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.
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.
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]
The original 1976 SPI edition has the following components:
The 1983 TSR edition made a few changes to the contents:
The 1995 edition by Decision Games streamlines the rules into a 16-page rulebook, and includes a 20-page Player Reference.
For their 1971 wargame Napoleon at Waterloo , SPI developed a simple alternating "I Go, You Go" system of turns where one player moves and then fires, followed by the other player. Blue & Gray used this system, [2] which was subsequently also used in most of SPI's quadrigames.
In 1975, SPI published their first "quadrigame", Blue & Gray. The new game immediately rose to #1 on SPI's Top Ten Bestseller list the month it was released, [3] and SPI immediately released another quadrigame of Civil War battles titled Blue & Gray II that covered four more Civil War battles. Several more battles were also published in SPI's house magazine Strategy & Tactics . [4]
In 1983, TSR took over SPI and republished a number of SPI properties under the TSR trademark, including Blue & Gray. [5]
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. [5]
In 2008, Kokusai-Tsushin Co. (国際通信社) acquired the rights to Blue & Gray and published a Japanese edition in the November-December 2008 issue of the Japanese magazine Command (#83). [5] Kokusai-Tsushin republished the Japanese version of Blue & Gray in the October 2022 edition of Command. [5]
In the December 1975 edition of Airfix Magazine , Bruce Quarrie thought that Blue and Gray provided buyers with "four games for practically the price of one. And worth every penny." Quarrie commented that "The battles chosen make for exciting and well balanced play" but did find that three of the scenarios seemed to favor the Union. He concluded "Blue and Gray is recommended both for newcomers to simulation gaming and for the old hands as an entertaining bit of light relief from the complexities of modern boardgaming." [6]
In a 1976 poll of wargamers conducted by SPI to determine the most popular wargame in America, Blue & Gray placed 7th out of 202 wargames, the best result for an SPI land game. [7] : 129
In his 1977 book The Comprehensive Guide to Board Wargaming , Nicholas Palmer called this a "Simple tactical surround-and-destroy system" [7] : 136 Looking at the individual games, Palmer thought Antietam was "A close game."; [7] : 129 Chickamauga gave the players "lots of options" with "a great deal of manoeuvre and roadblocking"; [7] : 141 Cemetery Hill was "a rather bland Gettysburg"; [7] : 140 and Shiloh was "fought in very rough terrain, which is rather limiting." [7] : 172
In the 1980 book The Complete Book of Wargames , game designer Jon Freeman called the simple rules and mechanics "ideal for short playing times and for introducing newcomers to wargaming." He noted that only Chickamauga was very fluid, finding the other three were "rather lacking in movement." He thought the special movement restrictions in Shiloh and Antietam "while perhaps necessary for balance, they're tiresome." He concluded by giving Blue & Gray an Overall Evaluation of "Good", saying, "These are solid but unspectacular games suitable for a casual afternoon of beer and pretzels." [2]
In The Guide to Simulations/Games for Education and Training, Martin Campion thought that "The games are simple. The combat system does not pretend to any detailed accuracy but it does tend to produce convincing general results." [8]
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 perennial convention tournament favorite, mainly because it is exciting and well balanced." [9]
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]
In Issue 98 of Strategy & Tactics , Steve Winter commented, "While the games are fun to play, action sometimes proceeds along lines very different from the historical events." Winer concluded, "[The] game’s Combat Results Table was taken almost whole from the [Napoleon at War]/Borodino games. While it works well for Napoleonic battles, it ignores the development that made the American Civil War so different from the Napoleonic Wars: the defender’s firepower advantage." [10]
In a retrospective review in Simalcrum #20, Steve Newberg, Peter Bartlett and Luc Olivier commented "As the first of the quad games, Blue & Gray set the mold. The fact that Blue & Gray was based on the Borodino/ NAW system pretty much explains why, though these games are often rather fun, they are not very good simulations of American Civil War battles." [11]
At the 1976 Origins Awards, Blue & Gray was a finalist for a Charles S. Roberts Award in the "Best Professional Game" category. [4]
Cemetery Hill, subtitled "The Battle of Gettysburg, 1–3 July 1863", is a board wargame published by Simulations Publications, Inc. (SPI) in 1975 as part of the "quadrigame" Blue & Gray: Four American Civil War Battles that simulated four battles of the American Civil War. Cemetery Hill was later released as a stand-alone "folio" game.
Golan subtitled "Syrian-Israeli Combat in the '73 War", is a board wargame published by Simulations Publications, Inc. (SPI) in 1975 that simulates operational level ground combat between Egypt and Israel on the Golan Heights during the just completed Yom Kippur War of October 1973. Golan was originally published as part of the "quadrigame" Modern Battles: Four Contemporary Conflicts.
A Gleam of Bayonets: The Battle of Antietam is a board wargame published by the Simulations Publications, Inc. (SPI) subsidiary of TSR in 1983 that is based on the American Civil War Battle of Antietam.
Battles for the Ardennes is a "quadrigame" — a board wargame that contains four different battles using one set of rules — originally published by Simulations Publications, Inc. (SPI) in 1978 that simulates Second World War battles in the Ardennes Forest region in 1940 and again in 1944.
Island War: Four Pacific Battles is a collection of four board wargames published in 1975 by Simulations Publications Inc. (SPI) that simulates various battles between American and Japanese forces during the Pacific Campaign of World War II.
