Thunder on the Mississippi: Grant’s Vicksburg Campaign

About this board game

Thunder on the Mississippi: Grant’s Vicksburg Campaign is a board game for 2–4 players with an approximately 600-minute play time, depicting Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant’s 1863 campaign to capture Vicksburg.

Designed by Joe Balkoski, creator of the original GCACW series, and Chris Withers, the game continues the series’ commitment to accurate maps and high graphic standards. Artist Charlie Kibler, whose work on the series dates to its creation in 1992, created the map design.

The Vicksburg region introduces two terrain features unique to this game: loess hills and coastal bluffs. Advanced Game rules address situations specific to this campaign, beginning with an amphibious invasion, continuing through sweeping cross-country movement, and ending in siege warfare.

Thunder on the Mississippi offers a broad range of play. Its 11 Basic Game scenarios range from one-turn learning scenarios to longer engagements, while the Advanced Game provides a complete 70-turn campaign.

• GCACW Series Rules Booklet with illustrations, play examples, and charts
• Thunder On the Mississippi Rules Booklet with scenarios, a historical overview, and a gazetteer
• Two 22 × 32-inch full-color map sheets
• Two 280-piece counter sheets and one 140-piece half counter sheet
• Terrain Effects Chart, two full-color Force Displays, and two sets of full-color charts and tables
• Two six-sided dice

With its campaign scope, specialized regional terrain, and multiple scenarios, the game presents Grant’s Vicksburg campaign across a sequence of distinct military situations.