This is one of Avalon Hill's new line of "mail order" games. That is, these games are not intended to be wholesaled along with their regular flat-box and bookcase games to stores all over the country. There is a limit to how many such games a store can afford to stock (after a certain point the games merely compete with each other without increasing sales). But AH will sell these games direct to the consumer by mail, and thru a few special outlets such as PANZERFAUST. Of course, if one of these proves to be a real world-beater they will add it to their regular wholesale (and probably drop something else). The physical format of these games is identical with the old flat-box games (AK, BULGE, S'GRAD . etc.) except that the little trays for holding unit counters are missing and the box is not as deep (only 1 3/16, compared to 1 9/16 inches). But the boards are,mounted the same as their other games and the unit counters are of the same quality - even to the slick surface.

CHANCELLORSVILLE, of course, is not really a new game. In fact, it is one of AH's oldest, dating back to 1961, which puts it, I believe, right after TACTICS and GETTYSBURG. This is, however; a revised version. I don't have one of the original versions - it was before my time - but I'm sure the map has been redone. (I have seen the old version.)

It is of the old, conventional 22"x28" size, folding down to 11" x 14". You also get one 8"x10" sheet of unit counters in 3 colors, a 16-page 5 1/2"x8" rules booklet, two 8 1/2" x 11" cards with charts, etc, and, of course, a die.

Fooling around with this game takes me back to the "good old days". The play mechanics are pure classic Avalon Hill. I remember that it originally used the same CRT as STALINGRAD, AFRIKA KORPS and GETTYSBURG. but this edition has a somewhat modified version. There are no "Exchange" results, and only a few "A Elim" or "D Elim" at extreme odds. Mostly there are retreats, many coupled with disruption. Disrupted units may not attack or move into enemy ZOCs, defend with a strength of "1", and can only move 1 hex per turn. However they can regain their original status after a designated number of turns, if not disrupted again first - in which case they would be eliminated.

Credit for the original game design is not given. Game system re-design was by Randy Reed and components redesign by Reed and Tom Shaw. Though I'm not terribly familiar with the original edition of this game, it appears to me that Randy must have read Richard Hamblen's two articles on CHANCELLORSVILLE and GETTYSBURG in PF #60 ("A Point Is A Point" and "The Cavalry Quandry").

This is especially indicated by the (presumably new) Optional Rules: Unit Function Differentiation (part of which closely resembles Hamblen's cavalry rule B); Inverted Confederate Counters; and Stoneman's Raid. This is not to say that Reed plagiarized Hamblen's articles, only that he was probably influenced by them. Or maybe it's just coincidence.

As I said above, the mechanics of the game are pretty much straight, classic Avalon Hill. The Confederate counters represent infantry and cavalry divisions and artillery battalions, but there are also brigade counters provided so that the divisions can be broken down any time the Confederate player so desires.

The Union counters also represent infantry and cavalry divisions plus artillery brigades. an independent cavalry brigade and cavalry regiment. pontoon bridges and assault boats. There are no Union brigade counters for the divisions, but, since the Union divisions are smaller and much more numerous, they are hardly needed. I'm sure the strengths of some Union units have been changed from those in the original version, andolgain Hamblen's article (Point Is A Point) comes to mind. There are Army and Corps HQ units provided for both sides, plus Division HQs for use with the Confederate brigade counters. (There is an optional rule in which these HQs figure in the recovery of disrupted units.)

The only significant error I can find in the order of battle is the inclusion of a Confederate HQ counter for Longstreet's I Corps. At the time of Chancellorsville Longstreet, with Hood's and Pickett's divisions of his corps, was down in southeastern Virginia gathering supplies and half-heartedly beseiging Union forces occupying Suffolk. The two divisions are correctly omitted from the OB, but for some reason Longstreet's HQ was not. (Though it might have made an interesting - and play-balancing - "what-if" to have included counters for Hood and Pickett for optional use, to see how things might have turned out.)

The stacking rules limit the Union player to two combat units of any kind per hex, while the Confederate may have any number of counters in a hex so long as they total no more than 22 factors. This is a considerable advantage for the Confederates. since the most factors the Union player could stack in two units would be fourteen, and the average tmo-unit stack would be about 11 factors.

The greatest error on the mapboard is the ommission of the Brock Road - the very one by which "Stonewall" Jackson gained the flank and rear of the Union line and turned a probable defeat into a brilliant victory! This road connected Todd's Tavern with Wilderness Tavern, but the mapboard shows only woods there.

Probably the most unique features of CHANCELLORSVILLE are a special Artillery Fire Phase wherein artillery units have a 2-hex range, and the use of the pontoon bridges and assault boats and other river-crossing rules. These are pretty well handled.

The major drawback to the rules are that the victory conditions are based strictly on Confederate losses, and since there are absolutely no supply rules whatever there is nothing to give the Confederate any incentive at all to stand and fight, the game might degenerate into a case of hide and seek. I say "might" because I'm not sure there is sufficient space for such evasion tactics to be carried out for the full number of turns allowed (21). Nevertheless, the failure to simulate the importance in Civil War (as in most) battles of lines of supply is a serious flaw in the game design.

Despite this, however, I believe it is a pretty good game, especially for Civil War buffs, or anyone looking for something different from the more usual WWII fare. A game in which you cannot form continuous lines should offer a whole new set of problems. Manuever becomes much more important and a good appreciation of terrain.

The box art, if memory serves, is the same as the original in the same style as GETTYSBURG and TACTICS II (I've never understood why they chose to picture a seige mortar on the CHANCELLORSVILLE box, since the battle was not a seige, and it's doubtful that there was such a weapon within fifty miles of the place during the fight!)

The unit counters are nice enough. Confederate units are grey with black lettering, and Union units are a medium, greyish blue with black. The disruption indicators are black with white numbers.

The normal retail price is $8.00 plus $1.00 postage. Why it has to be $1.00 more than the price of GETTYSBURG, D-DAY, STALINGRAD, etc. is not clear, but the fact that SPI's boxed games are $8.00 might have something to do with it. Considering the difference in physical quality, and that as a simulation and as a game, it is superior to the SPI Civil War games I've seen, it's worth it. CHANCELLORSVILLE is available from PANZERFAUST on the same terms as from Avalon Hill.

Complexity Level

Alexander the Great Intermediate II
Anzio Tournament II
Jutland Tournament II
Chancellorsville Intermediate III
Third Reich Tournament IV
Panzer Leader Tournament IV

More Six From Avalon Hill Game Profiles

Rise and Decline of the Third Reich
Chancellorsville
Anzio
Alexander the Great
Jutland
Panzer Leader