Brother against Brother: The Drawing of the Sword

Brother against Brother: The Drawing of the Sword is a classic turn-based strategy game set in the American Civil War, when – according to the title – brothers often had to turn against each other and join the opposing factions – either the Confederates or the Democrats. The game has been developed by Western Civilization Software and published by a duo of strategy game specialists: Matrix Games and Slitherine.

Plot

The Drawing of the Sword is a first installment of the scheduled game series telling the story of the American Civil War. The game focuses on the initial stages of the war, including the most important events that took place on both western and eastern fronts: the First Battle of Bull Run, the Battle of Wilson's Creek (1861), the Battle of Mill Springs and the Battle of Williamsburg (1862). Apart from the large campaigns that recreate the aforementioned battles, the game features a number of smaller scenarios, also some hypothetical ones presenting an alternative course of the events. Battles take place on large maps covering the area of 50 square miles, divided into 75-yard hexagons. Each turn is an equivalent of 24 hours in real time.

Mechanics

The game stands out in terms of unique movement and order issuing systems, which highlight all the nuances from the times of the American Civil War. Every regiment recreated in the game is characterized not only by strength, endured training and the munitions utilized – the developers also included a very significant element, namely the mechanics presenting the role of the non-commissioned officers. Moreover, each regiment has a certain range of unique skills, for which they became famous during the war. Battles are affected by units’ stats, players’ tactical decisions, the amount of supplies, changing weather conditions, and the smoke on the battlefield.

Technical aspects

Brother against Brother excels with its masterfully recreated maps and very detailed models of both Northern and Sothern units. The creators spent several years analyzing data from the national archives and consulting renowned historians specializing in the American Civil War. All of this allows players to recreate these crucial in the history of the U.S.A. events, with a level of realism rarely found in video games.

Last updated on June 29, 2017