Grand Tactician is a seriously underrated game. Well worth the learning curve, and time sink. The bugs stand out when they happen, but overall it is negligible for what you get. Outfitting brigades with better and better armaments, veterancy system for officers, brigades, and entire army corps. The recruitment system makes sense, the economic system makes sense. No naval tactical maps but that would be too much. Passing laws to increase spending budgets towards every aspect. Eventually researching ironclads and Gatling guns, Henry repeaters, rifled cannons etc. there’s even a mechanic to get Britain to invade the Union from the North. Aggressiveness setting basically dictates if you can anticipate to have many, many fronts going. Naval invasions from the Gulf up the Mississippi, and countless incursions by huge armies. My favorite playthrough is as the CSA. I remember leading a 50k strong force of mostly Georgians into Indiana and occupying Indianapolis. There, I had fought 12 battles that finally ended the war. Loss of life, or strategic victory points held decide national morale, the support for continuing the war. I recommend it to anyone who are appealed to it. Remember, it takes a while to really get it down. You’ll likely not have a “good” first few campaigns.
The old "Civil War Generals 2" is by far the best I've ever played! Unfortunately there isn't a modern version that is playable. I installed it from an "old games" website but it only worked for a short time. I surely wish someone would make a version that is playable with todays computers!!!
I really enjoyed Scourge of War because of the ability for online play against other players and everyone having their own brigades. HITS (Headquarters in the Saddle), meaning your vantage point was stuck on top of your officer and you could only communicate with others by courier, was some of the most fun I have ever had in a game. It made for so many interesting engagements do to the inability to see what was going on with the other commanders without riding out ahead of your troops. Also hearing the sounds of battle in the distance slowly getting louder as you approached was such a good touch for that mode.
These have all looked good to me, but I have never played any of them, so cannot judge. I am an old wargamer from 1959, so I am more board game orientated, but no longer play them. However, the WDS games remind me so much of the old hex and counter board games without the rules booklet, charts and other tedium. My favorite in their vast Civil War collection is Campaign Gettysburg which covers Lee's operations from Brandy Station, Winchester, up through the Valley cavalry battles to the grand 230 game turn regiment level battle of Gettysburg. There are also at least 200 other alternate/hypothetical scenarios. The maps are enormous and beautiful! Everything is historically spot on! I am calling this a strategic game, because it does cover the entire campaign, including the retreat. The interface looks intimidating, but is really quite easy. The games are well supported.
Old board gamer myself. I really enjoy Civil War 2 because it is turn based (2 turns to a month) while it moves units and fights one day at a time. You don’t run the battles which feels more “ board game “ to me.
I was a big fan of the Battleground series from Talonsoft in the 1990s. During one playthrough of Battleground 4: Shiloh I was able to destroy the Army of the Tennessee on day 1. Buell showed up on day 2 and couldn't get on the battlefield. Both Grant and Sherman were captured. I don't know if those games could even work on modern systems, they were written for Win 3.1.
These games are alive, well and actually thriving. They have all been updated for current OS and better graphics, as well as some minor fixes. There are also now about 25 Civil War titles, as well as WW2, WW1, Napoleonic, Modern war, Naval War, and ancients titles galore. They have over 100 titles now. John Tiller passed away about 2 or 3 years ago, and the company has been rebranded as Wargame Design Studio, but it's the Tiller games. New titles about 4 times a year. 2 problems with these games. The A/I is so bad that once you get the hang of them, it's no challenge, the A/I is terrible. You really have to play these games PBEM, they are made to play human vs human. There are still free online clubs to get matches from though. You can download these games for any OS in 5 minutes, but...they arent cheap. 40$ a title. If you look at their website, the game covers look a little different, and they have expanded on the games as well. For example, if you get Campaign Shiloh it has the game you remember (The Talonsoft games. I had the 4 disk case with Gettysburg, Antietam, Bull Run and Shiloh. These are the same games) plus all of the partial game scenarios (Shiloh Church, Peach Orchard, etc) but it also has a campaign. Basically it's scripted choices that lead to prequel battles, skirmishes, and variations of the main battle. Losses carry over, choices change the battles.
I can't tell if my first comment worked or not. UA-cam is wigging on me. Anyways head over to Wargame Design Studios. They bought out the entire John Tiller library and publish them for modern platforms. So you can play those games without having to jump through technical hoops to get them to work.
The third game's gui reminds me of the old Battleground series of board-computer game conversions. Good memories. I had Gettysburgh, Shiloh and Borodino (Napoleon). But I can see how they wont qualify for "the best" today. One "feature" that really annoyed me was the units would only take loss at a minimum of 25 men at a time. No partials. So the chance of loss was frustratingly small. I could have a long line of artillery all pounding away at one unit for multiple turns and they wouldn't lose a single man. Then one hit kills 125 men and the rest rout.
American conquest: divided nation. It’s an old one, but definitely one of my favorite Civil War strategy games. Probably have a lot of nostalgia clouding my judgment, but definitely should check it out if you could find a copy.
Grand Tactician, Civil War is pretty expansive. I remember my first campaign, I played Union, I was building my forces in early 1861 and a battle developed near 1st Bull Run. I had about 40,000 men and the Rebs had about 35k. I had 3 divisions, and in a critical moment I ordered a division commander into the fight. It was early war and his division was primarily militia. This division commander wouldnt follow my orders, they didnt advance (it's rare but happens) and I lost the battle. I fired the Division commander, which was very unpopular with the governor from that state (Militia division), which had some consequences (short term) for recruiting from that state. Pretty deep game. The New DLC, Whiskey and Lemons, is a great concept but it needs some serious fixes. I still think it's fun, but the reviews are mostly negative. Ultimate General Civil War is amazing. So much fun. I think I have 600 steam hours on this game. The single battles are fun, but the campaign is really the gem of this game. Losses carry over from battle to battle, but you get reinforcement points to either reinforce shattered units or create all new units. You have to upgrade your units weapons when available, you can create your own OOB to your liking. It really feels like YOUR army in a way no other game does, imo. And as AM showed, it's a visually stunning game. This is must have for the CW enthusiast. Dont get Gettysburg, the first one, it's just the one battle. Get Civil War, the 2nd iteration. It has all of the battles and the campaign.
