We are enjoying BP ACW, and the battle-campaign in particular. We think of ourselves as They Couldn't Hit an Elephant players, but trying to do what we are doing with such a thought-intensive set of rules would make our brains hurt (I don't mean they are difficult rules, but think of them as the CoC to BPs Bolt Action, if you see what I mean!)
We're playing pretty much straight. No skirmishers rule though. We do play our house amendments to BP
1) 3 moves only on a command roll of half as well as 3 under (to correct the statistical anomaly of 2 moves being the least common)
2) Fire before movement. Firing is a -1 on command (not cumulative, its -1 no matter how many units fired). If you move on initiative firing is at -1 pip.
Most different
3)i) Broken Brigades break at OVER half of units routed/shaken
ii) You can rally Shaken units in Broken Brigades, to try and unbreak
If a brigade is broken a unit within 12 of the enemy has to retire on initiative. As you can only order a unit once, and moving on initiative counts as an order, you cant try to rally it. This means the other side has a reason to keep up pressure on a broken brigade, rather than just ignoring it.
With WSS Black Powder we try to be rigid in our movement you must move straight ahead, or wheel no obliquing etc. Watching ACW re-enactors what struck us was they seem to jog to the regiment destination, then form properly when there- we therefore allow more flexibility in movement (In British terms "Not taking the pis… mickey" ie, don't try and push it, and the other will probably allow minor stuff to slide!)
The only real period specific rule we use is artillery. We are using it double width ie 2 models/bases per battery rather than 1. I reckon 1" is approx 10 yards in BP (10 paces in WSS). We do a straight cm for inch swap, we are doing 10mm so can get the same figures on 40-50% footprint, and thus call 1mm = 1 yard. Reread a Paddy Griffiths book, and artillery you are looking at 60 yards plus frontage, so we use 2 25-30mm bases per battery. That extra width needs to be planned for.
Another difference is the Order Of Battle. Many games will have 1 gun to each brigade. Looking at OOB I noticed divisional guns were collected in artillery battalions, rather than spread among the brigades. So on my fictional OOB there is a 4th etc unit in each division- 3-4 artillery batteries. That REALLY hurts even at long range 4 guns may not do massive damage (-1 artillery at long range) but your saving throw is down, and you can't hit back easily). It is a real problem for me, because half my artillery is smooth bore rather than rifle 48cm range rather than his 60cm. any advice welcome!
Bit of a result for me tonight. Start of Day 2 (3rd of July 1863 the opposing generals are SURE this will be a famous battle!) I am using 2 fresh divisions to swing up the west, while the eastern units face off his units I want to swing round on the town before his re-enforcements arrive (or in one case, get off the train!). He has decided to try and crush the eastern flank to turn the battle.
We each started with a 3 brigade division (with the overnight roll results on them) He was going to try and crush my right (east) with a brigade, and the slightly recovered 2 brigade division, aluded to earlier). He was using his artilley at long range to harass my centre right, when the small Division's artillery cam on, attempting to take up position on my far right.
We play you must try and fulfil the order given, even if you didn't roll what you hoped so if you said advance 200 yards, but rolled 1 move, you MUST move 120 (12cm) even if that would put the units in a bad position. He meant to order artillery advance 200 yards. instead he said 'Advance' then rolled 2 moves- he had to move the full 240. I looked, and ordered a charge with my 2 east most regiments.
CV of 9. Headstrong (in the rules) +1 if first general ordered. I needed 3 moves- a 5 (half of 10, as mentioned above). If I didn't hit he would calmly unlimber and destroy me they were out on a limb.
I rolled 5, and moved 33cm JUST inside my 36 max move. Limbered Artillery don't get to roll H to H all they can hope for is saving all hits. I contacted all three batteries 5 hits (did I mention the units in this brigade are all up for a fight they are Rebs! so +1 H to H dice. 7 dice at +1 for charging. 5 hits distributed 2-2-1. One hit on each. Limbered artillery losing a melee ROUT.
He was a little upset, and so threw an entire division at them. And got a unit routed, and another one (in support) retire 1 move disordered! The two regiments withdrew over the course of 2 turns (10-15 minutes)on initiative. He eventually managed to rout one with concerted musketry.
The other 4 regiments in that Brigade were causing his units to pile up in front of them, with the intended breakthrough units stuck behind the division that was supposed to make the gap for them to exploit!
On the west my below strength brigade (5 rgts, the 6th having been a permanent rout from yesterday) was causing the 2 brigades in front of it difficulties, as they were getting shaken units, and one was getting too close to broken for comfort. In addition after 5 or 6 turns I called a pause to discuss the wider battle my division 'next table over' (Bush's division) on the map has started to move to exploit the open flank, so he would have to move the division that is about a table width back, forward to counter it, but the extreme right of the US position tonight was likely to be turned off table.
After a game hour (about 10 turns)he said 'I'm getting no where, and will pull back.' I pointed out he right would probably need to refuse anyway, to counter Bush, helping me. Remember what I said about no 'last turn charges'! He needs those units to stay on the field.
Next battle will be Bush and the division opposite coming forward to counter him as the left of my army advances the middle to right are wheeling to protect their flank. This is creating a 'Meeting engagement between Bush and the div opposite but with then union having to bear in mind that if the east most CS brigade is unopposed, it falls upon the regiments on the west of tonights game I think this one will start at 10am turn 5 of tonight's game. If I exit the east of that game with a brigade we will probably play a mini Brigade vs 2 regt game to see if I can disrupt that division enough to stop it advancing.