6mm BBB armies

[mollinary]

DP,

You seem a big fan of BBB - have you played many games? If so what do you see as their particular strengths?

Mollinary

[Leman]

Only just got started with this set. I remember how thrilled I was when 1870 first came out, and then finding how difficult it was to put on a scenario other than Wissembourg because the battlefields were so huge, even with using 6mm figures. What attracted me to BBB was the opportunity to at last use armies I had already started on a 6'x4' table for most of the scenarios. Owing to the scale at which the games are played the armies are relatively cost effective. The scenario maps are also simplified compared to the Weigle maps. It is a good half way house between the Weigle rules style and the much simpler Neil Thomas approach. The mechanisms are also familiar, e.g movement is similar to F&F whereas missile fire is similar to Johnny Reb 3, with column shifts reflecting the factors. Army effectiveness is represented partly by the availability of senior officers. In most of the FPW scenarios the Prussians have far more senior commander figures to influence the troops than the French do.

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

Hi Ian,

Disclaimer first: I'm BBB's author.

Yes, BBB works great for ACW. You can fight all 3 days of Gettysburg in an evening (under 3 and a half hours with players who know the rules). You will find my Gettysburg scenario, and one for Shiloh, in the Yahoo group files and also on Flickr:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/127771552@N03/

However, although other 'official' ACW scenarios will no doubt be forthcoming in due course, they will take a while. So apart from those two you will have to write your own scenarios, for probably the next year or two. But there is plenty of info out there, and plenty of other folks' scenarios to adapt, so maybe that's not too big an obstacle?

Chris

Thanks Chris. We are doing the armies for Gettysburg in 6mmand were planning on using BP, but there may be a few practical problems. And dont worry about Authors Ego.

IanS

[Chris Pringle]

Hi Ian,

Oh, the ego is in rude health, thanks. Just wanted to make sure that when I say "BBB works great" you realize there may be some personal bias involved.

In a spirit of impartial objectivity, then, let me mention that my American buddies are currently enthusing about Altar of Freedom (which was addressed in a thread on this forum a year ago). I have bought it, it does look very good, and I am looking forward to trying it myself soon, probably the weekend after next.

Whichever rules you settle on, Gettysburg is a really interesting battle, full of possibilities. Best of luck with your project!

Chris

[Leman]

Just checked ou Shiloh as done by AOF and BBB. The AOF scenario is 4'x4' and has 20 Union infantry units; the BBB scenario is 4'x2.5' and has 11 Union infantry units. However, each AOF unit is a single 60x30mm base whereas the BBB units are made up of a number of bases (I use 30x30mm bases  - the rules recommend between 1" square and 11/2 inches square).

[Leman]

The first of the Prussians. Approximately 50:50 painted 15-20 years ago and last two weeks. Anyone able to tell which are which?







All these figures are Irregular 6mm. Now take a look at Javier's 10mm rendition of the Battle of Beaumont. I am dying of envy here. Marvellous stuff.

[Techno]

The first of the Prussians. Approximately 50:50 painted 15-20 years ago and last two weeks. Anyone able to tell which are which?

I'll take a stab that the ones on the right of the photo are the newer ones. 
Cheers - Phil

[Westmarcher]

The first of the Prussians. Approximately 50:50 painted 15-20 years ago and last two weeks. Anyone able to tell which are which?

Photo 1 - old stuff
Photo 2 - new stuff
Photo 3 - a tad Impressionist ..... which, coincidentally, is a form of art that started to gain prominence in the 1870's .... (or is that just my old eyes?) 


[only joking DP - you know I like your stuff - stuff? wait! that sounded dodgy ... er ... artwork ....  ]

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

All v nice DP!

[Hertsblue]

There's something endearingly cheeky about 6mm figures, particularly en masse. I'm guessing each infantry base is a battalion, which would give you an army corps per side?

[Leman]

Depending on the scenario the numbers depicted by a base vary from 500 to 1500, but is usually about 1000. Units vary between 3 and 5 bases representing brigades or divisions. BBB are not designed for small engagements, so battles like Spicheren and Nuits are more suited to my 10mm figures.

[Chris Pringle]

Hi Hertsblue,

Don't those Irregular figures look great? For the BBB Gravelotte or Sedan scenarios, at 1,500-2,000 men per base, you are looking at 80-100 bases a side giving you a total of 10 or 11 corps on the table for a 3 to 3.5-hour game.

Chris

Bloody Big BATTLES!
https://uk.groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/BBB_wargames/info

[Hertsblue]

Chris, I'm sorely tempted to dig out my 5mm FPW troops that haven't seen the light of day for over twenty years. 

[Leman]

Well Herts, that was my starting point, although they were still being used up to about 8 years ago.

[holdfast]

Ref BBB for the ACW, I am a bit surprised that it is worth it, given that most of the battles seem to fall below the author's threshold for consideration as a scenario. To be specific, Gitschin in the APW with two corps (say 60,000) on one side and two divisions (say 25,000), total 85,000, does not make the cut. Based on the need for 90,000 to be involved, the scenario book will be a bit thin. Or does the ACW get special pleading?