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C.S.A. America's Civil War 1861-1865
2008
Rules assistance for C.S.A. America's Civil War 1861-1865
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 1–2 players
- 180 min
- 12+
- Complexity 2.3/5
Rules assistant for C.S.A. America's Civil War 1861-1865
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
C.S.A. America's Civil War 1861-1865 is a board game released in 2008 for 1–2 players, 180 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Ben Madison and Wes Erni and its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Grid Movement, and Hexagon Grid.
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About the game
C.S.A. is a simulation game of the American Civil war. The USA player controls the Union side and the CSA player controls the Confederate side. The Game contains the rulebook, 288 counters, one color map and 10 sheets of charts and tables. The game uses Ben Madison and Wes Erni's "Charles S. Roberts Award" winning Death in the Trenches: The Great War, 1914-1918 system to simulate the American Civil War. Units represent Generals (their component brigades are represented off-map), elite units (Iron Brigade, Cobb's Legion), cavalry (Stuart, Stoneman), guerillas (Quantrill, Kirk), and Indians (Choctaws, Delawares, Stand Watie). Like Death in the Trenches: The Great War, 1914-1918 random events and "Special Event Coins" are crucial, and there are about 400 (yes, 400) of them. Forming stacks into 'Grand Armies' (e.g. Army of the Potomac, Army of Northern Virginia) enables the various commanders in the stack to coordinate their fighting powers. Cavalry have special abilities but also a habit of running away when you need them. Guerillas ravage the countryside (Quantrill, Price, Morgan -- and the less widely known Union barbarian, George Kirk). Generals do not always follow orders to move, and sometimes must be prodded by expending irreplaceable command chits. Special rules cover foreign intervention, the border states, as well as McClellan, Lee, Jackson and a few other characters. Naval warfare (Confederate commerce raiding) is handled by an extremely simple, elegant abstract model complete with a world map. The game is won by either capturing the government marker of either player or destroying his economy. Capturing cities and winning naval battles increases the enemy's inflation rate, which affects a lot of elements like national elections (there are three over the course of the game--one in the Confederacy!) and reinforcement rates.
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Platinum Dragon Productions
Questions and answers
C.S.A. America's Civil War 1861-1865 supports 1–2 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for C.S.A. America's Civil War 1861-1865 is 180 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 C.S.A. America's Civil War 1861-1865 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.
C.S.A. America's Civil War 1861-1865 has a complexity rating of 2.3 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.
C.S.A. America's Civil War 1861-1865 belongs to these categories: Wargame, Civil War, and Post-Napoleonic. 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 C.S.A. America's Civil War 1861-1865 are: Ben Madison and Wes Erni. 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 C.S.A. America's Civil War 1861-1865 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.