Shiloh - A stubborn east flank!

 The local gaming group played out a classic John Hill "Johnny Reb" scenario this past weekend. The scenario focuses on the extreme Federal left flank at Shiloh under the command of Gen. Stephen Hurlburt vs the assaulting Rebel troops under the command of Gen. Jones M. Withers and none other than Gen. Albert Sidney Johnston. 

The Gamers

Federal Camps

Massed Rebs on the right table edge. Weak Union center.

Rebs on the move. Yanks drinking beer.

Union line anchored on the road. Wiard guns ready for action! 

I ran this scenario using ADF at Nashcon a few years ago with John Hill (which was a highlight for sure!), but I felt it might make an even better tactical scenario using JR2. The scenario essentially pits the already massed and ready to assault CSA brigades of Statham, Bowen, Jackson and Chalmers against the heavily outnumbered Union brigades of Stuart and Williams as McArthur's brigade rushes onto the tabletop.

Union camp.

Union reinforcements arriving.

The Rebels must push into the area around Sara Bell's cotton field in order to flank and destabilize the Federal line, especially the area near the Hornet's Nest. The game begins at the 10am turn and plays through the 1pm turn, with the rough terrain and ravines assisting the Union cause.

The Federals

Ravines

Banjo playing and rabbit roasting! The calm before the storm!

The Federals opted for Stuart to hold out as long as possible while McArthur's men marched to the sound of the guns and formed a defensive line along the main Hamburg-Purdy road. Stuart was eventually routed by ferocious attacks by Chalmers and Jackson. In hind sight it might have been better to have pulled back and formed up closer to Larkin Bell's field. The Union launched several counterattacks, suffering casualties, but delaying and frustrating the Rebel victory conditions.

Many Rebels were equipped with flintlocks, mixed muskets and poor quality artillery (as well as some Union troops), which make early war western scenarios a lot of fun. We called the game about the 12pm turn and the Union was hanging on by a thread. Could they have lasted until 1pm? We will never know, but it definitely would have been close!

We played using 28mm ACW figures, mainly Old Glory, Perry, Dixon, Raven Banner and Frontier. 

Cheers - Cory R.

Snipers! 

28mm ACW for Stones River

I recently painted a bunch of figures for my 'Stones River" game that I ran at Nashcon. I already had lots of Federals from my "Vicksburg" game and now it was the Rebs turn to be painted en masse! The rebs were plastic Perry's which  I found paint quickly and the Federals are from Raven Banner Games.

Plastic Perry's with Polk flags for 1862 in TN.

Federals in great coats and Gen. Sheridan figure from Raven Banner games. 

Good gaming! Cory 

28mm ACW "Stones River" game at Nashcon 2018

I ran this 28mm ACW game at Nashcon this month.

Scenario - The scenario was from "Fire and Fury Regimental - The fight comes to Sheridan". The Federal center must hold out against furious Confederate assaults at the Battle of Stones River. This scenario makes a great convention game since all the troops start on the table-top and the action starts from the first turn and all players are in the fight quickly. This is a fun scenario with some Green USA troops, some Elite CSA troops, sharpshooters and lots of 1862 poor and eclectic small arms and artillery.

Rules - My favorite set of tactical ACW rules is John Hill's "Johnny Reb". I use the GDW version, often called "Johnny Reb 2". The game is fairly old school with lots of charts, but I run the charts as the GM and let the players focus on the tactics. We had several experienced players from the "Johnny Con" group at Nashcon, as well as some new players and I think everyone had a great time. I really enjoy playing old rules and I think there is a "retro-gaming" renaissance at the moment!

Figures - The guides are mainly 28mm ACW Gamer, Dixon, Old Glory, Perry plastics and Sash & Saber. I challenged myself to paint more this year since I was short about 120 Confederates and used Nashcon as the deadline. This is my motivational technique! I logged many hours at the gaming table in March, April and May getting ready for the convention. I typically listen to music, or podcasts while I paint. I find shows too distracting! How about you?

 I'll probably pick an even bigger battle next year, or something with cavalry (which I don't have) to challenge myself to paint! I normally elect Western Theater scenarios and I'm thinking about doing "Spring Hill 1864".

Terrain - I used two terrain mats, cheap stereo-foam hills underneath, x-ray film streams, a Perry farm house, painted teddy bear fur fields, HO trees and scratch built fences.

Game - The scenario saw the CSA troops quickly assaulting the Federal line. The breached the Federal left and were making steady progress only to be halted by a second Federal line and a Federal counterattack on the CSA right flank. We called the game around turn 6 as it was getting late and declared a "marginal Union victory".

Cheers - Cory R.

Here are some pictures of the game:

The Starting CSA line on their right

Softening up the Federals with some shot and shell!

The Feral center near the corn fields.

An overview of the table from the CSA side. Their goal was to crack the Federal line
and take the wooded hill behind the their line. 

View from the Federal line.

Federal reserves

Tennesseans advance! 

Here they come boys!

More Federal reserves

You have to paint the limbers and caissons, right?

The bloody angle. 

Vicksburg Game at Nashcon / Johnny Con 2016

I ran a 28mm ACW game this weekend at Nashcon / Johnny Con. It was a blast and has been my hobby project for the last few months, with painting lots of ACW figures, making earthworks, collecting abatis and cutting hills! 

It was well worth it since I think everybody had a great time playing! The game represented McClernand's Federal assault on earthworks on May 19th, 1863. The scenario was written by John Hill and was published in his classic scenario book "To the Sound of the Guns".

We fought the assault using 28mm figs (mostly Old Glory, Perry and Sash & Saber) and John Hill and GDW's "Johnny Reb 2" rules. 

The Confederate players were able to deploy their troops hidden in the earthworks however they wished (except the heavy guns which had to be in the forts). 

The Federals has to cross over the abatis and attack into the teeth of the works. Their objective was to capture two of the three redoubts. 

It was a hard fought game, but the Federals were able to capture the Square Fort on the Rebel right, which was held only by an artillery battery (which ran low on ammo) and two green dismounted cavalry regiments. Once the line was breached, the Rebel players morale sunk and they eventually threw in the towel! 

The game was played by a bunch of great guys that are part of the Johnny Reb Gaming Society, and gather once a year at "Johnny Con" to play all versions of Johnny Reb and ADF.

Here are some pictures from the game. Some of these were taken by my friend David Raybin -