
- BGG rank
- BGG #12,062
- BGG rating
- 6.3
Arcola: The Battle for Italy, 1796
- 2 players
- 90 min
- Complexity 2.5/5
- 1979

1975
Rules assistance for Antietam: The Bloodiest Day, 17 September 1862
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.

For 2 players
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Antietam: The Bloodiest Day, 17 September 1862 is a board game released in 1975 for 2 players, 240 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Tom Walczyk and its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Grid Movement, and Hexagon Grid.
Increasingly regarded as THE pivotal battle of the civil war, this "mini" game is based on rule systems from Borodino and Austerlitz; included in and shares basic rules with others in the SPI Blue & Gray Folio Series (Chickamauga, Gettysburg and Shiloh) Scale is 400 meters/hex. 1-2 hours per Game Turn. Union Movement Restrictions are used to reflect McClellan's lack of aggression. Rigid Zones of Control, retreat and advance after combat, and Sequential Player Turns are common to these games, but a new concept, "Attack Effectiveness" is introduced. Surrounding to cut off retreat is a major strategy. Fairly wide open terrain, defense specifics (like Bloody Lane) are not detailed but "Burnside Bridge" is.
Antietam: The Bloodiest Day, 17 September 1862 supports 2 players according to the catalogue. This is the publisher’s listed player count, so the game is designed for exactly that number of participants. Variants for other group sizes, if any, are described in the rulebook of your edition, so check it before setting up a different configuration.
The listed playing time for Antietam: The Bloodiest Day, 17 September 1862 is 240 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Antietam: The Bloodiest Day, 17 September 1862 for ages 12 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Antietam: The Bloodiest Day, 17 September 1862 has a complexity rating of 2.1 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Antietam: The Bloodiest Day, 17 September 1862 belongs to these categories: Wargame, Post-Napoleonic, and American Civil War. Its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Grid Movement, and Hexagon Grid. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Antietam: The Bloodiest Day, 17 September 1862 are: Tom Walczyk. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Antietam: The Bloodiest Day, 17 September 1862 as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.