A PDF of the rules is available through the Help menu. Please note that it may take a little while for your PDF viewer to launch.
Optional rules and
start turn
At the start of a new game, you will be presented with a window to select which optional rules should be in effect. You will not be able to change these settings later in the game.
In this window
you can also select the start turn to start from - either the
1st, 2nd, or 3rd of July, 1863.
When the game is progressed to the first phase (Confederate movement if enabled), then game pieces that are not in used are removed and the optional rules are locked. The units are also moved to their starting position according to the choice of start turn.
I you play by email, then one of you should select the optional rules, save the game before moving to the first real phase, and send it off to the other side for validation. Only then should you progress to the next phase.
Note: If you start with the 2nd or 3rd of July set-up, then the turn numbers will still be reported as 1, 2, …, but the turn track will be starting from the correct date. This is because VASSAL does not allow one to skip turns in an efficient manner.
The optional Loaded dice sets up the module to use non-uniform dice. Essentially, the extreme results on either die is less likely. Specifically, the probability table for each die is modified to be
| Die roll | Frequency out of 18 | Probability |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | ~ 6% |
| 2 | 1 | ~ 6% |
| 3 | 2 | ~ 11% |
| 4 | 2 | ~ 11% |
| 5 | 3 | ~ 17% |
| 6 | 3 | ~ 17% |
| 7 | 2 | ~ 11% |
| 8 | 2 | ~ 11% |
| 9 | 1 | ~ 6% |
| 10 | 1 | ~ 6% |
That means that in combat that the most likely roll difference is 0 with a standard deviation of roughly 3.5. The distribution of the roll difference tends toward a normal (bell) distribution, whereas the default distribution is triangular with a bit larger standard deviation.
Use this option if you would like luck to play a little less of a role when determining the outcomes of battles.
Note that we are still dealing with random numbers, which means extreme results may occur, so do not be surprised if they do. The modified dice means that dice results of +/-9 or +/-8 will happen a third less often. +/-7 or +/-6 half as often, and +/-5 only marginally fewer times. It means an attack with a CF difference of +8 is a sure thing (no retreat possible), while an attack with -7 is doomed to fail (defender will not be retreated).
In this case, the dice will have red edges (normally white) so that it is evident to all that the dice are not regular, fair, dice.
Use the Turn tracker interface in the menubar. A number of automatic actions are implemented in this module, which heavily depend on the use of that interface.
You can go to the next phase by pressing the +
button, or by pressing Alt-T. This is the only
possible way of moving the turn marker.
Note: The die-roll pop-up windows may steal focus
from the main window, which means that key-board short-cuts, such as
Alt-T are not registered. Simply click the main window to
bring that back into focus, and keyboard short cuts will be registered
again.
Phases that are not in use - because some optional rule was disabled - are automatically skipped.
Reinforcements units are moved on to the map automatically. This can be disabled in the game preferences.
Battle
declaration and resolutionBattles must be declared in a factions movement phase, including artillery bombardments.
The module can automatically calculate odds and resolve combats via
the use of battle markers. To place a battle marker, select the
attacking and defending units and press the battle marker
button () or Ctrl-X.
This will place markers on the invovled units that identifiy the battle
uniquely.
 |
 |
 |
| Select attackers and defenders | Press Ctrl-X to calculate odds |
Second battle |
If the user preference Calculate Odds on battle
declaration is enabled (default), then the module will also
calculate the odds (inluding bonuses and penalties for terrain), and
place an odds marker (e.g., 
) on one of the involved units.
The rules says allow one to attack multiple hexes in a single combat. The module takes that into account, as are the various defensive bonuses of from terrain and other features.
If the user preference Resolve battle results
automatically is enabled (default), then in the factions
Combat phase, you can right click the odds marker and
select Resolve (or Ctrl-Y or 
button) to resolve the combat. The
module will do the appropriate calculations and roll the dices needed,
and a replace the odds marker with a result marker (e.g. 
).
