Test of Fire: Bull Run 1861

About this board game

Test of Fire: Bull Run 1861 is a two-player board game about the first land battle of the American Civil War, with a playing time of approximately 45 minutes. Set on July 21, 1861, it places the raw, untried armies of North and South against one another.

One player commands General Beauregard’s Confederate forces defending Virginia. The other takes the role of Union General Irvin McDowell, seeking to stop the rebellion of the South and reunite the nation.

Command opportunities in the game are determined by dice and action cards. These systems shape what each army can do as the battle develops, creating a contest focused on battlefield decisions and carefully pursued objectives.

The Union Army of Northeastern Virginia wins by seizing Manassas Junction or routing the Southern Army. The Confederate Army of the Potomac and Confederate Army of the Shenandoah have several paths to victory:

• Route the Union army.
• Avoid being routed.
• Seize the Northern town of Centreville.
• Deny the Union a victory.

That range of victory conditions gives both sides a distinct strategic role. The Union must press its offensive aims, while the Confederates defend Virginia and seek opportunities to break or outmaneuver their opponent.

Designed by Martin Wallace and published by Mayfair Games, Test of Fire: Bull Run 1861 commemorates the battle’s sesquicentennial. It is also the first game in a planned series of American Civil War-themed games.