"ACW Rules - what are you playing?" Topic

What rules are you using? Regimental or Brigade manuever elements? What scale miniatures are you using? Are you using some form of Johnny Reb basing?

I'm working on a new set with a friend. We are combining our experience from 20+ years of miniatures each. We are combining ideas from our previous game designs. I'm interested to see if there are A) a lot of people playing ACW and B) if there are a lot still using Johnny Reb basing, which was the standard.

Thanks

Reginemtal Fire and Fury in 15mm,

Rifles Wars in 10mm.

Both have the battalion/Regiment as the basic unit.

Moved on from JRIII years ago- sorry just no longer works for me.

Johnny Reb II (15mm) for regimental level. (If I had to do it over again, I'd go with 10mm!)

Brother Against Brother (28mm) for Squad level.

-David G.
gamerarchitect.blogspot.com

I think a bunch of us looked at JR3 and went on to other things. This game will be the same scale as Johnny Reb. My old game was brigade level so more like Fire and Fury. This new one is going to be a pretty big departure from how I would have run this kind of game circa 1995. Its amazing revisiting a period after having played a million other games. You remember everything you loved and hated and have a bunch of ideas of fixing them.

@dglennjr If you go to 10mm would it be to play with smaller tables and bases or would you just keep it at 10mm for the more majestic look and for keeping it closer to the table's scale?

On to Richmond – OTR (20mm plastics)

JR 2.5 in 6mm. I still use 15mm bases and measures, but with 6mm figures. Gives a much more pleasing "mass" effect and looks great!

@HistoryPhD – have to agree it looks great! I still have my 15mm figures. Hard to give up 3K worth of painted figures!

Fire and Fury both versions

I'm finishing up an ACW variant of Impetus. 28mm scale.
1 Base = 1 Brigade. Bases for infantry & cav have a 120mm frontage with a variable depth. Artillery has a 60mm frontage.

I amn just about to embark on a '61-'65 ACW project in 10mm, using either Blaze Away or Star fort on a 40mm forntage and 20 mm depth.

JRIII.

'They Couldn't Hit an Elephant' from Too Fat Lardies. 1" square bases for 15mm figures.

F&F Regimental in 10mm, on scaled down bases so I can avoid the "double line" look. All in all, great rules and a beautiful looking table.

However, considering going back to Rank & File for larger actions due to time constraints, especially associated with new or infrequent players.

Cheers,

Christopher

The original F&F Brigade.

I would like to know what F&F Regt are like?

Regimental F&F. Having played Guns at Gettysburg, JR 3, original F and F, Mr Lincoln's War and more, but RF&F are the best rules for me.

They seem to go to the right level of detail to represent the charge, weapon types, the different formations and give the brigade commander lots of tactical decisions to make. The maneuver tables are still there in regimental, and so the game is still elegant and quick.

The original F&F Brigade with 20mm plastics.

Hallowed Ground with QRF 15mms.

They Couldn't Hit an Elephant (which is a regimental level set from TooFatLardies) for small-ish actions. Fire & Fury (brigade level) for medium sized, and Volley & Bayonet for army games.
They Couldn't Hit an Elephant has a most excellent card-driven command system which really gives a good feel for ACW combat.
For skirmish ACW I'd use Terrible Sharp Sword, also from the Lardies.

Guns at Gettysburg, regimental in 28mm

Piquet: Field of Battle 2 for units representing Regiments. Currently in 15mm but want to switch to 28mm.

Homegrown: "Cold Steel and Hot Lead"
15mm; regimental maneuver element; same basing for Johnny Reb II.

"A Union So Tested", 10mm, bases are regiments and measure 3" x 1.5".

I've long been a fan of Johnny Reb (I, II, and III) but I find the learning curve is a little steep for new players, and I introduce a lot of new players to the game. These days, it's Black Powder in 10mm for me.

