Paddy Griffith: ACW Book: Empire Interactive - American Civil War Game

I recently (well fairly - this or last year[?]) read Paddy Griffiths ACW book (and it is very interesting to hear American commentators, perhaps shall we say not so praiseworthy reviews, of the book) but knew that upstairs in the loft was an old bag of computer games, one of which was Empire Interactive's Battles of the American Civil War in which was a paper book supplement, written by Paddy. Yes back in the days computer games came with physical instruction books, so with some spare time on my hands (don't tell the wife) off to the loft I went (see below, amongst the cobwebs my efforts were rewarded):  

It is a classic info book. A good guide to get the basics into perspective and introduce themes to a general audience rather than an in depth or comprehensive historical reference or treatise, but I would say it also goes slightly beyond that and hits the wargamers "sweet spot" and gets them salivating. In the words of an old football coach, "Nobody ever gets cut for spending time practising the basics" and this my friend is a good grounding text to return to so you know you "have it right" (see below, nicely illustrated, some 48 pages and a lovely thing to dip into): 

In combination with my recent purchases of Warlord Games Epic ACW and the Worthington Games (solitaire) Gettysburg wargame, it is a nice fit. 

ACW Musings and Distractions

My recent wargaming discovery is that of the late Paddy Griffith, his literature and his life's work in games (courtesy of the gentlemen of Wargames Developments and The History of Wargaming Project) (see below, two of his most inspirational books, let the reading begin):  

On the back of this inspirational reading I decided to finally try and paint up some of the Warlord Games ACW (Epic Scale) ACW I had purchased over the last year of lock-down. To help me I followed the following painting tutorial for inspiration (there are tons available, not even sure the one I ended up using is in amongst this lot:

Confederate: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMQ3GAt546o

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GrnemzCAXxs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VPdrB094go

Union: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e28316C7S4g

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZNgX3-8zhc

And in Spanish: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wsVKxVMXTFU

Yes, the first pilot was significantly over painted (as is always the case)! So it is one ten man sprue down only 239 to go (gulp)! Time to have a look at the Union troops now ;) 

And it came to pass that "A very BIG box of EPIC scale ACW came from Warlord Games" arrived with a 'thud' on my doorstep!

Yes, I am one of those "happy mad ones" who pre-ordered at Xmas. There was a knock at the door (see below, spare a thought for the Postie - if there were two or more wargamers on his beat or street they were doomed):   

It was then opened (see below, layers of "epic scale" stuff - as it said on the tin over 2,500 figures): 

Both armies albeit looking very similar apart from the colour of the sprue (see below, it also has to be said that figures for General Meade and General Robert E Lee also came in the box):  

Exciting as this was, the "bonus" was the A5 Black Powder Rules Book which means I can justify other Powder Era (Napoleonics, AWI, Malburian, Colonial) 28mm long standing purchases as "waiting for this time"! Ancients and Pike and Shot are still slightly awkward to justify .. but I have "adaptable" rules for those. 

20mm ACW Confederate Cavalry Finished

The third arm of the Confederate Army is the Cavalry or rather Mounted Infantry (see below, this was a project that had already been half started a long while back - front rank almost there back rank very much WIP):

Post Update: Found another pic before the horses tails and manes were painted (see below, everything a washed out grey that does not awful but at the same time does not quite work): 

Muddling away the the back rank caught up with the front (see below, I actually washed Vallejo Brown dip over the already painted figures, to help equalise them in looks - however in hindsight I may have been over thinking that somewhat):  

The challenge to me now was the horses, as I am not the greatest cavalry painter in terms of experience so I was rather hesitant (see below, the brown wash helped define the shading of the skin, but called for another layer of painting and high lighting as the overall effect was more just mucky than horse flesh - I was happy with the cavalry troopers):  

An old blog post of mine came to my rescue, one that pointed out to a "thankfully" live link on how to paint horses (but I stored the pictures just in case for future use):

• https://exiledfog.blogspot.com/2018/06/note-to-self-painting-horses-reference.html
• https://blog.vexillia.me.uk/2008/06/horse-colours.html

(see below, I decided to go for a right old mix of three white-grey, one black, one dark brown, two chestnut, three bay and two dun): 

For me the problem areas area the right horse body colour to hair [mane and tail] which the above link helped with. The white splotches on legs and head were easier to apply (see below, the Confederate Grand National of 1861 - dismounted troopers can be done later for "chrome"): 

Now for the small matter of the Union Army!

