by Michael Eckenfels, 19 December 2024
The Civil War, as simulated in games, tends to be set up in the same fashion: the same leaders, the same troops, the same…everything. Oh, sure, there’s a variant here and an alternative set up there; depending on the game, a following could exist that has all but rewritten the rules to a gamer’s favorite Civil War era wargame, inviting them to try it out.
Originally published by QED, this title was taken over by GMT and had a few bells and whistles added on, including some rewritten rules, before it was shipped out the door. GMT’s website is short on background information; on top of that they point to QED’s website, which is now defunct. That’s a shame because their website used to provide a huge amount of information, including a sample game, card descriptions, rule clarifications, and the like. Most were pertinent to the game as it currently exists in its deluxe GMT format.
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LUCK OF THE DRAW
To start this section with a tired cliché is actually more of a reflection on those games that have very little in the way of alternative set ups. Blue vs Gray Deluxe Edition, on the other hand, can provide a vastly different gaming experience each time it is played. Purists may argue the luck of the draw is too much to bear, and I may be one of them, but the attraction of not knowing what comes next is really the magnet embedded in a rich, detailed, and yet easily playable board game.
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Each side – North and South – has their own deck of cards; the South has 80 while the North has 76. Strange that the South has more cards than the North, but this is not so much a reflection on a Southern numerical superiority (which never existed) as it is on play balance. The cards are more than up to the task of ensuring that things don’t get out of hand. Occasionally, a player may beg to differ: if they get into a card-draw slump, it could haunt their hand (and war effort) for a good long while. Or short while, too – I’ve played a few games here and there that ended after two or so turns. These are the exception rather than the rule, however.
The cards represent most aspects of the Civil War, including military leaders, political activity, historical units, and maps (parts of the country). The cards are very detailed – almost too detailed. I may be getting old, but I don’t think I’m quite ready for bifocals; however, they may have helped to read the tiny print on the cards. Most of the space is taken up by a historical description of the event, unit, or commander pictured therein, but the information has absolutely no relevance to the game itself. Had this information been instead included on a side handout, it would have made for interesting reading and given up some extra space to print the game-specific effects on.
One of the additions GMT included is a map; the original QED title did not use a map but there are handy tracks printed on it for record keeping (there are rule cards for this as well, but they’re not nearly as colorful as those on the map). It is small and provides spaces for the players to play Map Cards on.
CHANGING HISTORY?
History is, essentially, one unscripted event after another. This card game, then, follows history admirably. It can repeat itself easily, or fail in worthless folly. For example, in one game I played as the South, my opponent’s first turn saw him taking a stab at Manassas with Ambrose Burnside’s card leading two corps cards. All I had was Buckner and one “Tidewater Militia” card – hardly the Stonewall regiment, but that’s better than nothing. Sensing victory, the North pressed in and lost miserably. Not only did I deplete both of his corps, but killed Burnside to boot and sent the North back across the Potomac in shame. Not wishing to follow in the footsteps of history, namely winning Manassas and not following through with a counterattack, I went ahead and moved against Harper’s Ferry with that measly, scraggly band of Southern soldiery. I should have stayed in Manassas; the Tidewater Militia was wiped out and Buckner beat a hasty retreat. Sometimes, a good decision isn’t always wrapped up in a golden opportunity.
Victory in this game is measured according to objectives achieved for the North
Besides, the South has some major goals to accomplish (of course the North does as well). Victory in this game is measured according to objectives achieved for the North; the total can go in the negative and when it reaches –4, the South wins an Immediate Victory (they can win a Diplomatic Victory at -3 if the North has not yet invoked the Emancipation card). If the North is four objectives in the hole that early in the game, it’s likely more because of some bad card draws than it is due to play, although getting used to the various ‘Enigma’ cards that can influence battles and other game situations takes some getting used to. More than once early on I realized I had a card that could have influenced a particular situation, but failed to do so. Rest assured, any player making such a mistake is not going to make it again, and in so doing the learning process takes hold.
Each side has independent objectives. Some of the North’s objectives include ‘Control the Shenandoah Valley,’ ‘Control Richmond,’ and ‘Control all Atlantic ports’ (there’s eight of them total). The South has thirteen objectives, twelve of which represent all twelve of the original native cities for the North. Some of the North’s objectives are somewhat vague (‘Control all Atlantic ports’) which involve multiple steps, whereas Southern objectives are pretty much straightforward: conquer Northern cities.
