First ACW Electronic Brigadier Game - Last game of 2024

We held our monthly game night this past Friday. It doesn't always work out that we can have December game night due to the holidays, but this year it did. The game I ran was a scenario converted from the "Caldwell Clears the Wheatfield" scenario from Volume 2 of the Fire and Fury Regimental Scenarios book. This scenario is quite well designed, and I look forward to using other scenarios from these excellent books in future games. 

For the Confederates, we had Rob and new-to-Electronic Brigadier player John. On the attacking Union side, Veteran players Phil, Kevin and Byron.

The obligation to attack is on Caldwell's 1st division shown here in the foreground. They must drive the surging Confederates from the Wheat field, oat field and back through the woods behind both. Although the Union have a significant advantage in numbers, there are some challenges bringing everything to bear in a coordinated attack. In our play test, Ed M did this marvelously, but also had the benefit of sole command of all of the Union forces.

Here about mid-game Byron's attack has carved a significant hole in the Confederate line, driving one of the Georgian regiments back. While Rob tries to rally them, John denies flank in the center preventing Byron from following up. John also brings in a large South Carolinian regiment from his reserve just in time.  As seen Phil's large green Pennsylvanian regiment charges through the Oat Field (left in the open) but was subsequently repulsed. John's follow-up counterattack driving the green regiment back over the artillery. At game conclusion John captured one section of guns on the road. 

Byron and Kevin conducted one final coordinated attack on the Confederate right flank. This attack included some fresh reinforcements from Kevin's command. Unfortunately for the Union, the defending Georgians had just enough punch left in their defensive fire to force a firefight from most of the smaller attacking units, breaking up the attack and allowing the larger Georgia regiment to turn the one regiment that made it into close combat away.

A well played affair by both sides with one charge in particular being a very fortunate roll of the virtual dice in the melee resolution. The plucky confederate defenders turning a larger Union unit away with a roll of 97 (out of 100) vs a roll of 12. Anything less than this and I'm sure the union would have broken a second hole in the Confederate line securing a much different outcome!  Next time I'll run this scenario will be Saturday Morning at the Mayhem convention during the Saturday morning session.

28mm 1859 Austrian Artillery - Also First Finished Chocolate Box Wars Army

Followers of my blog may have noticed after a very active spring and summer, I was AWOL for the late summer and fall. I've been dealing with a significant health issue with my back that has unfortunately significantly hampered my ability to sit up at the painting table. As 2024 comes to a close, things are starting to improve and the physical therapy has been helping. Proof is here in this two-stands of artillery for my 1859 Austrian army for Chocolate box wars. The crews are figures from Piran's Warriors (https://piranswarriors.co.uk) contract painted by the owner, Terry Birmingham (piranswarriors@gmail.com) who I contracted paint a sizeable number of figures for this army. I can highly recommend both his figures and him as a contract painting service. 

The guns are from Perry Miniatures and were painted by me. Basing is per Ed M's basing specifications for Chocolate Box wars. On the rear of the stands I put some magnetic sheet to allow for labels to be swapped in as necessary.
 

Here is a photograph of a 'standard' Austrian army for Chocolate box Wars. Left to right front row: Grenadiers (posing as guard), Jagers fulfilling the lights with Advanced Weapons slot, four line infantry, and Grenzers filling out the light infantry slot. Back row an officer, artillery battery and light cavalry, in this case lancers. This is part of the total force that I've collected. My plan is to have two armies large enough for two-player teams for group play - Austrians and Garabaldists.

Here the complete force adding a second unit of Jagers, two more line infantry, the second of the two batteries shown above, two sub-commanders and the full compliment of 9 stands of cavalry, three each of Kuriassers, Hussars and Uhlan lancers. Of these the units painted by me were the Grenadiers, Grenzers, pennants for the Uhlans and the artillery pieces. The balance was painted by Terry from Piran's Warriors. Basing was done per the Chocolate Box rules using my standard basing recipe. Considering my health hiccups in the second part of the year, I'm happy to have a completed army to show for the year's work, even if my primary contribution was basing the whole thing up and contracting to have it painted. As the project continues, next up on the painting table are three units of line infantry for my Piedmont army. I started them this past spring, so hopefully I'll finish them before the snow melts this upcoming spring!

May you all have a healthy, happy and enjoyable 2025!