Mississippi River
One river, one very long front
Nations 11
The Geography
Mississippi River is an extreme vertical map: only 400 pixels wide but 4200 tall. It follows the river corridor around Memphis and the lower Mississippi settlements, with bends, islands and floodplain channels packed into a narrow strip. Although 89% of the field is land, its 11 starts are arranged along a largely linear geography.
The History
Indigenous nations used the Mississippi as a transport and trading artery long before European colonisation. Steamboats, cotton and river ports transformed the lower valley in the nineteenth century, and Union control of the river in 1863 became a decisive objective of the American Civil War.
The Battlefield
There is little room to bypass a strong neighbour over land. River crossings and bends decide where fronts can shift, while the enormous north-south length makes reinforcement timing critical. A successful push can travel far, but it also creates a dangerously thin rear. Secure each crossing before advancing and use naval movement to threaten positions that appear protected by the linear corridor.