Command Combat: Civil War - 1863 released

The second expansion for Command Combat: Civil War is now available on the website, and at this location:

https://www.createspace.com/4354880

As with the 1862 expansion, 1863 focuses on the elements of the Civil War that were most prevalent in 1863.  This time, that means larger armies.

Just as 1862 saw a large use of siege equipment, forts, and the navy, 1863 focuses on the larger bodies of men that came together.  For the first two years of the war, individual corps fought often fought one another away from the main armies.  As 1863 came around, major generals allowed less and less of this individualized movement, forming stronger armies and larger bodies of men at arms.  This expansion provides rules for army generals who give each corps specialized objectives, such as capturing a road, breaking through enemy lines, and capturing or killing enemy generals.

Also, as with 1862, there are new generals with specialized rules, and some return generals with new rules associated with them.  The game also provides specialized regiments, which can be placed into brigades, that give them extra benefits.

The book also includes the battles of Gettysburg, Champion Hill, and Chickamauga.

Historicon - 2013

I just got back from Historicon, and am in definite need of recovery.  It was a wild few days with a lot of walking, standing, and especially staring.  The place was, frankly, overwhelming.  I had gone there with what I thought was a huge and well-crafted board, but it was puny in comparison to the enormous and masterfully crafted boards made by others.  My most recent expansion to Command Combat happened to be the theme of this year's Historicon, 1863, so we were given a special location right at the front where people would pass by and see what we were doing.  But before I even got to my game, I was blown away by all the other amazing games and set-ups.  I felt a little emasculated by the huge displays, and knew that mine would never compare, even though it had such a prime spot in the convention center.

It seems people are more into war gaming, and in particular, miniatures, in the east.  Someone explained to me that in cold temperatures, people tend to play more, which is why there is less gaming in Southern California.  It seems to be true, as the conventions, such as Kubla Con and Celesticon in San Francisco, are bigger than the ones in LA.

One of the brighter spots for me was that I was invited to play Fire and Fury with Richard, its inventor.  We spoke about researching and building our games, and it just was really nice and fun.  I don't see us as competitors, but rather people who both invented games we hope people will try.  Far from wanting to compete with his game or Johnny Reb, I dream of a day when I walk into a convention and see all three games being played side by side.