American Civil Wargaming in History - Antietam

The Wargaming in History Books by Charles S Grant are truly inspirational. The writing style, content and approach to representing famous battles are a lesson to us all of how to recreate battles on the tabletop.

In the last few months I have once again returned to thoughts of gaming the American Civil War.  This has partly been inspired in my son Max who has got the ACW bug.

The other evening I started thinking about putting on some large games using my 28mm collection. Having just about finished reading the first volume of Shelby Foote trilogy's my head is full of the early battles and the battle of Antietam in particular.

Antietam has always been my favourite action and is I my opinion the best of all the battlefields I have visited. 

So I have decided to give Antietam the Grant treatment and put the game on in the same style as the battles in Wargaming in History books.  I am not sure which rules to use yet.

More later

Ilkley Young School

After Football training my son invited 2 of his friends over a game with their dads. I quickly set up a game for 4 players. 

Each player had 24 Infantry, 8 cavalry and a gun and 4 crew. Each player also had a General figure.  In all 37 figures each.

The rules used where the simple rules from Charge with a few house rules.

Mark struggled with the low ceiling in my basement. Whilst Loius decide decided to wear a steel helmet to protect his head.

The kids and dads had fun and they picked up the rules quickly.

Louis command started well causing loses to Max's troops. However Louis divided his infantry allowing Max to maneovre and fire into the rear of Louis infantry which took him over 50% loses and forced out of the game.

Harry and his Howard his father had been trading loses but as Max's victorious infantry turned on Harry flank the combined firepower was too much and Harry's command was soon joining Loius and forced to retire.

Both the boys and dads enjoyed the games and asked if they could play again.