Grand Havoc: Perryville, 1862 ZIP BAG EDITION

A Blind Swords system game takes place during the American Civil War battle of Perryville in 1862, which occurred in Kentucky. The Blind Swords system employs chit pulls and activation rolls to replicate the command confusion and challenges of coordinating 19th-century armies. Additionally, various events during each turn can affect the armies' ability to execute their plans. The primary units in the game are infantry and cavalry regiments, as well as artillery batteries, each rated for size, armament, and cohesion/morale.

Perryville was a brief but intense battle between Buell's Army of the Ohio and Bragg's Army of the Tennessee. Bragg initially believed he was facing only a small portion of the Army of the Ohio, but he soon discovered that he was actually confronting nearly the entire force. On the other hand, Buell believed he was facing the entirety of Bragg's Army, and possibly Kirby Smith's Army of Kentucky as well. However, in reality, Buell was confronting only about two-thirds of Bragg's army.

After an early morning skirmish, both armies gathered on the battlefield located just northwest of the Perryville crossroads. The original plan of launching a flanking attack against the Union II Corps changed into a direct assault on the recently arrived Union I Corps, half of which comprised newly recruited soldiers. Despite a fierce battle raging approximately two miles away from his headquarters, Buell remained unaware of the Confederate attack and was astonished to learn that one of his corps had been crushed by the vicious assault. Only a few brigades were dispatched to aid the besieged I Corps, and the Confederates claimed a tactical victory.