Tuesday 17 July 2018

My ACW armies are back!

 Last week John and I fought an ACW battle using my rebased armies. So technically it was a sort of inaugural affair. I would like to thank Shaun Bryant again for taking the trouble to rebase my armies, he did a wonderful job, and yes Tony, Shaun and John you were right, the figures look better on 40mm bases as opposed to my initial 50mm ones.
 John and I are totally won over by Dave Brown's Pickett Charge rules and although we hadn't fought a ACW game for several months it all came flooding back very quickly. We decided to fight with only five brigades of infantry and a brigade of cavalry. To spice things up we diced for each regiment to see what status they were classed as, ie Green, Regular, Old Lags, Veteran and Elite.
 As I had lost the choice of armies and had been given? the Union I opted to confuse John by making my feared Irish Brigade all Green. Actually what it shows is just how pants my dice throwing can be.The beauty of being a green regiment is that they are easier to initiate charges but poorer at changing formation or firing. It reflects their lack of experience of the war and their naivety [stupidity] in being willing to attack an entrenched enemy. My Irish didnt disappoint.
 Again in an effort to confuse John, one of my regiments of zoaves was also Green. It didnt matter when it came down to fighting as they were just poor anyway.
Seizing the bull by the horns I opted for a strong attack through the centre whilst ignoring the fact that John had placed his cavalry on my weaker flank. Big mistake. Normally cavalry are more of a nuisance than a battle winner except of course when they are facing me.
On the other flank I placed my cavalry who were thrown at a heavy skirmish line of two regiments.They cleared them and then were battered by the Tiger's who were a veteran unit, naturally and forced to retire after being 'whipped.'
I thought I was doing well in the centre as John struggled to get a brigade moving thus allowing my Irish to pile forward. John did however manage to place one regiment behind the fences and although repeatedly charged were able to turn back each successive wave. Realistic probably, galling definitely.
My Irish Brigade, ALL green eager chaps.




                                                        Rebel Headquarters.


The high point of the Union attacks, ONE battered regiment of Green troops finally drives off the rebels and is able to clamber over the fences. The rest of their brigade looks on in wonder and exhaustion.
These cornfields proved a pain all day for my troops. Not helped when a rebel rabble charged out of the fields into the flank of my zoaves.

Meanwhile the Rebel Cavalry stopped skirmishing and charged my right flank which buckled immediately simply because they couldn't shoot for toffee. Once the one regiment was 'whipped' the rebels piled into my artillery who somehow failed to empty any saddles!
It was a magnificent charge and I would have done exactly the same if I had been in John's position.

Union Headquarters where confusion reigned most of the day.
                                             A couple of over views of the battlefield.




23 comments:

  1. Good looking ACW collection! Pickett's Charge is also on my to-do list, we didn't try the rules yet.

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    Replies
    1. Phil,
      they are very very good. Dave Brown has done a solid job in making them playable but also have a great period feel.I cannot recommend them enough.

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  2. Love the rebasing, Robbie. I must give those rules a try at some stage. Still overly attached to Johnny Reb 2, with some amendments, but my games normally have fewer units per side. Looks as though you had a great time. I learned to be philosophical about the dice rolling, although its still does get under your collar when it happens for the umpteenth time. Grit teeth and soldier on, and just on the odd occasion, I get miraculous dice-generally when it doesn't matter.

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    Replies
    1. If you find rules you are happy with Shaun why change. John and I still use the original Volley and Bayonet rules because we dont think they were bettered. I have never played Johnny Reb although there are still a lot of wargamers who use them. By the way e mail will you regarding a query I have about your extensive Metal mountain.

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  3. The armies look even better now they're rebased on 40x40,if that were possible. Your dubious dice rolling continues I am glad to see, no not really. It must be a pain. All the best.

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    Replies
    1. Colin I came to realise a loooon time ago that I was never going to win the lottery or a new car or consistently throw a lot of sixes.

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  4. Great looking game in my favourite period, must get a copy of those rules!

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    1. Its easy to get enthusiastic about something new and shiny but we have played Picketts charge a lot now and never came away thinking that there was something not quite right with their playability. Dave Brown did a cracking job with them and Grand Armee.

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  5. the table and forces look lovely - good job on the re-base and probably more versatile with more sets of rules.

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    1. Norm, I knew after I started painting the armies that I had put them on the wrong size bases, but ploughed on regardless. I just couldnt face changing them. Luckily Shaun very kindly made the offer, so how could I refuse.

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  6. Your rebased troops look fab! The photo of your LA Tigers is especially eye-catching. Great collection!

    Pickett's Charge has seen a few outings on our game tables. Results were good. The allocation of ADCs requires a few trials and errors before their placement can be optimized.

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    1. Jonathan, I have noticed when one is desperate to get a brigade to do something and you load it up with ADC'S it will fail its orders. The number of times I have done this now is quite remarkable and frustrating.In this game I did get a Pinkerton Order to work once which was very satisfying, mind John did the same to me. Great rules.

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  7. Great looking game! Lovely troops and scenery and your usual consistent die throwing!
    Best Iain

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    1. Thanks Iain, I have always loved the 'look' of a game and I am at my happiest just looking at lovely toy soldiers in a great setting.

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  8. Great looking game. Still to try these rules, but more I see if them the more I like. Love the new basing on your troops

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    1. Neil, I think you will enjoy them. To be honest I was a bit daunted by the book, but their playability makes them very easy to use.

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  9. Wonderful and greatly painted figures. Especially the quality of painting your horses impresses me deeply - fantastic. Nice deployment also. Wargaming of its best.
    Peter

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    1. Peter,
      Thanks for that.Perry horses are great to paint.I love the cuts they applied to them. Its strange but I have never been able to paint dappled greys to a decent standard. I have read and tried most editorials about it but always end up dissatisfied. It is very frustrating.

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  10. A grand spectacle and no mistake!

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    1. Thats very kind of you David, it was great to get them back.

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  11. Robbie,grand looking game,and what an army you have now!
    Have you heard the sad news of Paul Kirby(Charlie's group)?-I take it that you did know him(?)
    johnc

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    Replies
    1. No John I hadnt. I was talking to Paul late last year and he was clearly failing. Time to get cracking with some gaming before we are called away as well.

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My 6mm Napoleonic set up.

My 6mm Napoleonic set up.
Austria 1809.

Austrian Hussars

Austrian Hussars
Hinchliffe figures

Austrian Grenzer

Austrian Grenzer
Austrian Grenzer

Smoggycon 2013

Smoggycon 2013
Smoggycon 2013

Smoggycon 2012

Smoggycon 2012
Smoggycon 2012

Smoogycon 2009

Smoogycon 2009
My French getting another beating