A game of "Longstreet!"

\

Hi all!

Well, I got to play a game of "Longstreet" (1863) today with the local northern NJ game club that lets me come by some times... good stuff!

This is a club that rules author Sam Mustafa is a part of, so that is always good... if you need a rules clarification, there isn't anyone as good to ask as the person who wrote them!

 
It was a classy affair, as you can tell by the food... thanks again, John!
 

Here is my force!  This was just a pickup game, sort of, so no real battalion numbers or names.  The front row was a large battalion; the 5th Louisiana, made up of nine stands of eager recruits.  Behind that are three smaller battalions of seven stands of seasoned veterans.  I also had a hero and two Napoleons.  I was betting on a lot of infantry to carry me through!

Here is the 23rd South Carolina...

The 15th Louisiana...

And the 2nd Texas!

Here are some of Jim's troops, who was deployed beside me.

Here is that deployment!  I was on the near left, and planned to attack up the flank into the Union guns, using those woods as the extreme right of my attack.

Jim was going to retrograde off of the hill and, using the hills to cover him from the INSANE Union grand battery in the center of their line, come rolling in behind me.

Rob, the CiC who was on the far flank, was going to try to pin Barry's federals in place.
 

 Speaking of that grand battery, here it is, the center of the Union line.  We knew we were in trouble, especially given that we were handily outnumbered and had pretty awkward ground to walk through.  Hopefully our flank attack would avoid the worst of it!  That said, we didn't like our chances from the start... the Union force was just massive, with lots of well-chosen guns (howitzers are great in a short range setting!) and well placed troops.

My commander, Jedediah Hakeswill, gives out a war whoop...

... and my men begin their advance!

Jim decided at this point that the flank attack was not a good idea, and instead began a general advance across the fields towards the Union batteries.  Unfortunately the huge piece of rough ground in the center made that tough, as he had to discard a lot of cards to operate in such nasty terrain, representing the stain on the control of so many men in such bad terrain.

Opposite him, Barry's troops begin to dig in...

 
Here you can see the table... my attack moving up the near flank, Jim charging in the center, and Rob cautiously advancing, as Barry's Federals move up towards him.

 

My boys begin to get closer...

But with a minute left before the Rebels plunge in several units of Federal cavalry dash into the center of the field, aiming to split the Rebel forces and maybe even make a run at the Reb artillery on the hill facing them!

Jim's men begin to extend their line as they advance, while the front most battalion begins to get flayed by heavy musket fire and an ungodly amount of artillery fire... those Yankee boys could shoot the whiskers off a cat!

But one unit of Federal cavalry gets through and threatens to overrun the Reb artillery on the bluff!

Meanwhile, on the far flank, Rob's troops smash headlong into the advancing Union soldiers, many of whom are untested recruits... but the recruits give as good as they get, and both sides begin to take losses.  The Federals, however, have a lot more losses to give.

Meanwhile, back on the  near flank, my force is deployed and begins pounding away at the Federals, but the Union regiments are fresh and are largely able to absorb the fire... so far.

And Jim continues his advance.  His men miraculously stay together and push forward under hellish fire, the officers keeping the men moving and ready.

 

Meanwhile my large unit of recruits turns to face the cavalry in the rear, and the cavalry, maybe because of how far they are from command, get confused and end up too close to the infantry, who are able to unhorse a few with their fire.

On the far flank the fight continues, but the Federal numbers begin to take their toll on the Rebs, who are pushed back a bit.

My command gives one huge (although ineffective) volley and... CHARGE BAYONETS!... plunges in!  My leftmost unit, lead by Commander Hakeswill himself, actually forces the Federals into a hurried retreat, but my other two units are repulsed, thankfully not taking too many casualties.

Meanwhile Jim's attack in the center is ground down by sheer firepower, as the Federal line swings up onto his flank like a door and begin to pour in enfilading fire.  Eventually a few stands make it to the Federal grand battery, but they are blasted back and, in their exhaustion, are beaten.

At this point we actually called the game.  The Confederates had taken about 25 stands lost, while the Federals had lost mayyyybe four or five at most... and it was clear that on the next turn Jim's command would evaporate, as Rob and I didn't have enough left to win.  So, tough terrain and tough army choices and maybe some mistakes made this one wrap up a bit quickly.