'whipping bobby lee' by the ragnar brothers, 20mm plastics
based on 60mm by 20mm with 4 figures per stand.

regards

jim

Home built, a simplification of Don Featherstone's rules from his "War Games" one page both sides, single spaced 12 point times Roman, all charts and examples on that. I call them "Magnolia's Mint Juleps N' Gritz!"

I use Volley and Bayonet, corps/army level. Half size bases with 2mm soldiers.

Also, DBA-Hx with 15mm basing and 20mm plastics for smaller actions.

Home built, one page both sides

Ah, the gamers' Holy Grail of distant, dusty, decades.

Refreshing…

JRII for regimental

Fire and Fury for larger games.

I keep thinkging about getting F&F Regimental, but it will probably be an impulse buy at a con.

Rank and File….

Kids and folks new to miniatures gaming – On to Richmond

Games I organize and GM – A Glint of Bayonets

Rules I like to play – Butternut and Bucktail (not
published)

Home rules for 10mm Brigade level and 15mm Regimental. I combined all the best parts from other rule sets, simplified them greatly and added what I thought were the most important things about wargaming the Civil War. Really simple and quick is what I like, with keeping the main reasons why battles were won and lost.

"Brother against Brother" for Squad level skirmish.

Black Powder mainly, have done a few games of Fire and Fury / Fire and Fury Regimentals too.

I do JRIII and Guns at Gettysburg in 6mm, 10mm, 15mm, 20mm/ 1?72nd scale, 25mm and 40mm. I generally use mounting from Guns at Gettysburg or F&F basing. JRIII playes just as well and I know METT-T factors in more with unit frontage then doctrine.
VR
James Mattes

Most recently,"Gettysburg Soldiers".

JRIII

Johnny Reb II

F & F both levels for the locals. I prefer the original Rally 'Round the Flag.

JRIII

Corp Commander,

(Using 10mm figs) It would give me the flexibility of smaller tables for same sized battles, but I could also do larger battles on the same size table (5x8) we're doing now.

When I started 15mm's, there wasn't a big selection of 10mm like there is now, plus the detail has gotten better. If I did it over again today and had the money, I'd replace all my 15mm with 10mm.

When I started my zulu/colonial project, I started in 10mm rather than continue with the 15mm tradition. I'm so glad I went smaller. (see pics on my blog)

-David G.
gamerarchitect.blogspot.com

Johnny Reb II and Fire & Fury

Couldn't hit an elephant from the Toofatlardies.

Also have original Fire n Fury (haven't tried the regimental version) plus a few others on teh bookshelf.

David

JR2, but would love to try Regimental Fire & Fury.

On to Richmond Regimental and Fire & Fury Regimental both in 25mm.

Ed, would love to see Butternut and Bucktail.

Using my own rules link recently fought a 15mm "what if" 2nd day of Gettysburg which proved very successful, check out the Gettysburg file for some ideas.
Also use Fire and Fury, Couldn't hit an elephant from the Toofatlardies and Johnny Reb III.

Regimental Fire and Fury – 28mm

I would like to know what F&F Regt are like?

Much better game. Combat mechanics are far superior and the old curse of massing fire points to roll a 1 and do nothing has been removed.

Troop movement and moral is better handled and the whole thing is just more believable.

On To Richmond. Tried lots of others but keep coming back to them.

I use my 1/72-20mm figs with Field of Battle 2. Excellent set of rules. I will also be trying Command Combat ACW which is a unit equals a Brigade. Some very interesting mechanics and sequence of play. I also have 10mm figs painted up (about 1500). I use these for VnB and On to Richmond.

Thanks,

John

I use my Call To The Colors. 15mm and its Free.
Yahoo group
link

Fred Ehlers

Lots of interesting variation out there.

Glad so many people have chimed in on this one.

Homegrown at regimental level (based on the old Stars N Bars I by Scotty Bowden), Fire & Fury for larger battles.

SIGNIFICANT difference in artillery effectiveness across the many sets I've used in the past, BTW.