"ACW Rulesets: Are You Satisfied?" Topic

Have you found the ruleset(s) for the American Civil War that make you happy? Or are you still looking for something "better"?

I've been very satisfied with Fire and Fury, since it was a first published

Fire and Fury, both the original brigade and the regimental versions….classic.

I am very satisfied with Fire and Fury for land actions, and with Iron and Fire for naval battles

Well, this is going to sound repetitive, but Fire and Fury (brigade and regimental) are my favs.

Yes.

Another happy Fire and Fury player…

Like many Fire and Fury both brigade and regimental is my go to rule set and loaded with scenario's to play. I've grown up with it so it's pretty much my measuring stick.

There are other really nice rules out there leaving you spoiled for choice in regards to rules.

If you have a regular opponent and looking to play some non historical scenario's and something a little off the beaten path then Longstreet gives a fantastic campaign experience.

Black Powder also works very well and gives a fast game if your short on time.

Guns at Gettysburg although taking some time to play gives a very nice simulation and has a several scenario books to use.

Christopher

I like Longstreet and the original Fire and Fury, my favourite though is still On to Richmond.

On to Richmond for me as well, classic!

No, hoping the new Guns at Gettysburg rules will do it.

Bryan

On the regimental level, I'm 100% satisfied with Regimental Fire & Fury. It's very rare that I find a set of rules for a period that ticks so well. Well … maybe 95%. ;) The only drawback (not exclusive to RF&F) is the need to plan OB's and make labels, which makes spur-of-the-moment games a bit hard. I'm thinking of devising a system where everyone uses standardized/abstracted-sized regiments for that type of game (i.e. "you're all 10 stands, so all use these stats").

On the brigade level, I'm 90% satisfied with original F&F and Volley and Bayonet – F&F for "smaller" big battles and V&B for larger ones, mostly due to considerations of time and space. Due to the nature of my wargamer brain (i.e. slightly addled and unsettled by definition), I'm currently experimenting with a very abstracted set of rules that would quickly develop the different stages of an assault through the long and effective ranges of the various weapons faced all in one shot … but the truth is I should be happy with F&F and V&B!

It should be said, however, that the ACW benefits from a great selection of different sorts of rules, and there are even many excellent ones for free.

Stopped looking right after my first game of Volley and Bayonet.

Rusty's Rules and On To Richmond for me.

Fire & Fury in both Brigade and Regimental iterations.

I like the results I get from Piquet: Field of Battle.

Fire & Fury for me as well. I've always wanted to try Johnny Reb, but I've never found anyone who plays it.

Johnny Reb III. Highly satisfied. Must be since I have been playing Johnny Reb for about 40 years.

On To Richmond!

Any set of rules that doesn't let/make me micro-manage below what should be my level of command.

Sorry but definitely not a F&F fan though that me be from the people and/or environment where I first played the rules. And, no, I do not wish to discuss that…

Rank and File.

Regimental Fire and Fury.

Tom

As part of the Fire & Fury crowd/mob I also have stuck with Fire & Fury although we do use Volley & Bayonet when the games get too big

We have tried Black Powder and like it but are unlikely to replace Fire & Fury – would also like to try Longstreet at some time

We use Brother versus Brother for skirmish gaming

Longstreet and Johnny reb III for me.

Bloody Big Battles scratches my itch for ACW and other 19th century dust-ups.

Totally out grew original Fire & Fury.

Had hopes for Regimental but somehow during its endless gestation period it lost its way and ended up a warmed over version of the original with tired ideas.

Play Longstreet because of the excellent campagin element and the fun you can have with a group of regular players but it has many accuracy issues within its entertaining mechanics.

Looking forward to seeing the new Guns at Gettysburg in the Spring (Come
along young Master Brown, get a move on, there's a Good Chap!) to play something when a bit more detail is required.

Johnny Reb III and Across a Deadly Field.

In fact, ACW is the only period where I have more than one satisfactory choice.

- Ix

I like F&F, but prefer JRIII.

OTR and FnF brigade

Very satisfied with Guns at Gettysburg thanks! That being said I am quite prepared to be even more satisfied with Guns at Gettysburg II!

I don't like Fire & Fury. Don't like the way the stands are, don't like the rules. Same with Johnny Reb.

