A look at Perry Miniatures Plastic Union Figures
Issue #13
Getting Started in ACW Miniature Gaming
The Electronic Magazine for Gamers of the American Civil War
Fall 2016
Fall 2016 Introduction Gaming News
2 4
Review: Perry Miniatures Miniatures Plastic Union Infantry Infantry
7
Getting Started in ACW Miniature Gaming Gaming
11
Historic Imagination’s Imagination’s Antietam Wargame Wargame Maps
15
The Road to Corinth: Preparing A Convention Convention Game
19
Creating Civil War Wagons
25
Active Clubs
30
Cover photo: The 20th Maine holds on to Little Rou nd Top Top by Stephen Wold, Twitter @SteveWold007, @SteveWold007, FaceBook as as Stephen Wold Above: The 28th PA by Andy Singleton of Volley Fire Painting Service and ‘The Brit The Yank Yank and The Hobby’ podcast
is a publication of Raven Banner Games. Raven Banner Games is registered as a business operating ACW Gamer is in Pennsylvania, USA. ACW Gamer logo logo by Chris Ward
Welcome to the ACW Gamer: the Ezine The Electronic Magazine dedicated to wargaming the American Civil War on the tabletop. Welcome to ACW Gamer ! Fall has fully arrived and Fall means conventions. Hurricon, Fall In, Millenium Con, and other gaming days give gamers a chance to take a break from the grind of daily life and to become Civil War commanders for a few hours. One such event was Texas Broadsides 2016 near Houston, Texas. I attended this event as a vendor and thoroughly enjoyed myself. A unique venue, nice and helpful staff and a chance to show off our hobby to a whole new audience: the visitors to the U.S.S. Texas. My editorial policy on convention photos is to mostly share photos of Civil War games from conventions, but I have decided to share more nonperiod pictures from Texas Broadsides due to the unique nature of the convention. I think you will enjoy them.
Although I was unable to get pictures of one of the Civil War games at the con, I am pleased to report that it was presented by Tom Baldwin, the author of the A beginner’s introduction to ACW Gaming in Issue 12. What progress Tom has made in this hobby! This issue, Cory Ring expands on the topic of beginning in this hobby with his Getting Started in ACW Miniature Gaming article. I discuss my preparations for a convention game that I presented at NashCon 2016 to share my lessons learned. We also take a look at Historic Imagination’s new Wargame Maps. Our European release Antietam Wargame Editor, Arthur van der Ster offers his review of the new Perry Miniatures plastic Union box and tells us how he created Civil War wagons for his table top. Enjoy! Stephen M. Huckaby
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Gaming News Over Columbus Day weekend, the Houston Beer and Pretzels Wargaming Club presented their annual exas Broadsides event in La Porte, exas. Tis convention is unique in the act that it is held aboard a battleship, the U.S.S. exas, and next to the Battlefield o San Jacinto, where exas was born! Although not ACW related, we thought our readers might enjoy these photos.
A great venue to say the least for Texas Broadsides! Attendees could even stay over night on the ship.
Hobby Right: The San Jacinto Monument within eyesight of the convention.
Left: The Raven Banner Games booth in the port air castle near the 5 inch quick fre guns.
Right: “Over By Christmas,” A Combat Patrol Game by Kurt Looff and Andy Bouffard.
Left: A Vietnam game in progress. Game by Ed Enslinger
Hobby
Left and below: A Waterloo game presented by Jim Johnson using Blucher on the Cigar Box Battle Waterloo mat
Right: Players enjoying a 1775: Rebellion board game. Game presented by Barry Brueggeman
Review
Perry Miniatures Plastic Union Infantry Glory, Glory Hallelujah!
Image from the Perry Miniatures w ebsite: https://www.perry-miniatures.com ©Perry Miniatures
By Arthur van der Ster Perry Miniatures have released yet another set Contents of plastic ACW miniatures in 28mm scale: Union Tere are 40 miniatures in the box. You get six sprues o Infantry in sack coats. Back in 2008, they released their first ever set of hard plastic historical miniatures: five inantrymen, all in advancing poses. You can either pose them in right shoulder shif, or have them charging across American Civil War infantry. Tis set had figures in the field with bayonets pointing orward. both shell jackets and sack coats and was advertised as being usable by both sides and to a certain extent, this is true. I already talked about this in my review of the Battle in a Boxed set, also by Perry Miniatures , in issue 10 of ACW Gamer: Te Ezine. In 2012, the Perry’s released a box of Confederate infantry in shell jackets and now (mid October 2016) the complimentary set of Union infantry in sack coats is https://www.perry-miniatures.com ©Perry Miniatures here! Let’s get started and see what we get.
Review Te arms are the same as those in the Zouave and Conederate inantry boxes. In addition, there are some new arm options in this box, allowing you to have some o your models loading their rifles on the move. For instance, you can have an inantryman pouring powder down the barrel o his rifle, or reaching or a percussion cap. Great options and they are ully compatible with the Zouave and Conederate sets. Tere are two types o headgear on this sprue: orage caps and broad brimmed hats. Tere are enough o both, so you can either give all figures caps or hats (or a combination). Tere is also a spare hair piece - also a novelty – giving you the option to make an inantryman without headgear. Next up is the command sprue. Tis sprue is comprised o our bodies with enough parts to make an officer, two flag bearers and a drummer boy. You could however also choose to have two officers and a bugler. All men are wearing sack coats. It was quite common or officers to wear a s ack coat like the enlisted men. Te arms or the flag bearers actually have sergeant stripes embossed onto them which is a very nice touch. Overall, the figures look very dynamic.
procedures. I you buy several boxes you could create an entire firing line out o these (which I intend to do).
https://www.perry-miniatures.com ©Perry Miniatures Te set comes with a sprue o bases in various shapes and sizes: All with a 15mm rontage but ranging rom 45mm wide to 30 or 15mm wide and 40 or 20mm in depth. Enough bases are provided to put all o your figures on.