Holiday Painting Project: Confederate Infantry in 20mm (Revell Plastics)

These boys started "their journey" with me in 1992 or thereabouts as a fire damaged (as in the packaging) job lot at as a penny a figure (see below, the "to be completed" flags actually come from teh Revell Union packet but are IMHO are totally "inter-changeable" - one is blue the other is grey!): 

In keeping with the retro feel I used the good old Tamiya paints wherever possible, which almost matched age of the figures, but with a rousing stir [a couple of minutes] they were ready to go as if brand new. Although I had already started some I PVA sealed them all, and washed them with a Vallejo Brown "Dipping Wash" to be at a consistent starting point (see below, note - there are several packs of "same pose" Confederates gathered for this group shot): 

I stared long and hard at the blank flags and plunged in with a Rebel Yell. I plan to do a mass "flock" at the end (see below, I think it makes all the difference): 

A basic unit of play, the flag would denote an "elite" unit in the One Hour Wargame rules (see below, I need to paint up another four infantry, two artillery and two cavalry): 

The plan is that a unit of six stands would be a One Hour Wargame unit .. six of which basically make up an army. Yes, I want to introduce my Padawan to the ACW to see if he is as lucky with a musket as he is with a spear.

The Blue and The Grey (and The Portable Wargame)

A long, long time ago, when I was in a far distant country (Scotland) I acquired a large collection of Revell American Civil War (ACW) figures [Union and Confederate Infantry, Cavalry and Artillery] with the intention of using them for Stars and Bars Rule Set. I then discovered Fire and Fury Brigade level ACW (15mm) and my interest waned. The hassle of re-basing for F&F and being "the wrong scale" to what other people gamed in, put me off. So they lingered unloved in many boxes in the attic. However twenty four years later "there time has come" as Bob Cordery's Napoleonic (extended to ACW, which is a hop skip and a jump away) is the key to the door. I have started base painting teh first Confederate units (see below):   

I can see these formations fitting nicely into hex grids - be it Portable Wargames or "bringing to life" old Strategy and Tactics or Avalon Hill games. All that is required is a little TLC (see below, the Confederate Grey line):

The colour palette seems pretty basic so a factory production system should be able to be set in motion (see below): 

The Vallejo Game Colour paints seem more than adequate!

The Blue and the Grey

Rummaging about in the loft for me invariably involves moving boxes about and then this usually means opening them up out of curiosity to find out why they were so annoyingly heavy in the first place. Then yes, I get completely distracted by the contents until a querying voice from downstairs inquires what I am doing.

In the most recent foray I discovered my long lost ACW 20mm collection of Revell plastics purchased in about 1992. I acquired quite a lot of these as a model shop was selling off a lot of fire damaged stock (the unopened boxes were sooty). Approximately 20 boxes were purchased all told, 10 Union and 10 Confederate infantry, which roughly gave me 500 troops a piece.They seemed a bargain bumper at the time but alas for the majority of the soldiers the best I did was to get as far as basing them according to a rule set entitled "Stars and Bars". I still have these rules, but no I have not read or played them once in over 20 years of ownership. My ACW outings were always 15mm Fire and Fury (F&F) based and I could not summon up the stamina to consider re-basing the 20mm (and I seemed to be the only one who dared consider using this cake for ACW).

However in 2014 they (potentially) have 'come of age' and have hit the painting tray (see below, for my Conferates):

A relatively few stands (about here dozen), three figures on each, were painted to my "one-colour does it" mid 1990's uninspiring standard. (The three colour technique of  shade, base and highlight was unknown to me then). All told I have two dozen "base primed" Confederates stands (72 figures) and about a dozen Union stands (36 figures). In addition to the basic troops I also acquired Revell's "artillery" and "cavalry" but more of them in later posts. I think these Revell figures can be purchased from IMEX now.

I decided then and there in the loft that they deserved a better fate. Given a recent purchase of a "Vallejo brown dipping wash" I decided to use these troops to experiment on. As the figures were already based on long strips I could not do the full dunk, but more of a heavy uncaring large brush "wash". I decided to "wash them twice" for good measure and highlight, gloss varnish and then matte varnish. The six stands that were just at the undercoat black stage received a PVA gunking to strengthen them (I didn't fancy doing that on the painted ones).

To be continued ...

