If you like the Civil War, then you are certainly going to like Clash of Arm's game; The War for the Union. This is a strategic/operational game covering the entire civil war. The game designer is Bob Beyma. The map and counters are done by Rick Barber who is probably one of the best map artists around. The game can be played from 2 to 4 players.

The map consists of the Southern half of Pennsylavania and New Jersey down to the Northern half of Florida, then as far east to the Atlantic all the way as far west as Missouri with a sliver of east Texas.

The counters have the Union in blue with the Confederates in Grey. They have caricutures on them of either Infantry, Cavalry, Leaders, River Batteries, Ironclads, Riverboats, Naval ships, etc. The game begins in July, 1861 and goes thru to April, 1865 with some optional rules for going further if desired. Each turn consists of one month.

Both sides start out with relatively modest combat forces. The Confederates however, have superior leadership and morale. This edge makes the Confederates a tough bunch to deal with. Though the Union leadership and morale is dismal, it continues to get better as the war progresses. In particular, the Union war effort really begins to show by their ability to build forts, Ironclads, Naval ships etc. The Confederates on the other hand, are restricted to their building potential due to their lack of industry.

Needless to say, the taking of confederate key industrial cities, supply sources, and cutting the Mississippi in two are just some of what the Union needs to do in order to defeat the Confederacy. This is of course no easy task and requires sound planning and strategy. Though the game mechanics are simple, the chrome and optional rules and features make this a game that is anything but simple to win for either side.

Overall, it's a great game to play.