Sparker's Wargaming Blog: ACW

Showing posts with label ACW. Show all posts

Friday, 9 January 2026

First Kernstown Revisited

The Wollongong Wargamers played 1st Kernstown back in 2022, as the opening game of our Shenandoah Valley Campaign. Back then, we used Black Powder rules, so now I wanted to replay it using Valour & Fortitude...

Despite making the outnumbered Rebels as effective as possible, Veterans vs Greenhorns, this scenario is a hard ask of the Confederate player. Alan volunteered. No, really!

Deployment was historical, which as the Union player was my excuse for lining the crest of Pritchard's Hill with wall to wall rifled artillery - because otherwise it would have been a bit of a dog act!

With hindsight, I probably needn't have backed up all those guns with my strongest - Kimball's - Brigade, but Alan had moved equally fast and furiously on both objectives so they both seemed threatened...

Since each of the two on-table Rebel brigades was targeting separate objectives, even at turn two I wasn't clear which one Alan had decided to go for. I advanced my third brigade up the middle...

To focus on supporting the defence of Pritchard's Hill - which as we know was already very heavily defended by so many guns its a wonder the hill didn't subside...

Aforementioned guns should have had no difficulty in eviscerating those pesky Southrons, but they simply would not break! Maybe this was their main effort?

Meanwhile, back on Sandy Ridge at the other, equally significant objective, the Rebs were coming on strong!

And then Alan revealed his hand - the Confederate third brigade - inevitably - headed for the less strongly defended Sandy Ridge objective!

By now it was too late to refocus my main effort - the rebel assault on Pritchard's Hill was never going anywhere anyway, but why not waste my reserve brigade in putting the icing on the cake!

Back at the real crisis point, the Rebs pushed the Union line back away from the stone wall and were massing opposite the objective, where my units were either decidedly either not fresh or actually shaken!

However, the Union had been getting the better of the firefights and holding their own in the melee phase, so that an unlucky Fortitude test roll caused the entire Confederate Brigade to waiver - phew!

At this point it was getting towards pack up time and with the battle outcome still very much up for grabs we called it a draw. But given the scenario was heavily stacked against the Rebs, Alan had done well, and, I suspect, might well have taken Sandy Ridge given another few turns...

Friday, 3 October 2025

Second Trago Mills 1862

I was delighted that after last week's game of Malvern Hill 1862 the club called for more ACW action this week! (Well, one bloke mentioned he wouldn't mind a game...). I duly recycled my favourite imaginary ACW battlesite, and promise to keep this account short, and hopefully, sweet!

I replicated the layout but this time used a 'Sicily' mat rather than 'Summer Meadows' or whatever, I actually think it looks better, more 'Country Roads'...

I didn't bother with technical details like Orders of Battle and such, the brigades would just keep coming until we ran out of models or time...

Stuart, left, volunteered to take the Confederates, leaving Daniel to lead the Union:

As with any encounter battles, the first few moves simply consisted of 'getting there firstest with the mostest!'

With the battle lines coalescing, Daniels pours it on throwing double sixes (or not)[Not!]

Both sides rolled above average for reserves, so the battle line soon stretched across the table:

But with emphasis on both flanks, here around Trago Mills itself:

And over beyond Red Cow Farm.

The action was characterised by intense volleying firefights in the centre, and all out assaults at the flanks:

The battle was hard fought and evenly matched. Both sides ended up possessing an objective but Stuart gained a narrow victory for the Rebels courtesy of a Union 'wavering brigade' defeat point.

Friday, 26 September 2025

Malvern Hill 1862

For Thursday evening 'Horse 'n Musket' games in Epic scale I like to come up with a scenario that is both grand but can conclude reasonably quickly:

As much as possible I deployed forces historically...

But to make a balanced game of it limited the initial Union rearguard to just Porter's V Corps - and the Union reserve artillery, which so dominated this battle:

The Confederates were split into two armies under Lee's overall command: the Army of Northern Virginia coming down the Carter's Mill Road:

And the Army of the Valley, coming down Wills Church Road:

The table was set up to reflect the constricted nature of the battlefield between Turkey Run and Western Run.

And indeed Caesar with the Army of the Valley and I with the ANV did find ourselves getting in each other's way in our haste to charge the guns!

We closed the beaten zone to the guns...Federal die rolling was pitiful!

Although a kill zone was appearing directly in front of the Union heavy batteries!

Finally we closed with the guns...

Most of the ensuing melees went our way. Where things did go badly for the Rebels, our die rolling on our Valour tests was amazing - I think I rolled three sets of straight sixes!

This time the gap was appearing in the Union line, with most of the federal batteries routed or withdrawn!

But by this time their reserves were coming on table...

We didn't have long to seize that near objective, so pressed on recklessly!

We took the near objective, but between us Confederates and the far objective was a sea of dark blue!

Even though we had only played four of six turns, we called it a draw - the Union lost their reserve artillery, but the rest of the army was able to evacuate the Peninsula.

Once again Valour & Fortitude delivered a large battle quickly with authentic results. A good game in great company!

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