The only issue I have with ultimate generals: civil war is I feel it could have had an option to have your decisions matter. Playing as Confederacy you win several important battles and then you have to fight battles that wouldn't have happened because they were a result of the Confederacy losing previous battles or because of a blunder
Scourge of War is my flavor. By far the best tactical simulator available. The only thing missing is a campaign simulator, but that is somewhat understandable given the map details they provide in the available battles (Gettysburg, Antietam, Chancellorsville, and Brandy Station, I believe). Can you imagine mapping ALL the map possibilities that could be imagined in a ACW campaign from the gulf to the Ohio and to the sea? Sheesh! Hopefully they design a few more battles. Would love to see Shiloh, Fredericksburg, Chickamauga,/Chattanooga and Wilderness/Spotsylvania in the future. Heck, just map that entire Wilderness area, and you have 6 major battles from 1st Manassas to Spotsylvania. Just a thought.
my favorites based on type Strategic /Operational : AGEOD “Civil War II. Totally agree with your review. Tactical: Scourge of War: Gettysburg, Chancellorsville, Antietam, Brandy Station, and Pipe Creek
Was this PC game based on the Terrible Swift sword board game? I always thought if you could incorporate hidden movement that would have been the ultimate game because the regimental size scale was great. Played it a couple of times in college with 4 buddies over Xmas break - like 7 days and lots of cases. Great memories!
"The Civil War" by Empire is my favourite, followed closely by John Tiller's series which are now bundled on Slitherine/Matrix. UGCW is more an army management game, with some battles more abstract puzzles than historical battles.
Many years ago there was a turn-based, hex-grid game (sort of like Panzer General) that let you play all the Civil War battles. Would love to find something like that today.
The third game's gui reminds me of the old Battleground series of board-computer game conversions. Good memories. But I can see how they wont qualify for "the best" today. One "feature" that really annoyed me was the units would only take loss at a minimum of 25 men at a time. No partials. So the chance of loss was frustratingly small. I could have a long line of artillery all pounding away at one unit for multiple turns and they wouldn't lose a single man. Then one hit kills 125 men and the rest rout.
Just got Grand Tact and HOLY SHIT!!!!!!! If you want to micromanage everything and have FULL control Economic/political/military/diplo etc and it all be real time then you want this. Very deep game on every level. Its Total War and Paradox had a sweet ass baby that's been working out non stop! Rampage those economic centers/Towns and drop them to their knees!!!!!!
Thanks. I love the Ultimate General Civil War game. I’ve been looking for other civil war experiences through game play. I will check out your recommendations.
Things no one has ever said in history other than Benjamin Butler: “I think Benjamin Butler is an excellent general”. Lol But great game reviews. Thanks for taking the time
Ultimate General Civil War is just a gamey game. The key to it is to get a few cavalry and skirmisher units with the best weapons and set them to flank the battle lines of the enemy. You do have to maintain a solid battle like during this--ie no danger of anything happening--and then use your cav/skirmishers to simply melt the front line down from one end, slaughtering one regiment after the other until the line is so weak your main force can dive in on the destroyed flank and role up the entire line. Think of Jackson's infamous flanking maneuver at Chancellorsville, only this time you create the situation yourself every time. Some of the major set battles cheat, because when playing the campaign you build up your army bit by bit, and then don't get to use it all, or the army you just slaughters, you oppose in the next battle, and it is stronger than it ever was. So it comes down to you playing the same battles over and over again. The second game I don't know, but it look a lot like Ultimate General with a strategy map. It would be interesting to know how battles look in places that were not historical battle grounds. I do question the scope of the game though. You seem to be requited at every lever of everything at all times. You cannot lead a regiment and a second and a third, and fourth, while leading a corp and an army. That's just silly gameiness. Also, since when does the military decide what crops a farmer plants? Nee I like my realism to be real. Civil War II is a purely strategy game, and I know it very well. You should be playing the role of your nations head of the military. So there is no opportunity to get involved in how a battle is fought. In fact the small influences you might make were only added for flavor when CW2 was being developed from ACW, its parent game. But you can leave them out completely without a thought. The tactical cards you can play can at time be very useful, if you understand the details of the game well. For example, how friendly the population a region is to your faction can play a role in how many resources that region allocates to you and how easy it is to defend the region. With certain cards you can increase the populations loyalty to your great advantage, but such strategies only work when you know the exact affects of certain properties of a region and the effects the cards have. Yes, supply is the name of the game. As Napoleon stated, “the amateurs discuss tactics: the professionals discuss logistics”. You can run headlong into an enemy, or you can threaten his supply base. With the former, you may dislodge your enemy, and both sides take many casualties and cost much supply. With the later you will dislodge an enemy and force him from is position of strength to either fight from a position of weakness or try to find another position of strength, but you will lose not men and only the supplies your force is already consuming. Organize your armies well, and strike with them where the enemy is weak and the most is to be taken, while preventing him from doing the same. Played well, CW2 is like an enormous game of chess. Turns are two weeks, so playing the full campaign is over 400 turns(!!). At he very start with very few units, and if you already know the game well, you can plot a turn--the game is WEGO--in about 15 minutes. By the sommer of '62 you will have so many units and so many things to pay attention to, a turn will never take less then an hour to plan. Toward the end of the game, even longer. So you can calculate out how long a full campaign can take - it's very long(!!). You can play CW2 vs an human opponent by one player sending his plotted move to the executing player, who then copies his opponents plan into the game files and executes the turn, and then sends the results back to his opponenet. Such games can be extremely fun, because a human opponent will nearly always have ideas and ways to doing things the AI cannot even fathom. Sitting back and watching a turn run is so exciting, watching to see if your plans played out or them enemy saw through them and countered. No exaggeration, it will get your heart pounding.
