Lead Adventure Forum
Miniatures Adventure => Age of the Big Battalions => Topic started by: General Lee on January 06, 2023, 06:35:40 AM
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Hi guys,
As some of you might know, my ACW rulebook With Hot Lead and Cold Steel will be published later this year. All will be revealed on February 1st. Here is a small teaser to get you started!
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You tease. :D
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Not even a hint of ankle? ;)
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Not even a hint of ankle? ;)
just over 2 weeks left ;) lol
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Ok teaser 2
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Definitely an ankle there covered by a boot
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ok another small teaser then, just before the weekend starts
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And here it is. I can finally announce that With Hot Lead and Cold Steel will be released on September 28, 2023 by Osprey Games. Click on the link for the full announcement for this and other new titles by Osprey Games.
Mark Stacey is the artist who created this amazing cover.
https://ospreypublishing.com/uk/osprey-blog/2023/announcing-upcoming-osprey-wargames-for-2023/
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Congratulations. Now comes the hard part. Why should we play your rules? More particularly, given how many people use Fire and Fury for ACW, how are your rules better?
How do you do basing?
What dice do you use? D6? D10?
How does command work?
What makes the rules ACW, as opposed to "generic black powder"?
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Congratulations. Now comes the hard part. Why should we play your rules? More particularly, given how many people use Fire and Fury for ACW, how are your rules better?
How do you do basing?
What dice do you use? D6? D10?
How does command work?
What makes the rules ACW, as opposed to "generic black powder"?
...and, what are the unit sizes? How many figures make a game? Why should I
change to your rules from Rebels & Patriots?
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Good questions about the game and I’d like to hear the answers.
With the osprey line, easy availability is often a strong selling point.
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Hi guys!
It's always a challenge to do in a few sentences but I will give it a try. And btw, I know Fire and Fury players are very passionate about their game, I know a bunch of them myself. I'm unsure if I will ever win them over. Havind said that, I know how long a game of F&F can take, perhaps With Hot Lead and Cold Steel will give them another option if they have less time on their hands.
I have tried to write the rules in such a way that after a couple of turns, players will understand the basics. I have kept tables as simple as possible. You will only use D10s. Initiative may shift from side to side, but players will have influence on how likely it is they will get it by using ADCs . ADCs can also be used to help you pass order tests more easily. Order tests are basis D10 tests. The more difficult the order, the more difficult it will to pass. There is a big emphasis on movement and manouvering: the game features correct ACW text book manouvers and formations (brigades in multiple lines and brigades in echelon for example). Shooting is very important and becomes considerably more effective the closer you get to the enemy. I have included rules to create specific field commanders that will have influence on how their commands perform on the battlefield. Artillery will reflect the difference between smoothbores and rifled guns as well as the different types of ammunition. There are specific Union and Confederate army lists and rules for entrenchments snd upsizing your games to division and corps level. It plays fast, but does not sacrifice historical accuracy. Players are free to use whatever basing system they want, and I have made suggestions how different basing styles will still work.
More will be announced within the coming months !
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I will certainly buy these rules, I like the Osprey Blue books.
It sounds like the standard game is Brigade level from what you have said, would I play as a Brigade commander and have battalions as units? How many figures in a unit? How many figures in total per side?
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Will certainly be looking out for these. Good excuse to get out the ACW minis that have been sitting in storage for far too long...
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I will certainly buy these rules, I like the Osprey Blue books.
It sounds like the standard game is Brigade level from what you have said, would I play as a Brigade commander and have battalions as units? How many figures in a unit? How many figures in total per side?
I too could be interested, but
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Congratulations. Now comes the hard part. Why should we play your rules? More particularly, given how many people use Fire and Fury for ACW, how are your rules better?
How do you do basing?
What dice do you use? D6? D10?
How does command work?
What makes the rules ACW, as opposed to "generic black powder"?
...and, what are the unit sizes? How many figures make a game? Why should I
change to your rules from Rebels & Patriots?
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What is the scale of the rules? What is each unit? A regiment? A brigade?
Are figures based singly or in stands? If the latter, how many figures per stand, and per unit?
What is the ground scale and the time scale?
How long does a typical game take to play?
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I'll get it. I too like several of Osprey's Blue Books. Can't hurt to get it.... 8)
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My feelings/experiences indicate that Osprey's war games are distinctly hit or miss.
So, I'll have to reserve judgment until the rules are out and a couple detailed reviews hit the internet.
My group plays F&F, and seem content with it. Me? I'm looking forward to the ACW supplement to Muskets & Tomahawks.
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The poor author is keeping his head down from the flying buckshot now lol. I will buy the rules anyway but I still would like to know all the answers to all the questions first...
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lots and lots of questions. I hope I can answer them all 8)
- How do you do basing?
