great campaigns of the American Civil War   

Updated Nov. 23, 2013

2013 WBC Report  

  2014 Status: pending 2013 GM commitment

Dave Cross, VA

2013 Champion

Event History
1993    Ed Beach*      22
1994    Ray Rooks*      22
1995    Bruno Passacantando*      22
1996    Paul Tisevich *      27
1997    Jeff Otto*      22
1998    Bruno Passacantando *      13
1999    Ken Lee*     18
2000    Chris Withers**     19
2001    Chris Withers**     20
2002    Chris Withers**     18
2003    Chris Withers**     19
2004    Chris Withers**     16
2005     Chris Withers***     26
2006    Chris Withers     19
2007     Chris Withers     22
2008     Ed Beach     17 
2009     Ed Beach     20
2010     Chris Withers     18
2011    Chris Withers     17 
2012    Rob Doane     10
2013    Dave Cross     17

* Stonewall Jackson's Way      ** Combined into GC2      ***Combined GC2 & GC3 into GCA

PBeM Event History
2000    Ed Beach      17
2010    Ed Beach     51
2013    Steve Likevich      46

 Laurels

Rank  Name              From  Last  Total
  1.  Chris Withers      CA    12    395
  2.  Ed Beach           MD    13    275
  3.  David Cross        VA    13    142
  4.  Rob Doane          MD    12    118
  5.  Mark Booth         VA    10    107
  6.  Steve Likevich     OH    13    106
  7.  B. Passacantando   CT    03     84
  8.  Paul Nied          KS    04     78
  9.  Justin Rice        VA    13     65
 10.  Scott Spurgeon     on    13     63
 11.  Michael Pacheco    CA    13     62
 12.  Doug Smith         PA    13     36
 13.  Pat Duffy          NJ    02     29
 14.  Greg Tanner        AZ    13     15
 15.  Patrick Pence      FL    10     15
 16.  Ken Lee            PA    09     15
 17.  Dennis Mason       ME    04     15
 18.  Robert Dwyer       NJ    04     15
 19.  Jim Pyle           VA    00     15
 20.  Jonathan Moody     OH    13     12
 21.  Ted Drozd          IL    10     12
 22.  Jay Meyers         CA    07      9
 23.  Steve Sandy        OH    02      9
 24.  Buck Karpowitz     DC    01      9
 25.  David Dockter      MN    00      9
 26.  Gary Kirk          au    13      8
 27.  Allen Hill         MD    10      6
 28.  Brad Merrill       ME    10      6
 29.  Brad Anderson      OH    02      6
 30.  William Cooper     NJ    00      6
 31.  Geoff Allbutt      NY    13      3
 32.  Mike Metcalf       NC    11      3
 33.  Rod Coffey         MD    05      3
 34.  Dennis Nicholson   NY    04      3
 35.  Marty Musella      VA    03      3
 36.  Forrest Speck      MD    01      3
 37.  Mike Metcalf       NC    01      3
 38.  Hugh Mater         NJ    00      3
 39.  Doug Pratto        MA    00      1

2013 Laurelists                                          Repeating Laurelists: 

Doug Smith, PA
2nd

Ed Beach, MD
3rd

Greg Tanner, AZ
4th

Justin Rice, VA
5th

Geoff Allbutt, NY
6th

Past Winners

Ed Beach, MD
1993, 2008-09

Ray Rooks, MD
1994

Bruno Passacantando, CT
1995, 1998

Paul Tisevich, FL
1996

Jeff Otto, OH
1997

Ken Lee, PA
1999

Chris Withers, CA
2000-2007, 2010-11

Rob Doane, MD
2012

Dave Cross, VA
2013

Greg Tanner and Justin Rice exchange volleys.

Three-time champ and designer Ed Beach vs Seth Gunar

The King is No Longer the King

The year 2000 brought change to The Great Campaigns of the American Civil War (GCACW) series tournament play. Instead of trying to pack an ever expanding series of games into a five-day tournament it was decided to consolidate down to two events. Additional campaign games were added for those who love truly looonnnng games. The first tournament was titled '1862' which encompassed four games: Stonewall Jackson's Way, Here Come the Rebels,  Stonewall in the Valley and On to Richmond. The remander of the series covered the later years of the war and was contested under the label 1863.

