"ACW help needed?" Topic

Hello guys,

This is a cry for help, I have just purchased a rather large amount of 28mm ACW figures, after a long think about what to paint this winter. ACW is always saomething that has interested me however I have been reluctant as I already own a big collection of AWI.

Anyway, I now need advice with painting guides, paint sets, scenario books and general informtion books to inform my ACW battles?

Your assistance will be well received!!!

Good gawd, where do we start?

First off, you can try the following:
Osprey Men At Arms Series, (the have a large series on ACW troops, including Specialists, Engineers, and State Troops).

If you can get hold of the Time Life Books "Echoes of Glory" (2 volumes), it gives beautiful pics of the uniforms and arms of both the North and the South.

Last but not least, "The Civil War Reenactors Encyclopedia"…gives a good start also, and is probably easier to find than the Echoes of Glory books…

If you would like some more info and assistance, please email me at m_murphy_1963 @ Yahoo DOT com

And welcome to a great genre!!!!

Painting guides;
Study the artwork of Don Troiani, Rick Reeves and Dale Gallon

Scenario Books:
Enduring Valor (Gettysburg) and Undying Courage (Antietam) scenario books by Scott Mingus. These have the best map graphics, accurate troop strengths and detailed set-up & victory conditions available for ACW gaming.

Also check out Scott's CHARGE ACW newsletter, available by subscription.

scottmingus.wordpress.com/about

Larry GettysburgSoldiers.com

howard Hues sets of paint from Last Square would be a good set to start with.
VR
James Mattes

I second "LGS", and would go a step further to say that if I had only one resource, it would be the Troiani book(s). There is a wealth of information there; studying his work for example, gave me the idea to add a touch of white to bayonets and sword points. It's a nice effect and adds a touch of splash-"the gleam of the bayonets". Everytime I look at his paintings, I see something new.
I have to say I'm a little chuffed; I've been working on my ACW collection for over a decade and you are looking for some winter's worth of painting. :-)

I second "LGS", and would go a step further to say that if I had only one resource, it would be the Troiani book(s). There is a wealth of information there; studying his work for example, gave me the idea to add a touch of white to bayonets and sword points. It's a nice effect and adds a touch of splash-"the gleam of the bayonets". Everytime I look at his paintings, I see something new.
>>
I couldn't agree more! The most realistic,authentically correct Civil War art out there,bar NONE!
Gallon and Kunstler are crap.there use bad reenactors as models,and aren't very authentically correct.

Bob

Easy--Grey for the CSA, Blue for the Union!!!

;)

Add Keith Rocco's artwork as a resource – He also is a collector. Stick with people who collect the real thing.

There is quite a bit of good on-line sources to get you started too (although at the moment those links I had stored seem broken.) I just saw Francis Lord's classic uniform book at Borders tonight (one of the original collectors and a lot of material directly from the uniform instructions.)

Company of Military Historians have done a lot of original research, particularly on specific units. I just looked to see if their published plate volume is available on Amazon and it is quite pricey, even if described as a must have.

tinyurl.com/2am75to

Have fun with your War of the Rebellion figures.

Bill

Thanks guys, you are costing me a small fortune!!!

Some great advice – those scenario books look stunning, I ordered a copy from Partizan Press this morning.

I have also ordered the paint set from ebay.

Additionally the painting references are A1.

Right, I am off to start cleaning up and basing my first infantry brigade.

Gareth

You can get Echoes of Glory along with the Civil War Atlas in soft copy sets on line for a song. I have meet both Keith Rocco (he has also attended HMGS-East conventions) and Don Troiani. Both have the best works out there to date.
VR
James Mattes

Here's the Confederate volume in paperback for less than $8 USD including shipping:

link

The Union volume, used for $0.99 USD plus $3.99 USD shipping:

link

And the Atlas, again, basically for the cost of shipping ($4):

link

So you can get all three for around $16. USD Very affordable!