Curse you Archduke cried MacDuff

Well, its probably more the fault of a fevered and sleep deprived brain after 5 days of the dreaded Mankold but the Archduke's latest post has re-sparked my interest in my nearly forgotten ACW big battle  ideas from 2012.

Bull Run from 2012

The thoughts that follow are not an extension of or replacement for what the Archduke is doing. Its just that his Big Battles for Small Tables stuff is stirring old thoughts.

Should the idea survive the Mankold bug, I propose to try the Fire & Fury Gettysburg scenarios, at 1/2 scale. It was tempting to go with 1 square on my table = 1 12" grid square on their layout or about 700 yds and 1 stand per 1,000 men but I'm not ready to go there yet. Instead I'll have to do the work to turn 4 map grids into 9 table grids.

To do the battlefield from Oakhill to Big Round Top would need a 7 ft table vs my 6 footer or would need a reset for day 2 but a fudge is more likely. Each of my stands will be about 500 men with Brigades (2 -4 stands) as basic units grouped into Divisions and Corps. Artillery stands will represent 16 to 18 guns.

Play sequence will be that currently used for the Tin Brigadier with a dice off for initiative then A moves, B shoots, resolve Assault combat, B moves, A shoots, resolve Assault combat. Due to the grid scales assaults will change from moving adjacent to moving into contact.

Movement for infantry and artillery will be 2 in the open, 1 in bad going, 3 by road in column. Cavalry and horse artillery 3 in the open, 4 by road and none in bad going. Units not with 3 sq of Div cdr must roll 5,6 to move. Div Cdr not within 3 of Corps or Army Cdr must roll 4,5 6 to move.

Infantry fire will be 1 die per stand if adjacent or 2 in assaults inc defensive fire Artillery 3d if defending against an assault o/w 2d up to 4 squares. 5,6 hits. +1 if assaulting or if mounted cavalry in the open countercharging instead of firing. Targets in cover suffer 1/2.

Each hit removes a stand. In assaults the side losing more retreats a full move in disorder. (Fight 1/2). Roll 4,5,6 to rally, 1,2,3 retreat a move in disorder. +1 for Corps Cdr. +1 for Crack unit -1 for Green unit.

Div having lost 1/2 stands must retreat in t 2 moves and may not attack again that day.

Kinch's Charge from July 2013

No promises but it would be nice to get the ACW Airfix out 1 more time this year.