Regimental Fire and Fury ACW (8): Gettysburg - Dixie sieze the High Ground

The journal of Colonel Chamberlain abruptly stopped at the end of turn four (I didn't make it across for the final night's gaming) so history is taken up from the pages of the Richmond Post chronicle as it recounted the historic end game. The Union centre was but paper thin and their left flank had been turned. Only on their right did the Union look strong (see below):

As a consequence of this the Confederates refused their left, pinning the Union reinforcements into a long range musketry duel which suited the Rebel strategy (see below):

Instead the Rebels attacked hard in the middle:

The South surged up the slopes of Little Round Top (see above) driving all before them, gaining the lower part of the hill. The "worn" and "extended" Union troops being absolutely no match for them:
 

If that was not bad enough news for the Union the Rebels convincingly won the day on the their right. The Union left was flank turned (not extending the line and covering the frontage with even a thin line was a lesson hard learned, as the Regimental Fire and Fury movements are 'just that bit more' than the Brigade level game equivalents and terrain much less of a movement hindrance):

With the flank turned the result was inevitable:    

The tearful sight of the Rebels storming the heights, emerging from the hidden canopy of the woods, springing a dreadful surprise on a "spent" Union regiment seeking shelter behind the newly placed Union battery of guns. The Brigade Commander Vincent joined the fray (see below):

But the Rebels won the day (see below) planting the Confederate flag atop Little Round Top. John Bell Hood's men had won the day: 

The Army of the Potomac was now compromised, General Meade organised a retreat and Lee had won the battle of Gettysburg on the second day. The road to Washington was open and the capitol was in panic, Lincoln was politically compromised and the "peace party" was plotting to compromise with the South.

Well played to the gentleman Southern "God and General" for a very enjoyable game and excellent collection of toys and terrain. Maybe I should paint some Union troops, they always seem to need more of them.

Regimental Fire and Fury ACW (7): Gettysburg - Confederate pressure and Union Reinforcements

The Rebels poured forth across the river from Devil's Den (see below), taking casualties from Union defensive fire but in turn inflicting cruel casualties on the defenders of Little Round Top. Of the three Union regiments defending one was forced back to the heights of Little Round Top now a "spent" force. The remaining Union line was looking very thin indeed:

This Rebel attack also enfiladed the last remaining Union regiment in the lower part of the battlefield (see below) as it too faced a renewed Confederate surge. Its feet were still wet from retreating through the river from the previous turn. The Confederates were now baying for blood and sensing a disintegrating Union line:

After trading fire and movement the situation is shown below. The Union troops are nothing more than a few bare stands to the Rebel's "many". There was definitely an "open gate" to Little Round Top:

But hark, I hear "The Fife and Drum," the marching songs of the Union Army are clearly heard. Union reinforcements appear when most needed in the bottom of the battlefield, but is it a question of too little too late? They deploy and fire but have little effect. It does however cause consternation amongst the Rebel commanders as to what follows next.

Also atop of Little Round Top, three Union artillery pieces are finally deployed having spent the last four turns to date being painfully manhandled to "the only position they were allowed to fire from" on Little Round Top. It seemed to be a rather "unfriendly" artillery hill.  At least they would get a defensive shot at the Rebels yonder side of the river before they moved into dead ground below Little Round Top. Chamberlain's 20th Maine are torn as what to do. They need to cover a great deal of ground with a few men. Lacking a movement roll good enough to take on the Rebels making their way round the Union flank they decide to attack what Confederates they can see and reach:

Even with more "cold steel", the 20th Maine are bounced back into their defences. The rolls seem to be going the Confederate way (see below):

The Union flank is now definitely hanging "naked". The Union guns spoken of earlier can be seen atop of Little Round Top but sadly cannot depress to contribute to the immediate (soon to be desperate) local defence (top right see above)! On reflection the Union player (me!) missed a trick here as there is an option in Regimental Fire and Fry that allows a regiment to extend its line and double the space covered.

This is what I should have done. The down side of course being the Confederates would have been able to mass many more troops into the attack on one regiment, but the frontage would have been covered. As a final note ending Turn 4, the umpire announced that the Union had suffered "so many" causalities as to qualify for a minus one on future morale rolls. It just gets better ;) 

Regimental Fire and Fury ACW (6): Gettysburg - The Rebels Second Surge

With both sides drawing breath at Little Round Top the focus of attention shifted to the opposite end of the battlefield where the Rebels were assaulting the reformed (but "worn") Union line. Denied favourable terrain "the fence line" (hiss, boo to the Umpire) as more troops were fighting outside of the feature ("fair cop" in retrospect, see below) the combat was one the Union desperately needed to win. The Union defensive fire was poor and the Rebels got in with just a bit of disorder:       

The results of the combats was very telling (see below):

For a second time the Union line had been smashed, only one "worn" Union regiment was left on the opposite bank of the stream, or rather after second thoughts "in it" (see above). The flank of the Union position on Little Rond Top itself was now exposed. To make matters even worse two Union regiments failed to rally and actually routed another move away from the Rebels. The broken Union troops can be seen (bottom left, above) in a very sad state of affairs. Union troops were looking very thin on the ground.

