Terrible Swift Sword 

The Three Days of Gettysburg

 

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Date published: 7/1/1976

Designed by: Richard Berg

Developed by:

Data: A regimental level simulation, using a map of the battlefield in three 22" x 34" sections (120 yards per hex) and 2000 counters. The ultimate Gettysburg game. The original grand tactical monster that spawned all the follow-up games. One of the first big games, and a huge hit!

Counters in this game represent Regiments of 100 to 800 men, and artillery sections usually 1 to 4 cannons. There are counters for leaders that are required to keep these individual units moving forward.

This game delivered something completely different to wargamers in the mid 1970s, whose original exposure to wargaming / conflict simulation may have had one counter to represent an army of 15,000 men.

This simulation was / is an education.

Comments:

With this success, Richard Berg mastered the monster concept for all time. His efforts fine tuned and made 'monster games' something to played, not simply admired. His creation has taken on a life of its own, and eventually sired additional monsters, plus the smaller games in the SPI 'Great Battles of the American Civil  War' series.

(Below - view of Little Round Top in Terrible Swift Sword)

Notes: 1st Edition. Addenda of Feb 77 added morale. (See Game Info links). Second edition in 1985 (under TSR/SPI label) merged in the GBACW rules, also adding the LOS rules not part of the original TSS system.

Articles | Errata | Scenarios | Other |

Great Play by Play with lots of Pictures of the 1st day by T.C. Bradley Click Here

Starter tutorial here Click Here

Nice Review Here Click Here

Lots of Free Downlad Game Assist materials Click Here

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Magazine Issue # Date Yr Article Type Article Name Author Author2 PageNumber
*Unknown 0
 		 0 Errata Errata for Terrible Swift Sword (Part 1) Richard Berg
 		 2
*Unknown 0
 		 0 Errata Errata for Terrible Swift Sword (Part 2) Richard Berg
 		 3
Moves 4 Aug/Sep 1972 Other Type Designer's Notes James Dunnigan
 		 2
Fire & Movement 6 Mar/Apl 1977 Review Player's Notes
 
 		 19
Moves 24 Dec/Jan 1975 Works in Progress Designer's Notes SPI Staff
 		 2
Moves 25 Feb/Mar 1976 Works in Progress Designer's Notes SPI Staff
 		 3
Moves 26 Apl/May 1976 Works in Progress Designer's Notes SPI Staff
 		 3
Moves 29 Oct/Nov 1976 Operational Analysis Terrible Swift Sword: The Importance of (Being) Buford Richard Berg
 		 10
Moves 29 Oct/Nov 1976 Review SPI Game Library Richard Berg
 		 14
Moves 29 Oct/Nov 1976 Errata Terrible Swift Sword Errata (as of Sept. 76) Richard Berg
 		 35
Moves 30 Dec/Jan 1976 Feature Article Terrible Swift Sword: Authentic Quality James F. Epperson
 		 27
Moves 31 Feb/Mar 1977 Operational Analysis Trouble Areas in Terrible Swift Sword: Some Revisionist Thought Richard Berg
 		 15
Moves 31 Feb/Mar 1977 Feature Article We Love Them, We Love Them Not: The SPI Staff's Personal Picks of 1976 SPI Staff
 		 17
Moves 32 Apl/May 1977 Operational Analysis TSS: The First Day Jerrold Thomas
 		 16
Moves 32 Apl/May 1977 Review Playback
 
 		 33
Moves 39 Jun/Jul 1978 Operational Analysis TSS: One, Two, Three: Strategy for All the Days of Gettysburg David Martin
 		 4
Moves 39 Jun/Jul 1978 Scenarios and/or Varients TSS: Suggestions for Rule Changes David Martin
 		 8
Moves 39 Jun/Jul 1978 Review On the American Civil War: A Review of the Subject as a Game John D. Shelby
 		 22
Moves 43 Feb/Mar 1979 Works in Progress Designer's Notes
 
 		 3
Moves 47 Oct/Nov 1979 Other Type Notes from the SPIrit World
 
 		 31
Moves 48 Dec/Jan 1980 Works in Progress Designer's Notes
 
 		 3
Moves 48 Dec/Jan 1980 Other Type Notes from the SPIit World Joe Perez
 		 17
Moves 51 Jun/Jul 1980 Advertisements Advertisement: Drive on Washington and Pea Ridge
 
