Mosby's Raiders (game)
Encyclopedia
Mosby's Raiders is a solitaire board wargame
based upon a Confederate
partisan
ranger unit led by famed Colonel
John S. Mosby
during the American Civil War
. The game was developed by Eric Lee Smith and published by Victory Games in 1985
.
Smith looked for a situation that had historical information he could work into the game play, and his research led him to the partisan activities of Confederate cavalry
against Federal troops
and supply lines in Northern Virginia
between 1862 and 1864.
The solitary player assumes the role of Colonel Mosby. He selects targets for raids from those presented on the map (such as supply depots, rail lines and bridges) and from random historical targets presented by cards that are drawn at the beginning of each turn. Mosby is aided by historical elements shown on cards that are drawn according to a formula that depends on his notoriety from previous successful raids. His ability to recruit additional raiders from local residents depends on his health, notoriety, and random Federal sweeps through the countryside. Victory is secured by continuing to score a pre-set number of notoriety and Federal awareness points by the end of a set number of turns.
The Federal army responds to these raids by being activated by Mosby's activities and moving towards the Raider marker by random throws of a die. The game succeeds in presenting the player with a sense of the limitations these early guerrillas faced, as well as their tactics such as "skedaddling" or scattering in the face of frequently superior forces. Ultimately, Mosby was fairly successful in attempting to slow supplies being delivered to Federal troops and occupy as many troops as possible that could have been used in offensive action against the Confederacy.
Solitaire board wargame
Board wargaming in the modern, commercial sense have generally concentrated on gameplay designed for two or more participants. While playing solitaire is possible with any game, it is generally done so as an exercise in analysis rather than for enjoyment.-History:Commercial solitaire wargames...
based upon a 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...
partisan
Partisan (military)
A partisan is a member of an irregular military force formed to oppose control of an area by a foreign power or by an army of occupation by some kind of insurgent activity...
ranger unit led by famed Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
John S. Mosby
John S. Mosby
John Singleton Mosby , nicknamed the "Gray Ghost", was a Confederate cavalry battalion commander in the American Civil War...
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...
. The game was developed by Eric Lee Smith and published by Victory Games in 1985
1985 in games
This page lists board and card games, wargames, miniatures games, and table-top role-playing games published in 1985. For video and console games, see 1985 in video gaming....
.
Smith looked for a situation that had historical information he could work into the game play, and his research led him to the partisan activities of Confederate cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
against Federal troops
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...
and supply lines in Northern Virginia
Northern Virginia
Northern Virginia consists of several counties and independent cities in the Commonwealth of Virginia, in a widespread region generally radiating southerly and westward from Washington, D.C...
between 1862 and 1864.
The solitary player assumes the role of Colonel Mosby. He selects targets for raids from those presented on the map (such as supply depots, rail lines and bridges) and from random historical targets presented by cards that are drawn at the beginning of each turn. Mosby is aided by historical elements shown on cards that are drawn according to a formula that depends on his notoriety from previous successful raids. His ability to recruit additional raiders from local residents depends on his health, notoriety, and random Federal sweeps through the countryside. Victory is secured by continuing to score a pre-set number of notoriety and Federal awareness points by the end of a set number of turns.
The Federal army responds to these raids by being activated by Mosby's activities and moving towards the Raider marker by random throws of a die. The game succeeds in presenting the player with a sense of the limitations these early guerrillas faced, as well as their tactics such as "skedaddling" or scattering in the face of frequently superior forces. Ultimately, Mosby was fairly successful in attempting to slow supplies being delivered to Federal troops and occupy as many troops as possible that could have been used in offensive action against the Confederacy.