Take Command is a series of real-time tactics computer games by MadMinute Games. As of August 2006 the series consist of two games, Take Command: Bull Run (a.k.a The History Channel Civil War The Battle of Bull Run Take Command: 1861) (2004) and Take Command - 2nd Manassas (2006). The games are real-time wargames depicting some of the major battles of the American Civil War. The developers describe the games as "real-time combat simulators". The first game was released under the Activision Value brand, which is Activision's budget line. The second game is released through Paradox, a Swedish publisher that specializes in strategy games. A third game, based on the Battle of Shiloh, was said to be in development according to the instruction manual for 2nd Manassas, but has likely been discontinued.
The Take Command Series were the first games to employ a real army chain of command. Where you could play anywhere from brigade commander up to army commander. If you play as a division commander the rest of the army would be controlled by the AI. Unlike other RTS games you don't control every unit in the game, but you give orders to the officers under you, and they execute the order to the best of their ability. Some commanders are better than others and will execute your orders better than others.
The games have an active modding community with several mods out and in the works, among others a Napoleonic Wars mod.
A total conversion mod called Horse & Musket has been released, that changes the time period of the game from American Civil war to time of the American Revolutionary War and the Napoleonic wars.