Players play the same side throughout the tournament (CSA or USA) until the finals. After preliminary Swiss rounds of Bentonville, Bull Run and Pea Ridge, the top two from each side advance to semifinals of Bentonville. Top player from each side advances to finals of Bull Run. Finalists will play two games, one from the CSA side & one from the USA side. The two games will be judged cumulatively.

Special Tournament Rules

Three preliminary Swiss rounds will be played with the top two players in victory points from each side (CSA and USA) advancing to the semifinals. During the Bentonville scenario, all games will use the same chit pull during turn 1 to reduce the potential for wide variations in the games. The GM's game will be the official chit pull for the group. Victory points for the scenarios will be assigned as follows:

Round 1 - Bentonville: CSA VP USA VP
Union Decisive (USA VP / CSA VP >= 2 to1) 0 6
Union Substantial (USA VP / CSA VP >= 1.5 to 1) 1 5
Draw (any combination not covered) 3 3
Confederate Marginal (CSA VP / USA VP >= 1.5 to 1) 4 2
Confederate Substantial (CSA VP / USA VP >= 2 to 1)    5 1
In addition, CSA player receives one bonus VP for each objective hex captured (three maximum).

Round 2 - Bull Run:
   Turn 9 Victory: CSA VP USA VP
Confederate Decisive (CSA controls 3 objectives) 7 0
Union Substantial (USA controls 2 objectives) 1 6
Union Decisive (USA controls 3 objectives) 0 7
   Turn 10 Victory:
Confederate Decisive (CSA controls 3 objectives) 6 0
Draw (any combination not covered)            3       3
Union Marginal (USA controls 1 objective) 2 4
Union Substantial (USA controls 2 objectives) 1 5
Union Decisive (USA controls 3 objectives) 0 6

Round 3 - Pea Ridge:
   First Day Victory: CSA VP USA VP
Confederate Decisive (CSA controls 2 objectives) 7 0
Union Decisive (USA controls 3 objectives) 0 7
Second Day Victory:
Confederate Decisive (CSA controls 3 objectives) 6 0
Confederate Substantial (CSA controls 2 objectives) 5 1
Confederate Marginal (CSA controls 1 objective) 4 2
Draw (any combination not covered) 3       3
Union Substantial (USA controls 3 objectives) 1 5
The semifinals will be Bentonville. Victory Points will be doubled. Top two cumulative scores from each side will advance to the finals.

Final will be Bull Run. Previous victory points are discarded.

In case of a tie in total Victory Points to determine who advances to semifinals and finals, the tie breaker will be based on strength of games played determined by opponents' total score.

Late Arrivals, Long Games and Byes

Tournament registration will be closed approximately five minutes after tournament is scheduled to start.

Time limits are currently 1:30 for Bentonville and 1:30 for Bull Run and 2:30 for Pea Ridge. Games exceeding the time limit to be adjudicated by the GM and his assistants, with consideration being given to which player is playing the slowest.

Any byes will be offered to the defending champion first, then to the player with the most points. Players receiving a bye will be awarded a substantial victory.

Rules Clarifications

Q: In Bull Run, the Army of the Potomac (Red CSA) begins the game with units on the board; however, their activation chit indicates that it is not used until turn 2. Which rule takes precedence? A: The CSA Army of the Potomac does not move on turn 1 (though this was mistakenly left out of the Exclusive Rules).

Q: Retreat Priorities: What is the intent of this rule? A: The intent of the Retreat Priorities is that you fulfill as many of them as possible in the order that they are listed (meaning that you ignore #4 if it would cause you to violate #1-3, or ignore #3 if it would make you violate #1-2, etc.). You never ignore a priority unless applying a higher priority makes it impossible to apply the lower one. When applying priority #4 determine the greatest number of enemy units according to those that are within a normal four-hex Line Of Sight (see 7.1) of the retreating unit.

Q: Please clarify the Auto Retreat rule. A: In summary, if you Auto Retreat from an attack, all other friendly units in the attacked enemy unit's ZOC must auto retreat as well. Note: you can retreat units sequentially. As an example of this, a unit surrounded by enemy ZOC could retreat onto a friendly unit, then both friendly units could Auto Retreat away from the enemy unit(s).

Q: Pea Ridge Map Clarifications: A: Hexes 3813 and 3703 are considered clear.
A: Leetown, although it looks like a town and has "town" in the name, is NOT considered a town hex. It is clear.

Q: Bentonville Map Clarifications:  A: The tree line which cuts across the 0909 / 0910 hexside does not block LOS. Blocking terrain is only complete hex terrain, and hex 0909 is clear while hex 0910 is swamp.

Q: 6.2: Can a unit adjacent to four enemy units in two enemy hexes attack all but one of the units, then automatically retreat before combat, allowing the last unit to be attacked overwhelmingly by other friendly units?  A: No. (This was incorrectly answered in the GENERAL.)

Q: 4.2: Is the following move on the Pea Ridge map legal: A confederate infantry starts in 3419 and moves to 3519 (1 MP), then to 3618 (1 MP), then to 3718 (2 MP)?  A: Yes. (The GENERAL answer is incorrect because A5A does not consider that movement costs have to be the same no matter which direction you cross between hexes.)

Q: 6.3.4: Can the attacker advance after the defender voluntarily retreats after combat?  A: Yes, as long as the defender's hex is now vacant.

Q: If two units which are stacked together attack into separate hexes and one Auto Retreats, does the other one have to retreat also? What if they are in separate hexes, but in the same ZOC of that enemy unit which was Auto Retreated against?  A: Yes to both. If one unit Auto Retreats from an enemy unit all other friendly units in the ZOC of that enemy unit must Auto Retreat unless a Bombardment attack (at 1:4 or greater odds) is made against that enemy unit.

Q: Is it possible for several units placed in more than one hex to attack two or more enemy units placed in different hexes in a single attack?  A: Yes, but only in a combined attack where one attacking hex is in the enemy ZOC and the other attacking units are bombarding artillery units. Otherwise, each battle must involve either one defending hex OR one attacking hex.

Q: In the above case, must EVERY attacker's unit be adjacent to ALL defending units?  A: Yes, with the exception of bombarding artillery units.

Q: An attack involves one attacking hex and two adjacent defending hexes. The attacker is separated from one of the defending hexes by a stream/creek hexside. Does the column shift for hexside terrain apply?  A: Yes, because the attacker must attack across the stream to attack one of the defending unit hexes.