Details As is always the case with Perry Miniatures, the figures are nicely sculpted, with believable anatomy and poses and historically correct equipment and uniorms. I like the act that the cartridge boxes now have plates on them. Tis was absent in the previous sets. Folds in clothing and acial details are very nicely done as well. Te molding was taken care o by Renedra and they’ve
https://www.perry-miniatures.com ©Perry Miniatures Lastly, two sprues o three skirmishing figures are included. All are posed as i they were loading and firing their rifles, or example: tearing a cartridge with teeth, ramming a bullet down the barrel, reaching or a cartridge etc. Te Perry’s know their stuff or these are all textbook
https://www.perry-miniatures.com ©Perry Miniatures
Review done an excellent job. Tere are virtually no mold lines or flash. Tis greatly speeds up the assembly process.
Info Leaflet A small leaflet is included with inormation on uniorms, uniorm plates, organization and also has some flags. Tere is only one pair o flags this time which is a shame. It is also a specific pair: the 18th regiment o US inantry which means you can only use it once in your orce. Although, i you are not bothered by it you can use it several times o course. On the back side o the leaflet, there is an overview o all the corps badges. Useul! Corps badges were adopted to instill a sense o unit pride and identity but also or more practical reasons such as recognizability.
U.S. Colored roops
Conclusions So there you have it. A very nice set o historically accurate miniatures with clean sculpting and casting. Tere are lots o options within the set and components are interchangeable with the other plastic ACW figures rom Perry Miniatures. Te set retails or 20GBP which provides excellent value or money. Some people have asked (on different orums) whether the release o this set is justified, because Perry Miniatures already have two sets o ACW inantry. My answer would be “yes.” Te generic set rom 2008 is fine. I have no problem with mixing shell jackets and sack coats because it happened on campaign when items wore out. However, I do not think this happened at a 50% rate. Most photographs o Union inantry show t hat most would have worn a sack coat within a specific unit. So i you really want to accurately portray a unit o Union inantry, this is the way to go.
Perry Miniatures have a blister pack o 36 black heads with field caps in their metal ACW range so you can convert these plastic Union inantry into US Colored inantry. I’m a huge an o the movie Glory so I will definitely be doing the 54th Massachusetts!
Perry Miniatures painted by Alan Perry. Te figure on the
right is an example of a USC conversion. ©Perry Miniatures
Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain Specialty Figure I you buy three boxes directly rom the Perry Miniatures website, you’ll receive a metal specialty figure o Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain or ree. A very nice sculpt with the very recognizable mustache! https://www.perry-miniatures.com ©Perry Miniatures
Review
Addendum Tis review was about to be placed in the magazine when Perry Miniatures sent out their newsletter containing news about the release o another plastic ACW boxed set: American Civil War Union Inantry in sack coats Skirmishing 1861-65. Tese are the exact same figures as those rom the plastic Union inantry I just talked about but just in a different composition. Eight skirmish r ames are included in this boxed set, as well as two regular inantry and one command sprue, making or a total o 36 miniatures. Flags, multi and individual 20mm bases also come in this box. It was a bit o a surprise but I see the logic in them doing so. You could add these models to your existing regiments or create a firing line! Te 3-box deal also applies to this set.
Denis Hambucken, Chris Benedetto, Union Soldier of the American Civil War . ISBN-10: 088150971X Philip Katcher, American Civil War Armies (2) UNION ROOPS. ISBN: 9780850456905 ime Lie, Arms and Equipment of the Union (Echoes of Glory). ISBN-10: 080948854X http://amhistory.si.edu/militaryhistory/collection/object. asp?ID=774 http://www.americancivilwar.com/kids_zone/union_ soldier_civil_war.html
About the Author
Useful Resources - Robin Smith and Ron Field, Uniforms of the Civil War: An Illustrated Guide for Historians, Collectors, and Reenactors. ISBN-10: 1592285252 -Earl J. Coates, Don roiani’s Regiments & Uniforms of the Civil War . ISBN-10: 0811714691
Arthur van der Ster, lives with his wife in the lovely town of Houten in the province of Utrecht in the Netherlands. A long time fan of history, Arthur got into Warhammer in 1995. In 2008, he began his first historical wargames army when Perry Miniatures released their plastic American Civil War figures. Te American Civil War has become one of his biggest passions and the reason he studied American Studies at the University of Groningen in 2005. Since then, he has earned a Master’s degree in North American Studies from Leiden University. Arthur is freelance translator Dutch – English, and the miniature wargames editor of a Dutch games magazine.
Hobby
Getting Started in ACW Miniature Gaming
NashCon attendees enjoy a Civil War game presented by Bob Moon.