I prefer Volley and Bayonet. Having said that, I am also working on my own set of rules based upon the Impetus Napoleonic system. I like the 120mm frontage large bases and I prefer rules where 1 stand = 1 unit.

V/R

Fire and Fury – both versions

But hope for a time where there is a group ready to delve back into Stars and Bars

Fire & Fury, both brigade and regimental.

Altar of Freedom

Yet another happy FnF player….

Pretty happy with the house-ruled version of the original F&F (brigades) I play, but not so much for the regimental version. I want to like them. I keep trying them, but they just seem a bit "blah" to me. They don't seem bloody enough for ACW combat to me, either. So I guess I'm still looking for a regimental set I like.

Enjoyed the Original Fire and Fury when it came out
Really enjoyed Piquet's Hallowed Ground and Field of Battle
Have lots of fun with Rich Borg's Battle Cry

Trajanus strikes again:

"Totally out grew original Fire & Fury.

Had hopes for Regimental but somehow during its endless gestation period it lost its way and ended up a warmed over version of the original with tired ideas."

We get it, you're not happy with anything F&F. "Let it go, Phil" ;-)

I'm all in with BF&F and RF&F. I started playing BF&F (1990) in 1994 and loved it! Started play testing RF&F in 2002 and became an "Editor/Rules Lawyer" for RF&F when the rules were published in 2010 and "Lead Editor" in both RF&F scenario books (2012 & 2014). I'm now working with the author, Rich Hasenauer, and editing the 2nd edition of BF&F with a target release date at Historicon 2016, assuming play testing goes well.

All of the F&F products are very well supported by Rich on the fireandfury.com website. There are forums for questions and answers, optional rules, free scenarios, free QRSs for AWI, Wo1812 and MAW in various scales, etc.

If you have not experienced RF&F, you owe it to yourself to try it. Be sure to take a look at the 2nd edition of BF&F-it will take 25 years of experience and advancements in game mechanics and bind it in a full-color and lavishly illustrated rule set. Most of you won't be disappointed;-)

Best,Lowell D. Hamilton

Field of Battle! We have played multiple games and have always found IT IS EXACTLY what we were looking for! I really love these rules. If there is a holy grail of rule sets and I believe there is. Then FOB is it for us!

Thanks,

John

I like Johnny Reb 2, hate 3. Gettysburg soldiers is good as well. I also like Altar of Freedom. So I have multiple sets that scratch my acw itch.

" I am also working on my own set of rules based upon the Impetus Napoleonic system. I like the 120mm frontage large bases and I prefer rules where 1 stand = 1 unit."

This sounds interesting. I like the idea of diorama type bases. Here is where I was experimenting with one unit stands for AWI:

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Not really. It's one period where the ones I've played haven't been "it". It's low priority though.

Very satisfied with Fire and Fury and Regimental Fire and Fury for land battles. I'm Happy with Smoke on the Water for small naval actions. Still looking for simple system to quickly handle large actions(ie Mobile Bay). Other than that no longer looking.

A period I don't play that often; for big games, Rally 'Round the Flag and for skirmish, Brother Against Brother.

I like our house rules, based on Totten's Strategos.

I like the old Rally 'Round the Flag for Brigade and F & F for really big battles.

Regimental Fire and Fury. Our usual group likes it a lot.

Not really, but we have made "Mr. Lincoln's War" work for us. Everyone here seems to be real happy with MLW. I just wish we didn't have to re-write so much of it.

We only do regiments not really a brigade kind of war or at least not for us.

We have rejected RF&F. Played JR2 for many years and just got to the point where we couldn't deal with the rules anymore. Charges finally got to us.

I think there is room for a simple set of rules based on the original regimental "Rally Round the Flag" rules. Which we used play back in the 70s and early 80s.

Started out with several many years ago, like "JEB", "On to Richmond", and "Blue Light Manual", finally settled on the original "Johhny Reb"! "JR" gave the feel of "you are there"! Found version II of those rules a nice improvement, but over the years all that dice rolling began to take it's toll, and every now and then overrided solid tactics on rare occasion. "JR III" seemed like it compromised some of the best of the original in a way, but still it was an improvement!

Enjoyed playing the original "Fire & Fury", but always felt Brigade sized units just didn't do it as well for me. RF&F filled that void rather nicely, and still enjoy playing those! Commanding regiments gives you more to think about!

My rules of choice though would be "Carnage & Glory, ACW version"!