Overview
Blue & Gray is a quadrigame (four games in one) simulating four major American Civil War battles: Antietam, Cemetery Hill (Gettysburg), Chickamauga, and Shiloh. Published by SPI in 1975 and later by Decision Games, it uses a single standardized rule set for all four battles with exclusive rules for each scenario. Designed for quick, tense play, two players can fight an entire battle in less than two hours. The system uses the Blue & Gray Game System common to the series.
Components
- 4 maps (22” x 17” each), one per battle
- 400 die-cut counters (100 per game): Union (blue) and Confederate (gray)
- Standard Rules folder (common to all games)
- Exclusive Rules folder (scenario-specific)
- Combat Results Table, Terrain Effects Chart, Reinforcement Charts, Deployment Charts
- One die or randomizer
- Optional variant counters including leaders
Setup
Players determine who plays Confederate and who plays Union. Consult the Initial Deployment Chart for the specific battle scenario to place units in their starting hexes. Remaining units are set aside as reinforcements. Place the Game-Turn marker on position 1 of the Game-Turn Record Track. The Exclusive Rules folder specifies which player moves first.
Turn Structure
Each Game-Turn consists of:
- First Player-Turn
- A. Movement Phase: The Phasing Player moves any, some, or none of his units within movement and zone of control restrictions. Reinforcements enter as scheduled.
- B. Combat Phase: The Phasing Player attacks enemy units according to combat and artillery rules. No movement except retreats and advances from combat results.
- Second Player-Turn: The second player performs Movement and Combat Phases identically.
- Game-Turn Record Interphase: Advance the Game-Turn marker one space.
Actions
- Movement: All units have a Movement Allowance of 6 points. Clear terrain costs 1 point per hex; other terrain costs more (see Terrain Effects Chart). Road movement costs 1 point regardless of other terrain. Trail movement costs 2 points in forest/rough, 1 in clear. Units cannot enter enemy-occupied hexes, exit enemy-controlled hexes during movement, or skip hexes.
- Zones of Control: The six hexes surrounding a unit are its Zone of Control (ZOC). Enemy ZOCs affect movement (units cannot leave enemy ZOC during movement phase) and force combat (units in enemy ZOC must attack).
- Combat: The Phasing Player totals attacking strength points against defending strength points to determine odds. Roll one die on the Combat Results Table. Results include Attacker Retreat (AR), Defender Retreat (DR), Exchange (EX), Attacker Eliminated (AE), and Defender Eliminated (DE).
- Artillery Bombardment: Artillery may conduct bombardment attacks at range using a separate column on the CRT. Line of sight rules apply. Artillery may also participate in combined attacks with adjacent units or make adjacent attacks normally.
- Retreat: Units forced to retreat move one hex away from the enemy. If retreat is impossible (surrounded by enemy units/ZOC), the unit is eliminated.
- Advance After Combat: Attacking units may advance into the hex vacated by retreating or eliminated defenders.
Scoring / Victory Conditions
Victory conditions are specified in each battle’s Exclusive Rules. Generally determined at the end of the final Game-Turn by comparing control of key terrain hexes, eliminated enemy strength points, or a combination of both. Each scenario has specific victory point targets and conditions unique to the historical battle.
Special Rules & Edge Cases
- Diversionary Attacks: A unit in an enemy ZOC may make a diversionary (soak-off) attack at 1:6 odds, satisfying the requirement to attack without committing full strength.
- Combat Strength Unity: All strength points of a single unit must be applied to the same attack; a unit’s strength cannot be split among multiple combats.
- Displacement: If a retreating unit must enter a hex containing a friendly unit that is already at stacking limits, the friendly unit is displaced one hex.
- Night Game-Turns: Some scenarios include night turns that affect both combat and movement. Movement is reduced and combat results may be modified.
- Optional Attack Effectiveness: Units that suffer AR results may lose attack effectiveness, preventing them from attacking or entering enemy ZOC until recovered.
- Variant CRT (Steve Winter): An optional two-dice Combat Results Table adds Attacker Shattered (AS) and Defender Shattered (DS) results, reducing units to half-strength permanently. Requires 3:2 odds for even chances of dislodging the defender.
- Cavalry Movement Variant: Cavalry units outside enemy ZOC for an entire turn have 9 movement points. If expending more than 6 points, they cannot enter enemy ZOC.
- Leader Variant: Leader counters with command radii affect which units are in command. Out-of-command units cannot enter enemy ZOC. Leaders stacked with all attacking units grant a +1/-1 combat bonus to the die roll.
Player Reference
| Terrain |
Movement Cost |
Combat Effect |
| Clear |
1 MP |
No modifier |
| Forest/Rough |
2-3 MP |
Defender doubled |
| Road |
1 MP (road-to-road) |
No modifier |
| Trail |
1-2 MP |
Varies |
| River |
Varies |
Defender advantage |
| Combat Result |
Effect |
| AE |
Attacker Eliminated |
| AR |
Attacker Retreats 1 hex |
| EX |
Exchange: both lose equal strength |
| DR |
Defender Retreats 1 hex |
| DE |
Defender Eliminated |