By Cory Ring Background I’ve been an ACW gamer or years and I think it’s something I take or granted. I know the rules I like, which figures I preer, and which books to turn to or inormation. I recently had a riend, who normally plays antasy and science fiction games, express an interest in playing the ACW, and I really had a lot o un “re-discovering” the hobby all over again by walking him through it. I thought it was a good enough story to share, especially i you find yoursel in the same situation. I was also motivated by the enthusiasm o new player om Baldwin’s visit to Nashcon / JohnnyCon this year! It was great watching him get immersed in ACW gaming or the first time and I think you can sense his enthusiasm in the article he wrote in the last issue o ACW Gamer . I’ve always had an interest in the ACW, probably
stemming rom a relative that ought in the war, Jacob Early. My mother grew up in the house he built in Ohio, and ofen shared stories that had been passed down about him. I remember “dragging” my amily to Gettysburg one summer when I was in 5th grade. I doubt they ound it too interesting, but to me it was ascinating and has continued as a lie long ascination. I’m ortunate now to live in Franklin, N where I am able to explore N, KY and GA battlefields on weekend get aways! My ACW gaming started as a kid with 54mm Britains on the floor with Lincoln Log orts. I was exposed to “proper” ACW gaming in college at the wargaming club that met on the Florida State University campus. Bob Freeman used to organize and run epic “ Johnny Reb 1” games which people still talk about! Bob introduced me to 15mm ACW figures, Johnny Reb, scenario design and the rest is history! Tanks Bob or being my wargaming mentor!
Hobby Getting Started Te most important thing is to have un! It’s a hobby so do whatever you like, but a good place to start is to look or some local gamers, make contact and show up or a game night. ry searching online or local gaming groups or v isit local hobby shops. You will eventually find some people that are playing. o start with, just play whatever rules and figures they are using and start rolling dice. I started with 15mm Johnny Reb because that was what the local group was playing. Another great option is to attend some local or regional cons and sign up or a bunch o different ACW games. I’d suggest playing Johnny Reb, Fire and Fury , Altar of Freedom, Brother Against Brother and Longstreet to start. You can figure out what you like and don’t like about each set o rules and get some ideas on figure scale and the scope o gaming that you enjoy. I like tactical, divisional sized games, but some o my riend’s preer man to man skirmish games, and others preer to fight entire, large battles. Tere really is something or everybody in ACW gaming.
I you like John Hill’s “ Johnny Reb” rules, I can highly recommend seeing i any o the “ Johnny Reb Society” guys are running a game at a convention near you. Tey are a very riendly group who welcome new players and are willing to explain and teach the rules. Another option is to check out an online group like Kurtus Brown’s Facebook “able op Commanders” to get advice and eedback. Kurt’s does a lot o solo gaming and this is also a good option to learn a new set o rules. Tere are also some good Youube channels out there. Just search “miniature wargaming” and see what comes up!
Scale Tere are just a ton o options here! Te ACW is a popular period so you can game it in 2mm, 6mm, 10mm, 20mm, 22mm, 25mm, 28mm, 40mm and 54mm. As a general rule the smaller the scale o figures, the larger the scope o the battle, with the opposite being true as well (2mm figures would work great or a game refighting the entire battle o Gettysburg, whereas 54mm figures would make or a great skirmish game). Tere are always exceptions to this o course, as it really just a matter o taste and the space available to game. I think a 54mm Gettysburg would look antastic!
28mm Union Dixon figures from the author’s collection.
Dean West playing one of the ADF Shiloh scenarios at Cory Ring’s house
I have mainly 15mm troops based or Johnny Reb, and 10mm troops based or “Across A Deadly Field” and Fire and Fury. I also play Johnny Reb in 28mm. I think that’s the “curse” o collecting your avorite period, right? You’ll end up building orces in multiple scales!
Hobby support your local hobby shop, but i you don’t have one close by a great source o figures is Old Glory / Blue Moon. Tey have 10mm and 18mm figures available and you can receive a huge discount by joining the Old Glory Army ($50 yearly membership ee).
Painting
Above and Below: 15mm Old Glory and Peter Pig figures from the author’s collection.
‘Google’ ACW uniorms or a quick painting guide, but i you really enjoy the period you’ll probably want to add some good to add some reerence books to your collection. I can recommend anything rom Osprey Publishing, and Phillip Haythornwaite’s “Uniforms of the American Civil War ”. As ar as general resources go, “Battle on the Civil War ” by Paddy Griffith is excellent as well as Paul Stevenson’s “Wargaming in History - Te American Civil War ”. I would suggest painting both Federals and Conederates. Gaming the ACW isn’t like “Bolt Action” where you can show up at the local gaming club with 1,000 points o Germans and expect to find an opponent. ACW gaming is more historical scenario based, so I suggest building your
I I was just getting into the hobby now I would probably go with 10mm figures and base them or use with Johnny Reb and Fire and Fury .
10mm Confederate GHQ figures from the author’s collection. John Hill had 10mm armies and they looked great and matched perectly with N scale model train models. 10mm paint up quickly and look great in lager units. Always
One of the author’s large scale games using 28mm figures.
Hobby initial orces based on a historical order o battle and start painting those troops first. I started by building brigades rom the Chickamauga scenario order o battle included with the original Johnny Reb rules. A great source o scenarios to use as OOB’s are ACW Gamer Magazine, old issues o Te Zouave, the Regimental Fire and Fury scenario books, the Johnny Reb scenario books, the scenario books rom George Anderson and Ryan oews and Scott Mingus’s scenario books. All are excellent resources! ry looking on eBay or at Wargames Vault since most o these are long out o print.
Local Stores I you have a local gaming store near you, and you game there or use it as a resource to meet other gamers, be sure to support it! When I lived near Modeler’s Mart in Florida I stocked up on Frontier Miniatures, and when Wargames was in Nashville I bought exclusively Essex and Dixon figures. Local stores can be a great place to meet other gamers and build a gaming community. Buy your painting supplies rom your local hobby shop, but i you don’t have one near, check out one o the big box craf stores like Michael’s, or Hobby Lobby. Have un with it and enjoy your hobby!
