ACW Miniature rule sets recommendations

Started by GJK, April 18, 2015, 12:02:06 PM

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GJK

So I'm thinking of going down the dark rabbit hole of ACW miniatures gaming and am looking for a rules set that meets some of my criteria.  I enjoy "The Gamers" series of Civil War games; Brigade series as well as the new Line of Battle series.  My son however is fascinated with miniatures and not so much the boardgames so I'm hoping to keep him interested in the hobby.  That's the background - here's what I'm looking for (which is basically "Line of Battle" games for miniatures):

1. Command Radius and structure. 
2. Unit leaders with varying ratings
3. Regimental or possibly brigade level units
4. Morale is a key component
5. I prefer some grit with my games.  Not interested in "high die wins" simplicity.  Give me charts with modifiers but the rules need to be clear. 
6. Basing: something simple (at least at first).  I don't want to pour in $100's of bucks in mini's in order to play Little Round Top.  I'm thinking the cheapo plastic 1:72 scale sets that you can get for $9 for a box of 50 kind of stuff.  At least initially.

I've looked at Johnny Reb and the scale is too tactical.  I want larger commands, not ASL for the ACW. 

I've looked at John Hill's last game just before his sudden death (RIP), Across a Deadly Field, and I was close to ordering those rules but then read a number of not too complimentary reviews from multiple sources.  I'd like more opinions on this one though.

Regimental Fire and Fury is one that I'm looking at.  Seems popular but maybe it's too simplistic?  Not sure.

Blackpowder I have not begin to research.  Anybody have any opinions on this one?

Nevermore: I'd be interested to know what your group enjoys playing in this era.  Maybe it's Napoleonics that could be used for ACW; that's fine with me.

Worst case (and possibly the likely case) is I will just come up with a conversion for the Line of Battle series for use with miniatures which actually maybe be the best case.
Clip your freaking corners!
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Blood Bowl on VASSAL - Ask me about it! http://garykrockover.com/BB/
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"Fat, drunk, and stupid is no way to go through life, son."

-Dean Vernon Wormer

bob48

The 'Johnny Reb' rules spring to mind, I played them a lot with 15mm figs many years ago.
'We few, we happy few, we band of brothers'

'Clip those corners'

Recombobulate the discombobulators!

GJK

Well I realize that this is not a very popular topic here, but for anybody that may be remotely curious; I have opted to go with "Black Powder".  What really piqued my interest in that ruleset was that the authors of it are the same that wrote "Blood Bowl" and (at least some parts of) Warhammer.  I'm finding these rules to be very nicely done and the C&C aspect of it are simple but look to be effective.
Clip your freaking corners!
----------------------
Blood Bowl on VASSAL - Ask me about it! http://garykrockover.com/BB/
----------------------
"Fat, drunk, and stupid is no way to go through life, son."

-Dean Vernon Wormer

Staggerwing

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GJK

Quote from: Staggerwing on May 03, 2015, 08:08:53 AM
Don't Nevermore and his club use Victorian Steel?

They do.  Perhaps he'll chime in on the adaptability of those rules to 1860's America- did they use those rules or a modified version of them for their recently played "Town of Gettysburg"?  I'll have to ask him....
Clip your freaking corners!
----------------------
Blood Bowl on VASSAL - Ask me about it! http://garykrockover.com/BB/
----------------------
"Fat, drunk, and stupid is no way to go through life, son."

-Dean Vernon Wormer

GJK

Was just browsing through the Black Powder forums on Warlord Games' site and saw Nevermore's post there about his Gettysburg gaming session; done using Black Powder!  If it works for him and his gang, I'm sure that it'll work for me just fine.  ;)
Clip your freaking corners!
----------------------
Blood Bowl on VASSAL - Ask me about it! http://garykrockover.com/BB/
----------------------
"Fat, drunk, and stupid is no way to go through life, son."

-Dean Vernon Wormer

GJK

For all of you following along.... :smitten:

I have a game of Regimental Fire & Fury lined up with an experienced player.  I haven't read those rules (but glanced at a cheat sheet).  I'll be curious to see how it plays.

After reading the rules for Blackpowder, I wasn't get the warm and fuzzy feeling about it.  There's some modifications needed to make it work with the ACW and it otherwise seemed just kind of bland to me.

What has me very excited to try out is a set of rules written by a gaming group, Good Ground (https://sites.google.com/site/goodgroundgame/).  If you read my original "want list", these rules have all of those items (and more).  Going to give them a try a week from Sunday after our game of RF&F.
Clip your freaking corners!
----------------------
Blood Bowl on VASSAL - Ask me about it! http://garykrockover.com/BB/
----------------------
"Fat, drunk, and stupid is no way to go through life, son."

-Dean Vernon Wormer