"How to play an ACW game?" Topic

Hello,

Super newbie here… I am interested in reproducing small engagement across a field but I am not even sure there is any tactic involved besides shooting at each other and charging.

How can you play an ACW game that involves:
a)manoeuvering
b)less than 50 figures a side
c) 28mm figures

What level should I play? a regiment, a brigade, a division?

Sorry for the very new player questions, but it is really where I am (played a lot of WWII Bolt Action, FoW, BK commander)

thank you

Think about your ratios/representation. 4 figures represent a regiment/brigade? Is that the look you want? Less than 50 figures a side includes cavalry- artillery.
Perry makes good plastics at the moment, if cost is an issue have you thought about a smaller scale 15mm or10mm.
Who are your opponents? What level of rules would they tolerate?
There are a lot of different rules out there.
On the beer and pretzels side there is "On to Richmond", fun and don't sweat the small stuff.

Take a look at the Osprey rules "Rebels and Patriots" or the Too Fat Lardies " Sharp Practice"

These games are set at about the same level as Bolt Action.

What level do you want to play? Depending on the rules, 50 figures can be anything from a company or two, to a corps. If you decide to stay at a smaller scale like BA, your tactical possibilities are much greater than guys shooting at each other from across an open field.

It helps to divide your figures up into smaller units, then have them arrive at random times and at random locations on the edge of the table. If you are using fifty figures per side, I would divide them into three regiments, or they could be five ten-figure companies.

thanks all for the hints.

I have just finished a warhammer tournament (2/3 of my gaming buddies play this so I play too but I prefer historicals).

To make a long story short, we had a game with two balanced and similar forces and I really enjoyed outmanoeuvering, flanking, denying a wing, threatening his center.

All this is the type of gameplay I would like to reproduce in a context of ACW. Shamefully, I would prefer to keep it Beer&Pretzel so it will be easier to bring aboard new players. If I remember well, my army of Orruks (orcs in GW lingo) had around 70-80 figures, my opponent had the same. We manoeuvered on the board and it was huge fun in spite of the shortcoming of the GW rule that I find super clunky.

So yes, the historical simulation aspect is not the top priority right now (although I respect it), just looking for something easy we can play with the Age of Sigmar dudes and that we may like instead of the crazy spells, buffs and power creep.

Grey vs blue, easy, 28mm plastic, possibly with point based army list, maybe up to 100 figs a side in 6-10 units. Really for beginners in ACW, focusing on the fun and game aspect for our first steps in ACW-like, and under 2.45 hours if possible.

I am thinking of starting small with Brothers against Brothers. It seems light and people look like they enjoy the games.

Anyone knows where to find the rules?…

I'd second Ed's recommendations: "Rebel & Patriots" is probably easier to get to grips with than "Sharp Practice". Though the latter gives a great ACW game it may be too big a shift in game mechanisms for newcomers to historical gaming.

I'd second Ed's recommendations: "Rebel & Patriots" is probably easier to get to grips with than "Sharp Practice". Though the latter gives a great ACW game it may be too big a shift in game mechanisms for newcomers to historical gaming.

thanks Basha. I could not find Brothers against Brothers so I went for Rebels & Patriots. Amazon lets you see a preview and I liked what I saw, and bought it. It seems light enough to gently start ACW.

A great day, now on to some plastic minis from Perry :)

I have a copy of Brother Against Brother – pretty easy and just the right scale/size for you

You can try our friends at Deep Fried Happy Mice

link

No shame in Beer & Pretzels, repaint. As you progress on your historicals journey, I recommend getting a copy of Fire & Fury. It can give you a good historical refight of many ACW battles. The author, Rich Hasenauer, is very knowledgeable, and the website has a lot of info, and a lively forum:

fireandfury.com/index.shtml

Regards,

Mike

You could also look more towards the far Western theater, where the battles are much smaller, allowing for the use of fewer figures. I think some of the rules above would work for that.

Chal

Plenty of skirmish actions available if that is the level you want. Anything from a dozen men per side to a couple of hundred.
Tracing any of the numerous Union Cavalry raids will reveal many actions.
One near me called Mumford Station, near the current Talladega race track, was a CSA attempt the Union cavalry from attacking CSA training camps and depots around Talladega.
So many actions along the Tennessee river as infantry and cavalry raided.
One effort had the local military academy near Athens muster out to defend the town which caused the Union to withdraw for a few weeks. Before the Union could return the cadets mothers had burned their red, white and blue uniforms. Lol. A colorful scenario.

Before the Union could return the cadets mothers had burned their red, white and blue uniforms. Lol. A colorful scenario.

Lol
Mothers have sometimes more sense than anyone else in the total chaos. :)

I am settling on Rebels and Patriots (bought yesterday) and Brothers against Brothers if I can get a pdf copy from the author. We will try also Firepower from the Perry brothers.

Goal is to attract the Warhammer gang toward fun and very easy rules.

Another option is Peter Dennis' paper soldiers. They can be a bit tricky to cut out, but they look real nice if done correctly.

There are some simple scenarios here, the site also has paper soldiers you can use. Everything you would need except dice and rulers. link

Nothing wrong with beer and pretzel games.

I recall gaming with out Philadelphia area gang years ago, using Fire and Fury, Civil War, with each figure mounted on "a 1" by 1" base. "Brigades" could be 4 figures, some as large as 16. Few cavalry. Gun figures with small crew could be "battalion."

Charles Grant-type rules could allow grouping of these into 10-figure "companies," a gun with 2 crew as a single gun. Some Cavalry. fun, but not realistic for the times.

GdeP