I started a thread about using Warmaster for all periods including ACW and although I meant what I said I did take on board comments made about missing out on period specific colour and so on.
Been doing some browsing and came across these FREE but very professionally produced rules - Honour & Glory by David Marks:
simply register on the following yahoo group (its immediate, no waiting) go to files and download the rules: http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/honorag/
Not only are they very period specific but they include a timeline for the whole war, ratings on 168 commanders and are very suitable for 10 mm using say 40 x 20 bases - four bases to an infantry unit say 8 figs per base which including command is one Pendraken pack per unit plus three command figures - simple! (leaves one infantryman spare from each pack)
They read well and look good - does anyone know of them and how they play?
(I tried the ACW warmaster version but was put off by drive backs - it seems that if you take casualties from firing a line is always driven back? - and this includes gun batteries??? Can't be doing with rules that you want to start changing after ten minutes of playtesting!) In BKC the drive back translates into 'suppressed' - I can cope with that.
I think I'll go for Fire and Fury for mine when I get round to it but I will have a download of these and have a look. Thanks for the link.
Fire & Fury is very hard to beat. Near perfect rules.
I'll be using Fire & Fury as well. Among the best wargames rules ever produced.
Guns at Gettysburg are my favourite ACW ruleset.
Hard to go past F&F both Brigade and regimental versions
OKAY ALREADY!
Does anyone have a spare copy of Fire and Fury they would like to sell? :D
http://www.fireandfury.com/products/desc_rff.shtml (http://www.fireandfury.com/products/desc_rff.shtml)
I do like Johnny Reb as well, although I have only played version 2...It gives a good game but the charge sequence needs a degree level education to undertand at times, and its figure removal and not base removal but does give a good game once you get going
Many years ago I taught FnF ACW to my students, but stopped about six years ago, and did Hard Tack or Nuff'n for a year before finally settling on DBACW and havent looked back. They are quick play one vs one games can last maybe an hour, multiple players per side or larger one vs one battles could take up to maybe 2 hours or 3 if really big.
Army size range from 14-22 bases worth of minis. Which allows you to build both sides for about the same cost as one normal sized army for other rules.
But find out what is being played in your area, then build towards that so you can have budding game with you ;)
Sorry to be the odd one out but I much prefer Peter Pigs Civil War Battles to Fire and Fury (only got the old version) but to be honest I'd rate them F&F a 3 and CWB a 8 on the fun and accuracy scale.
F&F are played extensively at the club I attend and, from my limited experience with them, seem a good, enjoyable set of rules. I like to use the DBN ACW variant with my 28mm figures - small number of figures required means you can get gaming pretty quickly. I also enjoy Brent Oman's Piquet: Field of Battle rules. They're not ACW specific, but cover most of the horse & musket period, with a few period specific rules for flavour They're card driven which makes them ideal for solo gaming - you can create your own scenario specific cards and still enjoy "fog of war" uncertainty of when/if events will occur. They are quite abstract which may not be everyone's cup of tea, but I like that - it's easy enough, with a bit of imagination, to qualify outcomes, morale failures etc. They're not cheap, but everything you need is included - I'll bring them along to the Bash in case you want to have a look...
I've only played original F&F decades ago and really enjoyed it. Is the original one still available (I know you can get Regtl F&F)?
Thanks for feedback chaps.
@ Rubicon- hi - I am familiar with the Piquet family of rules, recently sold them all on Ebay!
Look forward to meeting you though and happy to natter away about rules...........which club?
Perhaps we should all wear notices on our backs with Forum names printed, so we can see who is who?
Fire & Fury all the way.
We have Napoleonic version for 1:20 scale battles, and now an ancient version! Forget FoG4 and BDBMMMMMxv2.7, we have proper rules with skirmishers that actually skirmish, have proper sized units, archers shoot, variable command and results that are never guaranteed.
Even better, because of the copyright of the original F&F rules, I can't make money from these, so they are entirely free to anyone who wants a copy. It helps to be familiar with the original rules of course.
The Napoleonic set is not really written up, apart from the play sheet, in 10 years we have never formally written all the rules down. Oh, and you'll need a pack of playing cards as well.
Next I'm working on a Lord of Rings variant using 1x 25mm figure = 1 stand, with the GW morale stats converting straight over.
Some photos here of a 20mm Saracen game using the rules:
https://picasaweb.google.com/106592630440979980158/20mmAncientsProject?authuser=0&feat=directlink