Play alternates between the two sides as one deploys armies and leaders from their hand to a theater (either East or West – referring to East of the Appalachians or West of them). Once played, units can be attached to leaders; the leaders are limited to the number of units they may have underneath them. Some leaders are limited to the type of commands they can lead; the North employs Corps as their units while the South employs Divisions. Each unit type (Corps or Division) can be attached to a leader as long as their number of maximum units is not exceeded; for example, Robert E. Lee may command up to three Corps, and therefore may command up to three leaders with their own divisional commands underneath them. The structure of the game commands is subtle and yet a large part of the strategy in figuring out how to best arrange what leaders are available with what units.
I should point out here that Blue vs. Gray Deluxe Edition is not a collectible card game. There are neither booster packs to purchase nor rare coveted cards to pay out the nose for (a la Yu-Gi-Oh or other such spendthrift nightmares). What you get in the box is it, period.
THE PLAY AREA
The term “board game” is used rather loosely here, as Blue vs Gray Deluxe Edition is more of a card game than board game. However, it remains accurate as the players have a small game mat that holds up to 11 map cards. The map portrays the United States (circa 1861, of course) from Pennsylvania in the upper right over to Indianapolis in the upper left, then moves slightly left as it goes south, covering Port Hudson and New Orleans at bottom left to Savannah at bottom right. At start, only four of these map cards come into play, two for the North and two for the South. Each side has cards covering the remainder of the map.
Each map card depicts cities, roads/railroads (one and the same in this game, representing transportation networks), rivers, and mountain ranges (if present). The cities come in many varieties, which alters gameplay depending on the type. Some cities are ‘neutral,’ meaning either side may attempt to occupy it. Others are ‘native,’ meaning they are initially controlled by one side or the other. I mentioned a moment ago that each side has cards covering the rest of the map; as card play goes on, it is a good thing for one side to get their version of a map card down as soon as possible. The instant one side plays a map card, the other side’s map card is invalid and must be discarded. These map cards come into a player’s hand like other cards (i.e., players do not begin a game with all of their map cards ready to be played, but instead must draw them as any other card). This is where the game begins to become truly different with each play, as the very map can change depending on the luck of the draw.
CARD TYPES
Other card types (besides map cards) include Leaders, Infantry Units, Cavalry Units, Naval Squadrons, and Enigma cards. The Leaders I’ve already touched on, and also mentioned that Infantry and Cavalry Units are represented as corps to the North and divisions to the South. Naval squadrons are useful by providing gun support, interdiction in rivers, invasions, or creating blockades.
The Enigma cards can really throw the game on its ear, as if it couldn’t be already because of random card draws. These cards have different social, technological, and/or political effects that can be played at any time. These can be brutal, not just by affecting gameplay but also by ruining your eyes. As mentioned a lot of the cards have tiny writing on them that try to give a history lesson in twenty or so lines, whereas the actual card effects are in only two equally small lines. However, Civil War history buffs or newcomers to the Civil War arena will probably find the blurbs on the cards interesting reading. Besides that, the effects of Enigma Cards can range wildly, including giving players the ability to draw free cards and get free supply, sparing a General that dies in combat (thereby negating his ‘Killed’ result – this is the “Message from God” card, interestingly enough), and giving bonuses to attacks (such as the “Blue Mountain Boys” card, which gives the North bonuses to attacking certain Kentucky and Tennessee cities after the Emancipation card is played).
GAMEPLAY
The game plays very quickly, but learning how to deploy troops and set up commands correctly can take some practice. Detaching units and reattaching them, as well as generating new troops, can be somewhat confusing as well, but these all become clearer through one or two games. My first game was a disaster for the North, as I took city after city from the North. I took Washington, D.C. within the first two turns; that, of course, never happened again as we were both learning the system. However, poor card draws can ruin a player’s day as easily as good play by an opponent.
As if the randomness of the game wasn’t enough, there are a few different setups offered by the designers of the game. There’s a standard setup with the rules, then a “Historical” one that puts the game on more or less the same footing that the player’s historical counterparts had. There’s also a “Gettysburg” scenario that starts a game in 1863 at the Confederate’s high water mark – this one is better for veteran players as several Enigma Cards define the current game situation, not to mention a rather extensive setup list. Finally, there are rules for a four-player version of Blue vs Gray Deluxe Edition, which I was not able to try out unfortunately.
SUMMARY
Each card type deals a different ability that insures that no two games are going to be alike – different maps, different orders of battle and leaders, different effects and bonuses – all makes the Civil War eminently replayable. I can’t stress enough how fascinating this is; it’s a big draw to come back to this title multiple times. I’m already a Civil War buff (I grew up in the shadow of Manassas, Virginia), so that just added to my interest in this title. The gameplay can be a little complex at first, but perseverance will show how simple the game really is – that and the small card print are the only blemishes on a truly magnificent card game. If you’re a Civil War enthusiast and in the market for a game that can simulate the Civil War in under three hours, this one’s for you.
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