About the Author Cory Ring lives and works in Franklin, TN. He is
Above: A 28mm Vicksburg game hosted by the author at Nashcon 2016 . Photo by David Raybin.
wargamer, amateur historian, and a student of the Battle of Franklin. In his free time he enjoys miniature wargaming, painting, reading, movies and dragging
Another option is to start with the historical units that interest you. It’s a hobby right, so why not have un and start with your avorites like the Iron Brigade, Hood’s exan’s, Berdan’s Sharpshooters, etc.! You’ll have plenty o time later to paint the rank and file Billy Yank and Johnny Reb. Once you get tired o painting 100’s o blue and grey rank and file, mix it up with some Zouave units, cavalry, early war figures, etc.
28mm Union ACW Gamer figures from the author’s collection. Tis is a Chasseur unit, the 33rd New Jersey
his family along on trips to visit Western Theater ACW battlefelds!
Review
Historic Imagination releases a new resource to assist gamers in creating scenarios for the Battle of Antietam Historic Imagination has released another handy tool or wargamers looking to recreate Civil War battles on their table tops: Antietam Wargame Maps. Brad Butkovich’s Historic Imagination has established a strong track record o providing comprehensive scenario books or regimental level Civil War gaming. Brad Butkovich, who holds a Bachelor o Arts in History rom Georgia Southern University, is a member o the Northeast Georgia Civil War Round able and the Civil War rust. He has also published two ull length battle studies, one about the Battle o Pickett’s Mill and the other about the Battle o Allatoona Pass. Brad has written several scenario books or wargaming the Civil War including: Te River of Death: Regimental
Wargame Scenarios for Te Battle of Chickamauga, Musketry Like Tunder: Te Greatest Civil War Battles Never Fought and Criminal Blunder: Wargame Scenarios for the Battle of Pickett’s Mill . ACW Gamer previously looked at Brad’s Te Road to Atlanta in Issue 6 and Summer Storm, Brad’s Gettysburg volume, in Issue 10. Last Issue, we looked at Historic Imagination’s Antietam scenario book, Brave Hearts rembled (BH.) Tis issue, we look at Historic Imagination’s second Antietam release, Antietam Wargame Maps (AWM .) Unlike BH, AWM is not a scenario book, rather is a 119 page PDF scenario resource book. Brad states in his introduction to AWM that his book was “created with the
Review game designer in mind.” o that end, Brad has provided game and scenario designers with multiple maps o the landscape around Sharpsburg, Maryland where the battle o Antietam was ought and a complete order o battle or the Union and Conederate orces that engaged in the epic struggle there. Like Historic Imagination’s scenario books AWM begins with a “How to Use Tis Book” chapter. Te first guide that the author gives is his “ Golden Rule” which emphasizes that un is the ultimate goal o wargaming and that the maps that he provides are ultimately yours and to be adjusted as necessary to fit your table, your scenario or terrain you have on hand. Likewise, the author encourages the reader to adapt the book’s orders o battle as needed, such as a case where you believe a unit morale is different than his assessment change it. Brad is a ‘battlefield stomper,’ traveling to the sites that he portrays in his books to gain a better understanding o the tactical impact o the terrain on the engagements ought there. Brad shares this insight in his opening chapter as well as in his rendering o the maps, such as his explanation o the nature o the rock outcroppings ound on the battlefield. Te author also provides historical insight into the terrain that might no longer be visible or unamiliar in our modern world. An example o this is his explanation o encing in 1860’s rural America and in the Sharpsburg area in particular. We don’t ofen see miles o encing (especially in the ashion built in the Civil War) as we rush about town past soccer fields, ast ood restaurants and big box stores and may not appreciate it’s impact on movement and as cover. Brad also points out such affecting terrain such as
Above: A sample of the legend used in AWM to explain the map iconography.
the height o crops at that time o year, the density o woods and certain notable landmarks. Tis inormation will assist scenario and game designers in their planning. Te maps are presented in three scales: 1:25, 1:33 and 1:50. Tese scales should serve most rule sets used by ACW gamers. Te maps are clearly illustrated and have ‘hash’ marks along the sides to help players in setting up the terrain on their table. Brad has given the reader a treasure trove o maps. Some maps are arrayed in different relationship to the points o the compass while some maps are laid out to emphasize key terrain eatures that the armies battled over and to control.
Above: An example of a map focused on a terrain feature: Te iconic Cornfield Tese various maps proved the basis or just about any Antietam scenario one can come up with - historical or nonhistorical (in act I couldn’t imagine a more comprehensive collection.) Additionally, the maps should be handy to players like mysel, who like to play ‘pick up games’ but like to have terrain that reflects the battlefields ound in the Civil War. Te order o battle is also presented in a manner to make it o the most utility to a wide variety o rules. Te author provides the strengths o the units involved in the battle (and he is careul to explain how he arrived at these strengths given that these figures are not easy to find). Te OOB charts give figure ratios or the number o miniature figures or stands the players will need to represent
Review the unit on the table. Tis ratio listed are 20, 30, 40, and 100 soldiers to a figure or a stand. Te Brigade strength o the combined regiments is also provided as well as what weapon each unit should be armed with. Te author has also listed a status o each unit (militia, average, etc.) and a leadership rating or the commanders, rom brigade to army level. Again, he suggests that i you disagree with his assessment o these statuses and ratings, then change them to your estimation o these values. Finally, some units are given a points value to be awarded to the opponent who inflicts damage on them .
