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Author Topic: Best Strategic Civil War Board Game  (Read 14094 times)

judgedredd

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on: September 04, 2020, 02:27:22 PM
I know there's battles out there - and I love Battle Hymn Gettysburg. I was eyeing Shiloh and Antietam just recently - but then I wondered - what about a full on Civil War game?

So - what options for the entire American Civil War are out there. This isn't normally my scale - but I was wondering if there's something along the lines of that old Matrix game...Forge of Freedom.

Also - as with my normal requirements, it needs to be a game from the last decade - maybe 15 years but absolutely no more than 20 years old ...I always like to look for quality of components as well as game.
« Last Edit: September 04, 2020, 02:34:48 PM by judgedredd »



judgedredd

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Reply #1 on: September 04, 2020, 02:30:57 PM
« Last Edit: September 04, 2020, 02:34:09 PM by judgedredd »



bbmike

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Reply #2 on: September 04, 2020, 02:33:08 PM
Oh, no! Don't never mind! Good question and it will be interesting to hear thoughts about it.
As for me, I have this on P500 order: GMT The US Civil War, 2nd Printing

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bayonetbrant

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Reply #3 on: September 04, 2020, 02:35:00 PM
Are you talking about board games?

Most folks would tell you the gold standard is still the old VG "The Civil War 1861-1865" but it's old and can be hard to find

There are a lot of folks that are fond of "For The People"

"A House Divided" had its adherents back in the day, but no idea how the Phalanx Games' reprint stacks up to the original.

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judgedredd

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Reply #4 on: September 04, 2020, 02:35:21 PM
Oh, no! Don't never mind! Good question and it will be interesting to hear thoughts about it.
As for me, I have this on P500 order: GMT The US Civil War, 2nd Printing
Nice  :bigthumb:

I'm going to read up on this one. It seems like a good fit and apparently is pretty solo friendly as long as you "play both sides to the best of your ability" - which is a basic requirement being a solo board gamer.
« Last Edit: September 04, 2020, 03:04:19 PM by judgedredd »



judgedredd

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Reply #5 on: September 04, 2020, 02:37:46 PM
This seems like a possibility

This is the first game I looked at in that list and this was the first picture I saw...



It's got my dice tower!!! That's got to mean something - it can't be coincidence surely?

But...unfortunately it's not solo - not even close looking through it



bbmike

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Reply #6 on: September 04, 2020, 02:56:00 PM


1) ANY game can be played solo
2) Stuka Joe developed a Solo Method for CDGs:
     CDG SOLO METHOD: Original Method v. New Method
     The Madness Behind a CDG Solo Method
3) See 1


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judgedredd

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Reply #7 on: September 04, 2020, 03:06:12 PM
Are you talking about board games?

Most folks would tell you the gold standard is still the old VG "The Civil War 1861-1865" but it's old and can be hard to find

There are a lot of folks that are fond of "For The People"

"A House Divided" had its adherents back in the day, but no idea how the Phalanx Games' reprint stacks up to the original.
Sorry Brant - I missed your post.

Yes - boardgaming.

I'm looking at either picking up a used first edition of The US Civil War or risk another pre-order from Second Chance Games on a 2nd Edition.



bob48

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Reply #8 on: September 04, 2020, 03:13:01 PM
'The Civil War' by Victory Games was good, although obviously long OOP. There may still be used copies about.

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bayonetbrant

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Reply #9 on: September 04, 2020, 03:18:26 PM
NM - found this

https://boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/22451/top-30-ranked-american-civil-war-games-bgg

Although a lot of this list are battles.

that's also an older list...  like, over a decade old

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judgedredd

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Reply #10 on: September 04, 2020, 04:55:12 PM
Yeah I noticed that once i started reading



BanzaiCat

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Reply #11 on: September 04, 2020, 06:41:30 PM
Seconding Mike's recommendation for Stuka Joe's CDG method. Very simple to use and great because it works for just about anything card-driven.

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Bison

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Reply #12 on: September 04, 2020, 07:34:10 PM
Both Civil War and For the People published by GMT are fantastic games. If table space is an issue, just know the board for Civil War is two full boards in size. Really good game that does use cards for activations for the theater movements/combat. For the People is a better game IMHO. However, you will have to either use Joes method or just accept the loss of hidden information.



BanzaiCat

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Reply #13 on: September 04, 2020, 07:37:26 PM
JD, maybe look at Rebel Raiders on the High Seas. I got my copy to the table a week or so ago and it was quite fun. Card-driven, mainly concerned with CSA raiders and blockade runners trying to earn VP for the South while the Union navy tries to stop them. Besides that it does cover the land campaign, though abstractly; includes forts, river movement, city capture, arsenals at Richmond and Atlanta, and Batteries as well. I like the abstract-ness of the land campaign and the map should not cause you any issues (22" x 34"). I think it's strategic, though it's more like strategic-lite.

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/38805/rebel-raiders-high-seas

https://www.gmtgames.com/p-238.aspx?searchEngineName=rebel-raiders-on-the-high-seas

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thecommandtent

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Reply #14 on: September 04, 2020, 09:09:05 PM
Oh, no! Don't never mind! Good question and it will be interesting to hear thoughts about it.
As for me, I have this on P500 order: GMT The US Civil War, 2nd Printing

I've heard very good things about this game and am inching closer to adding a P500 order myself.