I play Scourge of War Gettysburg, and Take Command: 2nd Manassas Personally. I do have Ultimate General but they just don't do it for me. I prefer the hands on approach being in my saddle along with sending dispatches with orders. Also SoWG is getting a work over (remake I guess) which is very good news. Great video by the way.
Played a handful of civil war games and all of them were fun, but nothing has ever come close to Sid Meier's Gettysburg and Antietam. Those two blow every other civil war game out of the water and I'm super sad there's no apparent way to play them on modern computers. Wish someone would fix that.
great games. only wish there was a no time limit option for the battles. They ended far too quickly. It asks you if you want to continue the battle but then it ends like 5 mins later. that got super annoying. If there had been a no time limit option i would problably still be playing it all these years later.
some other staff i recommand is Total war napoleon ACW mod which changes a game into civil war and it is one of the best NTW mods, also total war empire 2 mod for total war empire and there is some great mods for diffrent games which is like its own game by itself modding is great XD
I love almost all of their games, except maybe the ones that don't SEEM to lend themselves to the system. The 30 Years war was interesting but it was soooo long.
I forget the name of it, but there was a Civil War game where you could upgrade your troops weapons if you won the battle from taking the weapons from the field. Grand Tactician reminds me of that because I think you can upgrade weapons.
I’d like to find a high-level strategic game of this war with no tactics and no micromanagement, with which I could play the whole war through in an afternoon without fussing around with details. But no-one seems to make a game like that, so I go without. In real life, the details were delegated to subordinates, that’s what they’re for; but some game-players seem to want to do everything themselves, and game designers assume that all players are like that. Sigh.
Great video! I have all of them. I think my favorite is Grand Tactician going by playtime. Of course, that's probably because I spend so much time staring at the screen and looking up things in the manual. I think I'm more Henry Halleck than U.S. Grant! 😖
you can find alot of the old games here that have been set up to run on windows10/11 at Allvideo Classic Games. just got BF 2/4 and they work on newer windows system. also Sid Meier's Gettysburg.
My only really big complaint about ultimate general. Is there is no algorithm for alternates outcomes of battles. Sort of like what Civil War generals 2 did. There was all sorts of alternate pathways. You could take depending on what battles you won or lost
I own all three games, but haven't yet had the opportunity to play "Grand Tactician". "Ultimate General Civil War" is a lot of fun, and has intense gameplay. "Ageod's Civil War 2" is a massive game, and I had to watch a 72 part youtube series in order to learn how to play the game correctly. Oof! It was more work than fun to play it, but at least I finally understand the Ageod system. As for my favorite American Civil War game, it's "Forge of Freedom: The American Civil War 1861-1865" by Western Civilization Software, and published by Matrix Games. Originally released in 2006, it has an amazing hybrid strategic/tactical gameplay structure. Its only downside is that it came out shortly before widescreen resolutions, so it's restricted to a boxy 1024x768 resolution. Even so, it offers incredible gameplay, and decent AI.
"Oof! It was more work than fun to play it, but at least I finally understand the Ageod system." 😆😆😆 Me too! It was completely unintuitive. They are great looking games, but just too much trouble to learn.
I love forge of freedom, still have it. It's super basic by today's standards, but it was really the first attempt at an all encompassing campaign for computer. You control production, some politics if I remember, and the actual battles. Once your army started breaking, it skedaddled fast, lol.
Once you understand the basic mechanics and organizational systems the AGEOD system is used in other games. For example, there is a WW1 game using the system which plays out less dynamically than ACW2 but is absolutely brutal, especially for logistical play.
An interesting selection of games. I've tried Civil War II, but found it very difficult to learn. I've really enjoyed Strategic Command ACW, although I realise that it's not as accurate as the games you mentioned.
@@bdleo300 Not a big fan of Strategic command. Some of the titles are ok, like the bigger WW2 one, but it's still just global Panzer Corps. The Barbarossa one actually irked me a bit. The supply system and 'stay in your lane' operation sectors are just too debilitating to the Germans. It's like they found out in playtesting it was too easy for the Germans to win, so they added these handicaps for 'balance'. To each their own, though. They sell a lot of units.
When my self-imposed moratorium on buying new games ends, I will definetely consider this list ;) At the moment I'm reading the manual of Gary Grisby's War between the States, to avoid panic at the first launch of the campaign
Ultimate General Civil War the vanilla game is okay but there is a free mod its name is the J&P mod that really adds in everything the vanilla game was lacking and is the only way I will now play the game. Grand Tactician I have not yet tried but once the price drops and it is available for a good sale price I will surely give it a go. One non Civil War but WW2 RTS game I like but have a hard time wrapping my head around everything such as the naval and now all the spy stuff is Hearts of Iron 4. I have the majority of the DLC and this game there is no end to how you can play it and different strategies to try, even playing as different countries or factions, I just wish I could get better at it. If I could really get it figured out it would probably be the only game I ever played!
@@AgrippaMaxentius Staet with learning how to command a brigade. Keep in mind if you want to fight from a prepared position that you will need to take command of each brigade in that prepared position. You can try with the hold status, just know that the formation will turn to meet the threat. Most annoying. But the AI does work well for offensive action.
Grand tactican looks interessting. Alone the fact the backround behind the map isnt just a random blue or black one. It looks like a table with the map on it. Great Immersion :D Already played UA:Civil War. Great one so far. Next to His ridiculus enemy Army scaling😅 But motivates me to improve myself and learn more about this war. Iam german so i not know that much about it. (But at least more than some american who believe the WWI was about a fight between germany vs. america in first place😅) How ever, thx for this showcase:)
i noticed you gave around 6 mins to the last 2 and only around 3 mins to the first, bit of a shame. Ist game i played and loved was American conquest a nation divided
have civil war 2 got it from steam you have to think your moves out even with added troop setting the south has a hard time. did get England to come on the souths side. it's a good for grand strategy..