I have provided suggestions in the book. for instance, I base my infantry per 6 figures on 60 x 40mm. However, it doesn't really matter as 'stands' in the game is what does matter most. Regiments are made up of a number of stands, depending on the size of the regiment/battery. Each stand can incur 6 points of damage before it is destroyed, taking the unit down 1 size (getting weaker)
- What dice do you use? D6? D10?
D10. lots of D10
How does command work?
- You consult the order table and depending on the difficulty of the order, you need to equal or pass a certain score in order to succeed. The score you need can be influenced by the type of commander you have, giving you penalties or bonusses. You can also use ADCs to improve the your chances. Individual regiments within the brigade may do different things. In division, corps level games. You can give orders to entire divisions.
- What makes the rules ACW, as opposed to "generic black powder"?
the correct army book maneuvers and formations: 'move by the flank' 'passing of the lines' 'oblique movement' 'refuse flank' 'brigade in echelon' 'brigade in multiple lines' 'assault column'. difference between types of weapons and ammunition: rifled guns/smoothbore guns, shell/solid shot (will have different effects) cannister. rifled muskets/smoothbore muskets, carbines, repeating rifles. Confederate and Union specific army lists. ACW specific unexpected events table. Political generals, USCT, Rebell Yell, Union Hurrah. The rules reflect the tactics of the ACW. and of course several scenario's
- ...and, what are the unit sizes? How many figures make a game? Why should I
change to your rules from Rebels & Patriots?
Unit sizes, well there are several different sizes: large, average, small, tiny. So what you will field on the table will depend on the orders of battle. As for figures, that would depend on the scale you are playing. I have a sizeable 28mm collection and average infantry regiments number 24 figures, whereas large regiments have 30. But there is no strict guideline for that. the game would be perfectly playable with Warlord's Epic scale figures for instance.
I don't know Rebels and Patriots other than it's a skirmish game. With Hot Lead and Cold Steel is a mass battle game aimed at speed and accessibility without sacrificing a sense of realism and historical accuracy.
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What is the scale of the rules? What is each unit? A regiment? A brigade?
Are figures based singly or in stands? If the latter, how many figures per stand, and per unit?
What is the ground scale and the time scale?
How long does a typical game take to play?
Several of your questions were addressed above
- There is no ground/time scale in the game
- How long a game lasts? A 3 brigade game can be played in 1,5 to 2 hours.
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There is a ground scale - how far is musket range? How far is artillery range?
How wide is a regiment?
How big is a stand (not in number of figures, in inches or mm)? And how many men does it represent? You said 24 figures for a 'normal' unit. You said 6 figs per stand, so 4 stands is a normal unit? Usually about 600 men for a typical regiment in the ACW, so that would be 150 men per stand? About the same scale as Fire & Fury then.
How far do infantry move in line? In column?
That will give the time scale given the ground scale
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Thank you, General Lee, for answering these questions. Now I am more intrigued. I like big baattles but like to have my officers and heroes. I just my pick a copy of the rules. Keep the answers coming.
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- What dice do you use? D6? D10?
D10. lots of D10...
...Unit sizes, well there are several different sizes: large, average, small, tiny. So what you will field on the table will depend on the orders of battle. As for figures, that would depend on the scale you are playing. I have a sizeable 28mm collection and average infantry regiments number 24 figures, whereas large regiments have 30. But there is no strict guideline for that. the game would be perfectly playable with Warlord's Epic scale figures for instance.
What I glean from this is bucket of D10s for combat.
Large unit = 5 bases, regular = 4, small = 3, tiny = 2.
Sounds like basic unit is regiment/battery, unless rules include bath-tubbing for corps-level fights.
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Hi guys!
Osprey will send me the final lay out (including diagrams and maps etc) today. In a little bit over 3 months, on September 28, With Hot Lead and Cold Steel will be released (North America October 30th).
The Osprey Wargames books work with a fixed number of pages. I have written 4 sizeable scenarios: 1 fictional and 3 historical. Unfortunately, 1 of the historical scenarios couldn't be fitted in the book. We will however provide it as a free download. It also means the book is full to the brim of content for players.
I'm really looking forward to the release date! It's been quite a journey.
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Osprey notified me that the release is delayed slightly. October 26 is now the official release date. Exactly 2 months from now
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Good afternoon people,
I created a Youtube channel to discuss the rules. There will be regular updates. I expect weekly to discuss portions of the rules.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCR_hkNbEkre7hh69d9HCgvw
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Video 2 is uploaded, explaining how basing works, how armies are organized and whether or not you can easily work with different scales.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcDfBIn4E0g&t=1s
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Will there be Sharpshooters represented or Skirmishes at least as snipers and skirmishers knocked off a few Generals amongst other chaps.
