Pickett's Charge game

Game of Pickett's Charge played today at Johns.
He and I played as Confederates versus Stephen's Federals.
Game was based on a scenario depicting an action at Cemetery Hill on second day of Gettysburg.

Due to Stephen and John having some issues with the firing charts we used a slightly amended version with small units slightly lessened and long range Artillery also (by roughly as -1 modifiers and Long Range Casualty Dice requiring a 5-6 to hit rather than standard 4-6).
Main beef with Inf firing is that on a standard roll of 7 (on 2D6) two small units can generate more hits than a standard or large unit of nominall the same numbers of men, leading to the smaller units 'ganging up' to fire.

Stephen had also reduced the historical number of batteries from 9 Union and 7 Confederate to 4 and 3 respectively for game play purposes.

In the scenario Rebs have some 16 units but face some 21 (although 5 are in Reserve Brigade) Union units awaiting them in cover along Cemetery Ridge and its environs.

This meant a long and bloody (even diluted) advance under Artillery Fire and then into the teeth of fresh defenders.
I had two Brigades one of which did manage to charge and dislodged a Union unit bit at crippling cost in casualty hits.
My two Brigades both Faltered as did one of Johns (also blooded) and of course John then only activated two ADCs meaning one Brigade as 'Cawntempiously Chewed Up'.
We called game at that point as Reb strength drained too much to recover.

Another good game with the rules which really shine in the aspects of ADCs, Orders and suchlike.


Union positions on Cemetery Hill with artillery on hill in support

Rebs start line

My initial moves

Union position even looks formidable in miniature !

The ACW experts confere

My target on Union left

And center

Union skirmishers chased off my advance continues with Johns Brigades in distance

Reb center

Reb high water mark (note the casualties)

Union position unbowed

Rebs struggle forward on right  (lots of casualties here too but marked with micro dice that I struggled to see hence larger version with my Brigades !)

Pickett's Charge a multi-player bash

Yearly group wargame at Johns house with four (Stephen umpired) of us having a game using Pickett's Charge rules.

Scenario was adapted from a Regimental Fire and Fury version covering an action on the northern area of Gettysburg on Day 1.

Along with Richard I commanded Brigades from 11th (?) Union Corps whilst John and Stephen P commanded the Confederate forces (Darren unable to attend).

Scenario was a sort of meeting engagement.
Not all Brigades were on table at start with several arriving on set turns but amounting to some five Brigades each.
Both sides were mainly Veteran with a smattering of Regulars and Elites (Rebs had bulk of these).

Excellent game with both right flanks coming under extreme enemy pressure requiring shoring up by arriving Brigades.
Lots of casualties on both sides with one Union Brigade withdrawing completely off-table.
However once we ran out of time after (I think ?) 11 moves out of planned 16 we debated the outcome with both sides claiming a minor victory (so in other words a draw).

Great set of rules played in good company who can ask for more.
I bought a set of the rules despite having the PDF (I do not mind using PDFs to read the rules but prefer a physical set during actual play)

Planning a second multi-player game at Steiner's on 29th but what to play ??????

Pickets Charge played again

Another game using Picketts Charge rules at Stephens played.
I was Rebs again in a scenario based around action at Cross Keys in 1862 (Stephen had adapted it from a Regimental Fire and Fury scenario I think ?).
We had a good discussion as to the abstractions within the rules but despite that only came up with one house rule ie increasing the effective range of Rifled Artillery by 4" (10 cm) as the published difference of 2" (5 cm) we felt was insufficient particularly when comparing 4 gun Confederate Mixed Batteries with 6 gun Union Rifled types.
Other than that we had a fast flowing (the rules are very quick to play through turns) game which sadly we ran out of time to complete.

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)