I got this big fat itch for something that’s like bannerlord but civil war like a single player versions of war of rights or battle cry for freedom mixed but single player aspect of bannerlord
How hard is it for you to mix the audio so that the gameplay sounds don't drown out your commentary? Ever heard of previewing your content in Adobe Premiere Pro BEFORE you export the video?
There’s a really old game where you can play other campaigns like the Mexican wars as part of the civil war anyone know that game? Can’t remember if it had the Alamo in it or nor ?
I just looked it up my pops used to play it it was called American conquest divided nation I don’t even remember what it looked like just that it the Texas war of independence in case you were wondering
In 1985 Avalon Hill put out a solitaire boardgame called Mosby's Raiders. It was very detailed but easy to play. I never did find a computer remake of it at the same level.
Talonsoft games evolved first to HPSSIMS and now Wargame Design Studios. The WDS versions are way better than the Talonsoft versions both for graphics and gameplay. I have Vicksburg and it is definitely a grognard level game. I also have Scourge of War Gettysburg which is a great tactical scale game but wish it had a PBEM option . I've never purchased any of the Ultimate General games like Civil War because they don't have a multiplayer option.
Yeap, got all 3 games for a while. The ultimate general one is by far the best. The other 2 are still clunky... 😢 The second one on the video is getting better as they fixed lots of bugs, and has a different mode too
How are you going to put thank janky Civil War II over Civil War Generals II, which is still probably my favorite all-around Civil War game. The first two are solid choices, though.
I’ve got Ultimate Generals: Civil War on mobile and it’s only the campaigns, nothing more which is disappointing. Because I too want to have the full experience. Nonetheless, it is beautiful and a really good game.
One thing you'll find is that the confederate players seem to be a diverse blend of white power, kkk, nazi, and lost cause types. Kinda funny sometimes, but they tend to be touchy, and sore losers which can be off putting.
-Definitely type in "Agrippa Maxentius Ultimate General Tutorial" you'll be crushing rebs in no time! I'll give you one huge tip, look for small patches of woodland and turn them into a hornets nest. have 2-3 of your squads in those areas firing at the enemy. When the enemy fires back, they're mostly hitting trees!
Grand Tactician: The Civil War looks by far the most interesting to me. I have little interest in the war between the US Unionist and Confederacy (I refuse to call it a 'civil war', because it wasn't - it was a war of aggression by the Unionsists against the independant Confederacy) so nothing deters me more than playing a campaign that's just about the historical set battles. But a dynamic campaign, hell yeah!
Grand Tactician is a seriously underrated game. Well worth the learning curve, and time sink. The bugs stand out when they happen, but overall it is negligible for what you get. Outfitting brigades with better and better armaments, veterancy system for officers, brigades, and entire army corps. The recruitment system makes sense, the economic system makes sense. No naval tactical maps but that would be too much. Passing laws to increase spending budgets towards every aspect. Eventually researching ironclads and Gatling guns, Henry repeaters, rifled cannons etc. there’s even a mechanic to get Britain to invade the Union from the North. Aggressiveness setting basically dictates if you can anticipate to have many, many fronts going. Naval invasions from the Gulf up the Mississippi, and countless incursions by huge armies. My favorite playthrough is as the CSA. I remember leading a 50k strong force of mostly Georgians into Indiana and occupying Indianapolis. There, I had fought 12 battles that finally ended the war. Loss of life, or strategic victory points held decide national morale, the support for continuing the war.
I recommend it to anyone who are appealed to it. Remember, it takes a while to really get it down. You’ll likely not have a “good” first few campaigns.
The old "Civil War Generals 2" is by far the best I've ever played! Unfortunately there isn't a modern version that is playable. I installed it from an "old games" website but it only worked for a short time. I surely wish someone would make a version that is playable with todays computers!!!
I could not agree more.
Amen
I worked on that back in the late 90's. Was pretty fun.
Absolutely, that is hands down my favorite Civil War strategy game.
It's not hard to emulate windows 3.1 in dosbox so that's an option.
Civil War 2 is clunky, super laggy, and very "unfriendly". But once you dive deeper into it you realize it's a masterpiece!
Pbem of it is insanely good
A Masterpiece
Yep, Civil War II is a masterpiece for sure
I really enjoyed Scourge of War because of the ability for online play against other players and everyone having their own brigades. HITS (Headquarters in the Saddle), meaning your vantage point was stuck on top of your officer and you could only communicate with others by courier, was some of the most fun I have ever had in a game. It made for so many interesting engagements do to the inability to see what was going on with the other commanders without riding out ahead of your troops. Also hearing the sounds of battle in the distance slowly getting louder as you approached was such a good touch for that mode.
Those were great battles!
These have all looked good to me, but I have never played any of them, so cannot judge. I am an old wargamer from 1959, so I am more board game orientated, but no longer play them. However, the WDS games remind me so much of the old hex and counter board games without the rules booklet, charts and other tedium. My favorite in their vast Civil War collection is Campaign Gettysburg which covers Lee's operations from Brandy Station, Winchester, up through the Valley cavalry battles to the grand 230 game turn regiment level battle of Gettysburg. There are also at least 200 other alternate/hypothetical scenarios. The maps are enormous and beautiful! Everything is historically spot on! I am calling this a strategic game, because it does cover the entire campaign, including the retreat. The interface looks intimidating, but is really quite easy. The games are well supported.
Amazing!!
Have you played the board game Battle Cry? I’ve heard it’s great but impossible to find these days.
Old board gamer myself. I really enjoy Civil War 2 because it is turn based (2 turns to a month) while it moves units and fights one day at a time. You don’t run the battles which feels more “ board game “ to me.
I don't think anything beats Scourge of War: Gettysburg. I still have the anniversary 150th CD Box. Works fine with Windows 11 and 13th Gen Intel.
I was a big fan of the Battleground series from Talonsoft in the 1990s. During one playthrough of Battleground 4: Shiloh I was able to destroy the Army of the Tennessee on day 1. Buell showed up on day 2 and couldn't get on the battlefield. Both Grant and Sherman were captured. I don't know if those games could even work on modern systems, they were written for Win 3.1.
