This version of the rules comes to us due to the good efforts of Mark Gamble a graphics designer and FTP player, who re-hosted the rules into a single 1 Mb file. Mark Gamble has added a small red dot next to any section of the rules that has seen any changes since the original version for easy reference.
For the old hands these are the significant changes between the original rules and version 2.0, which are all in version 2.1.
1. In battle, when the Union Army Commander has a lower battle rating than his Confederate counterpart, the Union DRM is equal to the Commanding General and one subordinate General (UNION CHOICE). The original rules could be maneuvered to achieve this effect, but players were doing too many gamey things to achieve this. This rule is simpler and captures my original intent better.
2. The unrevealed general rule has been significantly simplified again to remove unneeded complexity and strange player behavior to attempt and circumvent the original intent of the rules (clever those players). The new rule is almost identical to the one posted earlier on this site, whereby all generals are revealed after being placed on the map in their unrevealed state. However, I have tightened the requirement that any space that receives a general reinforcement must have at least one SP present for all generals in the space, even those that were there prior to the reinforcement phase. No old soldier homes allowed.
3. A significant change has been added to the rules regarding Confederate Ultimate Supply Sources. In the original game any Resource Center or Open Blockade Runner port was an ultimate supply source. Now one of these types of spaces must trace an LOC to at least one other ultimate supply source in order to be an ultimate supply source. This omission from the original occurred to simplify the game, but in retrospect I wanted to add it back in. This means that Richmond is not an ultimate supply source unless it can trace an LOC to another ultimate supply source. Hence the Petersburg campaign will make more sense. Additionally, Union control of the Mississippi is more important, especially if one of the two resource centers (Little Rock, AK and Marshall, TX) is destroyed, because it means that CSA forces will be forced to 2 SPs or less over time due to attrition.
4. One annoying loophole has been eliminated from the general casualty rule. A force that is in a battle with an out of supply opponent does NOT make any general casualty roll if one would ordinarily be called for. The kamikaze attack to kill generals has been relegated to where it belongs in my Pacific War game (VG).
5. Lastly, I have continued to feel that I haven't quite captured the impact of McClellan on the war. Toward this end I have added to these rules an optional rule, which I hope will improve on the original rules. McClellan now gives an SW bonus when he is given the command of an Army near the capital (e.g., Army of the Potomac) which effectively makes him a free command change. Additionally, he generates an additional SP per turn in the DC space. This plus his fleet ability (which is not optional) and the new DRM rule (see number one above) should make him an attractive choice prior to the Union having a cavalry general. I have left this as an optional rule because I haven't been able to playtest it enough.
That should cover the major changes in the rules. The rules are in the .pdf format. After you download them you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to open them. If you do not have a copy of this program you can get it for free (the reader, not the full program) off the web.
Once you have opened the file, print it out in color (the second color is still blue) or print them out in grayscale (make sure you make the appropriate print settings or you will get some very black sections in the rules).
File Note: The rules are in a single 1 Mb (actually 1.04 Mb) file which includes the original rules cover and end page with the charts and tables (of which there are no changes from the original).
Download Procedure:
1. When you click on the download button it will send you to the Lycos site and ask you to click on a URL for the file. Left click on the file and go through the download procedure. If your Adobe Illustrator kicks in automatically it can mess up the download, so disable it if you have this problem. That should do it.
There will be no further changes of this version of the game. I will continue to support any and all questions concerning the first edition for as long as I am able, but for those looking to fully update to the GMT version, click on the GMT link in the links section of the home page.