"New Pickett's Mill Scenario Book Released" Topic

Hello everybody!

I just put up for sale my new scenario book, Criminal Blunder: Wargame Scenarios for the Battle of Pickett's Mill.

link

The cost is $6.99. It's a small battle, but the book contains five scenarios on both the regimental and brigade level. There is also an Order of Battle down to the regiments. The scenarios are:

One brigade level scenario leading up to the afternoon battle. Take charge of the two army's eastern flanks. Attack or defend, the whole day is up to you. Actually two scenarios in one, as there are two beginning deployment options, morning or afternoon.

A small regimental scenario with intense skirmishing in front of the two armies.

A full historical scenario of Pickett's Mill itself with lots of command and control quirks and restrictions. Regimental

An abridged version of the above scenario with combined regiments and streamlined command and control for faster play. Regimental.

Pickett's Mill at the brigade level. For Fire & Fury players, its sure to be a small, fun game. Easily played during one afternoon.

I hope you enjoy!

FINALLY, someone with nice sample pages.

I may have to pick this up (now that I know what I'm getting).

I downloaded this new scenario book this morning at the Columbus, Ohio airport and read through it on my flight home to Baltimore. It is excellent, and is a great addition to the pantheon of Civil War regimental-level scenarios. Brad is to be commended for another job very well done, as with his previous two books. He has become easily the most prolific ACW scenario designer out there, and his work is well researched and carefully thought out.

Highly recommended!

I noticed in the preview map, the unit regimental designations were missing from Govan's brigade…is that just in the preview?

Also, if I read that map correctly, many of those slope lines are defining the ravines/low ground and most of the table really is at level 1….with a few level 2 & 3 hills, and around the edges those are ravines?

I use a cloth over styrofoam, but to have a main table all hill and a few ravines/depressions is one of the more challenging topographic forms to recreate [especially some of the other maps with a lot of "finger type" hills defining a river bottom & ravines, very difficult]. How do you do it?

Yes, the regimental designations in that one scenario are blank. The reason being we don't know much about Govan's role in the morning skirmish. I have a fair idea from the Union records, but there's really nothing about Pickett's Mill from the Confederate side except Cleburne's and Wheeler's official reports. So, I laid out the rough position of the brigade and just left it up to the player to decide where to put the individual regiments. We know where most of the regiments were in the battle proper, and that's reflected in the main Pickett's Mill scenarios.

The terrain and hills are a tough call. I too use foam hills with felt on top for my terrain. I really like the battle, and just had to do the best I could to simulate the terrain. Either that, or just not make a scenario out of it, which of course, I wasn't going to give up on.

Its really a scenario where its best to cut the hills specifically for the game. Layer them, put the cover on top, and work the felt or cloth into the ravines. It may actually be better to put the hills on top. I personally don't like that look, but that's just me. There are plenty of other games who prefer their hills above the cloth.

Don't be afraid to compromise. Its a simulation, not the actual terrain or battle. If you are having trouble with a few of the ravines and folds and have to adjust things a little to make the table look right, by all means go ahead. The purpose of the game is to have fun, not get frustrated with the terrain. I'm not trying to cop-out, I just recognize the terrain is more difficult to model than many other scenarios.

Hi,

Just bought and downloaded it. Looks excellent, as usual!

Can you post links for your other two scenario books as well or do you have a web page that lists what you have available?

Here you go!

historicimagination.com

I also have some exciting news coming next week. I can't wait!

Brad Butkovich
Historic Imagination