And This Will Be The Last Day!

Well, the past 10 days are finally done and so is the game. Life is beginning to return to what passes for normal here.

The day is drawing near its end. There is no hope now of driving the Yankees from the field but the whole Reb army is on the field and their defensive perimeter is holding.  That's General Kinch, the Confederate Commander, on the big round base consulting his staff about the best way to hold on and renew the battle in the morning. 

I started out to use an off grid version of the rules I used for the last few hex games. That was working but I had an urge to inject more flavour and granularity to the regiments so tried a more detailed set based largely on my old Hearts of Tin rules. That was also working well and I was enjoying it until I realized that it was taking about an hour to play one turn. With a 15 turn scenario....... well, I don't have the stamina for that these days and the feel of the game suffered from only having one or two, occasionally three if there was not much happening, turns in a day. 

In the end, I decided that since is my only collection capable of fighting a large action, I should stick to my plan of having my acw armies being capable of being used in the largest battles I can fit on my table in a long afternoon as well as shorter one or two hour games using smaller forces in between the occasional larger game. That would also give me the availability to play some campaigns where units on the map all have their miniature version. The sort of thing where I could perhaps recruit some volunteers to play commanders for map moves and then fight the battles over video chat facilities. Lots to do before then but maybe by the fall or next winter. 

First I need to turn the 1 page and bit quick reference sheet into something close to a proper set. I apologize to those who were expecting to be able to download a set this week but it will be coming now that I have reconfirmed the approach. I just need to explain thiungs and add all the devils that are details. Could take a week or a month or two depending on how the winds blow.

   

Moments later the Yankees launched an attack all along the line, including 2 fresh brigades of the 2nd Division. It was too much for many of the tired Reb units who had been under heavy pressure all afternoon. Several regiments broke. In the centre, Caesar's Zouaves finally seized the Blue House, and captured a battery of guns to boot.  

I also have to revisit my unit base marking system to make it easier for me to be able to recognize a stand or unit quickly and easily at arms length. Sad to say but with my current markings, where complete, I often need to change glasses to be sure I am reading them right. Something easy to paint and easy to read at arms length is needed. 

I want more, and more clearly recognizable, marker figures for units status, morale status etc. I like casualty figures, buglers, sergeants, officers and so on. These can be used to mark unit status, disorder, hits, and so on, I have spare figures  to use for these so its just a bit of painting and basing some more and coming up with a batter arm's length id. 

Then there is the growing need to record more names/numbers for the units and commanders and mark their figure so I can be consistent in battle reports and start building up unit histories.

On the far right, Brigadier Standing's Brigade of fresh troops crumpled at the first Union attack. General Kinch felt that only a quick retreat over the bridge while he still had enough steady troops to hold a perimiter, was now the only way to save  his command from being trapped against the river and forced to surrender. 

Lots to do and I'll be starting this week but the next ACW game is probably at least a month away. The next game will of course be sooner but even I don't yet know what it will be.