I did, even though this wasn't a  campaign game, I still went through the usual post-game campaign stuff.  First, my commander was actually promoted... the massive charge didn't hurt!  

Initial losses were simple... each of my veteran units lost one stand, so voila; that is how many they lost, as you lose one-third of your losses permanently.

Once back in camp, each of my veteran units lost a stand to sickness and wounds, with the recruit unit losing TWO stands... recruits don't know how to stay healthy and clean!  

Then I picked my campaign cards.  I picked up a new battery of artillery consisting of one howitzer and one 6lb gun.  My recruit unit was still too unblooded to have Seen the Elephant, so I used that card for reinforcements for the 5th Louisiana, which was small enough to be able to take them.  I also did the same with the promotion card, but for the .  In a great stroke of luck I picked up a nice regiment of Rebel Cavaliers, represented by a unit of 8 stands of eager veterans... nice!  Finally I picked up a sabotage card... not useful now, but it would be in a campaign game!

Finally, I sent to the war department and back home for reinforcements.  Since my army was fairly badly worn (thirty stands total!) I was sent a huge regiment of raw recruits to flesh out the ranks... so the 22nd North Carolina arrived!  Since the unit had a max size of 10, it took me to the required 40 stands.

So, my force now was...

Commander Hakeswill, rank Two Eagles

5th Louisiana - seven stands of eager recruits

22nd North Carolina - ten stands of eager recruits

23rd South Carolina - seven stands of seasoned veterans

2nd Texas - seven stands of seasoned veterans

15th Louisiana - five stands of seasoned veterans

Roger's Artillery - two Napoleons

Megood's Artillery - one howitzer, one 6lb gun

 

There also was a 15mm "Longstreet" game going on at the club, which was only a 1 on 1 affair and FAR more generous with land for maneuvering... we could have used more space, to be honest, in our game!

Here the Rebs and Federals get stuck in!

And walking around and helping where it was needed was the Grand Poobah himself.  Look at that proud papa!

So, all in all, despite getting CRUSHED on the battlefield, it was a lot of fun with good eye candy.  Afterwards talk turned to a campaign, and we decided that, as a group, we'd actually do a "Longstreet" grand campaign!  I'll post more info when I have it:)

Thanks to everyone for the game, and I hope everyone enjoys the photos!

Snowy trees!

Hi all!

Okay, got my pine trees covered in snow for the scene...

First, I lined them all up, and gave them a spray of white matt paint, but only from above, so as to preserve the natural shadows a bit.

Then I mixed up a bit of snow flock, white glue, and water, following the directions outlined in the "Nuts!" board build outlined in Wargames Illustrated 301.

I liberally wiped the trees down with this mixture, trying to get the outsides as best as possible, and looking out for where overhanging branches might leave empty spots (but that was tricky...)

After that, I gave each tree a good sprinkling with a bit more of the snow flock.

I'll wait a bit and then give them a touch of varnish, I think, to help hold everything in place.

Overall I am pleased with how they turned out!

Mountain Man scene underway!

Hi all!

Well, I got a bit done on the "Mountain Men" scene.  Above you can see what I putting together.  I need to get a few more tree tops, obviously...  I messed with making the front piece of wood a bit taller than the sides, to obscure the "base" that the cliff and tree tops are sitting on; I am hoping that helps make the tree tops look more like they are disappearing into the woods below, instead of just sitting on top of some wood:)

As for the cliff itself, I think it will look very, very sharp.  You can see the piece of bark above left that I used for it.  It took a bit of work to get looking right, but I think at this point it is looking good.  To the right you can see the cliff all finished up and freshly painted.  At that point it had only three trees, but I think I'll use four... it balances the scene a bit better.  That said, it also reduces the footprint of the cliff a lot, so we'll see... I still need to get a donkey, fire, supplies, and at least one mountain man on there!

The trees themselves are VERY trimmed... basically, whatever you cannot see is trimmed flat.  It was the only way to get the trees into the scene and not have them take up too much room.

Waiting on the snow to arrive... then I can start getting to work actually getting this thing painted up.  Also I am waiting on the wiring to arrive... there will be the LED fire on the cliff, and a blue LED light at the top too.