Above: A historical photo from the battle. Below: A modern counterpart from the same angle and location.
Te final chapter o the book is a collection o battlefield photos, both historical and modern. As mentioned earlier, Brad Butovich is a battlefield stomper and he has located the vantage point rom where many historical photos were taken. He then marked these points on his maps.
Above: A sample of a map marked with viewing points Tis will o course, appeal to the amateur Civil War historian in most wargamers but they serve another purpose as well. Tese photos help us understand how terrain can affect a battle. Tey point out that what would a gamer might
display on his game top as a grass plain, is actually rolling terrain whose olds can hide whole units rom fire as they approach. I appreciate the author taking this extra measure in this book or designing wargames. In conclusion, Antietam Wargame Maps is a valuable resource or any gamer looking to design their own scenarios or the Battle o Antietam or even to design sel contained games about the battle. Te price is very reasonable ($9.99 on Wargame Vault) or a such a comprehensive resource o such high quality. We look orward to seeing what uture releases Historic Imagination will offer to help wargamers in their quest to recreate epic Civil War battles on their table top.
Hobby
Te Road to Corinth
Above, “Crisis at the Crossroads,” by Keith Rocco. Painting courtesy o Keith Rocco
By Stephen M. Huckaby Many things inspire gamers to begin projects and this project was inspired by a painting - specifically, a painting by popular military artist, Keith Rocco. Te painting is entitled “Decision at the Crossroads” and depicts the climatic moment o the Second Battle o Corinth, Mississippi. I had seen the painting several years ago and it immediately became a avorite o mine. Several things stood out about the painting, besides the act that it was a well executed illustration o Civil War combat by one o my avorite artist, the first being the presence o the “Van Dorn” battleflag in the painting. You don’t ofen see this flag, especially in modern Civil War prints, which mostly ocus on battles in the East and to a lesser degree, the Western Teater. Te Van
Dorn flag is mostly associated with the rans-Mississippi, a theater o the war that is ofen neglected by scholars and gamers. Te second element o the painting that caught my attention was act that the Conederate soldiers were attacking through a rail yard and firing rom the balcony o a hotel. Tere wasn’t a lot o ‘urban combat’ in the Civil War and Corinth was one o the rare instances where it took place. For years I wanted to recreate this action on the table top, and finally in 2015, I decided to launch the project, with the intent o presenting the game at NashCon 2016. Tis article is the story o my “Road to Corinth.”
Hobby Tis was by ar the largest project I had undertaken, and to commit to putting it on at a convention - why put that kind o pressure on mysel ? As I mentioned previously, I wanted to bring the action o Mr. Rocco’s painting to the gaming table and I committed to put the game on at a convention to hold a metaphorical gun to my head to complete the project. oo many o my gaming projects end up on the ‘abandoned projects shelves’ and I was determined to see this one through. By setting my goal to present the game at a convention I had a definitive end date or the project and have my gaming riends hold me to my commitment to complete my goals. Te starting point or this project was to determine the background and scope o the game. What did I want to see on the table top? What did I want players to experience? I wanted to have the gamers capture the ast pace action depicted in painting. I wanted to have figures firing off the balconies and exchanging fire at close range. Tis led me to conclude that I wanted to do the game as a skirmish style game with individual figures. Tis was a solid decision as I had built sizable Union and Conederate orces or playing Brother Against Brother (BAB) in 28mm. I also elt that playing in 28mm would also help add to the ‘in the action’ eel that I was looking or. Using BAB was also a sound decision as I had been playing it or years with the Misery Bay Gamers out o Erie, Pennsylvania so I was well versed in the rule set. Te rules lend themselves very well to convention games and new players usual pick up the rules in very short order. I contacted Scott Mingus, a Civil War author and creator o Charge! magazine or Civil War gamers. Scott had designed many BAB scenarios and I requested his assistance with designing the scenario or the game (by assistance, I mean that he wrote an entire scenario or me). Scott wrote a scenario that he said would “which might
work very well or a convention ‘shoot ‘em up’ game.’” Tis was exactly what I was looking or. Once I received the scenario, I aced a startling realization. Te scenario would call or thousands o figures. More than I could possibly complete in time or NashCon. Scott suggested that I change the figure scale o the game. Based on this advice, I moved the figure scale to 1:10 (I have since learned that this method o designing wargame scenarios is called “bath tubbing.)” I now needed 240 Conederate figures and about 220 Union figures. Te bad news: I didn’t have that many figures; the good news: I had Keith Sullivan on my side. Keith Sullivan is my riend o 25 years and, lucky or me, a prolific painter. Keith is a southern Indiana gamer (rom the Louisville area) who has presented many epic games at NashCon eaturing masses o painted figures.
