It is 1861.  Nearly a million armed Americans face each other along a line stretching 1200 miles from Virginia to Missouri.  Tensions in the country reach a climax when Confederate forces fire upon a key Union fort in South Carolina in April. This is the starting point of a bloody four year conflict between the North and the South that would leave an indelible mark on American history.

In Brother against Brother: The Drawing of the Sword, the focus is on the opening battles of the American Civil War. Players will be able to command both sides and relive the major encounters of 1861 and early 1862. Thanks to extensive historical and topographical research, including in-person examinations of each battlefield and consultations of materials previously unavailable to game-designers, the maps and orders of battle each have been recreated at an unprecedented scale and level of detail.

Connoisseurs of the period will immediately notice that the behavior of the commanders and their soldiers perfectly matches the tactics of this era! However, Brother against Brother is much more than a rigorous simulation, it also offers several what-if scenarios for a very refreshing approach to famous battles such as 1st Manassas or Wilson’s Creek.

Erik Rutins, Director of Product Development at Matrix Games, said, “It’s always a pleasure to work with the team at Western Civilization Software, but I believe this release is truly special.  For Civil War computer wargame fans, I believe that the incredible research and great gameplay included in Brother against Brother will make this game the definitive treatment of these battles for years to come.”

Key Features:

• Providing a wide range of historical and alternative-history scenarios, “Brother against Brother” lets players refight the major battles of the Civil War at an unprecedented level of depth and detail
• 21 Scenarios in total, including full battles, smaller scenarios and plenty of historical “what if” variants to explore what could have happened
• Incredible research including primary sources previously unavailable to create the most detailed and accurate maps and orders of battle to date
• Turn-based
• Regiments (can be split) as the main unit, with brigade and higher command levels fully modeled to reflect historical command and control
• 75 yards per hex with the largest map up to 50 square miles
• Weather, formations, supply, skirmishers, brigade orders, mounted and dismounted cavalry, corps intelligence, division orders, even battlefield smoke are all modeled…  and more!