F is for... Fury in the West
The Battle of Shiloh - April 6 & 7, 1862
Battleline (1977, $10.00)
Designed by J. Stephen Peek
Players 2
Playing Time 4 to 8 hours
Period American Civil War
Scale Tactical/Operational Turn 1 hour
Map not stated (approx. 450 yards)
Unit infantry brigades, cavalry regiments, artillery battalions

Components

Box 11"x14" flat box
1 22x28" unmounted mapsheet
1 20 page rules booklet ("Second Printing" in top left corner of cover)
255 die-cut counters
1 Union strength record chart
1 Confederate strength record chart
1 game tables card
2 clear plastic counter trays

Counter Manifest

24 rectangular gray units (including 6 blanks)
36 rectangular blue units (including 4 blanks)
37 square blue units
41 square gray units
117 square green units (67 casualty, 48 straggler, 1 turn, and 1 day)

Note: Since a punched game was reviewed for this profile, a black and white Battleline publicity photo was also consulted to confirm the counter mix. Based on the photo, it may be the case that both sides actually have 39 square counters. (Courtesy of the Simulacrum Photo-recon Interpretation Division.)

Battleline says:

“A tactical simulation . . . that recreates one of the hardest-fought battles of the American Civil War. In the actual battle, the Confederate army came close to winning a decisive victory, but was finally halted just short of their objective. The scope of the game is such that the most important factors present in the actual battle are recreated in the game, but the side that will ultimately win depends on the players involved.”

The reviewers say:

“I’ve never been one for Civil War games, but from the standpoint that this game incorporates most of the factors I like in a wargame, i.e., a step-reduction combat system and low countermix, I really dig the hell out of it . . . It is enjoyable to play, albeit a bit slowly, and presents enough of a challenge to keep me interested enough to want to play it again . . . It captures faithfully the most important factors which decided the actual outcome of the battle: command control and heavy casualties.” Al Bisasky in Fire & Movement 9.

“The rules are exceptionally clear and well conceived, with an extensive example of play dispelling any ambiguities which might remain. Movement and terrain are pretty conventional and terrain effects in practice slight . . . However, an ingenious and I think unique ‘straggler’ rule has a major effect on the game. In addition to steps lost by casualties, brigades which move in line or withdraw from combat are subject to ‘straggler’ losses . . . Stationary units not involved in combat recover stragglers at the rate of a point per turn.” Nicholas Palmer in The Best of Board Wargaming.

“As a game, it’s not bad . . . But forget historicity. The map is a travesty (the key Sunken Road, the backbone of the formation of the Hornet’s Nest, should be north of the peach orchard, not south of it!), and the key rule - stragglers - uses the wrong means to achieve its ends. Yes, there was a great deal of straggling at Shiloh, but little, if any, resulted simply from maneuver. Most of it occurred from combat or looting, and it’s ignored here . . . every time a unit moves it loses stragglers: sheer folly! Some of the unit strengths are questionable, and morale, a key ingredient of the battle, is missing. It plays well, though.” The Complete Book of Wargames (Simon and Schuster, 1980)

Comments:

This was the second Civil War game released by Battleline, the first being Shenandoah. In 1981 Avalon Hill released a revised bookcase boxed version of Fury in the West. Be advised that the Battleline and AH versions have different counter mixes.

Collector’s Notes:

Boone lists low/high/average prices of 5/ 20/10.30 at auction and 10/50/26.00 for sale.

The revised AH edition is listed at 3/15/ 8.54 at auction and 7/60/20 for sale.

Other Battleline games revised by Avalon Hill:

Air Force, Circus Maximus, Dauntless, Flat Top, Machiavelli, Samurai, Submarine, Trireme, Wooden Ships & Iron Men. (And Naval War -ed.)

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Fight in the Skies A Realistic Game Simulating WWI Aerial Combat 4th ed
Flying Circus Tactical Aerial Combat, 1915-1918
Foxbat & Phantom Tactical Aerial Combat in the 1970’s
Fury in the West Battle of Shiloh - April 6 & 7, 1862