While the Beta team are happily throwing themselves into testing the new game, we’d like to share with you details of some new features that have been introduced to tailor the gaming experience to the American Civil War!
Coastal Waters
Strategic Command: American Civil War includes two types of sea hex: Coastal and Ocean.
As a general rule of thumb, anywhere within four hexes of the coastline is considered to be Coastal. Hexes further from the shore are Ocean representing deeper and more challenging waters.
Monitors, Gunboats and Submarines are restricted to Coastal Waters, while Ironclads, Ships of the Line and Frigates can enter both Coastal and Ocean hexes, providing them with greater strategic potential and freedom to operate.
This Union Gunboat is restricted to Coastal Waters:
With their shallow draft and high manoeuvrability, Gunboats are the best units to use to raid the Confederacy’s convoy routes, reducing their imports and therefore their ability to wage war.
If the Confederacy can deploy some Monitors and Ironclads then they may be able to inflict heavy losses on the lighter Union vessels, reducing the Union’s ability to starve the Confederacy of imports that are vital for its war effort.
However, the Confederates will have to beware that the Union are also likely to be producing their own Monitors and Ironclads, so naval clashes are likely!
Riverine Warfare
The great rivers of North America, including the Mississippi, Tennessee, Ohio and Cumberland, can be navigated by River vessels, with this offering the opportunity for rapid movement, and most importantly, the possibility of far reaching amphibious operations!
There are three types of River vessel: River Ironclads, River Timberclads and River Gunboats. These all have a maximum strength of 5, and cannot move into either Coastal or Ocean waters.
The Navigable Major Rivers are displayed on the War Map:
River vessels can also sail on the Great Lakes, though these only play a role if Great Britain enters the war on the side of the Confederacy.
Strategic Command: American Civil War allows River vessels and troop carrying Transports to sail along Major Rivers in enemy territory, with the exception of hexes that contain an enemy-controlled port.
This means that it is possible to load units onto Amphibious Transports and sail them deep into enemy territory before unloading, thus opening up significant strategic opportunities for the bold!
Here the Union have control of much of the Mississippi, enabling them to move forces swiftly up and down river, to threaten or reinforce key locations, possibly even to evacuate should they be defeated!
Fortress Defenses
To help protect against naval and amphibious operations, Fortress Defences guard many key ports and waterways. Built before the war, their locations are known to both sides, though the exact condition of their defences is not, as this can be improved through research.
Forts Henry and Donelson protect the Tennessee, while further west the forts of Island No. 10 and Fort Pillow stand guard on the Mississippi. Will they suffice to prevent a Union advance?
We are already seeing very interesting situations developing in Beta as players utilise these new tools, and we very much look forward to when you will all have the opportunity to try them out for yourself when this game is released!
