"ACW: Favorite Type of Scenarios?" Topic

What are your favorite type of ACW games to play?

* historical
* fictional
* campaign games
etc.

historical. i like taking a slice of a big battle and playing that.

Historical

Historical. Why would you need to invent fictional scenarios when there are so many historical scenarios from which to choose? One day we'll do an ACW campaign and then we'll do campaign scenarios.

Historical

Historical, a portion of a larger action, like John
Lacour does

Historical, the whole battle.

All three! If I had to choose one, it would be Historical: The Whole Big Battle. Gaming only a part of a larger battle always seems frustrating – no context.

Historical Orbats and big what-ifs.

Historical

Historical

History based although not necessarily historical small battles.

Historical, but I like to do fictional sometimes and would really like to do a campaign also!

All three too.

The trouble with historical scenarios is that the players know (or CAN know) too much about 1. the enemy forces 2. the terrain 3. what worked and what didn't, etc.

Campaigns would be ideal, if you have the time, resources, etc. (and, preferably, a gamemaster to set it up and run it double blind). The real STRATEGY in the ACW is in the campaigns, not the battles -- that is, the maneuvering for advantage.

Otherwise, semi-historical scenarios, such as historical situations borrowed from another horse and musket era, such as Napoleonics or ACW, so that the players won't recognize the situation and have the advantages mentioned above.

Another type of scenario is the "what if": Take an historical situation and explore slightly changed circumstances. Such as: What if, at Gettysburg, Lee had taken Longstreet's advice and moved (or tried to move) around Meade's left flank, between him and Washington; or what if Ewell had attacked Cemetery Hill on the evening of 1 July; or what if Meade had gotten his Pipe Creek circular out in time, so that his forces pulled back to that line. Or, what if Joe Johnston had attacked the rear of Grant's army while it was besieging Vicksburg. Lots of possibilities with that sort of thing.

Historical.

Historical. Especially involving north vs south.

what if…?
YouTube link

Historical, whole battle.

Historical battles or portions of battles.

Historical, the whole battle.

Historical, regimental level so one division vs one division.

Andy

Not meaning to speak against the tide but my favourites are campaign games

Historical, whole battle (thanks, Altar of Freedom!).

Would love to do a campaign, but…yeah…reasons.

I do all three, but the most frequent ones are fictional.

Historical Grand Tactical

All three but historical for preference

Generally historical, with some "what if" historical thrown in. Like what if McClellan had committed some or all of the troops he held back at Antietam. (OK, that didn't work out well for Lee, but you get the idea.)

Meeting engagement. Played JR twice a month with about 20 regular players but could not rely on all of them being there. After setting up a couple of historical games for the 20 and ending up with 7-10, we went with a meeting engagement where you drew a card of prepared brigades and you got what you drew. Pull a dice out of a tin cup for side. Roll for where you come in. Players who came in late did the same thing. Sometimes it might be four players to three but can find plenty of battles where one side is out numbered. Worked well.

Many of the reason's stated for fictional scenarios are the reason I wrote a scenario book of fictional scenarios. Neither side gets an advantage for knowing the historical layout of the battle.

amzn.to/1lieTN4

I'm considering writing a second volume of fictional scenarios as well.

We do not do historical games for the same reasons as stated above by others, (players knowing too much about their opponent's forces, etc.). Our ACW scenarios, using Stars n Bars, are based on the ANV vs. the AOP in the year 1862. Forces are generally rolled for, as are victory conditions, and troop placement. Thanks, John Miller

Historical, whole or partial battles. Also historical what ifs, especially ones that realistically could have happened.

The trouble with historical scenarios is that the players know (or CAN know) too much about 1. the enemy forces 2. the terrain 3. what worked and what didn't, etc.

Having played historical scenarios since the 80s, I have found that knowledge of the battle has little or no affect on the scenario. In fact I encourage players to read up on the battle before hand. Most don't and they often suffer for it.

Even those who do have a good knowledge of the battle are almost always unprepared for what happens. They get caught up in the moment of the game and it slips their mind.

Often the players have their own idea how to fight the battle which doesn't conform to history. There are a few battles that one can't avoid pre-knowledge affecting the battle. But for the most part, fore-knowledge has little affect.

There are plenty of battles in the ACW that are little known and they can make for great games.

Often the players have their own idea how to fight the battle which doesn't conform to history. There are a few battles that one can't avoid pre-knowledge affecting the battle. But for the most part, fore-knowledge has little affect.

I agree. Foreknowledge of a historical scenario has little real effect.

Cleburne1863's book of fictional ACW scenarios mentioned above ("Musketry Like Thunder: The Greatest Civil War Battles Never Fought") is great – fictional, but each feels like it could have been a real battle, and includes notes on which historical battles inspired it. I've used them to throw in a different type of scenario during a series of historical scenarios. I'd buy a second one!

As for players having advance knowledge of a historical scenario – it can certainly have an effect, especially if it concerns the timing of reinforcements or the appearance of hidden troops and so on. However, designing "what if" elements or even just a randomization of the historical timing of events can throw all that off, and sometimes make advance knowledge a negative!

Fictional (They're all fictional anyway after initial deployment, and that accepts quite a lot of guesswork and fudging.)

However, designing "what if" elements or even just a randomization of the historical timing of events can throw all that off, and sometimes make advance knowledge a negative!

In which case, you're playing a what-if scenario!

Fictional, sometimes with a vague historical basis.