Objective: Atlanta, subtitled "A Game of the Civil War Campaign for Atlanta", is a board wargame published by Battleline Publications in 1977 that simulates the Atlanta campaign during the American Civil War.
Objective: Atlanta, subtitled "A Game of the Civil War Campaign for Atlanta", is a board wargame published by Battleline Publications in 1977 that simulates the Atlanta campaign during the American Civil War.
In May 1864, Union General William Tecumseh Sherman initiated an invasion of Georgia with the twin goals of capturing Atlanta and destroying the Confederate Army of Tennessee. Sherman drove the Confederate army of General Joseph E. Johnston back through a series of flanking maneuvers, and then overcame a series of counterattacks by General John B. Hood. [1]
Objective: Atlanta is a two-player board wargame in which one player controls Union forces, and the other player controls Confederate forces. The game uses 400 counters to represents various units and pieces of equipment, [2] and emphasizes logistics over tactics — as critic Jon Freeman noted, "This game places a heavy emphasis on the logistical end of the campaigning — supply lines, ammo, and all that." [3]
Movement also plays an important part of the game, and in addition to a large Movement Chart, there are route rules, as well as rules for construction of bridges and entrenchments, and for the Confederate player, rules on the use of slave labor. [3]
Objective: Atlanta uses an alternating "I Go, You Go" system, where one player moves and attacks, followed by the other player. Each pair of turns represents one day. [2] The combat system is resolved via attrition rather than elimination. [2] The game provides five scenarios, which can be combined into a long campaign of 109 turns. [2]
Objective: Atlanta was designed by freelance game designer Patrick Price, and extensively redesigned and developed by Steve Peek, Jack Greene and S. Craig Taylor only weeks before the game was to be sold at Origins '77. In the rush to get the game printed in time, the designer's notes and historical notes were left out. [2] According to Jack Greene, the game was not sufficiently playtested before it was published. [2]
In the 1980 book The Complete Book of Wargames , Jon Freeman thought that in historical terms, this game was "impressive". However, Freeman felt that Operation: Atlanta "is too much of a simulation to be a good game, and the subject is too esoteric to hold the interests of the 'historians'." Freeman pointed out that "The Southern player is always on a depressingly worsening defensive, and that's too much of a drag to carry on for more than a hundred turns." Freeman also thought because of the emphasis on logistics, "units move exceptionally slowly, so the game has little maneuver or fluidity." He gave this game an Overall Evaluation of "Fair to Good", concluding, "If your main interests are organizational and logistical problems, or you just plain like the Civil War, you might just try it." [3]
In Issue 38 of Moves , John Prados gave a thorough analysis of the game, and although he found much to like, he did note some problems. Prados felt that the game's attritional system led to an over-weakening of the Confederate side that was not historically accurate, and also saw loopholes in the rules which could lead to ahistorical uses of cavalry units. He found the rules not well organized, and specific rules hard to find when needed. Prados didn't like the map, pointing out that non-useful terrain such as forest, which had no effect on the game, effectively obscured terrain such as slopes, which did have an effect on movement and combat. Prados concluded on an ambivalent note, saying, "Atlanta is a solid game using a system that engages the attention of players and has the potential for dynamic change in the situation. [...] One would hope, however, that future Civil war games in this line will iron out such system weaknesses as still remain." [2]
Wooden Ships and Iron Men is a naval board wargame simulating naval combat during the Age of Sail that was published by Battleline Publications in 1974, then revised and republished by Avalon Hill the following year.
The Campaign for North Africa, subtitled "The Desert War, 1940–43", and generally referred to as CNA by wargamers, is an exceptionally detailed strategic "monster" board wargame published by Simulations Publications, Inc. (SPI) in 1978 that simulates the entire North African Campaign of World War II.
Terrible Swift Sword: Battle of Gettysburg Game is a grand tactical regimental level board wargame published by Simulations Publications, Inc. (SPI) in 1976 that simulates the Battle of Gettysburg during the American Civil War. A second edition was published by TSR in 1986.
Chancellorsville is a board wargame produced by Avalon Hill in 1961, and republished in 1974 that simulates the Battle of Chancellorsville during the American Civil War.
War of the Ring, subtitled "S.R. 1418 to 1419", is a licensed wargame published by Simulations Publications, Inc. (SPI) in 1977 that simulates the events described in The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien.
Machiavelli is a board game published by Battleline Publications in 1977. Set in Renaissance Italy, the board is controlled by the Republic of Florence, the Republic of Venice, the Duchy of Milan, the Kingdom of Naples, the Papacy, Valois France, Habsburg Austria, and the Ottoman Turks.
Napoleon's Last Battles is a board wargame published by Simulations Publications in 1976 that simulates the last four battles fought by Napoleon. It was one of SPI's most popular games, and also received many positive reviews.
Alpha Omega is a science fiction board wargame published by Battleline Publications in 1977 that simulates combat between alien and human space fleets. Avalon Hill acquired the game and republished it in 1980.
Napoleon at Leipzig is a board wargame published by Operational Studies Group in 1979 that simulates the Battle of Leipzig.
Lee Moves North, originally titled Lee at Gettysburg and subtitled "The Confederate Summer Offensive, 1862 & 1863", is a board wargame published by Simulations Publications Inc. (SPI) in 1972 that simulates Robert E. Lee's summer offenses of 1862 and 1863 during the American Civil War
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."
Fury in the West is a board wargame published by Battleline in 1977 that simulates the Battle of Shiloh during the American Civil War. It used several new rules that were unique at the time, but received mixed reviews.
Road to Richmond, subtitled "The Peninsular Campaign, May–July, 1862", is a board wargame published by Simulations Publications Inc. (SPI) in 1977 that simulates the Peninsula Campaign of 1862 during the American Civil War.
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.
Battle of the Wilderness: Gaining the Initiative, May 5-6, 1864 is a board wargame published by Simulations Publications, Inc. (SPI) in 1975 that simulates the Battle of the Wilderness 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.
Bloody Buna is a board wargame published by the British wargame publisher World Wide Wargames (3W) in 1972 that simulates the New Guinea Campaign between Japanese and Allied forces during World War II. The game is notable for being the only board wargame published in the 20th century that focused on the war in New Guinea.
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.
Fredericksburg: The Union Repulsed is a board wargame published by Simulations Publications, Inc. (SPI) in 1975 that simulates the Battle of Fredericksburg 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.