Modern Battles: Four Contemporary Conflicts is a collection of four board wargames published by Simulations Publications Inc. (SPI) in 1975 that simulates four modern-day battles set in the early 1970s.
Napoleon at War, subtitled "Four Battles", is a collection of four board wargames published by Simulations Publications Inc. (SPI) in 1975 that simulates various battles fought by Napoleon.
Bloody Ridge, subtitled "Turning Point on Guadalcanal, September 1942", is a board wargame published by Simulations Publications Inc. (SPI) in 1975 that simulates the Guadalcanal Campaign during World War II. The game was originally published as part of the Island War: Four Pacific Battles "quadrigame" — a gamebox containing four games simulating four separate battles that all use the same rules. Bloody Ridge was also published as an individual "folio game."
Thirty Years War, subtitled "Four Battles", is a "quadrigame" — four separate board wargames packaged in one box that use a common set of rules — published by Simulations Publications Inc. (SPI) in 1976. The four games simulate different battles during the Thirty Years' War, and were sold individually as well as in the quadrigame format. Some of the games were well received by critics, but overall, the quadrigame did not sell well.
Blue & Gray II, subtitled "Four American Civil War Battles", is a collection of four board wargames originally published by Simulations Publications, Inc. (SPI) in 1975 that each simulate a battle from the American Civil War. It is the sequel to Blue & Gray published earlier in the year. Each of the four games was also published as individual "folio games."
Hurtgen Forest, subtitled "Approach to the Roer, November 1944 ", is a board wargame published by Simulations Publications Inc. (SPI) in 1976 that simulates the Battle of Hürtgen Forest during the final year of World War II. The game was originally published by SPI as part of a four-game collection titled Westwall: Four Battles to Germany, but it was also released as an individual "folio game." While the quadrigame Westwall received good reviews from critics, the static nature of Hurtgen Forest was less well received.
La Belle Alliance: The Battle of Waterloo is a board wargame published by Simulations Publications Inc. (SPI) in 1976 that simulates the Battle of Waterloo in 1814. It was one of four games that were published as part of the "quadrigame" titled Napoleon's Last Battles, but was also released as an individual "folio game", packaged in a shrinkwrapped cardboard folio.
The Battle of Nations, subtitled "The Encirclement at Leipzig, 16–19 October 1813", is a board wargame published by Simulations Publications Inc. (SPI) in 1975 that simulates the Battle of Leipzig in 1813. It was one of four games that were published as part of the "quadrigame" titled Napoleon at War, but was also released as a "folio game", packaged in a shrinkwrapped cardboard folio. It was popular in a 1976 poll of favorite wargames, and critics also gave it favorable reviews.
Jena-Auerstadt: The Battle for Prussia is a board wargame published by Simulations Publications Inc. (SPI) in 1975 that simulates the twin battles of Jena and Auerstadt in October 1806. It was one of four games that were part of the "quadrigame" titled Napoleon at War, but it was also released as an individual "folio game" packaged in a shrinkwrapped cardstock folio. Jena-Auerstadt was rated highly in a 1976 poll of favorite wargames, but critics questioned whether its simplicity was capable of simulating a complicated two-part battle.
Antietam: The Bloodiest Day, 17 September 1862 is a board wargame published by Simulations Publications, Inc. (SPI) in 1975 that simulates the Battle of Antietam during the American Civil War. The game was originally part of the four-game collection Blue & Gray: Four American Civil War Battles, and was also released as a stand-alone "folio" game. It proved to be one of SPI's most popular games in the year following its publication.
Chickamauga: The Last Victory, 20 September 1863 is a board wargame published by Simulations Publications, Inc. (SPI) in 1975 that simulates the Battle of Chickamauga during the American Civil War. The game was originally part of the four-game collection Blue & Gray: Four American Civil War Battles, and was also released as a stand-alone "folio" game.
Chattanooga: Gateway to Victory, Nov. 24-25, 1863 is a board wargame published by Simulations Publications, Inc. (SPI) in 1975 that simulates the Battle of Chattanooga during the American Civil War. The game was originally part of the four-game collection Blue & Gray II, and was also released as a stand-alone "folio" game.
Hooker and Lee, subtitled "The Battle of Chancellorsville, May 2-3, 1863, Nov. 24-25, 1863" is a board wargame published by Simulations Publications, Inc. (SPI) in 1975 that simulates the Battle of Chancellorsville during the American Civil War. The game was originally part of the four-game collection Blue & Gray II, and was also released as a stand-alone "folio" game.
Shiloh: The Battle for Tennessee, 6–7 April 1862 is a board wargame published by Simulations Publications, Inc. (SPI) in 1975 that simulates the Battle of Shiloh during the American Civil War. The game was originally part of the four-game collection Blue & Gray: Four American Civil War Battles, and was also released as a stand-alone "folio" game. It proved to be one of SPI's most popular games in the year following its publication.
Wagram: The Peace of Vienna, 5–6 July 1809 is a board wargame published by Simulations Publications Inc. (SPI) in 1975 that simulates the Battle of Wagram in July 1809. It was one of four games that were part of the "quadrigame" titled Napoleon at War, but it was also released as an individual game with a set of metal miniatures. Wagram was rated highly in a 1976 poll of favorite wargames, and critics called it the best of the four games in the Napoleon at War box.