In 2005, the two events were merged into one due to declining attendance and now covers the entire series.

 

 

 

 

 

Victory at Last ... Albeit a Small Skirmish ...

A previous champion returned to the winner's circle in this year's Great Campaigns tournament after a ten year absence. Dave Cross's rebs blew out Doug Smith in Rappahannock to Bull Run, one of the many revamped Stonewall Jackson's Way scenarios making their debut this year. Cross won the 1863 portion of the tournament in 2003. He was also a finalist in 2010, and long-time GM. Smith made his second appearance in the Final round -- having lost to Chris Withers in the 2011 championship. No disgrace that - given the latter's ten titles.

They were two of 17 players unveiling Stonewall Jackson's Way II, the latest game in the series. SJWII revamps many of its predecessor's Second Manassas scenarios, and adds All Green Alike, a module covering the First Manassas campaign.

Wednesday's three-heat preliminary games started with An End to Innocence, the AGA scenario covering the battle of First Manassas. The Rebs were an impressive 7-0 in this one (Designer Chris Withers insists this one is balanced!). This was probably an aberration, though: In five of the seven games, the more-experienced player was wearing butternut, probably skewing the results.

We then moved to SJW and played Lee vs. Pope (A perfect 3-3 balance), followed by Bag the Whole Crowd (Yanks prevailing 2-1).

Four players advanced to the elimination rounds: Ed Beach and Cross, and Greg Tanner and Smith, where they played McDowell's Opportunity from AGA to determine the finalists.

Cross opened the Final by moving Jackson's Corps to Thoroughfare Gap, with one unit falling disorganized. On Turn 2, he pushed Stonewall's boys to F4, but gained Manassas with one unit across Bull Run. Stuart raced through Thoroughfare Gap, but Pope did not pull out of his forward positions, and both his boys in blue and most of Longstreet's guys rested.

Jackson went on a rampage on Turn 3, annihilating Wagner and burning the Fairfax City Rail. Stuart did damage, too, and Longstreet was able to break out along the Warrenton Pike. Worst of all: A counterattack by McDowell was bumbled, and the Union commander was left trapped. On Turn 4, Longstreet was up to the task: He crushed McDowell (a 3DR combat result plus multiple retreat losses), and then followed by trapping and annihilating Sigel with King (3DR plus a staggering six retreat losses). With that, Doug surrendered his sword and Dave was crowned champion.

Dave -- early on Turn 4 -- had 30 points from burning rail stations, 18 net casualty VPs and 7 points for routing Union units: 55 total points, easily on the road to a Substantive victory, and perhaps even Decisive.

For next year: Our numbers improved this August, but still south of what we're striving for. Please keep an eye on the Trial Events ballot from the BPA, in case we must face the dreaded vote again this year. And please do keep playing Great Campaigns. Work on the next games in the series (the campaign from Chattanooga to Atlanta) is well underway, as well as another redesigned Eastern Theater game. We're already looking forward to next year's tournament, and we'd love to hear your feedback on how we can get you to come play a game or two at next year's WBC.


 Play By Email 2013

Three years and two GMs later, the third GCA PBeM tournament has limped over the finish line. A total of 46 players participated in 88 games with Steve Likevich and Scott Spurgeon surviving through four preliminary and two elimination rounds to reach the Final. They ended the marathon struggle with the three-turn Battle of Chickamauga scenario from Battle Above the Clouds. Steve's Yanks spliut the rebel army in two early and defeated it in detail.

Other laurelists were Mike Pacheco, Jonathan Moody, Gary Kirk and Ed Beach in that order.

 GM      Justin Rice [5th Year]   3229 Lancaster Ring Road, Fredericksburg, VA 22408 
    justinrice3131@yahoo.com     540-840-9267

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