BTW, to the left here is a REALLY rough mock-up of what I am thinking it will look like when the wood is stained and the background is in.

Rough of the Mountain Men scene...

Hi all!

Okay, put together a VERY rough version of the mountain man scene I am working on... as I was worried about, the cliff really does not have a very large footprint, so I'll need to be VERY careful about how to get the mule, fire, and man onto it.  Also, the tree tops at the bottom might look very... well, empty, so I will have to figure out how to make it look like they continue down below the scene, instead of just looking like little christmas trees.  I have an idea how to do that, though, which should work.

Anyway... worth looking at!

So... which of these?

Hi all!

Okay, time to make a decision...

Working on my father-in-laws gift of the mountain men scene.

I just don't know which to use!

Do I use the pack at the top, and do something with the two guys who are outlined in red?  The guy at the top would be the primary figure, but I don't love his gun... the guy with the poncho, I think, would be in the background near the fire, but I think I'd need to carve away that gun... or maybe use the guy on the top left or bottom left, and carve the gun away?

Or do I use the pack pictured above,and do some serious greenstuff work on two of the three outlined guys?

Just not sure:(

A "Longstreet" marker... sort of

Hi all!

Well, as I mentioned in my last post, the gaming club that I usually game with (when I DO game, which is VERY infrequently!) is doing a game of "Longstreet" in a few weeks... so I thought I'd use that as an excuse to paint something up:)

I had looked through the personality cards, and decided on this one... the "Fire and Brimstone Preacher" personality.  Not only is it a fairly simple card, but it also lends itself to a little work on a figure!

So I did a little work converting the guy... added a big beard (because Southern preachers should have a beard, right?) and a Bible to his hand.  Nothing big, but noticeable (you can see the Union Sash and Saber figure he is based on in the small photo to the above right).

Now, there is no need for personality figures in "Longstreet" but what the hell... I will be using him as a marker to show which unit I have used the bonus for, if at all!

Anyway... any excuse to paint figures!:)

Group painting night

Hi all!

A few nights ago a few fellows I know got together to get some painting done... they were wanting to get a bunch of ACW figures finished off for a big club Longstreet game, and I figured I could help out a bit!

Above you can see a bunch of the figures getting worked on... a LOT of Federal infantry, including some zouaves (woof) and then a bevy of Rebs, as well!  To the right is the fellows I worked on... they needed their leathers done, canteens, haversacks, kepis, guns, brass, and one or two other bits.  By the end of the night they were basically finished up and ready for a dip!

I should have some nice photos from the game, when it happens the weekend after next... so stay tuned!:)

Some photos that didn't make it into Longstreet...

Hi all!

Well, now that Longstreet is out, I thought I would post a few of the photos that didn't make it into the book... because who DOESN'T like some toy soldier eye candy, really?  Also, I am including one shot that DID make it into the book, but given the size of the book you maybe cannot appreciate all the wonderful toy soldier detail.

I had a bunch more of my own collection (the figures above belong to Sam and John) but for some reason I cannot find them!  I think I deleted them.  Oh well!

Anyway... be sure to click to see them at their biggest size!

"Longstreet" has arrived... at my door!:)

Hi all!

Well, it has been a LONG time since I posted anything... the summer has been VERY busy with some trips and a LOT of toddler time (the little guy needs a lot of looking after... who knew?) but I did want to post this.

I managed to get my hands on a copy of the new ACW rules from Sam Mustafa, "Longstreet"!  Through nefarious means (i.e. Sam lives right nearby) I got them a touch early, and wanted to post my thoughts:)

First things first... obviously, the book and cards are first rate, in terms of production.  This isn't news, as this is not Sam's first walk in the park.  The book is very pretty, although small, as you can tell in the photo compared to Lasalle.  This has its positives and negatives... on the good side, it is small and easy to transport.  On the bad side (for me, at least) is that the eye candy, which is one of my favorite bits of toy soldiering, is on the small side too.  This isn't a major problem, but one worth noting:) 

