Sunday 21 January 2018

American Civil War Game

Today we played our second game of the year, an American Civil War game, on a very hot and humid Auckland Sunday.

We had no scenario before we got together so on arrival we threw together a terrain,  put together the armies and just played a straight up scrap.

The forces were even: 18 infantry regiments a side, two of cavalry and six batteries (although the Confderates had an extra battery to take account of their four gun batteries to the Union six gun batteries). We had three Confederate and two Union players.  

We started play at ariund 11:00am. The images here are in no particular order, just a capture of the day.





The Union, on whose side I played, did well at first, roughly handling the Conferderate centre with massed artillery. Then on my flank I forced back a significant attack, while on the opposite flank we had some gains.




Then things started to go wrong. Attrition started to play against a few units and we lost them. Then we lost a critical combat in the wood on our right, that gave the Confedrates a toe hold there.




When two of my units were destroyed the rot really set in and soon one of my brigades completely disintegrated. A brigade on our right also disolved and the game came to an end at around 3:30. 


For a quickly set up game it was a lot of fun, but it was good to get home to that cold beer on this hot day.


16 comments:

  1. That looked like fun Mark. With our own campaign kicking off this evening, your post was just what was needed to get the juices flowing.
    Cheers
    Stu

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    1. Yes it was fun thank you Stu. I read your post on your campaign and it looks interesting too. I shall follow it with interest.

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  2. Fab looking game, Mark! The figures look superb! Too bad you left your brigade dead on the field.

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    1. It was giid to get the ACW figures on the table for the first time in over a year.

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  3. Great looking game Mark. Very evenly balanced. Between the hard battle and the heat I think you earned your beer!

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    1. Yes it was fun. The heat, with five guys in the room and no breeze, was oppressive - rather reminiscent of a day in Vietnam last September, but without the stunning scenery.

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  4. Nice looking game Mark. We normally suspend our gaming until early February because of the heat and lack of an air-conditioned gaming room, so reading accounts like these fills the void somewhat.

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    1. February is usually our most humid time, but this year there is an odd pattern that keeps pushing big masses of tropical air over us. Makes me wonder what February will be like. I had the day off today while the car was getting serviced and a tradesman came in, so I attacked my study. The rubbish bin is very full now and Domestic Control is pleased with the result - I am in the good books for a few days.

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    2. I think some of the hot weather is now getting blown across from us. It has been fairly awful in Brisbane, but worse in the southern States.

      What are you studying? I'm technically nearly half-way through a part-time law degree myself which I had thought about while in Auckland and finally decided to embark upon two years ago, to tick the box but mainly to try to sharpen up my mental faculties now that I am on the wrong side of fifty.

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    3. My wife would tell you that I am studying to make mess and am passing the course with an A+. My study is more a computer room / library / hobby room.

      I am still doing some historical research and STILL have my manuscript for a book on the Franco-Prussian War. It is finished and ready to publish, but it is a big leap of faith.

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    4. That is exciting. Put me down for an autographed copy when it does make it into print.

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    5. I think I need one more read through before I release it.

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  5. Beautiful looking game Mark and I especially love seeing Dixon ACW figures on the table.

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    1. Thanks Carlo. Indeed the Confederate units were all Dixon, but the Union were a mox od Dixon, Old Glory, Foundry and my own designs.

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  6. I always like some ACW! What rules can I ask? The regiments look great marching off to battle. đŸ˜€

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    1. The rules we use for most of our games come from the same base set, developed in house over many years. You can find them on the Free Stuff page on the blog.

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