War Between The States - Confederate Builds

War Between the States Confederate build plan and builds.

General discussion

The Confederate player must make use of the augmentation rule as he gets so fewer personnel points compared to the union player.  This requires building small divisions of infantry best converted from militia or garrisons and then building them up to larger 10-3 units the downside is that this takes 11 strategic turns if initiated from a militia build. My initial builds are planned around eventual augmentations.  This is particularly useful for building big cavalry divisions. The Confederates can build a 5-4 cav for 9 pp points the cheapest Union 5-4  cav build costs 24pp.

7/61

80 personnel point allocation

This an effective use of pp to create the foundation for some big augmentations of infantry.

Also building essential equipment. You must have a railroad repair unit.

Action	Personnel points	Supply points
Augment two 3-3 infantry to 10-3’s	14	28
One river flotilla	2	20
One railroad repair	3	50
One supply train	1	20
Build eighteen militia points 6  times(3-2)	36	18
Convert ten militia to infantry getting a 4-3 a two  3-3’s	0	10
Build 24 garrison points	24	48
totals	80	194

8/61

70 personnel point allocation

Although its wasteful to build infantry straight up in this circumstance this is my most in effective use of pps as I don’t have the counter mix to make militia and I need to get my garrisons going . also I thought I need to get something onto the table ( the two2 6-3 infantry.). In retrospect I should have made four 3-3’s.

Action	Personnel points	Supply points
Augment one 3-3 infantry to 10-3	7	14
Build two 6-3 infantry	36	24
Build one 1-4 cav	03	6
Build 24 garrison points	24	48
totals	70	92

9/61

60 personnel point allocation

Once again constrained by supply points I make militia but there is a conversion of the militia built in 7/61 to infantry once these build to 3-3’s they will be then augmented to 10-3’s this creates a 10-3 infantry unit for a total cost of 13 pp’s.  the cheapest it can be done.

Action	Personnel points	Supply points
Augment two 3-3 infantry to 10-3’s	14	28
One supply train	1	20
Build twenty two militia points	44	22
Convert sixteen militia to infantry getting a 4-3 and four 3-3’s	0	16
totals	59	86

10/61

50 personnel point allocation

A bit of relief on the supply point side allows me to augment my small cav divisions and also build garrisons. I also built a fort 60 point spend at Union city.. to hold back the Union River flotilla’s.

The infantry augments starting with also the cav augment

Action	Personnel points	Supply points
Augment four 3-3 infantry to 10-3’s	28	56
One supply train	1	20
Augment two 2-4 cavalry to 5-4’s	6	24
Build 15 garrison points	15	30
totals	50	130

11/61

40 personnel point allocation

Continuing augments

Action	Personnel points	Supply points
Augment one 3-3 infantry to 10-3	7	14
Convert 7 militia to infantry (one 3-3 one 4-3)	0	7
Augment one 2-4 cavalry to 5-4	3	12
Build 15 militia (three 4-2, one 3-2)	15	30
totals	40

12/61

30 personnel point allocation

As the previous month 

Action	Personnel points	Supply points
Augment two 3-3 infantry to 10-3’s	14	28
Convert 9 militia to infantry (one 3-3, one 4-3, one 2-3)	0	9
Convert 6 garrison to infantry (two 3-3’s)	6	6
Augment one 2-4 cavalry to 5-4	3	12
Build 7 garrison points	7	14
totals	30	69

13/61

10 personnel point allocation

As the previous month  but scraping bottom of barrel for opportunities.

Action	Personnel points	Supply points
Convert 11 militia to infantry (one 3-3, two 4-3)	0	11
Convert 10 garrison to infantry (one 4-3 , two 3-3)	10	10
totals	10	21

1/62

10 personnel point allocation

Lots of supply points and no pp’s. you need lots of supply wagons and I tried for a bit of navy.

Action	Personnel points	Supply points
Augment one 4-3 infantry to 10-3	6	12
One supply wagon	1	20
One ironclad	1	60
Build 2 garrison points	2	4
totals	30	96

Zvezda Dingo

I've really enjoyed the 1/76th scale Zvezda kits and so was keen to try one of the 1/100th scale models for my 15mm force.  This kit, along with the Cruiser IV I purchased at the same time, was a dream to put together.  The tank will take a little while to paint up but this little guy, all nine pieces of him, painted up real quick.  I was thinking about doing the unit signs and giving him a name (Ernie being the obvious one), but decided for now to keep things simple.

The model is very small.

Doesn't look small...

But it is.

Hard to get a good focus on it.

Reaper Ghost

I painted this figure up really quick and then stalled over how I should varnish it.  Today I thought "damn the torpedos" (my mind still being on the ACW via War Between The States) and just gave the figure a light spray with Matt Varnish.  I think a heavy spray of the varnish tends to go to gloss, but I'm still experimenting.

