The Great Invasion
ACW 1863

Game Review

reviewed by Steve List


Designed by Dr. David G. Martin and Leonard Millman
Clash of Arms Games TO.M.E., Inc. PO. Box 668, King of Prussia, PA 19406
Released: June, 1985
Price, $16.00
Complexity: Intermediate
Solitaire Suitability: Moderate
* * * 1/2

The Great Invasion is an operational level game of Robert E. Lee's summer campaign of 1863 covering in time his entry into Pennsylvania until the aftermath of the Battle of Gettysburg. The map is divided into 46 areas to regulate movement, and encompasses south central Pennsylvania and Maryland from the Potomac up to Harrisburg. Units are infantry corps, artillery, and cavalry brigades and militia mobs for the Union, and infantry divisions, cavalary brigades, and artillery battalions for the Confederates.

Both sides have army and corps or wing commanders. Combined with the dummy counters, each side has about 30 units at the most, so counter density is not a problem. The counter mix also includes a separate Confederate army with appropriate leaders based on the supposition that Stonewall Jackson had lived, so that the Confederate reorganization between the Chancellorsville and Gettysburg campaigns had never taken place.

Each game turn represents one day and is divided into two player turns and a victory point phase. The player turns are conventional movethen attack enemy units in the same area, with the additions that cavalry units may probe enemy stacks while moving and enemy cavalry may attempt to intercept cavalry units attempting to pass through the area they occupy.

In the victory phase, the Union player gets points for having placed Confederate divisions out of communication with their Corps commanders. The Confederate player gets points for gathering supplies, for cutting the Union army leader off from communication with Washington, and for occupying certain strategic areas, which represent the mounting of a threat against Washington, Baltimore, or Philadelphia. Both players also get points at the end of the game for losses inflicted on the enemy The greater point total determines the winner.

A great deal of the challenge to each player lies in the lack of complete knowledge about the other. Before beginning, the Confederate player secretly selects which of three victory conditions he will pursue. Milk and Honey emphasizes supply gathering, Political emphasizes occupying strategic areas and capturing Harrisburg, while Military emphasizes winning a major battle.

The actual point values awarded each side depends on which was selected, leaving the Union player in the dark about how well each side is doing. Beyond that, the only units displayed face up on the map normally are the two army commanders. All other units, including dummies, are formed into stacks of five units in each area and left face down until revealed by a cavalry probe, combat, or by the need to reveal a unit so it can score victory points.

Combat is given a tactical feel by the use of an elaborate procedure. First the defender, and then the attacker takes all of his units in the area and while still keeping them face down arranges them in from 1 to 3 line positions and possibly a reserve. Each player then selects a chit showing a combat option (Withdraw, Stand, or Counterattack on defense and Diversionary, Advance and Assault on the attack) for each line position. Combat is then resolved for each line position. The chits are revealed and cross indexed on a chart to determine the combat intensity of from 0 to 4. Then the odds ratio of attacker to defender is determined and cross indexed on a second chart with the intensity to determine losses.

Finally, each player then consults a third chart and rolls a die cross indexed with the number of combat strength points capable of combat in the line position to determine additional losses. The result of all this is generally the loss of I or 2 strength points. Since most infantry units are 8-12 points, one round of combat will not be crippling. The attacker may initiate a second round of combat in his turn, and if he declines, defending units which selected the Counterattack combat option may initiate the second round.

Combat strengths and column shifts on the fire table are modified by a large number of factors, including terrain, the ratings of any leader present, the combat option selected and the composition of the units in each line position. Generally, it favors the defense, artillery support, and unity of command, hardly surprising considerations. Moreover, infantry must carry the brunt of combat because of the size of the units allows them to absorb losses without losing effectiveness (which generally occurs when losses approach 40-50 per cent). Ineffective units are of limited usefulness, not being able to attack, gather supplies, occupy strategic areas, or cut lines of communication. Strength points can be lost from units by straggling as well as from combat, which may occur when the unit force marches or executes a Withdrawal combat option. Straggler losses may be recovered in the course of the game; this is the only way in which a unit may regain effectiveness.

Physically, The Great Invasion is not overwhelming. It is packed in a flat box whose rather drab cover art is a detail of the cyclorama painting at Gettysburg National Park. The counters are adequate and the 16 x 22 inch map is somewhat crude in appearance. The unit roster sheets must be photocopied or placed in acetate sheet protectors if they are to be used for more than one playing.

The 24-page rule book has bound inside it another 24-page book of historical commentary and optional rules covering the presence of Jackson, Hooker in command of the Union forces, and variations in orders of battle. In physical terms, the value for the dollar is noticeably less than one would get from a company like Game Designers' Workshop or Victory Games Inc. However, physical quality is not the only consideration. The size and playing time required are those of a "beer and pretzels" game, but the thought and care needed to play the game well are considerably greater. The use of dummy counters and inverted unit movement make bluffing and the skillful use of cavalry a necessity, while the victory conditions, unknown to the Union player, constrain the Confederate player's actions. The initial overwhelming strength of the Confederate units on the map quickly becomes an inferiority as the Army of the Potomac trickles on, and must be exploited while it lasts. However, the best way to exploit it may prove to be not all that easy as each player feints, probes, and reacts to the other.

Those who insist on fancy components or a game with lots of frantic action will not be impressed with The Great Invasion. Those who can appreciate an innovative and playable operational implementation of Lee's invasion should enjoy it. Those with more than a passing interest in the Civil War will be happy to add it to their collections.

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© Copyright 1986 by Dana Lombardy.
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