Keith Sullivan (standing) running a large scale 28mm fantasy game at NashCon 2016 . Keith not only agreed to loan me his 28mm ACW figures, but committed to helping me by painting hundreds o figures to help with my short all. Now I was under way, with a scenario in hand, fig ures on my painting bench and Keith painting more figures like a fiend. At this point, I did something that , in hind sight , I should have done earlier, learn more about the battle, but a new opportunity would soon present itsel. In December o 2015, I moved to Louisiana, and the drive rom Pennsylvania gave me a opportunity to visit the town o Corinth itsel. Te town is located in the very northern part o Mississippi and not very close to the interstate, but I decided that visiting the battle site would help my understanding o the battle and thus help me w ith
Hobby developing my project. Te Corinth battlefield is a “Battlefield Unit” and is sub unit o the Shiloh National Military Park which is about a hal hour drive away. Corinth was a strategic crossroad o the Memphis & Charleston and the Mobile & Ohio railroad during the American Civil War and is actually the reason the battle o Shiloh was ought. Te Union had set its sights on the town to cut these logistics lines. Conederate General Albert Sidney Johnston decided to launch a preemptive attack against Union General Grant’s orces as they massed at Pittsburgh Landing across the border in ennessee. Tis attack resulted in the Battle o Shiloh, one o the bloodiest engagements o the war. Afer their ailure to stop the Union Army, the Conederates ell back to Corinth and dug in around the town. Union orces under the overall command o General Halleck laid siege to the town until the Conederates under General Beauregard evacuated it a month later under the cover o a deception that involved convincing the Federals that he was preparing to attack. Corinth would again become a strategic objective in the all o 1862 when the Conederates went on the strategic offensive in several theaters o the war. Lee moved his army into Maryland, Bragg moved his army into Kentucky and Generals Van Dorn and Price combined their orces (under Van Dorn’s command) and set their sights on the strategic rail crossroads. US General Rosecrans who commanded the orces in Corinth and had been improving the deenses since the Conederates evacuated the town the previous spring. On October 3rd the Conederates hammered at the Union outer deenses but were unable to dislodge the stubborn Federals. Still, eeling confident that he could dr ive the Union out o the town, Van Dorn launched another attack on the 4th. Te Conederates were able to achieve temporary successes (such at the scene depicted in Rocco’s painting) but were ultimately repelled, with losses that shocked the Southern populace. Te trip had provided me insight into the battle that would guide me as I continued my work on the project. As the 2016 arrived and NashCon grew closer, I began to organize my efforts to present the game I had dreamed o. Obviously a key part o the painting is the ishmingo Hotel and I would need one or my game. Keith Sullivan reerred me to a Louisville area gamer by they name o Marvin Crone. Marvin agreed to build the hotel or my
game. Marvin did an excellent job building a 28mm structure with a removable roo and balcony fit or figures to fire rom.
Marvin also constructed the rail road depot depicted in the painting as well, which would help me reproduce the painting that had inspired this game in the first place.
Another Louisville area gamer, Rob Prince o Historique offered his services with one o the key terrain elements on the board, the railroad tracks. Although the tracks would not have any effects on game play, they were necessary or portraying the ‘Crisis at the Crossroads.’ Rob set out to work on the tracks as I studied a little bit about railroads in the South. I now see that I should have done that first to avoid having Rob rework any o the model tracks. Rob and I started under the same impression: railroad tracks a top a gravel berm. And why not? Isn’t that what we see all the time as we drive around the country (or take a train)?
Hobby Wrong. I should have studied Mr. Rocco’s painting a little closer. In the painting, the tracks are just laid on the ground. “o the internet” I cried and started to look into construction o railways in the 1850s and 1860s. I discovered that at the time most railways were laid on the ground (I regret that I did not record my sources.) Sometimes there was an embankment, but not always.
Photo of a derailed train near Manassas, Virginia. Note the earthen embankment and the irregularly cut railroad ties. Photo rom Library o Congress
Another example of rails on soil in the rail yard in Atlanta, Georgia. Photo rom Library o Congress
It appears that new northern routes were being laid out in the manner we expect today (and there must have been railroads already constructed in that manner) due to the harsh winters, but in the South that did not seem to be wide spread - especially in areas without easy access to quarries. Te War would also push improvements in railroads as both sides attempted to support the logistical needs o their armies and use the rails to move their orces to the ronts where they were needed. Te good news o this discovery meant that the construction o the model tracks would be easier and cheaper too as bags o model railroad ballast would not be needed. Another detail depicted in the Rocco painting are the wagons and the piles o supplies in the rail yard and around the ishmingo Hotel. When the masses o Conederates swarmed into town, Rosecrans ordered these supplies burned to prevent their capture, however, his men opted instead to counterattack the Rebels. Putting these supply stacks into the game would not only add more flavor to the set up, but also provide cover or the players to utilize in the course o the game. So I set out to get miniature supplies or the game. Although I searched the internet or what I needed (again, what a tool or this hobby!) I actually ound what I was looking at Cold Wars in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. While perusing the Old Glory booth I came across 28mm resin warehouse supplies rom their “Chicago” line or 1920’s. Te supplies included crates and barrels and were in a style that would fit in perectly into my game. Not only did they include single crates but ‘blocks’ o crates that would make nice cover or the figures in the game.
I wanted to paint these items up quickly as I still had many more figures and other game elements ready. I decided to paint the supplies olive green similar to the green
Hobby the Union painted their artillery and their wagons (see the painting). I decided to take a short cut. I utilized an olive green rom a hunter camo line. Tese sprays are designed or hunters to paint their equipment such as canoes, coolers, gun stocks, etc. Afer spraying the crates and allowing them to dry, I picked out the barrels in a wood color. I then gave the supplies a wash and afer that dried, I dry brushed the supplies to add texture to the supplies. Te groups o barrels I painted using dry brushes o different shades o brown over a black primer. I then went back and painted the barrel hoops in a dark iron color. I also ound stacks o grain bags (I can not recall the manuacturer)that would also help create the eel o a military logistics hub. Te Rocco painting also eatured wagons near the hotel and I wanted to add those elements as well. I originally planned on using a metal 28mm wagon that I purchased rom Blue Moon miniatures, however, Keith told me that he had some MDF wagons already assembled that I could use or the game. With so many figures to prepare or the game, I was grateul or his offer. He also told me he had some Sibley tents that I could use or the game. I thought about it and concluded that all those wagoneers and quartermasters had to be sleeping somewhere so I decided to add them to the game as well. Te end results were a rail yard ull o supplies, tents, wagons (and cover!):
For the loading platorms in the rail yard, I used wooden side walks rom Old Glory’s Old West range. I painted this in a ‘weathered wood’ color and then muddied them up a bet to depict the effects o workers and soldiers o complete the rail yard I ordered some rail cars rom Redoubt Enterprises. Rob had built the tracks in O scale so these models could be used with them. Tese train cars turned out to be a bit o a modeling challenge as they required glues ‘slab’ o resin together to create a box shape car. I overcame this through the use o wooden blocks or squaring the corners and using rubber bands to hold the parts together overnight or a good bond. I attempted to get ancy by making removable trucks using magnets. Tis did not work as well as I envisioned when I got them to NashCon and it would have been better to glue the trucks into place. Once I completed the train cars, I contacted Scott Mingus who advised me to paint the cars in maroon or dark brown.
