The search for perfect set of acw rules #4... "Regimental Fire and Fury"

So here's a little teaser - where does this come from??? 😏

OK..there's a little bit of a clue here...

..and an even bigger one in the next picture..! 

Yep, it's time for a game, and I've always fancied having a go at the very simple game Don described for his introductory battle in "Battles for Model Soldiers". For the first game, the orders of battle in the book were just a couple of regiments of foot aside, with cavalry and guns being added during the second and third games - and as it happens that's exactly what the project currently has available!

For rules though, I'm going to use the set DG and I are currently play testing as part of the ongoing search for the perfect set of ACW rules... aha you say, I was wondering what had happened to the search! Well for those of you who may have been wondering it has continued, and in fact DG and I have been playing a game using the "Regimental Fire and Fury" rules ever since we finished the "Mr Lincoln's War" trial game just before Christmas [click here]

Two woods, a road and a wall - doesn't get any simpler than that!

The scenario we are using for our rule test #4 is the same one we've used throughout the search, which is the Kernstown scenario (or a flavour of it) from the "They Couldn't Hit an Elelphant" by the Too Fat Lardies [reviewed here]. Unlike previous games however, I suspect this game is going to the end because both DG and I are having a lot of fun with these rules.. so with further ado, here's the usual review....

Price: free! These rules are a play test version and are available to download from here:

http://www.fireandfury.com/aw/aw.html

Eventually the authors will release these in a pukka printed format, and at that time I will beat their door down for a copy...

Format: A4 sized, Adobe file, comprising 36 pages, of which all 36 pages are rules. No extraneous fluff as these are a playtest set pure and simple. You can also download separately a set of the charts that appear within the body of the rules..

No drawings, no diagrams, typed, black and white..

The Rules:

Brigade/regimental level

No figure scale is recommended - you can use whichever scale you particularly prefer...

Base sizes are not documented, neither are the numbers of figures per base - suffice to say that I looked at normal Fire and Fury and in the end decided on 30mm square bases for the infantry (artillery slightly bigger).

In these rules, bases are single figure depth and can then be organised in two or more ranks depending on formation - again I took the unilateral decision to base my infantry in two ranks - I dislike single ranked units intensely!

The rules state:

One infantry or cavalry stand = 40 men
One gun stand = a section of two guns

..one of my double bases therefore represents 80 men.

Movement is alternate.. IGOUGO but each side gets to fire in the other sides turn.

There are four main movement formations:

• Line. Maximizes the regiment’s fire-power. All stands in a double line. This formation is used by infantry regiments and mounted cavalry regiments.
  
• Extended Line. Disperses its troops in order to reduce the effects of
  enemy fire. All stands in a single rank. This formation may be used by infantry regiments (represents skirmishers) and dismounted cavalry regiments.
  
• Field Column. Form a field column by placing two stands side by side and
  the rest of the stands one behind the other. Gives manoeuvre bonuses.
  
• March Column. Stands one behind the other. Allows a regiment to utilize the road movement bonus.

These rules focus on the unit orders being given by brigade commanders who have a command radius - you then throw a dice, and add some modifiers to see what movement/action the unit takes. You use the same table whether the unit is in good order, or disordered - so same dice throw can be used for both - which I think is quite clever.. the better the end end result you get, the more the unit can do - throw low and the unit may not move at all, even with various modifiers...

Eminently sensible and I think the order system works quite well.

Each side gets to fire every turn irrespective of whether it's your move. Firing is by base, fairly straight forward and based on modifiers derived from weapon, range, unit effectiveness etc.

Melee occurs at the end of the move and is also an opposed dice roll - so basically both players never need sit back during a turn except during the moving players manoeuvre phase..

Both firing and melee can have morale effects on a unit.

Stay tuned for a quick play test of the above game...

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On the sailing front a huge amount of work has been done over the last couple of weeks; this weekend just gone the anti-fouling went on the bottom... by way of a glimpse at just how much, here's a before and after shot..

Before:



After:

The Rubbing strakes (thats the wooden strip along the side to the uninitiated - and to be honest I still call them that!) have been wood treated (no I didn't do 18 coats!), tiller the same, standing rigging replaced, outboard is being serviced this week...
Classy or what, eh??

One final push this weekend should have us all set for the launch date which is....... next Monday!!!