Cemetery Hill (game)
Encyclopedia
Cemetery Hill: The Battle of Gettysburg, 1-3 July, 1863 was a board game
published in 1975
by Simulation Publications, Inc. (SPI). It represented the fighting on Cemetery Hill
in the Battle of Gettysburg
during the American Civil War
.
"Cemetery Hill is a simulation, on an operational level, of the battle between the Army of the Potomac and the Army of Northern Virginia at the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
. The game covers the period from 1 July to 4 July 1863, when these two armies fought the bloodiest battle in American history to that point. The game system is an adaptation of the popular Napoleon at Waterloo system. Various special and optional rules allow the Players to recreate a picture of an historical event."
The game system was designed by Redmond A. Simonsen, Edward Curran, and Irad B. Hardy and issued as a part of SPI's Blue and Gray Folio Series. The game, which came packaged in a clear plastic 8.5"x11" bag, consisted a 17" x 22" three-color hex-based terrain map
, a sheet of 100 cardstock counters
, rules book, and folio cover sheet. It was also sold as a part of a four-game boxed set entitled Blue and Gray
. The sales channel strategy was to primarily sell the game through specialized wargaming, hobby and board game retail stores, as well as through mail order catalogue sales directly from SPI.
The wargame covered a ground scale of 400 meters per hex, and each game turn represents 1-2 hours. Game mechanics are fairly simplistic, with a standard "move/combat/advance and retreat" format, with rigid zones of control
. One player commands elements of the Confederate
Army of Northern Virginia
and the other takes the Union
Army of the Potomac
. Game turns are sequential, and a major strategy is to cut off the opponent's lines of retreat by positioning the counters to take advantage of the zones of control. Counters represent brigade
s and list the unit's strength factors (firepower). The combat results table
is based upon a combination of the ratio of the attacker's strength to the defender's, coupled with a random dice roll. Results include either the attacker or defender being forced to retreat, or a loss of strength (the higher the numerical advantage in strength, the greater the odds of a successful result). The average game lasted 2 to 2.5 hours in playing time.
The Blue and Gray folio series was a popular seller, with a number of individual titles. A second Blue and Gray II quadrigame was published a couple of years after the first edition.
Board game
A board game is a game which involves counters or pieces being moved on a pre-marked surface or "board", according to a set of rules. Games may be based on pure strategy, chance or a mixture of the two, and usually have a goal which a player aims to achieve...
published in 1975
1975 in games
This page lists board and card games, wargames, miniatures games, and table-top role-playing games published in 1975. For video and console games, see 1975 in video gaming.-Significant games-related events of 1975:*Chaosium Inc...
by Simulation Publications, Inc. (SPI). It represented the fighting on Cemetery Hill
Cemetery Hill
Cemetery Hill is a Gettysburg Battlefield landform which had 1863 military engagements each day of the July 1–3 Battle of Gettysburg. The northernmost part of the Army of the Potomac defensive "fish-hook" line, the hill is gently sloped and provided a site for American Civil War artillery...
in the Battle of Gettysburg
Battle of Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg , was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The battle with the largest number of casualties in the American Civil War, it is often described as the war's turning point. Union Maj. Gen. George Gordon Meade's Army of the Potomac...
during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
.
"Cemetery Hill is a simulation, on an operational level, of the battle between the Army of the Potomac and the Army of Northern Virginia at the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
Gettysburg is a borough that is the county seat, part of the Gettysburg Battlefield, and the eponym for the 1863 Battle of Gettysburg. The town hosts visitors to the Gettysburg National Military Park and has 3 institutions of higher learning: Lutheran Theological Seminary, Gettysburg College, and...
. The game covers the period from 1 July to 4 July 1863, when these two armies fought the bloodiest battle in American history to that point. The game system is an adaptation of the popular Napoleon at Waterloo system. Various special and optional rules allow the Players to recreate a picture of an historical event."
The game system was designed by Redmond A. Simonsen, Edward Curran, and Irad B. Hardy and issued as a part of SPI's Blue and Gray Folio Series. The game, which came packaged in a clear plastic 8.5"x11" bag, consisted a 17" x 22" three-color hex-based terrain map
Hex map
A hex map, hex board or hex grid is a gameboard design commonly used in wargames of all scales. The map is subdivided into small regular hexagons of identical size.-Advantages and disadvantages:...
, a sheet of 100 cardstock counters
Counter (board wargames)
Boardgame counters are usually small cardboard squares moved around on the map of a wargame to represent armies, military units or individual military personnel. The first modern mass-market wargame, based on cardboard counters and hex-board maps, was Tactics, invented by Charles S. Roberts in 1952...
, rules book, and folio cover sheet. It was also sold as a part of a four-game boxed set entitled Blue and Gray
Blue and Gray
Blue And Gray is the fifteenth album by the Country rock band Poco. The album is a theme-based record, similar to Desperado by The Eagles, only the theme on this record is the American Civil War...
. The sales channel strategy was to primarily sell the game through specialized wargaming, hobby and board game retail stores, as well as through mail order catalogue sales directly from SPI.
The wargame covered a ground scale of 400 meters per hex, and each game turn represents 1-2 hours. Game mechanics are fairly simplistic, with a standard "move/combat/advance and retreat" format, with rigid zones of control
Zone of control
In board wargames, zones of control represent the tiles adjacent to tiles occupied by objects. For example, in hexagonal tiled maps, the six hexagons adjacent to the hexagon occupied by a unit would be considered to be in its "zone of control."...
. One player commands elements of the Confederate
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
Army of Northern Virginia
Army of Northern Virginia
The Army of Northern Virginia was the primary military force of the Confederate States of America in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War, as well as the primary command structure of the Department of Northern Virginia. It was most often arrayed against the Union Army of the Potomac...
and the other takes the Union
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
Army of the Potomac
Army of the Potomac
The Army of the Potomac was the major Union Army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War.-History:The Army of the Potomac was created in 1861, but was then only the size of a corps . Its nucleus was called the Army of Northeastern Virginia, under Brig. Gen...
. Game turns are sequential, and a major strategy is to cut off the opponent's lines of retreat by positioning the counters to take advantage of the zones of control. Counters represent brigade
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
s and list the unit's strength factors (firepower). The combat results table
Combat results table
A Combat results table or a CRT is used in wargaming to determine the outcome of a clash between individual units within a larger battle....
is based upon a combination of the ratio of the attacker's strength to the defender's, coupled with a random dice roll. Results include either the attacker or defender being forced to retreat, or a loss of strength (the higher the numerical advantage in strength, the greater the odds of a successful result). The average game lasted 2 to 2.5 hours in playing time.
The Blue and Gray folio series was a popular seller, with a number of individual titles. A second Blue and Gray II quadrigame was published a couple of years after the first edition.