One Basic Battle

Rambling Intro

Like many people, I started wargaming armed with some boxes of Airfix 1/72nd scale figures and some library copies of Donald Featherstone's marvellous books, and (again like some others I think) that is where I have often returned, in spirit at least. It's a "happy place".  Anyway, it came to my attention recently that it's probably nearly 40 years since I played an American Civil War game in 1/72nd scale (I've played some 2mm ACW which was fun but not quite the same) so I thought I'd put this right. Following is an infantry skirmish in what is likely to be a familiar setting to many, using The Portable Wargame rules.

Game footage

Both Confederate and Union forces started with four infantry units and a commander; the standard bearer was just for the look of the thing and didn't count towards strength points etc.

The battlefield in Battles with Model Soldiers

The Gridded field of conflict

The two forces rush for the cover of the wall

End of Turn 1

Turn 2 - Union troops take the wall but also some casualties

Turn 5 - The exposed Rebels start to wilt under sustained fire

Turn 6 - The Confederates fall back but are rallied again and again

Turn 8 - Disaster for the Union as their Commander falls

Turn 9 - both sides reach Exhaustion Point. The Game is over.

Short, sharp but satisfying - the three S's of Battling with Model Soldiers? Perhaps not for everyone, but I enjoyed this fast little action. I think I'll count this a draw. The South lost more men but the Fed's commander fell so they could take no more decisive action. 

Next time, some more PW Fantasy! (Hopefully).