2023Claude Whalen
- Videos
- 8
- Creators
- 4
1 - 3 players120 - 360 minMedium weight

2019Claude Whalen
Mostly playthroughs. Kernstown is covered on BoardGameVideo.com by 1 reviews, 15 recorded sessions, 4 unboxings, and 1 other video.
From BoardGameGeek
On March 23, 1862 and then again on July 24, 1864 the area around Kernstown, Virginia witnessed clashes between Union and Confederate forces. The Pritchard House and Pritchard's Hill were central to both battles as they abutted the Valley Turnpike. At First Kernstown, Stonewall Jackson erred in taking scouting reports at face value and so he unknowingly attacked a superior Union force. With Union Commander James Shields laying wounded back in Winchester, Colonel Nathan Kimball ignored Shields' orders and managed, and mismanaged, the battle his way. Though Jackson's men ran out of ammunition and fled the field, Stonewall's only tactical loss became a strategic victory as Union Commanders overestimated the size of Jackson's force. The Union forces could have crushed Jackson, stopped his Valley Campaign before it really got started and perhaps allowed McClellan to end the war in 1862. On July 24, 1864, Union Commander George Crook ignored his scouting reports and ordered his forces to attack what he thought was a small body of Confederate cavalry and skirmishers. Generals Jubal Early and especially General John Breckinridge led their forces well and routed Crook's men. Only the failure of the Confederate cavalry to cut the Union retreat routes prevented the annihilation of Crook's army. Better Union leadership and troop placement could have made this battle much harder for the Confederates to win. Kernstown is a game simulating the fighting on March 23, 1862 and July 24, 1864 around Kernstown. The game is specifically designated to be a playable regimental-scale simulation of these two conflicts and some scenarios can be completed in a long evening. This is the fourth ACW game published by Revolution Games which features the "Blind Swords" chit-pull system. This mechanic emphasizes the three "FOW's" of military conflict: fog-of-war, friction-of-war, and fortunes-of-war. With each chit pull, players will be challenged to make tough decisions based on their assessment of the situation at that moment. Components: One 22x34" map; 2 x 5/8" counter-sheets (352 counters); Rulebooklet; 5 charts/playeraids; Box or ziploc bag; 2 dice (Boxed version only). Game Information: Complexity: 6 out of 10. Solitaire Suitability: 6 out of 10. Time Scale: 20 minute turns. Map Scale: 140 yards per hex. Unit Scale: regimental. Players: one to two, best with two. Playing Time: three to ten hours depending on scenario. -description from the publisher Map by Rick Barber Counters by Charlie Kibler Box by Mark Mahaffey
Kernstown has 21 videos from 9 creators: 1 review, 15 playthroughs, 4 unboxings and 1 other video. They date from 2019 to March 2026.
For an opinion before you buy, start with "Kernstown (Revolution Games) Review" by MarcoOmnigamer. To see it played, watch "Kernstown - Revolution games" by Big Board Gaming, one of 15 playthroughs.
If you like it, try Conquering the Valley: Cross Keys/Port Republic, A Most Fearful Sacrifice: Pipe Creek – Meade's Last Stand and Sedgwick Attacks: Salem Church (May 3, 1863), also by Claude Whalen, or World At War 85: Storming the Gap, which shares several of its mechanics.
8 of 9
2023Claude Whalen
1 - 3 players120 - 360 minMedium weight
2025Claude Whalen
1 - 2 players57 - 357 minMedium weight
2024Claude Whalen
1 - 2 players120 - 480 minHeavy weight
2019Matt Lohse, Keith Tracton
1 - 2 players60 - 120 minHeavy weight
From BoardGameGeek:
On March 23, 1862 and then again on July 24, 1864 the area around Kernstown, Virginia witnessed clashes between Union and Confederate forces. The Pritchard House and Pritchard's Hill were central to both battles as they abutted the Valley Turnpike. At First Kernstown, Stonewall Jackson erred in taking scouting reports at face value and so he unknowingly attacked a superior Union force. With Union Commander James Shields laying wounded back in Winchester, Colonel Nathan Kimball ignored Shields' orders and managed, and mismanaged, the battle his way. Though Jackson's men ran out of ammunition and fled the field, Stonewall's only tactical loss became a strategic victory as Union Commanders overestimated the size of Jackson's force. The Union forces could have crushed Jackson, stopped his Valley Campaign before it really got started and perhaps allowed McClellan to end the war in 1862. On July 24, 1864, Union Commander George Crook ignored his scouting reports and ordered his forces to attack what he thought was a small body of Confederate cavalry and skirmishers. Generals Jubal Early and especially General John Breckinridge led their forces well and routed Crook's men. Only the failure of the Confederate cavalry to cut the Union retreat routes prevented the annihilation of Crook's army. Better Union leadership and troop placement could have made this battle much harder for the Confederates to win. Kernstown is a game simulating the fighting on March 23, 1862 and July 24, 1864 around Kernstown. The game is specifically designated to be a playable regimental-scale simulation of these two conflicts and some scenarios can be completed in a long evening. This is the fourth ACW game published by Revolution Games which features the "Blind Swords" chit-pull system. This mechanic emphasizes the three "FOW's" of military conflict: fog-of-war, friction-of-war, and fortunes-of-war. With each chit pull, players will be challenged to make tough decisions based on their assessment of the situation at that moment. Components: One 22x34" map; 2 x 5/8" counter-sheets (352 counters); Rulebooklet; 5 charts/playeraids; Box or ziploc bag; 2 dice (Boxed version only). Game Information: Complexity: 6 out of 10. Solitaire Suitability: 6 out of 10. Time Scale: 20 minute turns. Map Scale: 140 yards per hex. Unit Scale: regimental. Players: one to two, best with two. Playing Time: three to ten hours depending on scenario. -description from the publisher Map by Rick Barber Counters by Charlie Kibler Box by Mark Mahaffey
Designer
Claude Whalen
Artists
Rick Barber, Charles Kibler
Publisher
Revolution Games (II)
Categories
Mechanics