Strategic Command: American Civil War - Wars in the Americas

Strategic Command: Wars in the Americas gives you the opportunity to fight five new campaigns covering some of the greatest conflicts of the mid/late 19th century. Including battlefields ranging from the deserts of Peru to the jungles of Cuba, these campaigns will provide countless hours of entertainment while challenging your strategic skills to the utmost!

1846 THE CONQUEST OF MEXICO
Beginning in 1846, the Mexican-American War represented the culmination of the idea of America’s Manifest Destiny, a dream to expand the nation’s borders from sea to shining sea. It was a war that would see the return and fall of Santa Anna, marches thousands of miles long as the United States strove to control California, and a peace treaty that would push America to the verge of civil war. As Mexico, can you defend your vast nation from the American invasions? As the United States, will you march along the route of the conquistadores, all the way to the halls of Montezuma?

1863 THE EAGLE AND THE EMPIRE
While the United States was divided by Civil War, French Emperor Napoleon III saw an opportunity to build his own influence in the Americas, launching an invasion of Mexico. In this alternate history campaign, President Lincoln’s tacit support for the Mexican Republicans leads to French recognition of the Confederacy and a declaration of war against the United States. With battles raging from Gettysburg to Mexico City, will the Union be able to reclaim the initiative, or will French intervention be the key to Confederate victory in this expanded conflict?

1866 PARAGUAY UNDER SIEGE
A year after Francisco Solano Lopez launched his unsuccessful invasions of Brazil and Argentina, the armies of the Triple Alliance have pushed the remnants of Paraguay’s army across the Parana. Between them and Asuncion stand the fortifications of Humaita: the strongest citadel in South America. In signing the Treaty of the Triple Alliance, the governments of Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay have committed themselves to continue fighting until Paraguay’s government is overthrown. To oppose them, Lopez – and Paraguay – are prepared to fight to the death.

1879 GHOSTS OF THE PACIFIC
For six months in 1879, the Peruvian ironclad Huascar, commanded by the talented Admiral Grau, defied Chile’s efforts to conquer the rich nitrate and copper mines of the Atacama Desert. In a series of daring raids, Huascar sank Chilean warships and captured her transports, and it would eventually take the entire Chilean Navy to finally defeat the “ghost of the Pacific” at the Battle of Angamos. In this campaign, you will take command of Chile or Peru during the dramatic ironclad battles and bold amphibious landings of an epic South American conflict. Can you win the War of the Pacific?

1898 REMEMBER THE MAINE
By 1898, many Americans believed that the time had come to remove the last major European presence from the Americas. Spain’s ancient empire was wracked by rebellion, and the yellow press called for President McKinley to aid the rebel forces. When the USS Maine exploded in Havana harbor, her destruction ignited a war cry. Success in the Spanish-American War will require you to manage partisan uprisings, decisive naval battles, and amphibious operations on a map spanning three continents. Can you save Spain’s empire from the brink of collapse, or is a new power set to take its place?

• New campaigns covering five major wars between 1846 and 1898
• New unit types including Field Artillery, Blockhouses, Armored Cruisers and Torpedo Boats
• New historical leaders including Taylor, Bazaine, Escala, Caxias, Shafter and Scott
• New events including Santa Anna’s Return from Exile, the Philippine Revolution and the construction of Paraguay’s great ‘Cristiano’ mortar

For the first time in the series’ history, Strategic Command will be taking you to the 19th century battlefields of the American Civil War. In this turn-based strategy game, you will control the armies, research, production and diplomatic policy of either the Union or the Confederacy during a time of great innovation and dramatic battles. Your decisions will determine whether the United States leaves this conflict as one nation or two.

What are your orders, Mr President?

A BRAND NEW BATTLEFIELD
Strategic Command: American Civil War comes with a massive 296 x 224 map, covering all of North America from Canada and New Mexico to the Caribbean at a 15km/9mi scale. This is the largest hex-based map ever offered by the Strategic Command series!

COMMAND YOUR ARMIES
With few professional soldiers ready to fight at the beginning of 1861, building an army will be just as important as ordering your men into battle. Thousands of volunteers are enlisting, and you will need to organise them into Brigades, Divisions and eventually Corps. Research will have to be undertaken to improve their weaponry and fighting skills.

Once their training is complete, you will be able to choose from a variety of famous Generals to lead them, including Lee, Jackson, Grant, McClellan, Beauregard and Sherman. With the fate of entire armies hinging on single battles, the appointment of talented Generals may well be the difference between victory and defeat.

RIVER WARFARE
The great rivers of North America, including the Mississippi, Ohio and Cumberland, can now be navigated by all-new river warships, with inland ports offering the opportunity for rapid movement, and their waters bringing the danger of amphibious attack.

THE AGE OF THE IRONCLAD
The war on the high seas has also been expanded, with ships now divided into rivercraft, coastal and sea-going vessels, and wooden and ironclad construction. With the most diverse roster of warships ever offered by a Strategic Command game, your admirals will have more opportunities than ever before to achieve victory at sea.

RECONNAISSANCE REWORKED
The fog of war has never been more important in shaping your success on the battlefield, as the lack of radio communications means that cavalry will be essential to locating enemy armies and avoiding ambush. Infantry scout detachments, partisan rangers and armoured trains can also be trained to expand the recon capabilities of your armies, while Generals willing to use experimental technology will have the opportunity to use observation balloons, taking the war to the skies.

EUROPEAN INTERVENTION
Diplomatic action, battlefield success and decision events such as the sale of the Confederate Cotton Stockpile or the Emancipation Proclamation will determine whether the European Great Powers intervene in the Civil War. The UK, France and Spain can all be persuaded to support the Confederate cause, and their entry could greatly alter the war’s outcome.

WAR IN MEXICO
As the Civil War divides the United States, the French Emperor Napoleon III is engaged in another battle for control of Mexico. The front lines in America’s southern neighbour will be constantly changing, and if France should enter the war, players will be able to take up the flag of the Republic or the Empire as the Civil War grows into a conflict to determine the fate of all of North America!

...AND MUCH MORE!
Using an enhanced version of the engine used by our WWI and WWII games, American Civil War also incorporates all of the much-loved features from previous titles in the series, ensuring that a great gaming experience awaits series veterans and new recruits alike!

6 campaigns covering the Civil War from first shot to last:

• 1861 Blue and Gray
• 1861 Manassas to Appomattox
• 1862 Scott’s Great Snake
• 1862 Trent War (Alternate History: What if the UK recognized the Confederacy?)
• 1863 Lee Rides North
• 1864 Make Georgia Howl

New unit types, including Balloons, Rangers, Monitors, River Gunboats and many more!

New technologies, including Naval Engines, Ironclads, Skirmishers and the Field Telegraph.

Riverine warfare is now possible, with waterways that can be navigated by 3 types of river vessel.

Coastal and inland fortress defences play a much greater role in Civil War strategy, guarding many key ports and waterways. Built before the war, their locations are known to both sides.

Deactivating Partisan scripts, historical event popups and the European intervention mechanic now requires only a single event to be disabled.

PBEM++ and Hotseat Multiplayer