From memory the flesh was just white with a wash.

$4.00 from Tactics.  Good buy.

This figure will form a base for my Generic Undead HotT army that I am conjuring.  Not sure if it is a Sneaker or a Lurker.  There will be a sabot base for it so I will make two so I can do either one.  I also need to read up on the rules to find out what the difference is.

Chariots About Town

Tonight at the club I took part in one of Dave's chariot races.

It got very congested around the Old Mill.  

Dave's chariot is the greys on the left, I'm the duns on the right.

Oliver swerves off the field.  

Bringing up the rear is Brynden and Gareth.

And I'm off!

I'm really off!!!

The big picture.  

I'm at the very top of the board.

The other four are at the bottom.

I complete the first lap comfortably in the lead.

That dastardly Brynden has laid caltrops which slows me to a walk.

The others are catching up.

As I finally clear the caltrops, Brynden arrives throwing spears.

I successfully defend and chuck one back, but miss.

And then I'm off in a blur.

Gareth and Brynden both lose horses to the caltrops

and Oliver again swerves off the field.

I cross the finish line with Dave in pursuit.

Exhausted I retire for the night.  Thanks Dave for the fun game and providing all the scenery and models.

Armoured Reinforcements - Some Assembly Required

Via Old Glory UK, after the success at completing my three Crusader tanks I splashed out and got a heap more.

The goodies.

Specifically:

Three - Item #2020 Cruiser Mk IV A13 (1940)

Two - Item #2026 Crusader Close Support Tank With 3-inch Howitzer

Five - Item #2027 Crusader*Mark II Tank with Skirts

The Battlefront 25pdrs were sourced locally from Tactics and just appear as a recent purchase and in the hope that I will get on and assemble them and get them into action.

There's nothing like all metal tanks.

Some assembly was required, and while fiddly, it was surprisingly easy...

As can be seen as I now have them all ready for painting.

1Q 6x6

Initially I thought I'd do a monthly update on my progress, but realise I better settle on trying for a Quarterly update instead and be quick about it.  With the exception of Napoleon's Battles (which is a more involved game to set up, at least the way I play it), these games are all fairly easy to do taking only one to two hours (Impetus being the exception requiring around four).

Impetus 

Five games played.  Does not include Basic Impetus 2 games (of which I've played two)

Saga 

Two games on the one day.

Napoleon's Battles 

No games yet...

DBA 

One game.  Also obtained DBA 3.0.

Wings of Glory 

Four games so far.

Songs of Drums and Shakos 

Three games, two of which were Songs of Blades and Heroes.

War Between The States - What is being reported in the Press?

The Richmond Times

After his magnificent advance on Fort Monroe, General Forrest was accused of cowardice when he deserted his troops after they were cut-off.  His claim that he escaped with nothing but his cigars, is yet to be confirmed.  He will of course attempt to lead a relief effort.  Using a mock Austrian accent he was heard to say “I’ll be back”.

President Davis flew into a rage when informed that political opinion no longer saw the capture of additional Union forts as being of much consequence.

The New Washington Post

The war has been great for the New York social scene.  It is reported that the paper’s social pages are avidly followed in the Southern states and that the readership is much impressed by the fine cut of the Union Generals’ uniforms.  Some enterprising Southern entrepreneurs are sending cotton north, carefully labelled as Free Cotton, and certified as picked only by the finest hands (colour not specified) in the hope that the Union General’s can have some additional uniforms made so that they can continue to party.  Apparently a condition is that any uniforms incorporating so much as a single thread of the gifted cotton can only be worn in the North.

The Ohio Trumpet

The large number of war correspondents assembled at General McClellan’s HQs have nothing to report.

Washington DC Comics

Observations that McDowell’s HQ has been a hive of activity are difficult to believe. 

Vainly Flair Quarterly

In the weekly addition of this popular monthly periodical there is an opinion piece on the growing trend for people to head south to get away from the cold Northern winter.

The Butler Bugle

General Butler, the Bugle’s three star reporter, proprietor and total readership, has produced the following detailed analysis of the situation at Fort Monroe.

With the supply phase upon coming up, the Garrison have a 1 in 12 chance of succumbing to hunger.  It should be noted that on the two preceding supply phases the Garrison proved to be big eaters, is this a trend or was it preparation/premonition?

The Reb besieging force and the covering force each have a 1 in 9 chance of fading away to nothing.  There is a 2 in 9 chance for each of them just to suffer heavy losses.

Once past the supply phase it then comes down to who gets initiative, with the big issue being who wants to escalate this campaign in the Peninsula?

Map of Fort Monroe by Robert Knox Sneden, 1862

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Monroe#/media/File:Fort_Monroe_Map.jpg