These games are alive, well and actually thriving. They have all been updated for current OS and better graphics, as well as some minor fixes. There are also now about 25 Civil War titles, as well as WW2, WW1, Napoleonic, Modern war, Naval War, and ancients titles galore. They have over 100 titles now. John Tiller passed away about 2 or 3 years ago, and the company has been rebranded as Wargame Design Studio, but it's the Tiller games. New titles about 4 times a year. 2 problems with these games. The A/I is so bad that once you get the hang of them, it's no challenge, the A/I is terrible. You really have to play these games PBEM, they are made to play human vs human. There are still free online clubs to get matches from though. You can download these games for any OS in 5 minutes, but...they arent cheap. 40$ a title. If you look at their website, the game covers look a little different, and they have expanded on the games as well. For example, if you get Campaign Shiloh it has the game you remember (The Talonsoft games. I had the 4 disk case with Gettysburg, Antietam, Bull Run and Shiloh. These are the same games) plus all of the partial game scenarios (Shiloh Church, Peach Orchard, etc) but it also has a campaign. Basically it's scripted choices that lead to prequel battles, skirmishes, and variations of the main battle. Losses carry over, choices change the battles.
I can't tell if my first comment worked or not. UA-cam is wigging on me.
Anyways head over to Wargame Design Studios. They bought out the entire John Tiller library and publish them for modern platforms. So you can play those games without having to jump through technical hoops to get them to work.
I loved Talonsoft's Antietam.
You could really learn about the battlefield terrain, the maps were excellent.
The third game's gui reminds me of the old Battleground series of board-computer game conversions. Good memories.
I had Gettysburgh, Shiloh and Borodino (Napoleon).
But I can see how they wont qualify for "the best" today.
One "feature" that really annoyed me was the units would only take loss at a minimum of 25 men at a time. No partials. So the chance of loss was frustratingly small.
I could have a long line of artillery all pounding away at one unit for multiple turns and they wouldn't lose a single man. Then one hit kills 125 men and the rest rout.
Would love an updated Syd Meiers Gettysburg for more modern computers
That and Civil War Generals 2
Yes! Sid Meier's Gettysburg is by far my favorite civil war game
@@JoeLiningToolFilms I have managed to get one that will play on a more modern laptop and Antietam on the same disc i am now on cloud nine
Ultimate generals is basically a modern version of it
@@mikeb1596 Thanks I will look into it
American conquest: divided nation. It’s an old one, but definitely one of my favorite Civil War strategy games. Probably have a lot of nostalgia clouding my judgment, but definitely should check it out if you could find a copy.
Click video, ready to scream about Grand Tactician, immediately see a GT loading screen.
My man
As others stated. I played Civil War Generals 2 a lot. Really Enjoyed that game.
Grand Tactician, Civil War is pretty expansive. I remember my first campaign, I played Union, I was building my forces in early 1861 and a battle developed near 1st Bull Run. I had about 40,000 men and the Rebs had about 35k. I had 3 divisions, and in a critical moment I ordered a division commander into the fight. It was early war and his division was primarily militia. This division commander wouldnt follow my orders, they didnt advance (it's rare but happens) and I lost the battle. I fired the Division commander, which was very unpopular with the governor from that state (Militia division), which had some consequences (short term) for recruiting from that state. Pretty deep game. The New DLC, Whiskey and Lemons, is a great concept but it needs some serious fixes. I still think it's fun, but the reviews are mostly negative.
Ultimate General Civil War is amazing. So much fun. I think I have 600 steam hours on this game. The single battles are fun, but the campaign is really the gem of this game. Losses carry over from battle to battle, but you get reinforcement points to either reinforce shattered units or create all new units. You have to upgrade your units weapons when available, you can create your own OOB to your liking. It really feels like YOUR army in a way no other game does, imo. And as AM showed, it's a visually stunning game. This is must have for the CW enthusiast. Dont get Gettysburg, the first one, it's just the one battle. Get Civil War, the 2nd iteration. It has all of the battles and the campaign.
Grand Tactician strategic map + some elements of AGEOD’s Civil War II + Ultimate General tactical map = Ultimate ACW Game
Try Scourge of War rather than Ultimate General. I find UG severely lacking due to the lack of a real command structure.
The only issue I have with ultimate generals: civil war is I feel it could have had an option to have your decisions matter. Playing as Confederacy you win several important battles and then you have to fight battles that wouldn't have happened because they were a result of the Confederacy losing previous battles or because of a blunder
Scourge of War is my flavor. By far the best tactical simulator available. The only thing missing is a campaign simulator, but that is somewhat understandable given the map details they provide in the available battles (Gettysburg, Antietam, Chancellorsville, and Brandy Station, I believe). Can you imagine mapping ALL the map possibilities that could be imagined in a ACW campaign from the gulf to the Ohio and to the sea? Sheesh! Hopefully they design a few more battles. Would love to see Shiloh, Fredericksburg, Chickamauga,/Chattanooga and Wilderness/Spotsylvania in the future. Heck, just map that entire Wilderness area, and you have 6 major battles from 1st Manassas to Spotsylvania. Just a thought.
The game has saved me from falling asleep on overnight shifts haha. It's very intense.
my favorites based on type
Strategic /Operational : AGEOD “Civil War II. Totally agree with your review.
Tactical: Scourge of War: Gettysburg, Chancellorsville, Antietam, Brandy Station, and Pipe Creek
I love Nick Thomidas' work, ~Darth Mod~ Ive followed his work since the early days of Empire total war Modding.
First game I played on PC was SSI's Gettysburg in the late 80's
same here on a Well, on a Commodore 128.
Was this PC game based on the Terrible Swift sword board game? I always thought if you could incorporate hidden movement that would have been the ultimate game because the regimental size scale was great. Played it a couple of times in college with 4 buddies over Xmas break - like 7 days and lots of cases. Great memories!