Meanwhile blissfully oblivious to the "adverse roll of luck" to their comrades the 20th Maine trade insults and desultory musket fire with their southern cousins.

Prudence being the better part of valour the 20th Maine retire to their defensive works. This was a debatable move (in hindsight), as rather than press on with at best a 50:50 attack on the Confederate regiment Chamberlain (or rather me) sought to seek "safety" in preparing for a better odds combat later(?),  this however passed the initiative to Johnny Reb.

The Confederate commander decided that Chamberlain's men were just too tough a nut to crack frontally and he formed his remaining fresh regiment up out of sight of the Union troops (visibility in woods is only six inches) and then skirted round the Union flank. A very astute move the Union player had to admit, as now the Rebels knew where the end of the Union line lay they could easily turn it through manoeuvre.  Their only drawback being effectively "of of command", however this was offset by their freshness and being in column. One good command and control roll should do it!

It is certainly not nice to have a hanging flank!

Regimental Fire and Fury ACW (5): Gettysburg - The Little Round Top defences hold strong.

The Union line reforms along its length in some semblance of order (though distinctly worn in parts):

At Little Round Top, Chamberlain's charge with the 20th Maine at the worn Rebels is successful, but only marginally so. The Confederate regiment is disordered and pushed back, but no breakthrough. The 20th Maine are now outside of their protective defences:

So the initiative passes to the Confederates who send their "fresh" regiment at Chamberlain's 20th Maine:

In a 50:50 encounter the Union win the melee and the Rebs are bounced back into the woods, smarting with a casualty. The rest of the Confederates at Little Round Top prudently regroup and wait for their centre to advance:

The attention once again turns to the Rebel wave of men advancing on the centre of the battlefield as the Rebels push again at the reformed ragged line of blue.

Regimental Fire and Fury ACW (4): Gettysburg - The Rebel Surge

Defied by stubborn Union defence the Rebels resorted to cunning but time consuming manoeuvre. The Rebel second line side-stepped, moving by companies to outflank the very Union troops that had previously outflanked them.

Meanwhile the fire-fight continued apace to the front with the Rebels being further whittled down under the impressive musketry of the 20th Maine and the gallant Colonel Chamberlain. However the Union sharpshooters were "dispersed" as the fresh Rebel regiment moved in, but they had done their duty well. The Union flank was again left hanging:  

The action moved to the central section of the board where the Rebel main force "hit", or rather sunk its teeth into the Union defensive salient (see below). Devil's Den was cleared of Union sharpshooters by some exceptional Confederate musketry at the cost of a Rebel regiment going "ammo low" for the rest of the game (a fair trade?). Sharpshooters are interesting, as they are hard to hit (especially when in extended line and in cover) but if hit they tend to disperse, being usually a detachment of only two stands. This adds a nice bit of regimental flavour to the game.

The patiently constructed wave of grey poured forth and although taking losses in the defensive fire closed to melee with devastating effect (see below). The Confederates had done a very professional job here softening up the front with an effective cannonade for the previous two turns:

The now "disordered" Union line upon the hill top disintegrated. The Union cannon long since silenced by its Confederate counterparts was swept away as a trophy. The only Union success was an exceptional result in the riverbed where a Federal unit of veterans saw off an attack by two Confederate regiments. It's success however exposed it to a potentially deadly enfilade from the hill. Meanwhile on Little Round Top Colonel Chamberlain seized the initiative:

"Ammo low" but "fresh", he ordered the 20th Maine to "fix bayonets" (declining an attacking fire option but instead taking a +1 melee bonus if they get in) and charge out of the Union defences at the "worn" Rebel unit. A good win and breakthrough could swing the battle in the Union favour, risky as a bad roll could open up the flank of Little Round Top!

What would the goddess of war decide?

Regimental Fire and Fury ACW (3): Gettysburg - ferocious musketry at Little Round Top

Just as the Rebels prepare another assault on the 20th Maine, the Union sprung a surprise. A detached company from the 20th Maine made an appearance (see below, middle right):

Just where the Rebels didn't want them to be, enfilading their side/rear. "Give them hell" (see below):

The combined musketry of the bulk of the (ammo low - half firepower) 20th Maine to the front, plus the detached company (doubled firepower) was savage (especially since another 10 was rolled).

Rebel stands fell and the front Confederate regiment went "worn". A psychological victory, though the "use them of lose them" revealing of the flank company would surely mean deadly attention is cast their way from the Rebel second line in the turns to come.