"Good Board Game for an ACW campaign?" Topic

So… the worst thing any wargame club can attempt, is to run a campaign. This is often true.

However, I am hoping to use a boardgame to mitigate much of the problems. My goal is for the boardgame to effectively:
- handle all strategic issues, including politics.
- handle all operational issues, including supply
- be relatively simple to work with
- allow easy substitution of a miniatures game for the board game's table top combat.

Personally, I think the most important aspects to a campaign are logistics – supply and supply lines. I'd like the board game to handle these in realistic detail, e.g. a river is easiest to supply from, a rail next easiest, and last, wagons [ugh…wagons] can be used.

Obviously, most board wargames are interested in combat. I'm not interested in that here, altho an good combat system could substitute for a table top game that can't be played.

Any thoughts, LMK. I'll double-check all info at Boardgamegeek.com and see what the commentary is.

Appreciate the suggestions! Thanks!

I would look at Columbia Games Bobby Lee, Sam Grant and the Shenandoah Campaign.

SPI did an interesting game on the Shenandoah Valley campaigns, whose name escapes me ("Campaigns in the valley"?) . For the whole war, GDW's "A House Divided" is hard to beat for simplicity and effectiveness.

I've used The American Civil War.

link

Translate each game pieces to your tactical rules and you're good to go! It has a combat resolution system for the boring fights

@Mr. Elmo
…and it has an exotic title, also! How is the supply system?

Has anyone tried Worthington Games "Pemberton & Grant"?
link

@Stalkey:

You can download the rules from that link (look for the Files section about the game)

A House Divided by Phalanx Games if you can find a copy. I think it was also produced at one time by GDW.

There is this one for 1862 in the Eastern Theater. I think it is a novel approach, but, you might have problems with the players if they can't figure out how to issue orders. link

Used with some success House Divided

Have Columbia Games Bobby Lee and Sam Grant and have been considering trying again using a bit more detail

Shenandoah is good for a Valley Campaign

hi

try

Shenandoah: A Civil War Miniatures Campaign System (1989)

link

Shenandoah: A Civil War Miniatures Campaign System – The Peninsular Module (1990)

link

A House Divided is the way to go. If you can find the old Volley and Bayoney Supplement "Great Battles of the Civil War" it has the rules for transforming it into a Miniatures campaign. Greg Novak wrote the modifications and ran several successful campaigns of the war. I played in many of them and they were uniformly entertaining.

Another vote for A House Divided. As noted, the volley & bayonet ACW scenario book includes the map etc to use for campaigns.

Tbh, I find the easiest campaigns to run are simply linked scenarios with some carry forward from the previous battle. Half a dozen battles maximum. You actually have a chance to finish those.

Rather late to the discussion, but I would recommend "Grand Army of the Republic" from Task Force Games. Like House Divided it represents the entire area of the war. My son and I played the game 3 or 4 times. When combats are generated, we would randomize battlefield terrain, customizing differences between mountainous regions and coastal or river plains. Naval and coastal fortresses are a part of the game as well, as are historical generals. We had a blast each time we went at it.