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		Civil War Battles: Ozark
$39.95		(Win98/Me/XP) (Jewel Case) (OZARKPJ)
		(Win98/Me/XP) (Jewel Case) (OZARKPJ)

Publisher: HPS Simulation

Wargame: Civil War

War in the West

The early years of the American Civil War witnessed several desperate struggles for possession of the vast Ozark region of Missouri and Arkansas. The fate of embattled Missouri was crucial to the war efforts of both sides and Campaign Ozark depicts these decisive conflicts in three campaigns:

(1) 1861 Missouri Campaign: Lyon's offensive across the length of Missouri from Boonville to Carthage and Wilson's Creek

(2) 1862 Pea Ridge Campaign: Curtis's drive from Missouri into Arkansas culminating in the battle of Pea Ridge

(3) 1862 Fall Campaign: Newtonia and Cane Hill to Hindman's counterstroke at Prairie Grove.

The heart of the game are the 3 campaigns. Bonus scenarios covering the siege and relief of Lexington are included.

Play Campaign
At each stage of a campaign, players choose from 2-4 operational decisions that will result in a tactical battle to be played out on an expansive map, providing room for maneuver. The campaign is non-linear, with both offensive and defensive operational options available to each side.

Scenarios
Campaign Ozark also contains 79 scenarios, including the historical battles of Pea Ridge, the Siege of Lexington, and many others. Though every scenario may also be played as a stand-alone, the bulk of the scenarios are integrated into the operational/tactical campaigns, providing a high degree of replay value.

Features
"On-map Combat Results" option allows you to speed up play significantly, for both your turn and the AI turn.

Play modes include:

AI (against the computer)
Play-By-E-Mail
Two-Player Hotseat (single computer)
Network Play (both two player and multiplayer using teams)

Requirements:

Windows 98/Me/XP: Pentium-based 200mhz+ PC with 32 megabytes of RAM. 250 megabytes of hard drive space. CD-ROM drive for installation and game play. Windows compatible sound card. Modem/LAN/Internet for Network play

Windows 95 is not supported.

Reviews:

The Wargammer by Al Berke

"I've enjoyed playing Campaign Ozark. All three campaigns have something different to offer and provide interesting twists. I especially liked the fact that in many situations a smaller, higher quality Union force is faced with a larger, lower quality Confederate Army...While elite units like Shelby's Iron Brigade and Curtis' regulars are present, troops with qualities of E and F are much more prevalent. The Missouri State Guard in particular is a hoot to play..."

"Campaign Ozark reflects the different nature of the Trans-Mississippi Theater. Armies are smaller, with even the biggest battles not exceeding around 25,000 troops on both sides. There is also a lot more cavalry (which are really mounted infantry), especially in the Confederate forces..."

"The tactical battles in Campaign Ozark tend to be 15 to 50 turns long, though Pea Ridge is a two day, 100+ turn affair. For me, it was also the most interesting operational and tactical challenge. The Confederate player has the option of frontally attacking a fortified position or taking the historical night flank march to get in the rear. Starting the Confederates off with lots of fatigue accurately portrays the results of the night march. The Union player has several options that progressively send portions of his force to guard the rear. He thus has to guess the Confederate player's intentions, which is a nice dilemma that can lead to a tight game, even against the AI. Though not as dramatic as Pea Grove, the other campaign's climatic battles (Wilson's Creek and Prairie Grove) have similar operational challenges. "

"Campaign Ozark is an excellent game and a worthy successor to Campaign Corinth. The campaign system continues to add an enjoyable and relevant framework to the tactical battles. I would like to see some of the issues I raised addressed (especially that oft-frustrating pathfinding), perhaps as optional rules for things like regular fatigue and forced marches, cavalry skirmishes, and leaders allowing coordinated defensive fires, but overall they are minor issues that seldom detract from game play.

"I think the game works best against a human opponent, but I also find it very satisfying in single player to turn on the background music and sound effects, switch to the close-in 3D mode and immerse myself in the ferocious struggle for Elkhorn Tavern."