Home grown

Like many wargamers, I like to dabble a bit in rule writing. Sometimes these efforts end badly but occasionally one works out.  My new American Civil War effort may be a winner.

Bodeen's Confederate division enters the field

Control of the Dakota Tavern crossroads is the objective
The basic idea of the rules was to keep the mechanics of Move, Shoot, Melee, Morale and Command simple and then add in chrome to represent my thoughts on how the two armies were different.

Union brigades deploying from march column into fighting formations

Union commander Michael Hooker puts on a brave face
In my opinion, Confederate commanders and troops tended to be more aggressive, and morale somewhat higher than their Union counterparts, at least until the later war. Much of this may have been due to their usually fighting in defense of their own territory. The Union had advantages of their own. In my rules these are larger numbers and better long range artillery (more rifled guns).

 Confederate brigade in double line formation is hit front and flank

Confederate artillery deploying forward

In my setup the basic unit is a brigade composed of 6 stands of infantry, 4 of cavalry or 2 guns. For infantry and cavalry the formations are march column, double line and single line. Guns are either deployed or not. A typical division has 4 brigades plus an artillery brigade.

 Confederate brigades attempt to envelop the Union right

Union numbers begin to tell

My buddy Mike agreed to test out the rules with me. He had the bad manners to win the game but I forgave him because he spotted some minor fixable glitches in the rules. He is now rebasing his Franco-Prussian collection (which was in search of a rules set) to be compatible and talking about Maximillian's Greater Mexico - Caribbean Empire intervening in the Civil War. Bring it on, Austrian Puppet Boy!

Union division deploys from march column 

Confederates press on through heavy enemy fire