Grand Havoc: Perryville, October 8, 1862

About this board game

Grand Havoc: Perryville, October 8, 1862 is a 1–2 player American Civil War battle simulation with an approximately 360-minute playing time. It uses the Blind Swords system to recreate the confusion, uncertainty, and coordination problems faced by 19th-century armies.

The game uses chit pulls and activation rolls to determine when commands can act and how effectively they can carry out their plans. Each turn, events may further disrupt the armies’ intentions, creating an evolving contest shaped by both decisions and battlefield uncertainty.

Regiments of infantry and cavalry form the basic units, alongside artillery batteries. These forces are rated for size, armament, and cohesion or morale, giving the battlefield’s formations distinct capabilities and vulnerabilities.

• Blind Swords command system
• Chit pulls and activation rolls
• Turn-by-turn events affecting army plans
• Infantry, cavalry, and artillery units with multiple ratings

The scenario portrays the Battle of Perryville in Kentucky, where Buell’s Army of the Ohio faced Bragg’s Army of the Tennessee. Bragg believed he was confronting only part of Buell’s army, while Buell thought he faced all of Bragg’s force and possibly Kirby Smith’s Army of Kentucky. In reality, Buell was facing about two-thirds of Bragg’s army.

After an early skirmish, a planned Confederate flanking attack against the Union II Corps became a frontal assault on the newly arrived Union I Corps, half of which consisted of new recruits. Buell remained unaware of the battle despite the fighting nearby, and only a few brigades were sent to aid the hard-pressed I Corps. In Grand Havoc, players confront the same uncertainty and command difficulties that helped shape this fierce battle and its Confederate tactical victory.