The PBM game of"Shenandoah" pits a Union vs. Confederate commander with approximately equal forces against each other in a fictional campaign set in the Shenandoah Valley in mid- 1863. The game is loosely based on the Shenandoah Campaign System developed by the American Civil Wargaming Society. But, while the PBM game uses the SCS map to regularize movement, most of the SCS rules have been changed for simplicity's sake, to make this PBM campaign flow more smoothly.

Like previous Shenandoah campaigns I've participated in, this one started off with the opposing commanders establishing their supply depots, then setting off in search of the enemy. At the time of this report, the game has moved into Turn 8.

There are a maximum of 30 turns, each representing a day's time. In the early stages, proper use of cavalry scouting is essential if your side is not to get caught entirely off-guard. So far, the Union commander has had to cope with an especially tardy cavalry brigade commander and another cavalry brigade running into overwhelming numbers of enemy mounted troops and taking it on the chin.

The Confederate commander has had the better of it in the early stages, but faces his own problems with the disposition of the troops that will become apparent before much more of the game has passed.

As the non-playing umpire of this game, I'm really the only one involved who has an omniscient view of the entire campaign. The commander-players have limited intelligence and are at the mercy of their sometimes uncooperative subordinates (those pesky dice). It's amazing how the various units seem to develop personalities of their own, even though they are controlled only by the players' wishes, tempered of course by reaction dice rolls.

Intelligence

Each player receives a more or less complete intelligence report from his army's adjutant at the end of each turn, then must respond with orders for the next day's movement. The adjutant's reports are accurate, but often are limited by the adjutant's own lack of knowledge of the activities of far-flung units.

It all adds up to the fog of war and a lot of uncertainty for the players. As Turn 8 opens, the first possible pitched battle between strong infantry forces has shaped up in the middle of the campaign map. Whether both sides will accept battle is up to the commanders ant their armies eagerly await their decision.

If anyone out there is interested in participating in another game of Shenandoah, let me know. My address is listed in the Game Services Check. I can handle at least one more two-player game, possibly two more, at the same time. In the future, I have visions of running a campaign based on the ACW Society's companion map for the Peninsula and possibly of developing my own maps for other theaters. The PBM system seems to be adaptable to any of these.