Stonewall's Sword: The Battle of Cedar Mountain (2015)

About this game

Stonewall's Sword: The Battle of Cedar Mountain is a two-player wargame on The Battle of Cedar Mountain, August 9th, 1862. One player commands Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson's Confederate troops and the other controls Nathaniel Banks' Union troops. Players win by controlling key areas of the map and by earning victory points by eliminating enemy units. There are two scenarios available, each with their own victory conditions, length, and aspect of the battle that is focused on. Stonewall's Sword: The Battle of Cedar Mountain also features the Blind Swords chit-pull system which emphasizes the three “FOW’s” of military conflict: fog-of-war, friction-of-war and fortunes-of-war. With each chit pull, players will be challenged to make tough decisions based on their assessment of the current situation. Unlike traditional chit-pull mechanisms, the Blind Swords system ensures that no combat units can be counted on, or conversely, counted out. This yields an environment of tense action and constant surprises – an environment that will challenge each player. Charles Kibler created the artwork for the counters and Rick Barber is the artist for the map.

Does it fit your group?

• Group size. Works with 1 to 2. It has a designed solo mode.
• Rules load. At 3.1/5 this is a mid-weight game — expect a proper rules explanation before you start.
• Age. The publisher suggests 12 and up. That rates the rules rather than the artwork, so judge the box yourself for younger players.