Introduction
General Gilder's Confederate Army continues to fight its way across Featherstone County on the road to Washington. Desperately short of supplies, the campaign looks close to failure. By chance the General learns of a Union cache of food and ammunition held in Forge Valley. A force is sent under Colonel Potter (an ancestor of the famous Korean War Officer) to take the much needed provisions.
The game was fought using the Portable Wargame. Exhaustion Point was 30% casualties. The CSA had until sundown (15 turns) to drive the Union force off the table and capture the supply dump (building). The heavily wooded hills were impassable. I used playing cards to determine the number of units that could be activated in each turn, as described in the Solo suggested rules, which worked well.
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| Couldn't resist borrowing this from Plastic Soldier Review |
Game
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| A crisp Autumn morning - The initial disposition |
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| The Union defence (Commander: Col. Horatio Webster) |
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| The Rebels advance |
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| Dismounted Cavalry about to join the fire fight on the CSA left flank |
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| The Artillery was (as usual in my games) ineffective |
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| CSA Cavalry charge the guns |
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| and prevail (Col. Webster has quickly changed units!) |
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| The end is in sight. Union at Exhaustion Point, CSA close to it. |
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Sundown - The Union's last unit are allowed to retire
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The game was basically a fire fight between a larger attacking force and a defender who had the benefit of some cover. In the end the larger force won, but only just. The CSA had only one point left before they reached EP.
Excellent stuff! Great to see these magnificent Airfix figures out again. The portable wargame books have some excellent ideas.
ReplyDeleteThanks Duc. Yep the old Airfix figures are still the best, though they're so brittle if I dropped them they'd fall to bits.
DeleteI know that Airfix set well. One of the first sets I bought in the early 70s was this pack. Frontal assaults were typically repulsed with great loss in the ACW. The Rebels got off lucky in this one.
ReplyDeleteThanks Jonathan. Indeed, reality is replaced with some of my usual awful dice rolling again. I was expecting the CSA to struggle a bit more than they did. My dice are cursed :(
DeleteWell that was easy!. If only advancing into a hail of bullets was always that way!. Great battle....I wonder what they found in the house?.
ReplyDeleteMy moneys' on cake. Cheers Mr Sprinks!
DeleteCan’t go wrong with Airfix fellows!
ReplyDeleteSo true. They still bring joy after so many years.
DeleteLovely lovely Airfix!
ReplyDeleteAirfix ACW game on a sunny Sunday morning!
DeleteA great battle report! It was nice to see the good old Airfix ACW figures in use; they were the first ACW figures I ever owned, and I had many years of fun using them.
ReplyDeleteAll the best,
Bob
Thanks Bob. I've got a few more to rebase so hopefully they'll get another game in the not too distant future.
DeleteLooks like a fun game. The simple layout and look has its own attraction.
ReplyDeleteNeed any more Airfix ACW? I still have a number of unpainted 80's vintage ones haunting my cupboard.
Thanks Ross. I would LOVE some more Airfix ACW if they are surplus to your requirements.
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ReplyDeleteWonderful to see Airfix figures in use, my own disppeared some time in the late 70's (about 100 each Federals and Rebs)>
ReplyDeleteI did think the game would be slightly more one sided, as UI thought the attackers were a little undrstrength, but it did give a very close game !
Thanks Joe. The desperate attack by the CSA force (due to lack of food!) was accompanied by some lucky dice throws!!
ReplyDeleteNice to see more ACW figures, and I must say that I like the old Airfix minis almost as much as the Atlantic!
ReplyDeleteThanks Philotep!
DeleteMakes me want to play this period again, nice looking game!
ReplyDeleteThanks Phil, you should!
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