LEE ON THE LOOSE

THE REBELS ARE COMING by JOE BALKOSKI

from THE AVALON HILL GAME COMPANY

Two 22" x 32" maps, 520 counters, one 47-page rules book, two Player Aid Cards, County Control Cards, Force Display Cards, dice, boxed; from AH, 4517 Harford Rd, Baltimore MD 21214. $30

Reviewed by CARL GRUBER

One of the stranger games ever contracted for - at least at the time - was the late '80's agreement between Avalon Hill/Victory and BROG editor, Richard Berg, to have the latter design a series of operational-level, Civil War games that would recreate the entire war, Europa-style, at 5+ miles per hex. Almost everyone informed of this rather over-ambitious project gasped - some in delight, most in dismay. Almost no one thought it would ever see the light of day … and they were right, as both AH and Berg agreed to drop the project several years ago. Which makes the AH/Joe Balkoski "Stonewall" series all the more welcome to ACW gamers.

Late last year, AH published Stonewall Jackson's Way, a simulation of the 1862 Manassas Campaigns. It was received with kudos - a rave in BROG #5 (which discusses the game's systems) and an Origins Award nomination, among others - not only for its playability, historical value and beautiful artwork, but also because it was a helluva lot of fun to play. The designer promised a series of games based on the system (a reworking of his Lee vs Grant), and, true to his word, we now have the second volume, The Rebels Are Coming, which covers Lee's Maryland campaign that followed Pope's debacle at 2nd Manassas.

If you have already "learned" SJW, Rebels can be played almost right out of the box. The basic rules are identical. The only changes arise in the advanced and campaign rules, where Confederate foraging is affected by control of Harper's Ferry, more liberal Union rail movement is allowed, and a Random Events table dictates how many of the Union forces hunkered down in and around Washington can be released to pursue the rebels.

In contrast to SJW, the strategic situation in Rebels puts the attacker's shoe right on the Federal Player's foot, a foot Union generals have a habit of placing right in their collective mouths. Whereas in SJW the Confederate player won by going after, attacking and suppressing "that miscreant, Pope", here it is the Yanks who must chase and bag the rebels once they cross the Potomac into Maryland. Given the Union commitment rules, the disadvantageous terrain (the Monocacy River and three successive north-south mountain ranges the Rebs can use to screen Union advances), and the faster-moving Southern troops, this is no easy task. On the other hand, the CSA player musty bag Harper's Ferry and its garrison, trash the Union railroads in Maryland, capture numerous depots … and do all this with much smaller forces than he had at his command in SJW. The Rebel player is also forced to disperse his forces over a wide area, not only to seize the required objectives but to forage effectively. To gather enough victory points to win, the Confederate invasion has to be handled like a massive raid. Rebel units are much weaker than in the previous game. E.g., A.P. Hill's division, 9000 + at 2nd Manassas, has dwindled down to around 5000, and most of Lee's other divisions are similarly reduced. Given the Yankee numerical superiority, pitched battle with a concentrated Union army is to be avoided at all costs.

Although the Federal corps - eight in all - are very hard to coordinate, they are quite large. And, as the game progresses, more and more of them are committed; after a while, the CSA Player finds his scattered army confronted by a LOT of angry Union units. He then has to decide when and where to reunite his forces, and whether he should make a stand or head back to Virginia. Given the unpredictability of movement, combined with the random events, it's a hard decision to make.

The game includes numerous one-map scenarios, both for historical events, such as South Mountain and Crampton's Gap, as well as two hypothetical situations covering a Southern cavalry raid against Baltimore and even a battle for Washington! The entire Maryland campaign uses both maps, plus all the advanced rules. However, the center piece of the game is the scenario that allows players to link Rebels with SJW and start the game at the Rapidan on August 19th, using all four maps. There are provisions for reorganizing the armies (as, for example, the Union did upon Pope's dismissal) plus the usual additional instructions for putting the two games together. Having played most of the scenarios presented, I can easily say that I found this one the most exciting, because players can set their own strategic goals right from the start … and then make their OWN mistakes. It does take up a lot of space, but it plays in about 12-16 hours!

An additional benefit is that it looks great when you play it. The Rebels maps are every bit as beautiful as those in SJW, and they seem to include probably every creek, cornfield and town in that area. As if that weren't enough, Balkoski includes designer's notes that include a list describing many of these locales and their historical significance.

Joe Bo is one of the industries real gems, and he's on a roll here. These are fun games, and their system is flexible enough to cover a number of campaigns … many of which, such as Gettysburg, the Shenandoah, the Peninsula Campaign as well as the Wilderness, are promised! They offer players so inclined all the excitement of conducting Civil War strategic operations in a realistic and detailed fashion. And not a boring moment in the entire lot.

CAPSULE COMMENTS

Graphic Presentation: Excellent, with gorgeous Kibler maps.

Playability: Well-written rules and charts make it easy to learn. The non-linear play sequence keeps players involved. Fairly good solitaire, with a few, albeit major, adjustments.

Replayability: : Very high, with multiple scenarios reinforced by random events and variable movement. Lots of freedom of choice.

Creativity: Joe Bo's muse is operating at full steam here.

Historicity: Players face the same dilemmas and opportunities as did Bobby and Little Mac. Good Luck!

Comparisons: Not as detailed (or convoluted) as West End's Killer Angels, but much more so - and far more involving - than the Clash of Arms "Great Invasion" series or Rob Markham's Lee Invades the North effort. Remember the old, SPI Lee Moves North? You can now forget it. Best game on the subject.

Overall: Buy it, fast!