Copyright © 1996 Decision Games and Decision Games
Chickamauga is a simulation on a Grand Tactical level of the battle which took place between the Union Army of the Cumberland and the Confederate Army of the Tennessee in September, 1863. The battle occurred around Chickamauga Creek, a tributary of the Tennessee River, in Northern Georgia.
The game lasts 15 turns. The Union player is the first player.
Players set up their units in the hexes noted on the map.
During his movement phase, the phasing player may place any of his units due to enter play as reinforcements at the location noted.
Reinforcements may not enter the map in a hex occupied by an enemy unit, but may enter the map in an enemy ZOC (note that this will affect their ability to move).
Reinforcements enter play one at a time as though arriving from a road stretching off the map. The first expends one MP to enter the map, the second two MPs to enter the map and so on [Comment: In the HexWar version the system does not take into account Strategic Movement for this penalty so that once 6 units have arrived at a hex no more units with six movement points or less may arrive at this location in the current game turn].
Reinforcements unable to enter the map may be delayed until a later turn or may enter at the map-edge hex nearest their scheduled entry location (at the phasing player's choice if there is more than one such hex [Comment: In the HexWar version the game AI allocates a new entry hex]. The owning player may always choose to delay reinforcements if he wishes.
Reinforcement Schedules.
Either player may exit his units from the map at hexes 0101 and 0111 at a cost of one MP. A unit which leaves the map may not return, and is not counted as destroyed for victory purposes (rather, it adds to its side's victory point total). Units may not retreat (8.5) off the map.
The Union supply train may never attack and may not enter enemy ZOC's. It may defend itself.
If enemy units move adjacent to the supply train during the Union combat phase (through an advance or retreat), the supply train must immediately retreat (Confederate units may not advance if this occurs).
The supply train may not stack with other units. No unit may move through the hex occupied by the supply train during the movement phase. The supply train may not enter a hex occupied by another unit.
The supply train has a movement allowance of six.
The supply train must always occupy a road or trail hex. If forced to retreat to a non-road or trail hex, it is eliminated.
The supply train exerts no zoc. Confederate units are not required to attack the supply train if they move adjacent to it.
The player with the most victory points (abbreviated VPs) at the end of the game wins.
Each player receives one VP for each enemy SP eliminated. Any Union units (including reinforcements which did not enter play) which at the end of the game cannot trace a line of up to 10 hexes free from Confederate units (not Confederate ZOC's) to a road which leads to hexes 0101 or 0111 are considered destroyed for victory purposes.
The Union player receives one VP for each of his SP's which exit the map.
The Confederate player receives 10 VPs for each of his SP's which exit the map provided that at the end of the game he can trace a line of connected road hexes free from Union units (not Union ZOC's) from 0101 or 0111 to any road hex on the eastern edge of the map.
The Confederate player receives 10 VPs if the Union supply train fails to exit the map.
Either player receives five VPs for each of the following hexes if his units occupy them at the end of the game or were the last to pass through them: 0822, 1108 or 1115.
The Confederate player receives 20 VPs for each of the following hexes if his units occupy them at the end of the game or were the last to pass through them: 0211, 0502.
The Union player receives 10 VPs if his units occupy at the end of the game or were the last to pass through hex 1920. He receives 20 VPs if his units occupy at the end of the game or were the last to pass through hex 2311.
Hexes 0211, 0502, 0822, 1108 and 1115 begin the game with Union units the last to pass through them. Hexes 1920 and 2311 begin the game with Confederate units the last to pass through them.
The first edition Chickamauga is rightly noted as one of the most competitive wargames ever produced, but achieves this razor-edge balance at some expense to its historical validity. Chiefly, the Confederate cavalry has been strengthened far beyond its actual numbers, with brigades taking on the strength of divisions.
To correct this, remove the Confederate Forrest. Scott, Harrison and Morgan cavalry brigades. Add the optional Chalmers and Bowen infantry brigades (more properly labeled as Wofford and Bryan on their reverse sides) as Turn Eight reinforcements, appearing at hex 1627 or 1928.