From: gregory_b@cubldr.colorado.edu (Brian Gregory)
Subject: RE: VGs Civil War question(s)
Organization: University of Colorado, Boulder
Date: Wed, 16 Dec 1992 00:26:39 GMT

I've read a few questions about this, my favorite Civil War game, and




so thought I'd kill a few birds with a post:

RE:  NSP counters
The naval rules say nothing about the individual NSP counters, so I take
that to mean they're treated like other SP counters and can be used "like
money."  The rules are clear that any naval unit eliminated is gone for good.
So, if you lose a round with a fortress and were unfortunate enough to take
the loss with an NSP, then one factor of NSP must end up in the dead pile
Now there aren't any spare counters (5 river going, for a total of 10 NSPs;
8 sea-going NSP counters for a total of 16), so if you must lose one NSP,
you may've forfieted another factor of NSP in the process.  
The Moral:  keep your NSPs well-escorted with ironclads!

RE:  Entering reinforcements in an overrun theater.
I couldn't find any help here from the rules;  time for a house rule, unless
someone else can find/interpolate the proper meaning for this.  I'd have to
guess you've forfeited any reinforcements from a theater that has no supplied
VP cities left:  get real, who'd enlist in an area overrun with Yankees?

RE:  General FAQ about VG's CW game:

As I've mentioned, I'm a big fan of this game:  the scope is perfect (5000
men to a land Strength Point [SP]) with individual leader counters, 'ironclad'
gunboat counters and an extensive, fluid command system.  The scope is the
entire ACW, from 4/'61 till 4(6?)/'62, with a scaled victory point system
which makes a union victory harder to obtain than taking Fort Sumter and
invading the Missippi river valley, therefore a challenge and very fun.

The system relies heavily on a command logistic, whereby each player recieves
a certain number of command points (CPs) per theater based on 2d6 roll.  Each
theater of the war --East, West, Transmiss, and (optional) Far West -- recieves
a certain number of CPs based on the 2d6 roll and the priority given it by
each player (chosen secretly by each the previous turn).  These CPs are then
used to activate leaders who can then control SPs (to move, attack or fortify 
positions), better leaders requiring fewer CPs and higher ranked leaders 
necessary to activate large groups of troops.

Expending these CPs is also ruled by a stochastic mechanic whereby any player
may expend as many CPs as the difference between two (his and the opponents)
2d6 rolls:  If I roll 10, and you 5, then I get to go first and can expend
up to 5 CPs (or raise troops, etc...), then you get to expend 5, and we roll
again to see how many can be used for the next round.  This usually continues
until both are out of CPs and reinforcements, but can end earlier under 
certain conditions.  This random process is the game's strength IMHO (and
the basis for half of the dissenting opinions;  the other half about rules
organization:  again, IMHO :> ), as it gives a fluid and playable way to
simulate the frustrations Lincoln and Davis suffered during those fateful
years when they tried to run war machines with poor infrastructures and (some)
lousy commanders!  CW cleanly and easily allows for several month sections
of the war when not much happened without forcing the players to drudge
through the reasons that it bogged down.

I think that it wouldn't as much appeal to fans of 'chess-like' games because
of the unpredictable way turns can end.  I've found only 10-15% of the turns
end early like this, so you can assume only 1 out of 10 of your plans will
get boondoggled by situations out of your control (then again, your opponent
isn't likely to play into your hands), and most of them will proceed (though
not execute) according to plan.

The play usually proceeds like this:
The north is blessed with lots of men, materials and commanders -- but many
of these really stink.  They proceed to invade the south everywhere.  The
south's resources are stretched but its few commanders are excellent, allowing
them (Lee and Jackson in particular) to be seemingly everywhere and invincible.
A well played south blunts the important northern excursions, and since he
hasn't the manpower to stop them all, stages devastating counterattacks to
throw the North off balance.  The north needs to be terribly aggressive and
make progress into the South steadily;  capturing and holding at least
three states (neutral and southern) every year.  When an army by Lee bloodies
you, stand back without losing ground or contact (he'll blunt another attack
somewhere else if you don't pin him down) and push other fronts, use your 
navy as often as possible, you need every advantage to meet those scaled

In my opinion, the best CW game I've seen.
BrianIn the words of Dave Casper "the only CW game worth playing."
 
-- 
***---***---***---***---***---***---***---***---***---***---***---***---
Brian Gregory				|| 'Fall colors seem incongruous
I-net:  GREGORY_B@CUBLDR.COLORADO.EDU	|| with eighty-degree weather,
ECE Graduate Student			|| but maybe it's just all the 
Univ. of Colorado @ Boulder		|| flakes around?'  Boulder life.
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