OK, Finally started doing these (in a way).
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Battlefield laid out as best I could - Featherstone set up on an 8x5' table, I laid out a 6x4'. Meanwhile, the actual diagram on page 44 of the book scales out as 6x4...
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So anyway, using the book as a 'guide' regarding moves and an actual 1970s rule set...
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Infantry move 12' in these rules. So after the first move both sides have covered a lot of ground. Also, move 3 in the book has both regiments going into a single line. You can't set up that way and so I initially lined them up two deep. Being element based my units are also 24 strong rather than 22.
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Because of the smaller depth of the battlefield and 12" move rate , it didn't last the 6 moves of the original - it meant it was over in 3.The Confederates reached the wall first, the Union forces found themselves being shot to pieces... 20 dead with only 1 saving throw working, sadly the unit at that time was already down to 12 figures anyway...
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That's where I ended the first attempt. I think I'll reduce movement and firing distances next time and see how that works.
Fun little game, over very quickly and didn't work out like the original. Pity the book didn't have photos of the battle in rather than the photos of random Airfix figures and diaramas.
Nice to see a Featherstone type game on the tabletop .
ReplyDeleteIt occurred to me as I was doing this: Why didn't I do this with the Napoleonics?
DeleteFast and furious by the look of it Rob…
ReplyDeleteIt will be interesting to see how it goes next time…
All the best. Aly
Very fast and furious. As rules, they do need tweaking!
DeleteEvery tempted to have a go with the Ancients rules from War Games? I believe they are the same core set as the first Society of Ancients rules (Roneo job) and have been re-printed along with some other Tony Bath rules in the History of Wargaming series. Also very bloody by all accounts!
ReplyDeleteAlways a possibility. To be honest, I rarely PLAN my next move as such - it just sort of happens.
DeleteYup, one of my earliest blog posts, Apr 2010, was about replaying this 'scenario' 3 times with 3 different rule sets. Still, it was a starting place!
ReplyDeleteAt least there is a picture of the set up for the 3rd game... that's a bit helpful. I am thinking of straight DBA rules as a thought.
DeleteBack to the beginning! You might try, for ACW infantry
ReplyDelete12-inch column move
8-inch line move (no shooting)
4-inch line move (with shooting)
If my memory is correct, Featherstone's shooting range was 24". That's half the width of a 6'x4' table, and I reckon that range could be much reduced. I'd suggest just lopping off the final 6" (I did this with my own rule set, which also began with 24" rifle range). The the rest of the game mechanic (6-man volley group, pip-score reduction - I use a 'die range' system by the effect is exactly the same, 'saving rolls') can stay the same.
Here's an example of action of my Airfix figures on my 4' x 4' 4" board.
http://archdukepiccolo.blogspot.com/2015/10/holding-action-2.html
Cheers,
Ion
Initially I'm simply thinking of cutting distance to 2/3s. The killer on the first game was that they quickly got into close range, and for close order troops it's adding up dice rolls, possibly with extra plus 1 per dice - and if you get low scores on saving throws the result is devastating!
DeleteYou need a greener table top, Rob. The Rebs are nearly invisible! No wonder they were vistorious.
ReplyDeleteActually those green carpet tiles never photograph well.
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