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Looking forward to October 26! I will certainly be buying these rules. Perhaps the war could be over by Christmas......
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Couple of questions General Lee. A LOT of folks will already have their existing ACW forces based 4 men to a stand, typically on 40 x40 bases. So a large unit might translate to 6 stands, an average to 5 stands, small to 4 stands, tiny to 3 stands. So far so good, but will that not slightly mess up your system When you receive 6 casualties but only take 1 stand of 4 away? or perhaps it won't, thinking about it.....just makes a unit a bit more resistant?
My other question concerns units that could be tiny, but elite, for instance Sharpshooters, with more tenacious morale than normal infantry. Is there anything in the rules to cover them?
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Couple of questions General Lee. A LOT of folks will already have their existing ACW forces based 4 men to a stand, typically on 40 x40 bases. So a large unit might translate to 6 stands, an average to 5 stands, small to 4 stands, tiny to 3 stands. So far so good, but will that not slightly mess up your system When you receive 6 casualties but only take 1 stand of 4 away? or perhaps it won't, thinking about it.....just makes a unit a bit more resistant?
My other question concerns units that could be tiny, but elite, for instance Sharpshooters, with more tenacious morale than normal infantry. Is there anything in the rules to cover them?
My two cents: 6 hits removes a stand regardless of the number of figures. Sharpshooters would have better shooting/longer range rather than better morale. Hood's Whitworth-armed snipers around Chattanooga picked up and left when the Union troops landed in pontoons, leaving uncouth combat to Law's infantry. The snipers' specialty was shooting down troops too far away to reply. The detachment of Berdan's sharpshooters remained aloof from 20th Maine's epic fight on Little Round Top until the retreating Confederates (Law's, again) almost ran over them.
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Hi guys thanks for the questions! I'll try to answer them as best I can and probably will add them in a future video
"Will there be Sharpshooters represented or Skirmishes at least as snipers and skirmishers knocked off a few Generals amongst other chaps."
Sharpshooters yes, snipers not in a physical form (yet). Sharpshooters may reroll all 1s as a special rule, which is one of the very few exceptions in the rules. Normally 1s may never be rerolled. In addition, you can upgrade them to veterans which will give the unit a +1 shoot die, and a +1 to its morale. I thought about adding snipers but there was literally no more room to add anything to the book as the Osprey Wargames series has a max. of 80 pages, and that's what you guys will be getting: a book filled to the brim with ACW specific rules. I do plan to keep supporting the book with scenarios and perhaps extra things that I couldn't fit into the book, for example, snipers. Snipers are now included in the 'Unexpected Event' table. More on that later.
Couple of questions General Lee. A LOT of folks will already have their existing ACW forces based 4 men to a stand, typically on 40 x40 bases. So a large unit might translate to 6 stands, an average to 5 stands, small to 4 stands, tiny to 3 stands. So far so good, but will that not slightly mess up your system When you receive 6 casualties but only take 1 stand of 4 away? or perhaps it won't, thinking about it.....just makes a unit a bit more resistant?
My other question concerns units that could be tiny, but elite, for instance Sharpshooters, with more tenacious morale than normal infantry. Is there anything in the rules to cover them?
Yes basing, as I said in the video, that's a bit of a thing. Me and most of my gaming group base our infantry on 60x40mm (6 figures per stand) and some had them based, 4 to a 40x40mm stand. When you play games without base removal, there is obviously no problem, but when you do need to remove stands, it becomes slightly trickier. In the end there is no perfect solution for this. During gameplay, there will be moments when units of the same size type will have a slightly larger frontage than those with a different basing style. The most important thing is that you can see that a unit has decreased in size and therefore must use a decreased staline from that moment onwards. The example I gave in the video shows that there isn't a huge difference in frontage when using either basing methods. And in the end, it is not a competitive game, as long as both sides know know what a unit represents and is about the same size as the opponent unit, they'll be fine.
As for the sharpshooters, I hope I have clarified that question above, but just in case: Any unit size may receive the Sharpshooter special rule which states that all 1s rolled during the shooting phase may be rerolled. A large unit of sharpshooters will probably be overkill but as I have written in the book, players should look at the original Orders of Battle of a given battle to form their armies. In addition, yes, if you make them Veteran, that unit will receive an additional 'shoot' die (because they will be batter at handling their weapons) and they receive a +1 on their Morale.
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Things for the answers General Lee, have also just watched Miniature Realm first impressions and with your additional answers, seems there was a reference to tiny and skirmishes in nit list, and with veteran and sharpshooter, can tweaks units to also represent Zouves.
Wondering if option to add shotguns for an effect to units as well, would be intersting. Mostly confederate cavalry I think ended up using them, and Louisana Tigers I think also armed with shotguns.