As always rules are clearly explained and clearly diagrammed in the now-familiar "Honour" style.   There are also the usual "from the designer" notes scattered throughout to explain why something is the way it is, and as usual I find myself nodding and saying 'Why yes, that DOES make sense!'  The game is card based, although not quite like Maurice... you use card(s) to activate a phase that applies to your entire force, and then can also use cards to modify the goings-ons for individual units, be it to modify morale or shooting.  You'll notice the first time you play that shooting doesn't seem to do much, at first, as cards stave off the worst casualties.  But what is brilliant about the system is that it isn't only the number of stands you have that determine the fighting readiness and ability of your troops... it is also the state of your deck of cards.  So while at the start your fresh units can absorb a certain amount of punishment, as the battle wears on your units will start to degrade faster and faster as your leadership simply cannot push the men further.  It takes a few minutes to get used to, but it is a fantastic way to model actual, top-down leadership and overall fatigue.  You, as commander, have to balance your use of cards to mitigate casualties and influence the game with the idea of keeping enough cards in your hand to effectively continue the battle, as your hand gets smaller and smaller as the battle rages.  By the end of the first game you realize that it just feels "right".

And look... some beautiful miniatures from Dave Taylor!

There are a number of "special" rules as well, meant to create the feeling of the American Civil War.  Heroes, for example, do exist, although they are rather vaporous... they are only represented by a temporary marker, infer only a small advantage (note, though, that one impact is they help a unit stay enthusiastic in between battles in the campaign system), and die fairly easily, so don't worry about Warhammer-creep:)  That said, it is nice to have an excuse to paint a few hero figures, and it also helps create that meta-narrative all wargamers keep in their head!  Also you can see above one of my favorite pieces of the rules, the rules for Colored troops, who are usually eager to fight but can run into troubles when mingling with friendly white units.  As I'll discuss later, I also love that the rules for Colored troops change slightly from 1863, 1864, and 1865, as the Union soldiers of all colors get more accustomed to each other!

And look... some more beautiful miniatures from Dave Taylor.

 

Personally I think the best part of the rules are the campaign.  You command a force of soldiers from 1862-1865, and while your force might start large, gradually combat casualties and, yes, even sickness and desertion will start to wear your force down.  Troops become veteran but also a little less reckless, and new recruits flood in.  Your force also develops some character, as some units become particularly stubborn, others gain fame as sharpshooters, and for the Union Colored soldiers begin to appear.  The campaign system is almost like a fun little mini-game that takes place BETWEEN games, and frankly is the best part of any wargaming system I've ever seen.  I wish I had a regular group to game with so I could run a full campaign, and maybe even model my force as I go!

And yeah.  I get it, Dave Taylor has beautiful figures.  Rub it in our faces a little.

As I mentioned, there is some great eye-candy.  While a few shots of Dave Taylor's figures have made it into the book, there are others as well, including a few that should look familiar to anyone visiting this blog...

Oh, and as an admission, the shot of the Union Field Hospital above is incorrectly attributed... those figures actually belong to this guy.

So, here are the cards, and yes, they are beautiful.  They are similar to Maurice in that you get several types (in-game cards, terrain cards) but these are frequently divided by year.  The deck is different, and the game plays somewhat differently depending on what year you play, and this is HUGE as far as the flavor of the game... an early war game really FEELS like an early war game, with new troops and weapon shortages, and a late war games really FEELS like a late war game, with the Union war machine looming large.  I love that aspect of the game.

Finally, here are a few of the personality cards.  Personalities aren't game-changers, but they do add a little flavor to the game, and you get to pick your own, so you can tailor it to your play style a bit.  Some of them are a little more risky than others... the ones with the lightning bolts CAN result in "you" being injured while using your ability... that said, you cannot "die" per se, so thankfully your campaign won't abruptly end, but you might feel the effects of a long-term injury in the campaign.

So, overall, another great set of rules that not only flow well and produce a good, relatively quick game, but also one that reflects the period being gamed... it doesn't feel like a system that you could sub in other miniatures and do a different era, but definitely a Civil War game.  Plus the campaign system is simply brilliant.

Find out how to buy "Longstreet" here!

Any experience with Army Painter snow scatter?

Hey all!

Looking for some snow... the Gale Force 9 stuff is unavailable from the place I normally get it, but they DO have Army Painter snow scatter.  I am going to be a LOT of snow; does anyone have any experience with the product?  Any good?

Thanks!