New Greens from Adventure Miniatures Australia for their ACW Range - The 1st Virginia Cavalry

There are some great new figures coming out soon from Adventure Miniatures Australia. However we just have to wait for Victor to have the figures placed in a mould and made ready to cast. Not sure when or how soon that will be so until then we just have to sit on our hands and wait for these very nice figures to arrive. Victors latest figures (sculptured by EBob) are to represent the 1st Virginia. There seems to be three mounted command - Officer, Trumpeter and Standard Bearer and then six mounted troopers in various posses. But I think there may even be an NCO hidden away in the crowd there somewhere.

Trooper

Standard Bearer

Trooper

Two more troopers

Mounted Officer

More Sword and the Flame with Gerry Webb of Castaway Arts

Two day ago I was again lucky enough to have a sleep over at Gerry Webb of Castaway Arts who was again most generous to put on a fantastic game of 'The Sword and the Flame' for me. The scenario Gerry put together was for a smaller version of the Battle of Abu Klea, which involved the famed Mounted Camel Corps of the first Sudan campaign. 

Since our last game a couple of months back Gerry has been very bush painting madly enough Mahdists forces in order to play the scenario. In total I think the Mahdists forces fielded two rifle armed units, three sword armed units, four spear and two camel units..plus a artillery piece, which Gerry later wished he had not placed on the orbat.

Once the troops were deployed it was all up to the cards and the cunning of the Madhist forces (me). However the Camel Corps lads, in formed square elected to hold ground about half way along the table, which in turned forced the Mahdists forces to come out of the dead ground and assault the square in the open. 

Well that was a nasty position to be in and my fearless warriors took some heavy casualties. We did however charge the British square six times before we were finally defeated and withdraw from the battlefield. But at what a cost to the Imperial forces, they had suffered heavy causalities to all companies. Two companies were done to four sturdy lads out of the 20 who started the battle. The rest were either killed or wounded. I do think however that there was one VC won.

Overall TSATF proved to be a fantastic game and I enjoyed, as always, the games Gerry has put on for me. It only drives me more to re base my own collection to play a the game...or maybe just paint up a few lads and warriors just for TSATF might be easier?

The Camel Corps halts in square ready to receive the Mahdists charge

And here they come..four spear armed Warrior units charge the square

Contact is made several times on the west face of the square and each time the Imperial forces hold their ground, but with each charge comes more causalities and less numbers on the firing line.  

The first two charges contact

More charges are delivered but are repelled

Not quite a dust storm but hard to fight around - Gerry cat takes up a position of dominance on the table.......

While the spear armed warriors charge one side of the square my camel mounted spear men charge the other

Close quarter fighting all along the west face of the square....trying to knock out the bloody machine gun

With causalities mounting rapidly  I finally send in my Beya tribesmen, armed with swords they have a better chance at killing more infidels. However I think I charge a turn to late.

With my last warriors either dead, wounded or fleeing the game was up for the Mahdist. However there were not many boys to carry on the fight to reach the Nile. Great game thanks Gerry..champion stuff.

A Couple More 4Ground Buildings

Last week after playing a few games with the lads I was inspired to put together a couple of buildings for our next ACW game. So the next day myself and Dave Lowe sat down with a bottle of PVA glue and a good cup of coffee and strapped ourselves in for a couple of hours of sticky fingers and a little frustration. All good though as the building we finally put together were the very nice 4Ground buildings from their American Legends range. Once we both built our respected buildings Dave went on to build the 'Thunder Boxes' - outside toilets - and I continued with the fences and bases.

As we have all found out when building the 4Ground buildings there are a lot of fiddly little pieces, which can break easily if not correctly removed or placed with patience...I did manage to break one small piece. However we were very happy with the final results. 

The buildings themselves do not have much colour, I think as they are representing frontier buildings of plain timber. So when I build up the bases decided to add a little colour by adding some bushes, grass, pumpkins and a few tomatoes plants, which I had found down at the local model railway shop.

The picket fence is also from the latest 4Ground additions and is the weathered version. I did however add a little more dry brushed white paint just to make them stand out a little. In the end with the completed buildings and bases I was very happy and they will make a fine addition to the ACW table or maybe a game of Dead Man's Hand.

The first building we built was the New England Loft Cabin

And the second building is the New France Pioneers Cabin

A Skirmish in the Shenandoah Valley

Just thought I would place up a few images from last nights great little ACW game I had with Brian Buskell. It was both our last games for some time. Brian is off to the US with his family for one year and I am back overseas for work. But all good I will be back in four weeks for more gaming.

The was no real scenario for the game as I did not really have much time to think of one so I basically set up the table with a town in the middle and we then deployed out troops. Both sides had a division of troops each, or three brigades of infantry and three batteries of artillery. We could have two brigades deployed on the first turn and then on the second turn of played we were allowed to stat rolling for our reserve brigade. To win the game the winning side had to hold three sections of the town (out of four)

Our game lasted six turns (using the Fortune & Glory rule system for fast play) and I unfortunately never got my reserve brigade of four regiments and a battery on the table...Brain's reserves arrived on the third turn. However even though I remained out numbered I finally managed (after losing the town three times) to regain two sections of the town and bringing the game to a draw on the last turn.

It was a great little game to play on a Friday night and I think only took just over two hours to game. We used some great figures from John Maguire's collection and all the terrain was either scratch built or from 4Ground and AoW collections. 

One of Brian's Federal brigades heading into town

Rebs advancing

Rebel artillery deploys

Brian's second brigade advances on the right side of the town.

A skirmish line of Federal troops engages the advancing rebel infantry

The first town section is easily captured by Federal troops

And the Confederates take the other half of the town....and grab a few pumpkins as they pass by.

Union artillery deploys on the Federal left flank

Elite Zouaves advance

The Tigers charge a Federal held town section....only to be attacked and pushed back on the next turn

More rebel troops advance into the town

Two regiments of rebel infantry hold the Confederate right flank

An now the Rebels are in trouble as the Federal reserve brigade advances up in support of the hard fight in the town

Confederate skirmishers engage the well dress Union lines picking off mounted officers and standard bearers

Federal zouaves take another section of the town but a well supported rebel attacked again pushes them out

Those damned Berdan Sharpshooters put up a terrific fire

More Union troops advance into town

A great view of the four town sections so hotly fought over in our game

Federal troops mass in the streets for the final assault on the last two remaining town sections

The Berdan Sharpshooters engage rebel troops behind the rail fence

Ans here they come...but a little too late, prefect lines of Federal troops advance towards the rebel left flank in hope of gaining the rear of the Confederate line

But the battle is soon over with both sides holding two sections of the town each the game in a draw.