Alamo to Appomattox

Description from the publisher:

Alamo to Appomattox. A2A is a grand strategy game of the American Civil War in the style of Krieg! Maps of the Eastern and Western Theaters include terrain, Strategic Objectives, roads/rail, naval zones, navigable and non-navigable rivers, cities and locales, supply centers and other features affecting the game. Counters represent the corps and armies of the war. Cards provide the strategic-political-economic direction for each side.

Strategies are many and varied but the ultimate goal is to demoralize the opposing faction’s population through military, economic and political victories while sustaining your own population’s will to continue the fight. The players each choose a Strategy Card and an Addendum Card before each new season and may opt to play an additional card as a diplomatic response to certain events. These cards lead to new military units, leaders, and replacement steps and result in socio-economic and political events. The events include the declaration of Emancipation, the elections of 1862 and 1864, and the possible intervention by European nations.

Events are often double-edged swords, sometimes providing a military advantage while negatively affecting the popular will to fight. In addition, both sides may attempt to develop and manufacture new technologies, both historical and speculative, such as ironclads, submarines, torpedoes, observation balloons, repeating rifles and Gatling guns. Both sides can introduce espionage and even sabotage, which can have many unexpected consequences, including assassination. Scenarios are included for each year as well as the entire ACW.

Beyond the ACW proper, there are two introductory scenarios: Alamo, a mini-game of the War for Texas and Manifest Destiny, a Mexican-American War mini-game. These short campaigns will give new players an excellent place to start playing and veteran players will have two scenarios that can be finished in an evening. In addition there is Crisis & Compromise, a card play oriented game of the period from the end of the Mexican-American War to the start of the Civil War. Though little combat occurs, the card play covers the actions inspiring events, leaders and regional positions (Border States) that affect the allegiance of states to a region and the ability of military leaders at the start of the Civil War. Crisis & Compromise can be played alone or used to create alternative starting situations for the ACW.