Stonewall: The Battle of Kernstown

About this board game

Stonewall: The Battle of Kernstown is a two-player grand tactical, regimental simulation of the March 23, 1862 battle, with an approximately 120-minute playing time. One player commands Major General T.J. “Stonewall” Jackson’s Confederate Valley Army, while the other leads Brigadier General James Shield’s Division of the Union Army of the Potomac.

Each game-turn represents 20 minutes of real time, and every hex covers about 125 yards from hexside to hexside. Strength is measured in points, with each Strength Point representing 100 men or one gun. This scale supports a detailed recreation of the encounter while keeping the action focused on regimental-level decisions.

A Combat Effectiveness Chart tracks the changing morale and fatigue of units throughout the battle. The rules are based on the popular Terrible Swift Sword: Battle of Gettysburg Game system and were later developed into the Great Battles of the American Civil War system.

• Grand tactical, regimental-level Civil War combat
• Morale and fatigue tracked through a Combat Effectiveness Chart
• 20-minute turns and 125-yard hexes
• Victory points for objectives and enemy unit losses

Victory points are awarded to both players for selected objectives and for destroying enemy units. The player with the higher total wins, while the points difference determines the level of victory. This gives the battle more nuance than a simple win-or-lose result and rewards attention to both battlefield goals and force preservation.

Released in 1978, Stonewall includes one 22-by-32-inch mapsheet and one countersheet containing 100 counters. Together, these components provide the map and unit markers needed to explore this pivotal Shenandoah Valley engagement.