"Smallest Force for Across a Deadly Field?" Topic

I was just puttering around with the army muster rules for Osprey's new Across a Deadly Field, and the smallest force for Union or Confederacy would be:

1 division of
2 brigades of
3 regiments each
with two total batteries
(cavalry not required)

The smallest regiment on the points chart is 4 figures (1 stand), but it would be considered depleted (pg. 21)*, so the smallest practical regiment would be 6 or 8 figures (2 stands). So 36-48 infantry figures total.

* not sure if this applies to a regiment that starts the scenario with 1 stand, or only to reduced regiments due to in-game combat losses

The minimum battery is 2 sections – modeled as one stand, one gun, two crew figures; plus limber stand.

Plus 2 brigade commanders (1 figure each) and 1 divisional commander (2 figures per stand).

This should be independent of figure scale, as the size of the stands changes, but not the number of figures per regiment.

Note that the total points cost for the force would depend on year, weapons chosen, troop quality, and whether any are sharpshooters; and the type of artillery.

Leaders are not used in the basic rules.

Bill,

Actually, regiments in ADF can be as small as four figures on TWO stands. See page 20 for the discussion on unit basing. There is a picture of the Louisiana Tigers at First Bull Run being depicted as two stands of two figure each. Also, take a look at page 102 of the book for an example of Archer's Brigade in Heath's Division at Gettysburg. These are NOT one stand units.

Mark

Very useful post Bill! This is grand!

If only one division, I think I will stick with JRIII. Bigger games (Corps), I am going with ADF. Just my opinion.

I'm just thinking in terms of someone wanting to try the rules, but starting a new army… gives a target for the minimum force.

A "four figures, 2 stands" regiment would cut the number of figures needed to get started, but then the next larger size when you are ready to upgrade is "six figures, 2 stands" which could require rebasing. Then "eight figures, 2 stands" is the next jump.

But if you start with 4-figure stands, and upgrade in units of four figures, no rebasing needed.

Note that the War in the East supplement has an optional basing system:

* a square command base
* generic infantry bases

The idea is that a typical unit would be:

(generic stand)(command stand)(generic stand)

This allows you to make command stands for specific units, but keep most of the infantry interchangeable on the same side.

I'm slowly painting some 28mm perry minis for skirmish and for these rules. is it just me or is there a rather large guns to infantry ratio? (as in a lot of guns)

"I'm just thinking in terms of someone wanting to try the rules, but starting a new army… gives a target for the minimum force."

Some of the scenarios in the books are quite small. I'm going by memory here, but each side for the Battle of Piedmont is about 80 infantry, 6 cannon, and a dozen or so cavalry.

Don't quote me, those aren't exact numbers – like I said, I'm just going from memory.

I've never been an ACW wargamer before, but that small of a size has made me order some miniatures (28mm) to try it out. I don't know if I want to do a huge game that requires that I paint hundreds of models, but I'm certainly willing to try something small, and if I like it I'll probably get more later.

ScottS,
'm doing this game in 28mm as well, and I'm single basing mine so I can use them for skirmish as well. I don't think this will affect the rules at all. just something to keep on mind