Subject: Re: GDW's "A House DIvided" 1st ed. vs 2nd ed. ?
From: dpw@CS.Arizona.EDU (Don Waugaman)

In article <7j6624$hkc$1@nnrp1.deja.com>,  <bpangtay@my-deja.com> wrote:
>I managed to acquire a 1981 edition of "A House Divided". From what
>I've read on the Web, 2nd ed. added Leaders to the advanced rules.
>
>Can anyone who owns both please tell me the what is in the second
>edition that is not included in the first?

I own the second edition, and recently got a peek at the first edition.
I didn't peruse the rules for more than a few minutes or so, I did notice
there weren't many changes.  The map is the same.  Combat seems to be
the same.  The first edition has more in the way of "economic" warfare
than the second - you can break and repair rail lines and forage for
supplies - but I think that the rules for doing so are a bit involved
for a game of its level, and don't really give an idea of the difficulties
that it gave the Confederacy.

The second edition has several optional advanced rules.  Leaders are one
of them - the CSA gets Lee (+3/+2), the Union Grant and Sherman (each +1/
+2).  Each leader has a time of appearance (when they get their first
rating) and a time when their rating changes (Lee's moves down to reflect
the death of Stonewall Jackson, Grant and Sherman go up to reflect their
promotions).  The rating reflects the number of die rolls that can be
modified down in a combat situation by the presence of the leader (or,
the leader can change a single die roll by multiple steps).

Other optional rules for the game include a table which is cross-referenced
by a die roll to generate the number of marches a side can take per turn.
This gives the CSA an advantage early on, but gradually the USA gains
from the table.  The table also can be used to allow only some units (of a
stack) into combat at any time - this reflects the problem (common for the
Union early on) when a general would not commit all his troops to battle
for one reason or another.  (Leaders help here too - the rating of a leader
allows that many more troops into battle on the first turn.)  There are
also rules for morale effects during combat.

The second edition is a mighty good game, and I heartily recommend it.
--
    - Don Waugaman (dpw@cs.arizona.edu)    O-             _|_  Will pun
Web Page: http://www.cs.arizona.edu/people/dpw/            |   for food
In the Sonoran Desert, where we say: "It's a dry heat..."  |     <><
We have no choice but to believe in free will.
Subject: Re: GDW's "A House DIvided" 1st ed. vs 2nd ed. ?
From: Nich Hills <nhills@ActOnline.com.au>

bpangtay@my-deja.com wrote:
>
> I managed to acquire a 1981 edition of "A House Divided". From what
> I've read on the Web, 2nd ed. added Leaders to the advanced rules.
>
> Can anyone who owns both please tell me the what is in the second
> edition that is not included in the first?
>
> Thanks in advanced, Brian

ISTR the most important rules difference is with cavalry.  In the second
edition cavalry can control a box they occupy but do not leave a control
marker behind when they move on.  This rule reduces the early game
imbalance in favour of the Confederates.

Cheers,

Nich

--
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Nich Hills  Email: nhills@ActOnline.com.au
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