"The Civil War" by Empire is my favourite, followed closely by John Tiller's series which are now bundled on Slitherine/Matrix. UGCW is more an army management game, with some battles more abstract puzzles than historical battles.
I've only played the Take Command ones from mad minutes games. I'll have to check these out also.
Many years ago there was a turn-based, hex-grid game (sort of like Panzer General) that let you play all the Civil War battles. Would love to find something like that today.
Sounds like Civil War Generals 2, one of my favorites.
John Tillers Campaign Series. Battleground Gettysburg. It was good.
@@AgrippaMaxentius Yes, that's it! Thank you. Amazing game for its time.
So glad I saw this video after playing ultimate general… grand tactician… thank you this is my next game
The tutorial mission in UGCW is so damn harder than it should be but if you get through it it’s worth.
The third game's gui reminds me of the old Battleground series of board-computer game conversions. Good memories.
But I can see how they wont qualify for "the best" today.
One "feature" that really annoyed me was the units would only take loss at a minimum of 25 men at a time. No partials. So the chance of loss was frustratingly small.
I could have a long line of artillery all pounding away at one unit for multiple turns and they wouldn't lose a single man. Then one hit kills 125 men and the rest rout.
Just got Grand Tact and HOLY SHIT!!!!!!! If you want to micromanage everything and have FULL control Economic/political/military/diplo etc and it all be real time then you want this. Very deep game on every level. Its Total War and Paradox had a sweet ass baby that's been working out non stop! Rampage those economic centers/Towns and drop them to their knees!!!!!!
Personally I loved the Take Command Second Manasas & Scourge of War: Gettysburg (Whole Series), I wish they would remaster or even put them on steam.
They are after they fix/update waterloo. Norbsoft separated themselves from slitherine and are republishing it
@@benjaminburns4412 what do you mean update, a recent update or are they going to soon?
@@mkeogh76 awesome news
Thanks. I love the Ultimate General Civil War game. I’ve been looking for other civil war experiences through game play. I will check out your recommendations.
Played ultimate general Gettysburg on ps5 loved it got the platinum need more games like that on ps5
Scourge of War is an excellent battle simulator, the developers are working on a new version hopefully available soon
Things no one has ever said in history other than Benjamin Butler: “I think Benjamin Butler is an excellent general”. Lol
But great game reviews. Thanks for taking the time
Ultimate General Civil War is just a gamey game. The key to it is to get a few cavalry and skirmisher units with the best weapons and set them to flank the battle lines of the enemy. You do have to maintain a solid battle like during this--ie no danger of anything happening--and then use your cav/skirmishers to simply melt the front line down from one end, slaughtering one regiment after the other until the line is so weak your main force can dive in on the destroyed flank and role up the entire line. Think of Jackson's infamous flanking maneuver at Chancellorsville, only this time you create the situation yourself every time.
Some of the major set battles cheat, because when playing the campaign you build up your army bit by bit, and then don't get to use it all, or the army you just slaughters, you oppose in the next battle, and it is stronger than it ever was. So it comes down to you playing the same battles over and over again.
The second game I don't know, but it look a lot like Ultimate General with a strategy map. It would be interesting to know how battles look in places that were not historical battle grounds.
I do question the scope of the game though. You seem to be requited at every lever of everything at all times. You cannot lead a regiment and a second and a third, and fourth, while leading a corp and an army. That's just silly gameiness. Also, since when does the military decide what crops a farmer plants? Nee I like my realism to be real.
Civil War II is a purely strategy game, and I know it very well. You should be playing the role of your nations head of the military. So there is no opportunity to get involved in how a battle is fought. In fact the small influences you might make were only added for flavor when CW2 was being developed from ACW, its parent game. But you can leave them out completely without a thought.
The tactical cards you can play can at time be very useful, if you understand the details of the game well. For example, how friendly the population a region is to your faction can play a role in how many resources that region allocates to you and how easy it is to defend the region. With certain cards you can increase the populations loyalty to your great advantage, but such strategies only work when you know the exact affects of certain properties of a region and the effects the cards have.
Yes, supply is the name of the game. As Napoleon stated, “the amateurs discuss tactics: the professionals discuss logistics”. You can run headlong into an enemy, or you can threaten his supply base. With the former, you may dislodge your enemy, and both sides take many casualties and cost much supply. With the later you will dislodge an enemy and force him from is position of strength to either fight from a position of weakness or try to find another position of strength, but you will lose not men and only the supplies your force is already consuming.
Organize your armies well, and strike with them where the enemy is weak and the most is to be taken, while preventing him from doing the same.
Played well, CW2 is like an enormous game of chess. Turns are two weeks, so playing the full campaign is over 400 turns(!!). At he very start with very few units, and if you already know the game well, you can plot a turn--the game is WEGO--in about 15 minutes. By the sommer of '62 you will have so many units and so many things to pay attention to, a turn will never take less then an hour to plan. Toward the end of the game, even longer. So you can calculate out how long a full campaign can take - it's very long(!!).
You can play CW2 vs an human opponent by one player sending his plotted move to the executing player, who then copies his opponents plan into the game files and executes the turn, and then sends the results back to his opponenet.
Such games can be extremely fun, because a human opponent will nearly always have ideas and ways to doing things the AI cannot even fathom. Sitting back and watching a turn run is so exciting, watching to see if your plans played out or them enemy saw through them and countered. No exaggeration, it will get your heart pounding.
I really like Grand Tactican Civil War. If you get a chance try out their DLC Whiskey and Lemons. Do a review on that if possible.
I play Scourge of War Gettysburg, and Take Command: 2nd Manassas Personally. I do have Ultimate General but they just don't do it for me. I prefer the hands on approach being in my saddle along with sending dispatches with orders. Also SoWG is getting a work over (remake I guess) which is very good news. Great video by the way.
Played a handful of civil war games and all of them were fun, but nothing has ever come close to Sid Meier's Gettysburg and Antietam. Those two blow every other civil war game out of the water and I'm super sad there's no apparent way to play them on modern computers. Wish someone would fix that.