Above: Te train car with loading platforms. Photo by David Raybin
Above and below: Modeling a bustling logistical hub
For the table covering, I decided to use Cigar Box Battle’s “Mixed Ground” mats. I needed two o them but only had one. Chris Ward and Cory Ring o CBB generously offered to let me borrow one o their’s when they were not using it or their con games. Now I had the ability to lay out a 8 oot by 6 oot table. I also borrowed one o Cory’s blue board hills to represent the heights at the east o the game board. With all the elements set. It was time to battle or Corinth.
Next Issue: Te scenario and the game.
Workbench
Creating Civil War Supply Wagons
By Arthur van der Ster Introduction In issue 11, Scott Mingus talked about using supply wagons in your ACW games. Tere are some interesting ideas in his article so I hope you have given them a go. Tis article is about how I created actual supply wagon models. During the past few months, me and a few of my gaming buddies were organizing a big Gettysburg event in the Netherlands and I really wanted to have some wagons on the table (mostly for esthetic purposes). However, since I’m a 28mm gamer, this could become expensive quite fast. So I started thinking about how best to go about this project. I quickly realized that an entire model made up of pew ter components was not going to be an option. So what then? I knew I wanted to have the Perry Miniatures mule team (code ACW 74) for the simple reason that 95% of my ACW collection is made up of Perry Miniatures figures. Te wagon itself had to be lasercut MDF model because mdf is affordable and light. In the end, I decided to use the 4Ground General Purpose Wagon.
4Ground Wagon Te general purpose wagon by 4Ground is the most detailed MDF kit there is (as ar as I know). It is not just a generic wagon but it is typical mid-century American wagon so perect or my purposes. You can opt to leave the hood off i you wish. At only 5,50GBP, it is also really affordable.
Workbench Te model comes in one MDF “sprue.” Te parts can be easily pushed out.
Construction is very simple: I used PVA glue to get the job done. All steps are explained in the handy instructions.
Painting
Above and Below: Te assembled wagon.
Wagon: I’ve been doing some research online and the most common colors seem to have been: a sort o army green (like the Union limbers and cannon), a blue-ish grey and a plain wood color. I went or Vallejo Model Color US Dark Green 893 and Vallejo Model Color Dark Blue Grey 904. Te wagon received a thin coat o grey primer to allow the paint to adhere better. Ten just paint the entire wagon with the color you’ve chosen. Once dry, give them a thin wash with thinned down black paint. Tis will shade your model and give it a weathered look. Paint all the parts that are supposed to be metal black: the steel tires and hubs or example. o finish the model off, I apply a light dr ybrush o Vallejo Model Color Dark Sand 847 to accentuate the detail. You’ll also get that weathered wood grain effect. I you’re eeling really ambitious, you could just paint on the wood grain with a lighter version o the base color. Mules: A quick search on Google provided me with enough examples o how mules look. I sprayed the mules black. Tey were then given a coat o Vallejo Game Color Charred Brown 045. Te manes and tails were painted black and I gave some o the snouts a thin coat o Model Color Dark Sand ollowed by white. I wanted some o the mules to be lighter so afer the Charred Brown, I painted the ur with Vallejo Game Color Beasty Brown 043. Mules that have light colored ur always seem to have lighter colored manes and
Workbench tails, so I painted these Dark Sand as well and also some o the snouts, socks and most o the bellies, ollowed by a final highlight o white. Tere is no real right or wrong here, just look up pictures on the internet.
Quickshade.
All the harnesses were painted black and the metal parts silver. Te hooves were given a thin coat o Model Color German Grey 995.
Make sure to let them dry or 24 hours beore spraying them with estors Dullcote.
Finally, I gave the mules a light drybrush o Model Color Golden Brown 877 , concentrating especially on the harnesses. Tis works as a highlight but also gives the model a weathered look.
In order to give maximum protection and also shade the models, they received a coat o Army Painter Dark one
Riders: For those o you have read my articles on painting ACW models in issues 7 and 8, you will be amiliar with the technique I use. For those who haven’t, here is a quick rundown: Start by basecoating Union figures black and Conederate figures a light grey. Afer that it just comes down to basecoating. I will provide a list with useul colors at the end o this paragraph. Once all base colors have been done, drybrush some parts o your figures with Model Color Golden Brown (like I described above) Tings like elbows, shoulders, knees, shoes etc. Tis gives a real on campaign and also automatically highlights you figures, saving you loads o time. As with the mules, use Army Painter Dark one Quickshade to shade and varnish your miniatures and spray them with estors dullcote afer 24 hours beore basing. Union: -Fieldcaps and coats: Either Games Workshop Kantor Blue or Wargames Foundry Union/Royal Blue work best.
