- BGG rank
- BGG #2,246
- BGG rating
- 8.3
The U.S. Civil War
2015
Rules assistance for The U.S. Civil War
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2 players
- 150–360 min
- Complexity 3.9/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for The U.S. Civil War
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
The U.S. Civil War is a board game released in 2015 for 2 players and 150–360 minutes per game. It was designed by Mark Simonitch and its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Grid Movement, and Hexagon Grid.
About the game
The U.S. Civil War is a 2-player strategic-level war game of the American Civil War. The game covers the entire war from 1861-65 on a large 30” x 44” map area (2 mounted maps) of the Southeastern United States. Turns represent 3 months during the winter and 2 months during the summer, with four Action Phases to each turn. Military forces are represented by generals and strength-points (SPs). Each SP represents approximately 5,000 soldiers. Game mechanics stress strategy, maneuver and leadership but details like ironclads, naval battles, leader promotions, forts, and commerce raiders are included. Shorter scenarios are included that cover just 1861, 1862 and 1863. Players of Eric Lee Smith’s The Civil War (VG) and Mark Herman’s For the People (AH and GMT) will see many similarities between this game and those two benchmark games. Those two wonderful games inspired many of the rules and concepts used in this game. CONTENTS: • a rules booklet • Two mounted maps ("30 x "44 play area) • Three die-cut counter sheets (9/16" playing pieces) • Two identical 11” x 17” Player Aid Cards • Three 8.5" x 11" scenario cards • One deck of 30 Special Action Cards TIME SCALE: 2-3 weeks per Phase; 4 Action Phase per turn MAP SCALE: 24 miles per hex UNIT SCALE: Each Strength Point = 5,000 men NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 2 DESIGNER & DEVELOPER: Mark Simonitch MAP ART: Mark Simonitch COUNTER & CARD ART: Mark Simonitch & Rodger B. MacGowan (source: GMT website) RULES FAQ
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- GMT Games
Questions and answers
The U.S. Civil War 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 The U.S. Civil War is 150–360 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 U.S. Civil War has a complexity rating of 3.9 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a heavy 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.
The U.S. Civil War 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 The U.S. Civil War are: Mark Simonitch. 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 The U.S. Civil War 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.