Great Battles of the American Civil War
The Great Battles of the American Civil War (GBACW) system allows players to recreate battles of the Civil War on a regimental scale. Originally developed by Richard H. Berg, the game system evolved from Terrible Swift Sword: Three Days at Gettysburg (1976, SPI) over several decades and spanning many design variations from many game companies. Engagements range from the Battle of Kernstown where Union and Confederate forces amounted to a division each to the Battle of Gettysburg where Meade's Army of the Potomac faced off against the Lee's Army of Virginia for three days and include the two battles of Bull Run or Manassas, Antietam, Shiloh, Wilson's Creek, Cedar Mountain, Brandy Station, Pleasant Hill, and Pea Ridge.
Each unit represents a regiment of 100 to 1000 men or battery of 1 to 6 guns. Each turn represents 20 minutes, each hex represents 120 yards. Each player controls a brigade, division, corp, or army. Units include infantry, cavalry, artillery, and leaders.
Contact
Send rules comments or suggestions to info@armchairbrigade.org.
Downloads
See also recent rules changes and 2006 edition rules.
Exclusive Rules are available for individual scenarios below.
Battles
| Battle |
Date |
Location |
| Shiloh |
6-Apr-1861 |
Shiloh, TN |
|
Bloody April |
|
The Confederate Attack, The First Day, Grand Battle |
| First Bull Run |
21-Jul-1861 |
Manassas, VA |
|
First Blood: The 1st and 2nd Battles of Manassas |
|
Blackburn's Ford, McDowell's Attack, Grand Battle |
| Wilson's Creek |
10-Aug-1861 |
Springfield, MO |
|
Wilson's Creek: The West's First Fight |
|
Surprise Attack, Bloody Hill |
| Pea Ridge |
6-Mar-1862 |
Pea Ridge, AR |
|
Pea Ridge: The Gettysburg of the West |
| Kernstown |
23-Mar-1862 |
Kernstown, VA |
|
Stonewall in the Shenandoah |
|
Union Advance, Confederate Counterattack, Pritchard's Hill |
| Port Republic |
8-Jun-1862 |
Port Republic, VA |
|
Jackson at the Crossroads: Cross Keys and Port Republic |
|
First Day, Second Day, Grand Battle |
| Baton Rouge |
5-Aug-1862 |
Baton Rouge, LA |
|
Baton Rouge: Street Fighting in the Louisiana Capital |
| Cedar Mountain |
9-Aug-1862 |
Culpeper, VA |
|
Cedar Mountain: Prelude to Bull Run |
| Second Bull Run |
28-Aug-1862 |
Manassas, VA |
|
First Blood: The 1st and 2nd Battles of Manassas |
|
Brawner's Farm, Grand Battle |
| Antietam |
17-Sep-1862 |
Sharpsburg, MD |
|
A Gleam of Bayonets: Battle of Antietam |
|
First Corps Attack, Hooker and Mansfield, Grand Battle |
| Corinth |
10-Oct-1862 |
Corinth, MS |
|
The Battle of Corinth: Standoff at the Tennessee |
| Stones River |
12-Dec-1862 |
Murfressboro, TN |
|
Dead of Winter |
|
Breckinridge's Attack, The Meeting Engagement, Grand Battle |
| Kelly's Ford |
17-Mar-1863 |
Kelly's Ford, VA |
|
Rebel Sabers: Game of Civil War Cavalry Battles |
| Brandy Station |
9-Jun-1863 |
Brandy Station, VA |
|
Rebel Sabers: Game of Civil War Cavalry Battles |
| Gettysburg |
1-Jul-1863 |
Gettysburg, PA |
|
Terrible Swift Sword: The Three Days of Gettysburg |
|
McPherson's Ridge, Little Round Top, Culp's Hill, Lost Triumph, Pickett's Charge, First Day, Second Day (Morning), Second Day (Afternoon), Third Day, Grand Battle |
| Gettysburg (HS) |
3-Jul-1863 |
Gettysburg, PA |
|
Rebel Sabers: Game of Civil War Cavalry Battles |
| Pleasant Hill |
9-Apr-1864 |
Pleasant Hill, LA |
|
Pleasant Hill: The Red River Campaign |
| Brice's Crossroads |
10-Jun-1864 |
Brice, MS |
|
The Horse Soldiers: Forest at Bay |
| Trevilians Station |
11-Jun-1864 |
Trevilians Station, VA |
|
Rebel Sabers: Game of Civil War Cavalry Battles |
| Monocacy Junction |
9-Jul-1864 |
Monocacy, MD |
|
Drive on Washington: The Battle of Monocacy Junction |
| Tupelo |
14-Jul-1864 |
Tupelo, MS |
|
The Horse Soldiers: Forest at Bay |
|
Historical Deployment, Free Deployment |
| Cedar Creek |
19-Oct-1864 |
Middletown, VA |
|
Guns of Cedar Creek |
Replays
Pleasant Hill 8/8/2005
Cedar Mountain 8/13/2005
Brice's Crossroads 8/20/2005
Links
eBay wargames for sale
Russ Gifford's GBACW tutorials
Publications
Civil War Home
Blue & Gray Magazine
The Civil War News
Civil War Battles Page
ForumsGBACW Consim Forum
Books
The American Civil War and the Origins of Modern Warfare: Ideas, Organization, and Field Command
Antietam: The Soldiers' Battle
Battle Tactics of the Civil War
The Bloody Crucible of Courage: Fighting Methods and Combat Experience of the Civil War
Gettysburg July 1
Gettysburg: A Testing of Courage
Lost Triumph: Lee's Real Plan at Gettysburg--And Why It Failed
Recent Changes
10/9/07
Major revision: ranged fire and assault eliminated and replaced with locking zones of control and a combat results table.
The previous version of the rules will be maintained separately without further evolution. The Armchair Brigade Edition of GBACW will henceforth follow the new rules path.
2006 Edition Rules
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