
- BGG rank
- BGG #17,364
- BGG rating
- 6.4
Bastogne: The Desperate Defense, December 1944
- 2 players
- 120 min
- Complexity 2.1/5
- 1976

1975
Rules assistance for Shiloh: The Battle for Tennessee, 6-7 April, 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.
Shiloh: The Battle for Tennessee, 6-7 April, 1862 is a board game released in 1975 for 2 players, 120 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Redmond Aksel Simonsen, Irad B. Hardy, and Kip Allen and its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Grid Movement, and Hexagon Grid.
"Shiloh is a tactical level simulation of the largest single battle in US military history up to that date. Before the two-day battle was ended, elements of of three complete armies totalling 100,000 men had participated, as well as elements of the US Navy. At the end of the second day, over 23,000 men were casualties. The battle ws launched by the South, hoping that the newly-created Army of the Mississippi could decisively defeat the Union Army of the Tennessee before it could link up with the Army of the Ohio. Tactically, the battle was a Marginal victory for Union forces, although its strategic implications wee much more far-reaching. Had the South succeeded in its attpempt, the state of Tennessee would have been recaptured by the Confederacy, and Union offensive power broken in the Western Theatre for at least a year. A Confederate thrust into the North would have been by no means improbable. The Union victory at Shiloh, more than any other battle, sealed the Confederacy's fate in the West." (from the Shiloh rules folder.) Shiloh is one of four games included in the Blue & Gray Quadrigame set. The game includes a 17" x 22" three-color map, 100 counters and an Exclusive rules folder. A Standard rules folder, containing rules common to all four games included in the Quadrigame, is also included. Scale is 400 meters/hex. 1-2 hours per Game Turn. Game mechanics are a simple movement-combat system with rigid zones of control. Sequential Player Turns, retreat and advance after combat are common to these games and surrounding to cut off retreat is a major strategy. A new concept, "Attack Effectiveness" is introduced in this set of games. Essentially, attacking units that receive an "Attacker Retreat" result in combat are rendered "ineffective" (may not make further attacks, but still defend normally) for the rest of the day. This restriction is removed once a Night turn occurs. This makes "what the heck" type attacks very risky as one's army can be rendered quickly "ineffective" through a series of low-odd attacks. Re-implemented by: Shiloh: Grant Surprised
Shiloh: The Battle for Tennessee, 6-7 April, 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 Shiloh: The Battle for Tennessee, 6-7 April, 1862 is 120 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 Shiloh: The Battle for Tennessee, 6-7 April, 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.
Shiloh: The Battle for Tennessee, 6-7 April, 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.
Shiloh: The Battle for Tennessee, 6-7 April, 1862 belongs to these categories: Wargame 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 Shiloh: The Battle for Tennessee, 6-7 April, 1862 are: Redmond Aksel Simonsen, Irad B. Hardy, and Kip Allen. 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 Shiloh: The Battle for Tennessee, 6-7 April, 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.