''Dixie'' is an out-of-print

collectible card game A collectible card game (CCG), also called a trading card game (TCG) among other names, is a type of card game that mixes strategy game, strategic deck building elements with features of trading cards, introduced with ''Magic: The Gathering'' in ...

that uses dice and special

trading card A trading card (or collectible card) is a small card, usually made out of paperboard or thick paper, which usually contains an image of a certain person, place or thing (fictional or real) and a short description of the picture, along with other ...

s to allow players to refight famous

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

battles, such as the battles of

First Bull Run The First Battle of Bull Run (the name used by Union forces), also known as the Battle of First Manassas

, Shiloh, and Gettysburg. It was produced in

1994 File:1994 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1994 Winter Olympics are held in Lillehammer, Norway; The Kaiser Permanente building after the 1994 Northridge earthquake; A model of the MS Estonia, which Sinking of the MS Estonia, sank in ...

Columbia Games Columbia Games is one of the oldest manufacturers of board wargames, and has also produced the '' Hârn'' role-playing game as well as various card games and collectible card games. Their wargames are notable for using small wooden or plastic blo ...

with rules loosely based on its 'wooden block' series of games.

Game play

Cards have drawings depicting the approximate uniforms that each unit wore at the actual battle. Special cards depict key terrain features, generals, and scenario-related special events (such as rallies, ammunition, morale, etc.). One player uses a deck for the

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...

; the opponent plays the

Confederate States Army The Confederate States Army, also called the Confederate Army or the Southern Army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fighting ...

deck. There are four phases to each game turn — Morale, Combat, Move, and Reinforce.

Game sets

"Bull Run" was the first ''Dixie'' set issued, and was sold as starter packs in boxes with 60 random cards (30 from the Union, 30 from the Confederates). Cards represented each

regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation. In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscripted ...

, artillery battery, or

general A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of highest military ranks, high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers t ...

present at the battle. The complete set consists of 200 cards. "Shiloh," the second set in the series, is the largest set, with 400 cards. Its cards also depict individual regiments in their approximate uniforms worn at the battle. The third set, "Gettysburg," also was sold in collectible decks of 60 cards (36 Union, 24 Confederate), with a full set having 250 cards. Unlike the other two games, "Gettysburg" is at the

brigade A brigade is a major tactical military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute a division. Br ...

scale, with artillery at the

battalion A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of 300 to 1,200 soldiers commanded by a lieutenant colonel, and subdivided into a number of companies (usually each commanded by a major or a captain). In some countries, battalions are ...

level. ''Dixie'' cards had, like most other collectible card games, several degrees of rarity. Unusually, rather than label powerful cards 'rare' and restrict their availability, all cards had versions tagged as 'bronze' (common), 'silver' (uncommon), or 'gold' (rare). This did not affect game play in any way — a deck of common cards was as playable as one stuffed with rares - but still provided a measure of competitive collecting outside the game.

Reception

In the November 1995 edition of ''

Dragon A dragon is a reptilian legendary creature that appears in the folklore of many cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but dragons in western cultures since the High Middle Ages have often been depicted as ...

'' (issue 223),

Rick Swan Rick Swan is a game designer and author who worked for TSR. His work for TSR, mostly for Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, appeared from 1989 to 1995. Swan also wrote ''The Complete Guide to Role-Playing Games'' (1990), published by St. Martin's Pre ...

gave the game a thumbs up, saying, "Yes it's history, but it's fun history — I'm not kidding!... Expand your horizons — skip a pizza or forego your fifth screening of ''Batman Forever'' and invest the proceeds in a ''Dixie'' deck. General Grant would be proud." In the February 1996 edition of ''Arcane'' (Issue 3), Steve Faragher gave ''Dixie'' an average rating of 7 out of 10, saying, "it's a fun game that offers many an hour of pleasant (if perhaps only mildly exciting) entertainment. The game can be played straight from the starter deck and added to at your leisure, which is a good thing. On the other hand, it doesn't really offer the huge variety of options that a game such as ''

Magic: The Gathering ''Magic: The Gathering'' (colloquially known as ''Magic'' or ''MTG'') is a tabletop and digital collectable card game created by Richard Garfield. Released in 1993 by Wizards of the Coast (now a subsidiary of Hasbro), ''Magic'' was the first ...

'' does."

References

External links

*{{bgg, 1525, ''Dixie - Bull Run'', 23828, ''Dixie - Gettysburg'', 23829, ''Dixie - Shiloh''
Review
in

Shadis ''Shadis'' is an independent gaming magazine that was published in 1990–1998 by Alderac Entertainment Group (AEG). It initially focused on role-playing games. Publication history Shadis was conceived and started by Jolly Blackburn as an indepen ...

American Civil War games Card games introduced in 1994 Collectible card games Columbia Games games