From the back of the box More than a century ago - on the early morning of Sunday, April 6, 1862 near a tiny log church in Tennessee - the Confederate Army of the Mississippi (50,000 men, 16 brigades strong) under General A.S. Johnson launched its great surprise offensive in an attempt to drive out an invading Union force led by Major-General U.S. Grant. Thus began one of the first and fiercest battles of the Civil War. And thus begins this remarkable simulation that bears its name - THE BATTLE OF SHILOH. Historical Detail and Authenticity On a disc, we have carefully distilled every major historical feature to produce the most authentic and exciting re-creation of that classic conflict. Every brigade of both Union and Secession armies present during the actual battle is accurately rated for movement, combat strengths, morale, and leadership ability. The map of the battlefield is displayed on the screen with color Hi-Res graphics. Terrain consists of hills, fields, forests, rivers, and creeks. Artillery is provided; a step-reduction system is used to calculate combat results. And of course, the Battle of Shiloh would be incomplete without including the Union gunboats (the Tyler and Lexington) moored off Pittsburg Landing that played such a crucial role. Innovations Through State-of-the-Art Programming So far, all we've mentioned is standard fare for a good wargame. SSI's innovations through advanced design and programming make for a great game. Wargames have traditionally used fixed unit strength points. Here, the computer's ideal administrative ability allows you to fine-tune the combat strengths of each side, allowing for the ultimate in play balance. Now even a novice strategist can be on equal footing with a battle-hardened veteran! Another innovation lets you select risk levels and ferocity of an attack (or defense). Most wargames assume that the units will attack/defend with the same vigor every time. With THE BATTLE OF SHILOH you have four levels of risk: Daring, Bold, Conservative, and Cautious. On attack you can go: All-Out, Medium, Probe, or Recon. On defense, your choices are: Counter-Attack, Hold Position, Withdraw, or Full Retreat. All this gives each side sixteen different possible strategies! Great Solitaire with the Computer This being an SSI game, it goes without saying that a challenging solitaire version is included. The computer can play either (or both!) sides very competently to give you a tough fight. As historically detailed and faithful this game is to the original Battle of Shiloh, we've made one significant departure. We've removed Generals Grant and Johnson and placed you in command of the Union and Confederate armies. After all, we're looking for more than just a not-too-instant replay of the past. It is entirely up to your skills as a battle commander to either preserve or change history! By Tactical Design Group