Workbench
-rousers: Vallejo Model Color Pastel Blue 901.
Confederate:
Te Hood Te hood was the most difficult part o the wagon to do because I just wasn’t sure what material to use. I was araid toilet or kitchen paper would be too weak to use. My wie actually suggested to use bandages and when I tried some, I was pretty happy about it. It’s tough enough so it’ll not get damaged easily and takes paint well. I just held a piece o bandage against one side o the bows and estimated how much I needed to get the whole thing covered. I then cut out the piece I needed and glued it on the bows with some PVA glue. Make sure to allow it to dry completely beore moving onto the painting stage. Once dry, give the hood a coat o Model Color Medium Grey 987 ollowed by a strong drybrush o white.
Browns: - Green Brown 987 - Golden Brown 877 - Flat Earth 983 (Panzer Series) - an Earth 874 (Panzer Series) - US Field Drab 873 ans: - Medium grey 987 - Dark Sand 847 - Green Ochre 914 - German C. Beige 821 - Khaki 988 - Khaki 061 (Game Color ) - Khaki Grey 880
Te last thing to do is to glue all pieces to a base. A riend o mine cut 3mm thick plastic card bases or me. Plastic card is extremely sturdy and that’s exactly what you want or a model o this size. Te measurements or the bases are: 8cm x 26cm. Te mules and wagon were glued into place with some superglue. Because plastic card usually has a very smooth surace, I sanded the side where you will glue your models onto and also made some cuts with a modeling knie, beore gluing some fine sand with PVA glue.
Workbench Tis will allow the sand to adhere so much better. Once About the Author dry, I painted the sand with a cheap acrylic brown paint and Arthur van der Ster, drybushed the surace with Model Color Dark Sand . lives with his wife in the Now was the time to get creative. I just love gluing tufs lovely town of Houten in the and other pieces o scenic onto bases. It makes the entire province of Utrecht in the model look so much more realistic. I have several types o Netherlands. tufs rom Gamer’s Grass and Mininatur. Just make sure it A long time fan of history, looks like something you could come across in an American landscape and you’ll be fine. I tend to use different shades o Arthur got into Warhammer in 1995. In 2008, he began green and light brown and mix them up. his first historical wargames Tat’s it. I hope this will inspire you to do your own big army when Perry Miniatures project. It makes or a nice change o painting all those released their plastic inantry figures! American Civil War figures. Te American Civil War has become one of his biggest passions and the reason he studied American Studies at the University of Groningen in 2005. Since then, he has earned a Master’s degree in North American Studies from Leiden University. Arthur is freelance translator Dutch – English, and the miniature wargames editor of a Dutch games magazine.
Active Clubs “This is great and all...but where can I actually play ACW games??”
California Sacramento Historical Wargaming Group (SHWG) Contact: https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/S_H_W_G/ino
ACW Games: Te club is building 10mm armies now! Other Periods played: Various periods.
Florida South Florida Miniatures Gamers (SMG) - Miami, Palm Beach & Ft. Lauderdale areas https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/SOFLMiniaturesGamers/conversations/messages Contact:
[email protected]
ACW Games: 10mm: Fire & Fury , 28mm: Saber & Musket (home grown rules), ACW 1/600 Naval - Age of Iron Other periods played: AWI 28mm: Saber & Musket , MAW28mm: Saber & Musket , Crimean War 28mm: Saber & Musket , WWI 28mm: W arhammer Historical Great War, WW1 Naval: Micronauts , WWII - Air Land and Sea (6mm, 1/2400), CDIV, Spearhead, Blue Skys, Micronauts
Michigan Shores Gaming Group - greater Detroit area Contact Robert Sweeney:
[email protected] ACW Games: Johnny Reb 3 Other periods played: WW1 Air, WW2 Western Front, and Star Fleet Battles
Also board games such as Zombies!!!, Settlers of Catan, Civilization, B17, and more.
Pennsylvania Misery Bay Gamers - Erie, PA Contact:
[email protected] ACW Games: Brother Against Brother , Fire and Fury, Civil War Naval Other periods played: Roman Seas ( Naval Warare Under Oars ), American War o Independence, Age o Sail (various rules), WW1 Air, WW2 Air, WW2 Skirmish, WWI & WWII Naval, (GQIII & Fleet action Imminent), Lord o the Rings: War of the Ring
UK Liverpool Wargames Association (LWA) Contact: Andy Fuller at andyuller@smail.net
ACW Games: Currently ocusing on Fire and Fury , Regimental Fire and Fury , Longstreet , Bloody Big Battles and Civil War Battles in 15mm. Also play Altar of Freedom in 6mm and some 28mm games are being played.
Netherlands Blades of Destruction (B.O.D.) Utrecht, Kennedylaan 9 Contact:
[email protected]
ACW Games: Fire and Fury and Black Powder Other periods played: 40K , Flames of War , Hail Caesar , Pike and Shot , Bolt Action, SAGA, X-Wing , Star Wars Imperial Assault and many more.
Te ACW Gamer line of 28mm Miniatures
Johnston at Shiloh painted by Cory Ring o Cigar Box Battle.com
A 28mm line of metal miniatures focusing on uncommon subjects
These fgures are compatible with many popular miniature lines will add color and character to your ACW collections or armies. Key PM: Perry Miniatures, ACWG: ACW Gamer, OG2ED: Old Glory 2nd Edition, S&S: Sash and Saber, WF: Wargames Foundry
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