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By Swords and Bayonets” will be a 4-battle set of regimental-level tactical American Civil War games. Because of the small footprint of the games (each on a 22 x 17” ‘half-sized map’, and with forces limited to a division for either side, and often less than that), it is being positioned as a “starter kit” for the GMT
GBACW (Great Battles of the American Civil War) series. The series rules are admittedly complex and detailed, and this “chewiness”, or “fiddlyness”, for lack of better words, intimidates some would-be players who are leery of the both the complexity and of the space needed to play the larger battles, such as Gettysburg, Shiloh or Stones River. The hope is, small battles with, say, only 50 counters/markers on the map for each side at a maximum, new players can come to grips with the gameplay and the system mechanics without feeling overwhelmed by the sheer number of forces under their command. It is also hoped, naturally, that the battles will be interesting on their own merits, and will also be a viable alternative for veteran players as well.
Almost the full rules set will be supported by the games (the exception being some of the Command/Control rules, due to no representation of Corps-level commanders, which is very significant in the larger battles), and new players will be exposed to the traditional appearance of special rules specific to each game, that add historical flavor and enhance the experience.
The rules and images shown here are not final.