fort Stevens. Jubal Early couldn't solve it, can you?

To Take Washington covers these two related actions on two separate map areas. One (with two map sheets) covers the Monocacy battlefield while the other (with one map sheet) shows the area around Fort Stevens and a portion of Washington itself.

The Line of Battle series premiered with None But Heroes, covering the Battle of Antietam, and went on to set a new standard of excellence with its presentation of Gettysburg in Last Chance for Victory. The LoB series rules are the pinnacle of over 30 years of development starting with the Civil War Brigade Series and its follow-on Regimental Sub-Series. The LoB system and battle-specific rules incorporate fresh research while discarding the mistaken assumptions and false impressions that have crept into ACW games of the past forty years. Above all, Line of Battle is designed to capture the free-for-all nature of an American Civil War battle in a fun, fast, and very playable format.

Scenarios: To Take Washington includes twelve scenarios, with one entry point for the full two-battle Campaign Game. Ten of the scenarios use only one map (either a portion of the Monocacy map set, or the single Fort Stevens map).