AGAINST THE ODDS # 49: A Gate of Hell (wargame)

1-ATO049

Magazine includes ACW wargame A Gate of Hell.

During the summer of 1863, in the aftermath of the Gettysburg and Vicksburg campaigns, battles on land and sea were fought over control of the birthplace of the Confederacy, Charleston, South Carolina. A Union victory here would send an unmistakable signal to the states in rebellion as well as the rest of the world that the Confederacy's cause was lost and further fighting a waste of lives and effort.

A Confederate victory in the face of the tremendous Union host, that included every Union Ironclad on the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, as well as some of the most seasoned regiments that numbered among them the first formations of all Black soldiers (free US citizens as well as former slaves), would signify the war would go on and that two nations, not one, could be the result of this 'second' American Revolution.

A Gate of Hell uses an interactive design to portray this decisive battle of the American Civil War. Players use military support points (MSPs), representing the logistical and political support for the campaign, to mobilize and support their forces (ground and naval) on one of the most inhospitable battlegrounds of the war. Both sides have a variety of military assets to deploy, but the planning and effective use of MSPs throughout the game will determine in large measure who is the victor.

Units represent mostly regiments for the ground units, and each ironclad for the naval units. All of the famous batteries and forts, including Sumter and Wagner, are portrayed.

This issue also features an extra game, All or Nothing. By late October of 1777, the British had repulsed the American attack at Germantown, and were occupying Philadelphia in Pennsylvania. American forces still occupied two forts south of the city, blocking the only viable British supply line out to sea via the Delaware River. The British made plans to eliminate these two redoubts.... Can you as the American player hold off the British attack on Fort Mercer? The Pennsylvania State Navy, proud but inexperienced, stands ready to assist. Will you as the Hessian player take the Rebel strong- hold to really secure Britain's grip on the American capital, avenge the defeat at Trenton last year, and perhaps end the rebellion once and for all?