 		 3
Moves 51 Jun/Jul 1980 Scenarios and/or Varients On Little Round Top: A Revision for Terrible Swift Sword Harry Roach
 		 6
Moves 52 Aug/Sep 1980 Works in Progress Designer's Notes
 
 		 33
Moves 52 Aug/Sep 1980 Feedback Feedback
 
 		 38
Moves 53 Oct/Nov 1980 Scenarios and/or Varients Back on Little Round Top: More Notes on TSS Dr. David G. Martin
 		 29
Moves 54 Dec/Jan 1981 Review Civil War Survey: Capsule Critiques of Games in Print Steve List
 		 4
Moves 56 Apl/May 1981 Operational Analysis Moves in English Pete Bartlam
 		 14
Moves 56 Apl/May 1981 Advertisements Advertisement: SPI's Great Game Lineup
 
 		 20
Strategy & Tactics 56 May/Jun 1976 Commentary Outgoing Mail: Gossip Howie Barasch
 		 36
Strategy & Tactics 56 May/Jun 1976 Feedback SPI Bestseller List
 
 		 37
Strategy & Tactics 56 May/Jun 1976 Advertisements AD: Terrible Swift Sword
 
 		 40
Moves 57 Jun/Jul 1981 Operational Analysis Cedar Mountain: Winning with the Union Eric Lee Smith
 		 19
Moves 57 Jun/Jul 1981 Advertisements Advertisement: Great Battles of the American Civil War Vol. 5 & 6
 
 		 24
Moves 57 Jun/Jul 1981 Scenarios and/or Varients Great Battles of the American Civil War Addenda Eric Lee Smith
 		 31
Moves 57 Jun/Jul 1981 Errata Cedar Mountain Addenda
 
 		 32
Moves 57 Jun/Jul 1981 Operational Analysis Battle of Corinth: Playtester's Notes Gerald R. Lientz
 		 36
Moves 58 Aug/Sep 1981 Advertisements Advertisement: GBACW Vol. 5 & Vol. 6
 
 		 3
Moves 58 Aug/Sep 1981 Works in Progress Designer's Notes
 
 		 34
Moves 59 Oct/Nov 1981 Advertisements Advertisement: Jackson at the Crossroads and Battle of Corinth
 
 		 3
Moves 59 Oct/Nov 1981 Operational Analysis Leetown or Curtis? Objectives and Strategy in Pea Ridge Jeffery Marshall Bishop
 		 10
Moves 59 Oct/Nov 1981 Replay Pea Ridge: Playthrough Jeffery Marshall Bishop
 		 11
Moves 59 Oct/Nov 1981 Scenarios and/or Varients Your Moves Eric Lee Smith
 		 17
Moves 59 Oct/Nov 1981 Advertisements Advertisement: SPI's Great Game Lineup
 
 		 30
Strategy & Tactics 60 Jan/Feb 1977 Other Type SPI Bestsellers Jan / Feb 1977
 
 		 41
Strategy & Tactics 61 Mar/Apl 1977 Review GOSSIP - Squad Leader Howie Barasch
 		 39
Strategy & Tactics 62 May/Jun 1977 Other Type SPI Bestsellers List, May/June 77
 
 		 43
Strategy & Tactics 67 Mar/Apl 1978 Other Type Outgoing Mail: Big Tsimmis Brad Hessel
 		 2
Strategy & Tactics 67 Mar/Apl 1978 Advertisements AD: Insert after page 18 SPI Staff
 		 18
Strategy & Tactics 69 Jul/Aug 1978 Feature Article SPI Bestseller List, Mar/Arp 1978
 
 		 41
Strategy & Tactics 70 Sep/Oct 1978 Feature Article Outgoing Mail: Computer Game James F. Dunnigan
 		 18
Strategy & Tactics 70 Sep/Oct 1978 Feature Article SPI BestSeller List, May/ June 1978
 
 		 41
Strategy & Tactics 74 May/Jun 1979 Commentary Outgoing Mail: Keeping the Top Ten Straight James Dunnigan
 		 33
Strategy & Tactics 85 Mar/Apl 1981 Feedback Outgoing Mail: Feedback
 
 		 13
Strategy & Tactics 86 May/Jun 1981 Advertisements AD: Full page ad for Bloody April
 
 		 53

 

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This site was last updated 10/02/21