ACW - Battle of Scaplehorn Farm

[Kitsune]

A group of us had an annual Christmas game yesterday, with the choice being an ACW battle. The scenario was based around the narrative actions of earlier games throughout the year and the natural conclusion of those.

Scenario outline is here:

https://themosquitoonthetenthfloor.blogspot.com/2018/09/american-civil-war-scenario.html

Was a most vicious fight and a damned fine game. BUT, I can't be bothered typing out the full report again, so heres the link............

https://themosquitoonthetenthfloor.blogspot.com/2018/12/the-battle-of-scaplehorn-farm.html

...........and heres some pictures












Cheers!

[FifteensAway]

Those pesky rebs!  One of the nicest reports, combination of text and photos, I've seen over the years.  Looks like a fun game.

[Kitsune]

Those pesky rebs!  One of the nicest reports, combination of text and photos, I've seen over the years.  Looks like a fun game.

Cheers! It was great fun to play. We almost had them, almost. For a fair while when the lines were just blazing away at each other, it really really could have swayed either way. Just unlucky that Union didn't get it - we nearly broke the Confederate right, so close there was only a pair of break tests in it, which forced a fall back rather than a full retreat. The return fire then tore us to pieces, but it was expected after valiantly marching into the valley of death

[jambo1]

Super looking game, sounds like it was a fun game to play.

[Kitsune]

Super looking game, sounds like it was a fun game to play.

Thanks. Loads of fun lasted about the right  amount of time too - long enough to be an event, short enough to not be a drag

[TwoGunBob]

Absolutely floored by this one. Very curious about the order of battle and number of figures involved. Starting in ACW using All the King's Men and trying to figure some orders of battle and ideas for convention games. Trying scope out the amount of work I still have ahead of me.

[Kitsune]

Absolutely floored by this one. Very curious about the order of battle and number of figures involved. Starting in ACW using All the King's Men and trying to figure some orders of battle and ideas for convention games. Trying scope out the amount of work I still have ahead of me.

Thanks

Orders of battle were roughly:

Standard units were 18-24 models, depending on how people had based them.
Rules were Black Powder

Confederate.

Brigade 1 (Farm) - 2 standard units, 1 large unit of 32
Brigade 2 - 4 standard units, 4 cannons, 1 small unit of 6 horse
Brigade 3 - 4 standard units, 2 cannons, 1 small unit of 6 horse

Union.

Brigade 1 - 4 standard units, 2 cannons, 1 unit of 12 sharpshooter skirmish
Brigade 2 - 4 standard units, 4 cannons
Brigade 3 - 2 standard units, 2 units of 12 horse (plus dismounted cavalry skirmish models when required)

Each brigade had a commander model, each army had a CIC model in addition

There were around 48 casualty models.

Union brigades 2 and 3 were painted by me in about 8 weeks. Confederate brigade 2 and 3 were painted by their respective players in about 8 weeks each too. ACW is pretty easy to paint once you get the routine down.

Hope that’s enough info for you!

[FifteensAway]

Hmm, a standard challenge seen too often in war games.  You give one side an attack role the other a defense roll but you don't give the attacking player a sufficient numerical advantage for the attacker to have a real chance at victory.  Okay, maybe the Union came close in this one but it is standard in tactics to have a strength advantage on the attack.  If you don't believe me, read Sun Tzu (hopefully, again).

Sometimes this issue arises based on availability of suitable figures.  In those cases, a different scenario type is in order.  Well, in my half-cooked opinion any way.   

[Kitsune]

Yeah, well we all had a whale of a time

Sun Tzu? It’s chucking dice about and sinking pints in a pub back room. Someone pulls out Sun Tzu and they’ll be mocked into the car park

Good ol internet taking shit way too seriously

[The Sheriff]

The union had a 3 or 4 to 1 man advantage for 3 full turns and couldn't shift the rebels in the farm quickly enough.

By the time the odds evened up they should have been well dug in with the rebels having to attack.

A well balanced scenario and was very close in the end.

[TwoGunBob]

Thank you for the outline, figures up about where I was expecting to be for AtKM. Around 14 infantry elements, 3 artillery, and 1 cavalry for starters and then adding in as time and materials allows.
The presentation just looks so great on this one, props to the camera work and the figure painting.

[Mason]

A great spectacle by the looks of it, mate.
 

Good ol internet taking shit way too seriously

 
Yarp!

[Kitsune]

Thank you for the outline, figures up about where I was expecting to be for AtKM. Around 14 infantry elements, 3 artillery, and 1 cavalry for starters and then adding in as time and materials allows.
The presentation just looks so great on this one, props to the camera work and the figure painting.

Cheers! The painting is collective, the cameras all mine except for one shot. Just an iPhone, nothing special

We were working on a “each player needs four units, except the defenders” general rule, although really there wasn’t much of a set list and people just brought what they had painted and had ready. Very free and easy on that front and generally weighed by eye.

A great spectacle by the looks of it, mate.
 

Certainly was those sharpshooters are the ones you gifted Bert, I believe?