The Gamers Brigade Series: Strike Them a Blow

I haven’t really blogged about The Gamers Brigade Series (now owned by Curt Schilling’s Multiman Publishing), but this is as good a time as any. For those of you who don’t know, the Civil War Brigade Series (CWBS) is a series of hex-based, turn-based board games modeling most of the major campaigns of the eastern theater of the war (with the notable exception of Petersburg and Appomattox, though their suitability to gaming might be questioned). The series literally features written orders, which must be followed to the best of the gamer’s ability. I have the three games covering the Seven Days and Seven Pines, but I hope to pick several more up soon on secondary markets. The latest game is Strike Them A Blow (STAB), covering the part of the 1864 Overland Campaign that occurred near the North Anna River. Lee created an “inverted V” defensive line south of the River, and dared Grant to cross at several points to even get at this line. There is strong evidence Lee hoped to attack one of Grant’s wings in an attempt to destroy it, but he was physically unable to command due to illness and the opportunity passed. Below you will find the pre-order information from MMP’s site:

Strike Them A Blow (CWB)
In late May 1864, Grant slides around Lee’s flank at Spotsylvania and triggers a race to the North Anna. As fighting erupts on both sides of the river, Lee sets a trap based on a brilliant “inverted V” position which forces Grant to divide his army. Once the trap is sprung, Lee plans to defeat part of Grant’s army in detail by striking an offensive blow. The stakes are high and the opposing armies will never again be so evenly matched. So take command and end the war in 1864. The time to strike is now!

Contents: 2 countersheet of 560 counters
2 full (22″x34″) mapsheets SNEAK PEEK!
CWB rulebook
STAB specific rulebook
2 dice

Game Play:
6 scenarios (1 “one mapper”)

Complexity: Moderate
Solitaire Suitability: High
Unit Scale: Brigade
Turn Scale: 30 minutes/turn
Hex Scale: Approximately 200 yards

Game Designer: Bob Munns Series Designer: Dean Essig

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Check out Beyond the Crater: The Petersburg Campaign Online for the latest on the Siege of Petersburg!