Bull Run: The First Major Battle of the American Civil War

About this board game

Bull Run: The First Major Battle of the American Civil War is a tactical combat wargame for 2 players, designed for a play time of about 240 minutes. Set during the first battle of Bull Run, it recreates the fighting on a hex-based map where each turn represents 30 minutes and each hex represents 1,000 feet.

Players command infantry, cavalry, artillery, and leaders ranging from brigade to army level. Units are generally regiments and batteries, while selected infantry regiments can form brigades with their brigade leader. Forming a brigade increases offensive power but reduces movement, creating an important command decision during an advance.

Artillery also offers a meaningful trade-off. Batteries may be limbered for greater movement or unlimbered to use their full firepower with limited movement. Combat builds on the classic system used by earlier Avalon Hill games, while command activation, infantry screening of artillery, ranged artillery, and rallying losses give Bull Run its distinctive character.

• A 32-by-22-inch mapboard with a hexagonal grid
• 260 counters representing combat units and leaders
• Rules for brigade formation, artillery status, and leader activation
• Terrain effects centered on Bull Run, which hinders Union movement and benefits Confederate defense

The game begins with Union troops approaching partially hidden and unsuspecting Confederate forces. As the attack develops, additional Confederate leaders and combat units activate and move to oppose the advance.

The Union player seeks to capture one of three objective hexes by game end or take Manassas at any time. The Confederate player wins by taking Centreville at any time or preventing the Union player from holding an objective hex at the end. Released in 1983, Bull Run presents a focused battlefield contest shaped by movement, firepower, terrain, and command timing.