Objective Shreveport!: The Red River Campaign

Designer John Theissen has another compact operational sandbox for ACW gamers to play around in. While the game has some similarities to his MORE AGGRESSIVE ATTITUDES, important differences in scale and emphasis result in a unique experience that's specific to the factors that doomed the Union's 1864 Red River Campaign.

Each side has three Leaders whose presence is generally required to launch an attack, but there the similarities end. The Union army is larger but also more cumbersome, being dependent on slow-moving and vulnerable supply trains. A rigid leadership structure makes coordination difficult, and one of those leaders is going to sit on his hands in Alexandria for the first third of the game instead of advancing toward the Union objective: Shreveport.

The Confederates have less strength points to throw around, but they have a much more flexible command structure, and don't have to worry about their own supply. Slowing the Union advance (not that they need much help) and launching well-chosen attacks, supported by well-timed Special Events cards, is key for the beleaguered butternuts.

Within these parameters, there's ample room for players to experiment, with multiple ways to approach your objectives (and to frustrate your opponent's). There's only a handful of units on each side, but plenty of hexes to maneuver in. It's a challenging game, while remaining short enough to play in a single evening, and simple enough to serve as an excellent introduction to operational scale gaming.

• (1) 22" x 17" map
• (88) 5/8" counters
• (2) Player Display Sheets
• (18) Event Cards
• (1) six-sided die
• 8-page rulebook

Game design: John Theissen
Map Art: Jose R. Faura
Hex Number: 19
Duration: 90 to 120 minutes
Players: 2
Solitaire Suitability: High
Theme: American Civil War