Overview
At a glance
Is this game right for my group?
ABG editorial scores on a 1–5 scale.
Harder to teach
High replayability
Highly interactive
Scales well
Deep strategy
How it plays
How does it play?
The Army of the Potomac had found confidence in their new leader "Fighting" Joe Hooker following the disastrous battle of Fredericksberg. Hooker began forging the AOP into the weapon he and Lincoln knew was needed to defeat the Army of Northern Virginia led by Robert E.
Core mechanisms
Key systems that shape the decisions players make.
Grid Movement
Move pieces between adjacent spaces on a regular grid.
Dice Rolling
Roll dice to introduce uncertainty into actions, production, movement, or resolution.
Hexagon Grid
Use a hexagonal map where each space connects evenly in six directions.
Line of Sight
Visibility between pieces determines valid targets, movement, or effects.
Simulation
Model a real or imagined system through detailed cause-and-effect rules.
Read the full game description
The Army of the Potomac had found confidence in their new leader "Fighting" Joe Hooker following the disastrous battle of Fredericksberg. Hooker began forging the AOP into the weapon he and Lincoln knew was needed to defeat the Army of Northern Virginia led by Robert E. Lee. Using his cavalry aggressively in conjunction with the newly formed military intelligence unit, Hooker fixed Lee's location and conceived a brilliant plan to sweep him from the field. Hooker's army, now numbering 135,00 men in eight corps and an artillery reserve would confront the Army of Northern Virginia's some 59,000 souls on ground of its choosing. The movement began on April 26th, 1863 behind a dense screen of Federal cavalry, foiling the prying eyes of rebel spies and scouts. Surprise was complete, but ahead lay the thickets and dense woods of the Wilderness. Little did the Union soldiers suspect the ignominious outcome that awaited them. For Lee, recovering quickly, launched a counterstroke still studied today for its sheer audacity. Designed by award winning Richard Berg, Chancellorsville places you in command of either army. Units are demi-brigades. Each hex on the three maps is around 265 yards and each turn is an hour. At this scale, players must master both operations and tactics to be ultimately successful.