Picketts Charge rules tried

Game at Stephens today using his newly acquired 'Picketts Charge' rules for ACW by Dave Brown (with input from Too Fat Lardies ?).
These are a Regimental Level set and we played the introductory scenario 'The Bloody Lane' set during Antietam battle of 1862.
I was Confederates positioned in defence along said lane and Stephen had Federals assaulting.

The rules are fast playing and quite easy to pick up as I was able to garner most stuff from the Quick Reference Sheets and of course a few look ups in Stephens rules.

Command and Control is nicely done by use of Staff Officers sent out by the CinC (a Divisional or Corps leader).
You get one staff officer per Brigade basically but must roll a 3-6 to have these available each turn.
There are varying numbers of Staff Officers required for several tasks (essentially orders) such as Attaching (allowing a failed Brigade activation re-roll), a mandatory attachment for Faltering Brigades (woe betide you if insufficient officers available), Rallying and several other tasks some of which may require more than one officer (ie Rallying requires 3 to attempt to recover hits once per Brigade per game).
Brigades also require activation again on a 3+ without those failing classed as Hesitant (no charges or advancing).
After then establishing Initiative for the turn its Player A then B declares charges then A then B conducting the charges.
Then A/B Move then A/B shoot.
The movement and shooting systems are quick and easily picked up, charges are as always a tad more involved  due to multiple possible outcomes and so forth but nothing too difficult.
One quirk we discovered was that whilst Cover (walls etc) modify shooting not so when it comes to charges.
However most (it seems anyhow) charges result in one side retiring or routing with only occasional actual hand to hand occurring, which feels correct.
Whilst foot in line move 15cm/6" any that are forced to Retire or are 'Whipped' fall back 30cm/12" (in 15mm 'scale').
Two units Whipped causes a Brigade to Falter or having a single unit Rout.
Faltering Brigades have a separate Command Table to roll on with possible outcomes ranging from Obey Orders through to Quiting The Field type results, all based around unit quality etc.
Units vary in size from small (3-4 bases) to standard (4-5 bases) up to large (6+ bases) sort of like Black Powder and with the number of actual figures per base being of no import.

Overall we enjoyed these rules and indeed Stephen is having another game on the morrow with his brother (the owner of the Confederates).
Am no Civil War expert but felt the rules gave a flavoursome and plausible game.
I could be tempted to collect a Rebel force and most certainly am tempted to obtain the rules.

I also obtained a couple of interesting rule sets from Lance Flint but not read either yet

And made a pre-order of latest from Battlegroup series (a large scale re-print of the mini rulebook with some additions)

Board Wargames ongoing online................

Just a few screenshots from several (ie too many !) Vassal (and one Cyberboard) PBEM games I have going at present.
Vassal has really helped rejuvenate my interest in Board Wargames however to the detriment of my figure painting and bank balance !!

This is Paths Of Glory (Cyberboard version) with Western Front situation in 1915 with Germans mounting an assault on my British and Belgiums at Brussels

Age of Napoleon game circa 1807 against aptly named Greig Goodfellow with me upholding Allied cause against the Ogre

WW2 Barbarossa To Berlin (one of my favourite games) in which my Allies are getting royally duffed having lost North Africa the Caucasus and at one point Moscow !!

Bitter Woods an Avalon Hill (RIP) game my first time playing. I am US forces having a hard time stemming Nazi tide (good luck spotting US units !!)

Southern sector

 Northern sector (with Liege in trouble)

Kingdom Of Heaven against ex-pat Norman playing as Crusaders in Third Crusade scenario. I have suffered a lot from attrition and disease but both Richard and Saladin have powerful armies heading for a showdown.

Northern region

Southern region where I am besieging Jerusalem and suffering awfully to epidemic disease !

Liberty Roads another first time try with me as defenders of Third Reich. Renny my fresh opponent has invaded in Brittany and is firmly ashore. An interesting game this one with no ZOC !! and some nice 'chrome' such as Support Counter draws.

Turning Point Stalingrad another old Avalon Hill (RIP) title I had for years but now playing for first time in anger !! Tough situation for Ivans (ie yours truly).

Soviet remaining 'strongholds' in the northern enclaves of the city

The overall situation with Nazis having cleared southern Stalingrad

And last but not least Hannibal: Rome vs Carthage another AH title I have not played in years. Note this Vassal module uses the newer Phalanx Games Edition board and counters (which I find a little cluttered and indistinct on Vassal)

Vassal games update and another new arrival !

Several (well four) games ongoing at present using Vassal (and ACTs for couple).

First up WW2 Barbarossa To Berlin against Greig.
My Easrern Front holding up ok thus far against Nazis with Reds getting some Armoured and Siberian Corps into play.
However I boobed big style in North Africa moving Desert Army too far forward which alloewd a Panzer Corps to slip around behind me taking Alexandria, Cairo and Suez !!! worse still British forces in Eqypt cut off and about to wither on the vine.
Did however manage to Launch Torch invasion so now Tunis in allied hand and still able to contest North African theatre.

Next its Thirty Years War again Mike wherein my Protestant forces are grimly hanging on in face of superior Catholic and Imperial Forces. Badly need Sweden and Mr Adolphus to join in the fray.









Protestant holding Northern Germany but have lost gains in Southern regions.

Next its Paths Of Glory again against Mike.
We have both traded blows on Western Front as things have sort of stalemated in the East.
Allied Powers have assimilated Mid and Late War decks whilst Central Powers still not availing of Late War cards (ie not enough War Status accumulated yet).
Several bloody encounters at Liege bewteen British and Germans with it changing hands several times now.
We are just beginning Winter 1916 period.





Situation in the East

And in the West (far from being all quiet !)

Finally I have just started another game with Norman who chose KingDom Of Heaven The Crusader States with opening First Crusade scenario.
I am leading Holders of the  Holy Lance (and hopefully Holy Hand Grenade !) into the East to try to establish Outremer.
Attrition has bitten already with several losses to my horde after leaving flesh pots of Constantinople and marching into Asia Minor.

And finally this game arrived today !

Not strictly a 'Wargame' more a Conflict based game but one that intrigues and certainly garners rave reviews. I ordered this via Amazon for reasonable £37 and was expecting the 2009 version as pictured however very pleasently surprised to receive brand new 2012 Deluxe Version (2009 version essentially same anyhow I believe).
Yet more time required for rule learning & game playing !!!!