Same story with Civil War Generals 2, they genuinely rival some of these games.
I literally had thousands of hours invested into Gettysburg. Such a fantastic game
great games. only wish there was a no time limit option for the battles. They ended far too quickly. It asks you if you want to continue the battle but then it ends like 5 mins later. that got super annoying.
If there had been a no time limit option i would problably still be playing it all these years later.
some other staff i recommand is Total war napoleon ACW mod which changes a game into civil war and it is one of the best NTW mods, also total war empire 2 mod for total war empire and there is some great mods for diffrent games which is like its own game by itself modding is great XD
I like AGEOD games. It is too bad they are no longer being supported because they are fun to play IMO.
I actually don't like AGEOD games, but this one (Civil War II) is really good, their best game imo
I love almost all of their games, except maybe the ones that don't SEEM to lend themselves to the system. The 30 Years war was interesting but it was soooo long.
Field of Glory 2 Empires and the new Medieval version are AGEOD games and they are very recent
Grand Tactician is the most detail user friendly out of the three. It's what TW should have become but didn't.
Strategic command Ameracian civil war should be on your list too :)
I forget the name of it, but there was a Civil War game where you could upgrade your troops weapons if you won the battle from taking the weapons from the field. Grand Tactician reminds me of that because I think you can upgrade weapons.
How have you been man!! I recall that in Civil War Generals 2, fantastic system.
I’d like to find a high-level strategic game of this war with no tactics and no micromanagement, with which I could play the whole war through in an afternoon without fussing around with details. But no-one seems to make a game like that, so I go without. In real life, the details were delegated to subordinates, that’s what they’re for; but some game-players seem to want to do everything themselves, and game designers assume that all players are like that. Sigh.
We need Civil War Total War
Great video, but plz work on your audio mixing. I'm having trouble hearing you over the game audio.
Great video! I have all of them. I think my favorite is Grand Tactician going by playtime. Of course, that's probably because I spend so much time staring at the screen and looking up things in the manual. I think I'm more Henry Halleck than U.S. Grant! 😖
you can find alot of the old games here that have been set up to run on windows10/11 at Allvideo Classic Games. just got BF 2/4 and they work on newer windows system. also Sid Meier's Gettysburg.
My only really big complaint about ultimate general. Is there is no algorithm for alternates outcomes of battles. Sort of like what Civil War generals 2 did. There was all sorts of alternate pathways. You could take depending on what battles you won or lost
I own all three games, but haven't yet had the opportunity to play "Grand Tactician". "Ultimate General Civil War" is a lot of fun, and has intense gameplay. "Ageod's Civil War 2" is a massive game, and I had to watch a 72 part youtube series in order to learn how to play the game correctly. Oof! It was more work than fun to play it, but at least I finally understand the Ageod system. As for my favorite American Civil War game, it's "Forge of Freedom: The American Civil War 1861-1865" by Western Civilization Software, and published by Matrix Games. Originally released in 2006, it has an amazing hybrid strategic/tactical gameplay structure. Its only downside is that it came out shortly before widescreen resolutions, so it's restricted to a boxy 1024x768 resolution. Even so, it offers incredible gameplay, and decent AI.
"Oof! It was more work than fun to play it, but at least I finally understand the Ageod system."
😆😆😆
Me too!
It was completely unintuitive. They are great looking games, but just too much trouble to learn.
I love forge of freedom, still have it. It's super basic by today's standards, but it was really the first attempt at an all encompassing campaign for computer. You control production, some politics if I remember, and the actual battles. Once your army started breaking, it skedaddled fast, lol.
Once you understand the basic mechanics and organizational systems the AGEOD system is used in other games.
For example, there is a WW1 game using the system which plays out less dynamically than ACW2 but is absolutely brutal, especially for logistical play.
The only issue i have with Grand Tactician is that it's very rare for your armies to *not* glitch out and never engage in battles
I appreciate your review but the sound of the games is louder than your comments which makes it hard to hear you.
An interesting selection of games. I've tried Civil War II, but found it very difficult to learn. I've really enjoyed Strategic Command ACW, although I realise that it's not as accurate as the games you mentioned.
Strategic Command WW1 is great, but their ACW game not so much.
@@bdleo300 Not a big fan of Strategic command. Some of the titles are ok, like the bigger WW2 one, but it's still just global Panzer Corps. The Barbarossa one actually irked me a bit. The supply system and 'stay in your lane' operation sectors are just too debilitating to the Germans. It's like they found out in playtesting it was too easy for the Germans to win, so they added these handicaps for 'balance'. To each their own, though. They sell a lot of units.
When my self-imposed moratorium on buying new games ends, I will definetely consider this list ;)
At the moment I'm reading the manual of Gary Grisby's War between the States, to avoid panic at the first launch of the campaign
Special mention
American conquest divided nation
classic
As a guy who worked on Civil War Generals 2, I am deeply upset that it did not make your list.
That was my favorite game as a kid, simply could never find a modern playable version of it. Really neat to meet someone involved with it!
Ultimate General Gettysburg was released aug 8th for consoles! I'm not sure about Xbox cost but it's 15 on PS4! I'm buying payday!
Ultimate General Civil War the vanilla game is okay but there is a free mod its name is the J&P mod that really adds in everything the vanilla game was lacking and is the only way I will now play the game.
Grand Tactician I have not yet tried but once the price drops and it is available for a good sale price I will surely give it a go.
One non Civil War but WW2 RTS game I like but have a hard time wrapping my head around everything such as the naval and now all the spy stuff is Hearts of Iron 4.
I have the majority of the DLC and this game there is no end to how you can play it and different strategies to try, even playing as different countries or factions, I just wish I could get better at it.
If I could really get it figured out it would probably be the only game I ever played!
I recently bought Grand Tactician: Civil War and it's awesome.
I will have to check the games out. My favorite is by Mad Minute games, Take Command 2nd Manassas
I have it, looks beautiful, but have never figured out how to actually play it.