Note that the dice windows may still the mouse focus. In that case, simply click the main window (or any element in it), to put focus back there.
 |
 |
 |
 |
Press Ctrl-Y for results |
Implement results |
The module will not apply the result to the invovled units. This must be done, according to the rules by the factions.
To clear a battle declaration, select one of the involved units or
battle markers, and select Clear (or press
Ctrl-C) from the context menu. All battles can be cleared
by the 
button in the menubar.
If the optional rule on indirect artillery fire is enabled, then each factions turn has 3 phases, the second of which is for resolving artillery bombardments.
Remember (also see the rules)
Defensive artillery supportIf the optional rule on indirect artillery fire is enabled, then artillery units
may provide defensive indirect fire.
To do that, the defending faction must declare that an
artillery unit (cavalry or not) is providing defensive fire by select
that unit and pressing Ctrl-I (or select Indirect
from the context menu). Failure to do so will result in wrong
calculation of the combat differential.
 |
 |
 |
| Situation, US combat phase | Declare defensive indirect fire (Ctrl-I) |
Select all attackers and defenders, including artillery |
The artillery unit’s defensive indirect file must declared
to provide defense fire before calculating the combat
differential (Ctrl-X). When an artillery unit is declared
to provide indirect defensive fire, then a red ring () will appear around the range
factor. This marker is cleared when the battle markers are cleared
(Ctrl-C).
 |
 |
 |
Calculate odds (Ctrl-X) |
Resolve combat (Ctrl-Y) |
Implement results, indirect fire defensive artillery does not retreat |
Step lossesUse the context menu item Step Loss (or
Ctrl-F or button) to implement
step losses. Units that are has no step losses are automatically
eliminated.
Eliminated
unitsEliminated units will be sent to a special holding board () so that the faction
may tally the victory points at the end.
Headquarter units are moved to the OOB (Alt-B or 
) from whence they came.
If the optional
night turn rules are used, this allows a faction to restore those units
to the map.
Victory points and
conditionsThe module can calculate the current number of victory points (VPs) each faction has by investigating
Alt-E),
Important: The factions must make sure that
the state of the control markers on the board (shown above) are
up-to-date. The module does not automatise this. Thus, when the
Confederate faction captures an objective hex (by occupying or passing
through it), then that faction must make sure to flip the
control marker (select and Ctrl-F, or from the right-click
context menu). Conversely, if the Union faction re-captures an objective
hex, then that faction must flip the control marker back to its
Union side.
The module will periodically calculate the current victory points of
both factions. If you want to know the current status, click the victory
point button ( or Alt-V) to
get a tally in the chat log.
The module will report sudden death conditions as pop-ups on start of the 2nd and 3rd of July.
The tutorial in this module is based on the replay found in The General Vol.15 #5, pages 6-14 which can be found at
https://www.vftt.co.uk/files/AH%20The%20General/The%20General%20Vol%2025%20No%205.pdf#page=6
Some notes:
Press this button to toggle on and off
movement trails. This button will show the Order-of-Battle
of both sides.
Show tables etc. of the game.
This will bring up a sun-menu where one
can select which piece layers are shown.
Pressing this button will eliminate
selected units. Remove all battle markers.
During the movement phase, centre
on nearest un-moved unit of the faction in turn.
During the combat phase, centre
on the nearest unresolved combat.
Union
Confederate Show current victory point state
Enable Line-of-Sight toolHere, the game is called Gettysburg - Smithsonian Edition, but it is also sometimes named
There is no difference between these cames, save that they came in slightly different sized boxes. All rules, graphics, text, counters, etc. are the same between these editions.
This VASSAL module was created from LATEX sources of a Print'n'Play version of the Gettysburg game. That (a PDF) can be found at
https://gitlab.com/wargames_tex/sgb_tex
where this module, and the sources, can also be found. The PDF can also be found as the rules of this game, available in the Help menu.
The original game was release by the Avalon Hill Game Company 
.
This work is 🄯 2023 Christian Holm Christensen, and licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
or send a letter to
Creative Commons
PO Box 1866
Mountain View
CA 94042
USA