"Advance the Flag is a set of rules designed for medium to large scale wargames set in the American Civil War. It is intended to be suitable for refighting actual battles as well as for hypothetical scenarios, one-of, equal-strength competition style games, and free form campaigns in which the tabletop encounters arise from strategic decisions made by the players. It is worth pointing out here that although some purists regard the last three options as somehow inferior to the historical refight, they generally present players with more challenging situations and allow them more opportunity to exercise their tactical skills, without the benefit of hindsight. Such games can be just as faithful to the "spirit" of the period as a slavish reconstruction, and are often more fun. These rules are intended to give the players an enjoyable and fast moving experience, while at the same time reflecting - as far as is possible with what is essentially a form of entertainment - the conditions of the real conflict. A game involving several hundred figures a side can easily be complete in an evening. After a few attempts you will probably be able to remember most of the rules which you will need, and so will be able to keep things moving without constantly referring to the book. This leaves you free to enjoy the game and admire your carefully painted figures - which is what it is about, after all." From the Authors Introduction