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Shiloh: The First Day
- 1–3 players
- 60–600 min
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- 2024
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Gettysburg: The First Day
2025
Rules assistance for Gettysburg: The First Day
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 1–2 players
- 60–360 min
- 11+
- Complexity 3.0/5
Rules assistant for Gettysburg: The First Day
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Gettysburg: The First Day is a board game released in 2025 for 1–2 players, 60–360 minutes per game, and ages 11 and up. It was designed by Steve Carey and its main mechanics are Hexagon Grid and Chit-Pull System.
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About the game
Volume 12 in the Revolution Games American Civil War Series. Simulates the first day of the Battle of Gettysburg. Gettysburg: The First Day is an historical portrayal of one of the most monumental engagements of the entire American Civil War. It was a pivotal battle where leaders on both sides had to constantly grapple with a plethora of command and control challenges. Revolution Games’ highly-popular “Blind Swords” system is perfectly suited to depict the extreme chaos of that fateful day. This is a two player game where one side plays the Union and the other the Confederate. Using the 'Blind Swords' chit pull mechanic to activate brigades randomly. The game also handles very well for players who play both sides as solitaire. Gettysburg: The First Day adds to the 'Blind Swords' system by adding situational innovations such as; Artillery Barrages, Union temporary CIC's, Rebel Sharpshooters, Buford's dismounted cavalry, and Union breech-loading rifles. Also included is an optional variant for a variable march of two powerful formations, Confederate R.H. Anderson's Division and Union Slocum's 12th Corps. This is not a so-called "monster" game; instead, Gettysburg: The First Day was designed to be readily accessible for all players whether they are familiar with the game series or not. Tense and comparatively quick-playing, varied strategy options offer excellent opportunities for replayability.
Categories
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- 4GAMES
- Revolution Games (II)
Questions and answers
Gettysburg: The First Day 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 Gettysburg: The First Day is 60–360 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 Gettysburg: The First Day for ages 11 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.
Gettysburg: The First Day has a complexity rating of 3.0 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-weight 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.
Gettysburg: The First Day belongs to these categories: Wargame, Civil War, and American Civil War. Its main mechanics are Hexagon Grid and Chit-Pull System. 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 Gettysburg: The First Day are: Steve Carey. 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 Gettysburg: The First Day 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.