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I will be doing both sides so I have so have already decided to base mine 4 to a stand as I can also use the same figures for Bonnie Blue Flag. It will also make all the units slightly smaller frontage (an important consideration for a small table)and be a little bit cheaper to build my units.
Looking forward to getting hold of these rules!
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Ordered my copy of WHLaCS today and also a copy of Bonnie Blue Flag to have an interesting step by step read through of both at the same time.
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My WHLaCS rules came from Osprey in less than 48 hours. Spent all my breaktimes at work yesterday going through them. Very interesting so far and I will be excited to try them out.
Those special officers whose job is to help the General put his tent up (Aide de Campe) seem quite important. As the maximum ADCs allowed per turn is 6 I think I might actually paint up 6 individual mounted officer miniatures per side to represent these in a game rather than just having dice.
General Lee, a couple of questions about Brigade Commanders? The answers might well be in there but I have missed them, if so apologies.
First of all, it seems that the only way a Brigade Commander can get killed is a two step process of rolling a 1 to trigger an Unexpected Event then rolling a further 1 again?
Can a Brigade Commander be a target?
If the answer to above is no (I could understand why, to discourage unlikely "gamey" playing) Can a Brigade Commander instead be deliberately targeted by an enemy unit if he is attached to a particular regiment (for instance if he goes to try to Rally them)? Or perhaps share the risk if that unit then takes casualties? I couldn't find anything about that. I feel like doing that should put him in at some sort of higher risk. But my reading so far is that Brigade Commanders are pretty invulnerable?
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I'm very glad you got the book so fast vodkafan!
Yes in brigade sized games you can have a max of 6 ADCs. I am painting up some figures myself as well. In Division/Corps sized games, you can have a max of 12!
you address a good point about commanders and their likeliness to getting killed. I will be the first to admit this could have used some more work in the book. Unfortunately, the Osprey blue books have a set number of maximum pages (80) and I quickly reached that number. Osprey even had to leave out a short history of the war I had written, and a rather large scenario for the Wilderness (I will upload that one as a free download soon). I had many more ideas including prone troops, snipers etc. There will be an addendum later down the line.
Anyway, your questions need answering! Yes a brigade commander can only get killed if you roll a 1 on the unexpected event table. He cannot be targeted in any other way during the game. So you are totally right about that.
For anyone else who is interested, I have created a QRS with my limited digital skills and provide it as an attachment here. There is also a Facebook group that you can become a member of!
Hope I helped you out vodkafan, if not, let me know!
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Many thanks General Lee!
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Yes, many thanks. A useful video and QRS. I shall definitely be picking up a copy - these rules seem like they might meet the trifecta of simplicity, specificity and playability, at a scale that appeals to me (and I can probably cover with my existing collection).
My infantry are on 40mm squares as well, and I honestly don't seen an issue, but then again I usually supply both sides.
ADCs aside, can you explain how many commander stands the game requires? Simply one for each Brigade and the C-in-C? Or are there options/requirements for artillery/cavalry commanders?
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Yes, many thanks. A useful video and QRS. I shall definitely be picking up a copy - these rules seem like they might meet the trifecta of simplicity, specificity and playability, at a scale that appeals to me (and I can probably cover with my existing collection).
My infantry are on 40mm squares as well, and I honestly don't seen an issue, but then again I usually supply both sides.
ADCs aside, can you explain how many commander stands the game requires? Simply one for each Brigade and the C-in-C? Or are there options/requirements for artillery/cavalry commanders?
I hope the rulebook will meet your expactations!
Yeah although I have given recommendations about the basing method, it should not be a problem to come up with your own. And 40mm squares will work perfectly.
Yes each brigade (infantry/cavalry )requires 1 command stand: could be just 1 officer figure or a larger base with officer, standard bearer etc. Measurements of the base is not important. A command stand for batteries is not required as the commander would keep to his guns at all times anyway. I will create some for my own collection in the future just because it looks good 🤣
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Mark from Mark's Gaming Room interviewed me a while ago on the game. Here is the result
https://youtu.be/VnOPJncZivE?si=GlPL9ic2AKvE3iYQ
I also posted some new play through videos on Youtube :D
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The guys at Mark's Gaming Room have uploaded a video of their Antietam Game. So a full blown battle report. They got the ADC rule wrong but it wasn't too much of an influence. Hope you enjoy!
https://youtu.be/T4NPeh7aOC4?si=BH7OrFdXE5zInCl6
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As I mentioned in my ACW thread, we're playing the Battle of Iuka tomorrow (Friday) using these rules. I've posted the scenario info in my thread, and an AAR will follow. We'd be interested in your thoughts, Arthur (and anyone else's...).