"ACW Battles of Antietam and Fox Gap" Topic

For an AAR of a recent game of these two ACW Battles please check our website at link

Thanks for sharing.

I assume that this is some type of element based rule set, is that correct?

79th the Rules are Battle Cry which was a Milton Bradley Game years ago.

79th, I've modified the Commands & Colors Battle Cry system designed by Richard Borg, which was first published by Avalon Hill.

link

In these two tactical scenarios, each stand is a regiment or equivalent-sized [small] brigade, and stand's have custom-labels with hit boxes reflecting their historical strengths at the time of the actions (sourced via Brad Butkovich). Btw, for the next outing we'll have "Disorder" levels built into each unit's hit track.

The Antietam engagement pictured involves the first brigades that clashed those initial morning hours around and in Dr. Miller's Cornfield.

I think I've hit something of a sweet spot between playability and fidelity with the project here. My roll-out mats allow reasonable-looking actions to set up and play in a couple of hours – as an example, the guys fought each game three times in this afternoon. The whole format is aimed for gaming at the local shop, or during a typical convention session.

Right now I'm working on adding a set up for the cavalry action fought over Fleetwood Hill, near Brandy Station in 1863.

Thanks.

A link for how these old G&H minis were repurposed to function as Bn./Regiments., or up to a reduced Brigade maneuver element each.

Very intentionally leveraging here the efficiency of a hex-based board game system (modified), with custom-made 3D terrain.

link

Why?

The biggest reason, the basing of these stands to become regiments each, has helped stretched my collection – there's enough stands to be able to put on three scenarios at once now, but each game easily fits onto a normal 6X4ft. table.

All the minis and terrain are easy to transport, set up, and tear down.

The game system can be taught quickly, and plays efficiently, with few rules questions coming up – mostly just judgements needed for LOS.

Epic-approach?

Well, this unit-basing approach can be done with any scale collection – just make sure the formation stand fits into a hex (and base-arrange each unit to look like a little diorama – to pimp up their visual affect, with flag stand, energetic postures, or command figures – easy with 28s too).

As mentioned in the linked WIP note – Warlord Game's Epic strips would be perfect to do this type of low-'figure' count collecting, and Wargames Atlantic is coming out with new strip-molded minis for other periods too.

Is this all novel, well how long have small-scale minis, or unit-based gaming been around, as board games, or actually as the original Kriegspiel? Here on these shores, this style of unit-based gaming can take a strong lead from Frank Chadwick's Volley & Bayonet rules (way ahead of their time perhaps).

Is the time right for this style of easy-base battle gaming [resurgence]– well when's the last time you saw any non-skirmish game REGULARLY being played in your neck of the woods?