GCACW Beginner's Tutorial: Lesson 1

This tutorial is designed with a Programmed Self-Instruction approach and is intended to teach the Standard Basic Game Rules.. This article is based on Trevor Bender's earlier work in the General ("Teaching Stonewall", The General, vol. 31, no. 4).

There are four lessons in this tutorial, with each lesson adding additional complexity in the rules covered. The lessons breakdown the rules into small subsets, each of which is summarized. After reading the summaries, I recommend that you read the rules for that particular section. In addition to rules summaries, each lesson includes a blow-by-blow replay of a short scenario. I find learning by example is the easiest way to pick up a new game system so I encourage you to push the counters around as you follow the replay and then try to solitaire the replay on your own. To follow all the lesson replays, you will need SLB, HCR, GTC and OTR. If you don't have all the games, I have provided alternate scenarios using SLB only so you can still use the tutorial to get your feet wet (Editor's note: The SLB replays are "under construction.")

Basic Game Concepts

1.0 Introduction
2.0-2.4, 2.6 Basic Game Concepts
3.0 Sequence of Play
4.0-4.4 The Action Cycle

These rules introduce you to the game's basic concepts including units, leaders, zones of control, the sequence of play, etc. Each hex is about 1 mile across; each manpower point is 500 men and each turn is one day. As you will see, each unit is represented by a division or brigade counter along with several other informational markers that indicate unit strength and various "states" the unit can attain.

Manpower: Indicates unit strength and whether the unit is "organized" (front of manpower counter) or "disorganized" (back of manpower counter). When disorganized, the unit's combat value is about 67% of its manpower value (organized units have combat values equal to manpower values).
Fatigue: Indicates the amount of activity the unit has undertaken for a given turn. At Fatigue level 4, the unit cannot move or attack. When units end the day at fatigue level 3 or 4, they become exhausted and are flipped over (white stripe side).
Dmorize Indicates that the unit is demoralized due to being routed in combat.
Entrenchment: Units can entrench to improve their defensive strength.
Out of Supply/Ammo: In campaign games, units can become out of supply or out of ammo.

Units also posses a Zone of Control that halts enemy movement (similar to most wargames) but entering ZoC does not make combat compulsary (as it is in some games).

For now, the only part of the sequence of play that you need to know is the Action Cycle. This is the heart of this interactive system. A turn consists of a series of "actions." An initiative die roll determines which side will take an action and after each action, an initiative die roll is made to determine who takes the next action. An action is carried out by a unit or group of units. As units take activations, they gain fatigue levels. When a unit reaches Fatigue level 4, it cannot take further actions that turn. When both sides are unable to take actions (all units are at maximum fatigue level) the turn ends. In most cases though, both sides decide to stop taking actions before this occurs (maximizing fatigue levels "tires" the troops out and has negative consequences) and this ends the turn as well.

Single Unit Actions

5.0-5.1 March Actions
6.0-6.2 Marches and Movement
6.4-6.5 Stacking and Fatigue Levels
7.0-7.2 Combat (disregard 7.1 Attack Procedure (Assault Action Only), 7.1 Grand Assault Procedure)
7.4-7.6 Combat Modifiers and Results (disregard 7.4 Artillery Modifier)

Next, you will learn about the basic action that a single unit can undertake: marching. Units can attack while marching, so combat is introduced here as well. Many of the concepts in these sections should be familiar to experienced wargamers (e.g., movement point expenditure). The combat system has a lot of modifiers but at its heart is quite simple. The system flows nicely in that combat and movement are integrated. A successful combat result will allow you to continue moving (after forcing the defenders to retreat away), but since combat itself also costs movement points, you may not have enough to continue moving far. Another key concept in the system is the Flank bonus in combat.

You now have enough information to play the first introductory scenario, Kelly's Ford.