Death Valley

Open Order Formation in Death Valley:  Simulating 1864-Style Skirmish Lines

My previous article described how the Army of Northern Virginia’s sharpshooter battalions provided Death Valley with a way to level the playing field between the Union and Confederate forces that fought the Shenandoah battles of 1864. A second late-war tactical innovation offered us yet another solution to the problem of mismatched armies: “Open Order” formation, […]

Open Order Formation in Death Valley:  Simulating 1864-Style Skirmish Lines Read Post »

Designer Blogs

Sharpshooters in Death Valley

Almost at the start of Death Valley‘s design work we realized the difficulty of approaching its 1864 battles using only the chrome featured in previous games in the GBACW series. By 1864 southern leaders faced a growing manpower crisis, while the north supplied an increasing number of its units with repeating rifles and carbines. The

Sharpshooters in Death Valley Read Post »

Designer Blogs

Cross Keys: A Good Day for Richard Stoddert Ewell (Part 2)

Last week’s installment included a synopsis of the Battle of Cross Keys, along with a brief description of the way in which the Death Valley scenario seeks to simulate the caution that characterized John C. Fremont’s generalship that day.  It concluded with the first part of my playtest AAR, describing the scenario’s 1200 turn.  Here

Cross Keys: A Good Day for Richard Stoddert Ewell (Part 2) Read Post »

After Action Report, Scenarios/Variants

Cross Keys:  A Good Day for Richard Stoddert Ewell (Part 1)

The Battle of Cross Keys:  A Synopsis  The aftermath of Nathaniel Banks’ defeat at Winchester on May 25th, 1862, roused the Lincoln administration to action.  With Stonewall Jackson rampaging through the lower Shenandoah Valley to within a few miles of the Potomac at Harper’s Ferry, half of Irwin McDowell’s corps marched west from Fredericksburg, threading

Cross Keys:  A Good Day for Richard Stoddert Ewell (Part 1) Read Post »

After Action Report, Inside the Game as History, Scenarios/Variants

Death Valley: Rearguard Action at Winchester, Virginia, May 25th, 1862

The 1st Battle of Winchester Spring, 1862, brought the southern Confederacy a succession of defeats in the west and retreats in the east.  Richmond’s only glimmer of hope came from the Shenandoah Valley, where at great cost Stonewall Jackson drove back elements of John C. Fremont’s Army of West Virginia at the Battle of McDowell

Death Valley: Rearguard Action at Winchester, Virginia, May 25th, 1862 Read Post »

After Action Report, Playtest Reports
Scroll to Top