"Looking for Rules for Gettysburg - XXX Level?" Topic

This thread confuses me as to what name to use for what I want. TMP link

I am looking for a set of simple rules which allow one person to command either the Union or Confederate Army at Gettysburg. Individual stands of figures would be infantry brigades and artillery batteries. Size of cavalry stands is open.

What do you call this level of game? Division, brigade, etc.?

Please recommend. I am willing to use a Napoleonic set of rules and do a bit of adjustment if the rules are simple.

Altar of Freedom by Greg Wagman. Basic unit is the brigade. Scale of figures can vary as base width is the measure.

I know Brigade (lon) sells them. It is our 'go to' large battle ACW rules although Fire & Fury is always good as well.

Volley & Bayonet are meant for exactly this type of game. So are AoF, as mentioned above. I prefer V&B because it has a bit more detail in terms of morale and weapon types, and both movement rates and combat are decisive. However, AoF is more focused on its command system (which V&B lacks and you have to supply in some form if you want it), so depending on what type of game you prefer then one might be better than the other. The recent set "Bloody Big Battles" was meant for later 19th century conflicts, but evidently plays very well for the ACW. It gives the vibe of a heavily streamlined "Fire & Fury" (which while a great set of rules I always found too slow for one person to command more than a few divisions).

And pretty much everybody calls a game where the basic unit is the brigade a "brigade level" game. I've only ever seen the sort of fussing about terminology in the thread you mention here on TMP. Seems a bit silly to be honest. :)

Cheers,

Christopher

Volley & Bayonet includes the ACW. Each large stand is a brigade.

Bloody Big Battles also includes the ACW. Stands can represent different amounts. For their Gettysburg scenario each stand represents 1,500 troops or 36 guns, basic units are divisions.

Have not played this one yet but we had a great time with the Shiloh scenario. For Shiloh the scale per stand was 1,000 troops or 24 guns.

Take a look at Pete Berry's rules for Gettysburg:
link

What do you call this level of game? Division, brigade, etc.?

Each player is commanding an army, so Army Level.

The game might be army level but the rules would be Brigade level.

I would call it Brigade Level since the basic unit is the Brigade.

If we are going to the command then I would say we should use

Army Command, as opposed to Army Level.

Bloody Big Battles might do the trick. Each stand is about 1000-1500 men and 3-7 stands make a division or corps, maneuvering as a single entity/unit. It can best be described as Fire and Fury lite. I personally like it better because it is a simple and straight forward version of the rules, explained in about 12 pages of text. The rest of the book is scenarios for the Franco Prussian ware. There is even a Gettysburg scenario in the works and is available on the Yahoo Group.

John

The game might be army level but the rules would be Brigade level.

Why make that distinction?

An "army level" game tells me that:
1. Each player commands an army
2. The smallest unit is a brigade (on the principle of two down).

BTW, I think Major B is correct. Army level is what I'd call it. Division level is where you command a division of 6-12 Battalions. Note that the late Paddy Griffith calls the Division level game the "Division Game" in Napoleonic Wargaming for Fun."

The smallest unit is a brigade (on the principle of two down).

Depending on the nationality, 2 down is actually the Division. Start at army then Corps then Division then Brigade.

Prussian would start at Army then Corps then Brigade then Regiment.

Depending on the nationality, 2 down is actually the Division.

Ah yes, of course. I got carried away with my enthusiasm. You are quite correct.

The smallest unit in an army level game would be division (made up of a number of single stand brigades). As the OP said:

Individual stands of figures would be infantry brigades

Incidentally that is exactly how my army level ACW rules are designed.

I've done Gettysburg 5 times with Volley and Bayonet. Highly recommended, especially as a multiple player game.

A second for Alter of Freedom. Very good set of rules.

Piquet Field of Battle.

I'll also second Altar of Freedom. There is a pretty well produced youtube video of the designer and friends playing out a Gettyburg scenario. It's worth a look.

YouTube link

The new rules from Sam Mustafa, Blucher, may work well for you. It seems exactly what you want.

In Altar of Freedom, the basic unit is a multi-stand brigade, correct?

In Volley and Bayonet, a single stand is a brigade.

Check out DBACW on youtube. Its an option as 1 base = what ever you want, Regiment, Brigade or Division, and its fast play.

79TH. Altar of Freedom is single stand brigade.

Okay. Maybe I am mixing up "Across a Deadly Field" with AoF. Thanks for the info.

In BBB the basic unit is a multi-stand brigade or division.

You could try our 'Brutal' rules from the ACW e-magazine. We have played various versions of Gettysburg in 28mm with two players. If your figures are in blocks of 4 you'll want three blocks for every 1000 or so men.

I have refought Gettysburg a number of times using Volley & Bayonet. These rules, as standard, model the ACW, in addition with period amendments are able to model the wider Black Powder period. They are both very playable yet model the period very well.

They have a game scale where one stand represents a brigade. With respect to figure scale you can use a range of figure scales, 6mm, 15mm or 25mm are popular.

For some background Can be found here:
volleyandbayonet.wordpress.com

Since people have been kind enough to mention my BBB Gettysburg scenario, here is the TMP thread with the full scenario:
TMP link

And a recent AAR here:
link

Chris

Bloody Big BATTLES!
link

Try the rules on the Charge website, they are free and you can easily adapt them to suite yourself.