Shenandoah (wargame)

Shenandoah is a board wargame simulating the 1864 Shenandoah Valley Campaign of the American Civil War, fought between Union General Philip Sheridan and Confederate General Jubal Early. The game typically focuses on operational-level maneuver and combat, encompassing the key battles and strategic decisions of the campaign.

Published by various companies over the years, including Avalon Hill, versions of Shenandoah generally feature a hex-and-counter system, where the game map is divided into hexagonal spaces representing terrain features and units are represented by cardboard counters. The counters typically depict military units like infantry regiments, cavalry brigades, and artillery batteries.

Gameplay revolves around players moving their units across the map, engaging in combat, and attempting to control key locations. The game system usually incorporates rules for supply, fatigue, leadership, and morale, all impacting the effectiveness of the opposing forces. The Confederate player often faces the challenge of leveraging limited resources against a larger, better-supplied Union force.

Victory conditions typically involve capturing key cities or controlling strategic areas of the Shenandoah Valley. The game aims to capture the historical challenges faced by both sides during this crucial campaign of the Civil War. Different scenarios may focus on specific battles or the entire campaign, offering variations in gameplay and objectives. The complexities of logistics and command decisions are often modeled to reflect the historical realities of the conflict.