@@AgrippaMaxentius Staet with learning how to command a brigade. Keep in mind if you want to fight from a prepared position that you will need to take command of each brigade in that prepared position. You can try with the hold status, just know that the formation will turn to meet the threat. Most annoying. But the AI does work well for offensive action.
really hope ultimate general has multiplayer mode
Grand tactican looks interessting. Alone the fact the backround behind the map isnt just a random blue or black one. It looks like a table with the map on it. Great Immersion :D
Already played UA:Civil War. Great one so far. Next to His ridiculus enemy Army scaling😅 But motivates me to improve myself and learn more about this war.
Iam german so i not know that much about it.
(But at least more than some american who believe the WWI was about a fight between germany vs. america in first place😅)
How ever, thx for this showcase:)
Had Civil War 2 for along time. Never learned how to play it.
11:22 That is Covington, Tennessee NOT Virginia
Great video as always!
I agree
Robert E Lee Civil War General
i noticed you gave around 6 mins to the last 2 and only around 3 mins to the first, bit of a shame. Ist game i played and loved was American conquest a nation divided
have civil war 2 got it from steam you have to think your moves out even with added troop setting the south has a hard time. did get England to come on the souths side. it's a good for grand strategy..
I got this big fat itch for something that’s like bannerlord but civil war like a single player versions of war of rights or battle cry for freedom mixed but single player aspect of bannerlord
How hard is it for you to mix the audio so that the gameplay sounds don't drown out your commentary? Ever heard of previewing your content in Adobe Premiere Pro BEFORE you export the video?
Sid meier Getty still is better than ultimate general by importants questions
Yes! SMG is the best civil war game I wish someone would bring it back!
Grand Tactician is loads better than the others.
I own all 3 and grand tactician is the only one I regret buying.
Спасибо за видео! Нашел то, что искал. 👍
I hadn't seen the third game in this video.
There’s a really old game where you can play other campaigns like the Mexican wars as part of the civil war anyone know that game? Can’t remember if it had the Alamo in it or nor ?
I just looked it up my pops used to play it it was called American conquest divided nation I don’t even remember what it looked like just that it the Texas war of independence in case you were wondering
There’s this one civil war rts game where you planned as bushwhackers. I believe it was called Mosby’s confederacy. I liked the idea.
Havent tried that one, I need to take a look.
@@AgrippaMaxentius so far no one has done a complete series on it. If you could that would be great
In 1985 Avalon Hill put out a solitaire boardgame called Mosby's Raiders. It was very detailed but easy to play. I never did find a computer remake of it at the same level.
English is not my first language. So I miss a summary in which all three game names are mentioned again.
great job!
Talonsoft games evolved first to HPSSIMS and now Wargame Design Studios. The WDS versions are way better than the Talonsoft versions both for graphics and gameplay. I have Vicksburg and it is definitely a grognard level game. I also have Scourge of War Gettysburg which is a great tactical scale game but wish it had a PBEM option . I've never purchased any of the Ultimate General games like Civil War because they don't have a multiplayer option.
Ultimate general is an awesome game!
Number 4: American conquest Divided Nation Mod
Some one need to make a good mobile version. Like farel did with company of heros .
The best imo is total war empire mod
Getting better 17 Union regiments surrendered at Antietam
Earned a subscriber.
Welcome!
Robert E Lee civil war general is number one
I miss The Blue and the Grey
lol i have 1500 hours in UGCW. vanilla game is pretty bad, but still alot of fun .... but the J&P rebalancing mod , makes it amazing
over 2k hours here in UGCW....one of my all time fav games
Civil War 2, the Bloody Road South = Best
Yeap, got all 3 games for a while.
The ultimate general one is by far the best.
The other 2 are still clunky... 😢
The second one on the video is getting better as they fixed lots of bugs, and has a different mode too
How are you going to put thank janky Civil War II over Civil War Generals II, which is still probably my favorite all-around Civil War game. The first two are solid choices, though.
I love CWG2 but figured it was waaaayyyy too old to put here. Also nearly impossible to locate a copy anymore (no longer have a CD-ROM )
UGCW just did not cut it for me sorry.
I’ve got Ultimate Generals: Civil War on mobile and it’s only the campaigns, nothing more which is disappointing. Because I too want to have the full experience.
Nonetheless, it is beautiful and a really good game.
One thing you'll find is that the confederate players seem to be a diverse blend of white power, kkk, nazi, and lost cause types. Kinda funny sometimes, but they tend to be touchy, and sore losers which can be off putting.
Please turn down the game audio so I can hear you.
Where can i get civil war 2?
A shame war of right is not on this list
McDowell was a good general, he has been slandered by historians. Butler sucked, you got it backwards.
North and South on the commodore amiga was better than them all
ASK JIM TO MAKE ULTAMATE GENERAL WATERLOO PLS PLS PLS
You don't include North and South in your Top 3?
I'd like to but wanted to take more recent titles. In my opinion Civil War Generals 2 is #1 of all
@@AgrippaMaxentius lol just kidding :D
Links to the games ?
If they paid me, I would
I keep getting my ass kicked in Ultimate General, love the game, but I get my ass beat by the Confederates constantly..
-Definitely type in "Agrippa Maxentius Ultimate General Tutorial" you'll be crushing rebs in no time! I'll give you one huge tip, look for small patches of woodland and turn them into a hornets nest. have 2-3 of your squads in those areas firing at the enemy. When the enemy fires back, they're mostly hitting trees!
@@AgrippaMaxentius Also get as many 24pdr howitzers too
Grand Tactician: The Civil War looks by far the most interesting to me. I have little interest in the war between the US Unionist and Confederacy (I refuse to call it a 'civil war', because it wasn't - it was a war of aggression by the Unionsists against the independant Confederacy) so nothing deters me more than playing a campaign that's just about the historical set battles.
But a dynamic campaign, hell yeah!
God bless General Robert E. Lee! The South will rise again! Amen Brutha!