Scourge of War - When a History Book Becomes the Scenario Briefing

Many war games (both board and digital) are well known for representing battles to a high degree of historical accuracy. Game developers of tactical war games have the additional challenge of simulating battles with the most detail, down to the smallest maneuver formations. For the American Civil War history enthusiast, there are plenty of historical research and off the shelf bibliography narrating battles to an astonishing level of detail.

My recent forays have taken me to the Battle of Antietam. The map shown above is for the initial stages of the engagement at Fox's Gap.

Armed with the following two books, I headed into Scourge of War Antietam. 

• The Maps of Antietam, by Bradley Gottfried (the map shown above is from this book)
• Maryland Campaign of September 1862: Volume 1, South Mountain. By Ezra Carman, edited by T. Clemens

This Scourge of War scenario matches exactly to the tactical situation shown in the map above. I checked all the regiments and their locations ... Awesome!

This is how the summit of Fox's Gap looks like from the 5th VA Cav. This formation is the right flank of the Confederate position.

Other games also represent this very engagement with similar level of detail, like the Civil War Campaigns by John Tiller/HPS Simulations. However, the added bonus here is the 3D visualization of the battlefield. The stonewalls, the slopes that hamper mobility, the closed terrain full of concealment. 

I strongly recommend any of those books as a guide for your virtual Civil War battlefields. 

And now, if you excuse me, the Federals just hit my right flank. Just like in real life.

Cheers,