Blue & Gray: Four American Civil War Battles

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Original SPI edition, 1975

Blue & Gray: Four American Civil War Battles is a board wargame originally published by Simulations Publications, Inc. (SPI) in 1975 that simulates four battles from the American Civil War.

Description[]

Blue & Gray: Four American Civil War Battles presents a single set of rules, which can be used for four different battles: Shiloh, Antietam, Cemetery Hill (an engagement during the Battle of Gettysburg), and Chickamauga. Because there are four separate games in one box, Blue & Gray became known as a "quadrigame".

In addition to the common set of rules, each battle has a few exclusive rules.[1] Compared to "monster" wargames of the time that had more than 1000 counters and lasted for several days, each of these battles uses 100 or fewer counters and can be completed in a few hours.[1]

Components[]

The original 1976 SPI edition has the following components:

  • 400 single-sided die-cut counters
  • four maps (one for each battle)
  • rulebook of common rules
  • rules sheets containing exclusive rules for each battle
  • Player reference sheets

The 1983 TSR edition made a few changes to the contents:

  • a single 34" x 22" double sided sheet contains all four maps
  • the counters are double-sided, and the starting location printed on each counter for ease of set-up
  • rules rewritten for beginning players, and the exclusive rules for each battle integrated into the rulebook
  • storage bags for the counters

The 1995 edition by Decision Games streamlines the rules into a 16-page rulebook, and includes a 20-page Player Reference.

Publication history[]

SPI's 1971 board wargame Napoleon at Waterloo used simplified rules to introduce new players to the hobby of wargaming. In 1975, SPI published Blue & Gray using a form of the same simplified rules. The "quadrigame" feature proved popular, and SPI immediately released another quadrigame of Civil War battles titled Blue & Gray II that covered Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Chattanooga, and Battle of the Wilderness. Several more battles were published in SPI's house magazine Strategy & Tactics.[2]

In 1983, TSR took over SPI and republished a number of SPI properties under the TSR trademark, including Blue & Gray.[2]

In 1995, Decision Games obtained the rights to Blue & Gray and published a new edition that removed the Battle of Antietam and added the First and Second Battles of Bull Run.[3]

Reception[]

In Issue 54 of Moves, Steve List was not a fan of quadrigames, and considered Blue & Gray to be one of the worst. He rated "Cemetery Hill" a D-, saying, "This creation has many deficiencies, so I am not sure where to start." He rated "Shiloh" a C, noting that "The chief defects of this game are those of the quads as a whole, particularly the attack effectiveness rules." He rated "Antietam" a relatively good B-, and "Chickamauga" a B+, calling it "Easily the best of the B&Gs, this has become a perennail convention tournament favorite, mainly because it is exciting and well balanced."[4]

In Issue 14 of Imagine, Roger Musson was very familiar with the original SPI edition, and found much to like in the TSR edition. Although Musson acknowledged there was some downside to the very simple rules, he thought they opened the door to new players: "Its simplicity makes it low on realism but high on playability — a game can be completed easily in an evening or less. The rules are easily learned, and even for the more experienced player, the games can still be a lot of fun." He concluded, "For those interested in making a start in historical wargaming, I cannot think of a better introduction. Recommended."[1]

Recognition[]

At the 1976 Origins Awards, Blue & Gray was a finalist for a Charles S. Roberts Award in the "Best Professional Game" category.[2]

Other reviews[]

  • Fire & Movement's Guide to Strategy Gaming
  • Fire & Movement Issues 19, 58, 83, 85, 86, 89, Special Issue #1
  • The Wargamer, Issues 3, 32
  • Panzerfaust #76
  • Paper Wars #24
  • Zone of Control #6
  • Outposts #5
  • Simalacrum #20
  • Pursue & Destroy, Vol.1 No. 3
  • Enfilade Vol. 1 No. 1

References[]

  1. ^ a b c Musson, Roger (May 1984). "Game Reviews". Imagine (review). No. 14. TSR Hobbies (UK), Ltd. p. 42.
  2. ^ a b c "Blue & Gray: Four American Civil War Battles (1975)". boardgamegeek.com. Retrieved 2021-04-19.
  3. ^ "Blue & Gray II (1975)". boardgamegeek.com. Retrieved 2021-04-19.
  4. ^ List, Steve (January 1981). "Civil War Survey". Moves. No. 54. p. 10.
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