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29 Dec 2014

World War I Battlefield Artillery Tactics Released

World War I Battlefield Artillery Tactics


As the First World War bogged down across Europe, resulting in the establishment of trench systems, artillery began to grow in military importance. Never before had the use of artillery been so vital, and to this day the ferocity, duration and widespread use of artillery across the trenches of Europe has never been replicated.

Featuring specially commissioned full-color artwork, this groundbreaking study explains and illustrates the enormous advances in the use of artillery that took place between 1914 and 1918, the central part artillery played in World War I, and how it was used throughout the war, with particular emphasis on the Western Front.

Osprey Publishing

16 Dec 2014

ACW Gamer: The Ezine 2014 Terrain Special

ACW Gamer: The Ezine 2014 Terrain Special

ACW Gamer: The Ezine 2014 Terrain Special

An electronic magazine for fighting the American Civil War on your table top! Miniatures, Scenarios, Reviews and more!

47 page PDF or EPUB file. Articles include:

Terrain Makes the Game Easier
Building Antietam
Making low cost, durable fields for your ACW gaming table    
The Road (More or) Less Traveled  
Terrain Tip: Cinnamon Broom
How to Make American Civil War Earthworks  
Flexible Fields    
Easy Cardstock Terrain for Wargamers          
“Winterizing” Your Battlefield

ACW Gamer

15 Dec 2014

ACW Gamer: The Ezine Issue 7, December 2014

ACW Gamer: The Ezine Issue 18, April 2016

ACW Gamer: The Ezine Issue 7:

An electronic magazine for fighting the American Civil War on your table top! Miniatures, Scenarios, Reviews and more!

39 page PDF featuring:

Easy Civil War Rules
Painting the Iron Brigade
Colors of Confederate Clothing, Part II
U.S. Marines at First Manassas
Company D Miniatures
John Sisson,51st OhioVolunteers
Creating Custom 15mm Figures

ACW Gamer

9 Dec 2014

Black Powder Rules

Black Powder II

This book describes the Black Powder game and its various procedures and rules as played by the authors and their friends. The authors’ aim is to enable and encourage the reader to recreate the great battles of the 18th and 19th centuries with armies of model soldiers on the tabletop.

As well as providing for the fundamentals of warfare such as the command of troops, movement on the battlefield, the effects of musketry and artillery, and the role of morale, the book includes numerous examples of further rules allowing the player to tailor games to their own preferences.

In addition, twelve complete examples of Black Powder battles are included, embracing a range of conflicts throughout the period covered.

Battle of Elixheim – War of the Spanish Succession, 1705
Battle of Clifton Moor – Jacobite Rising, 1745
Raid on Fort Ligonier – French and Indian War, 1758
Battle of Chinsurah – Seven Years’ War, 1759
Battle of Bunker Hill – American War of Independence, 1775
Battle of North Point – The War of 1812, 1814
Quatre Bras – Napoleonic War, 1815
The Eve of Waterloo – Napoleonic War, 1815
Battle of Kernstown – American Civil War, 1862
Battle of Antietam – American Civil War, 1862
Battle of Dead Man’s Creek – Sioux War, 1876-77
Action on the iNyezane – Zululand, 1879

Black Powder Rules

Black Powder Wargaming Rules by Warlord Games is a game for the militarily inclined gentlemen with straight backs, bristling beards and rheumy eyes that have seen a thing or two. If tales of battle and glory in days-gone-by stir nothing in your breast, if the roar of cannon does not quicken the pulse and set fire in the belly, then this is not the rule set for you. These rules are not a light hearted adventure but one to be tackled by the strong heart. 

· Full Colour
· 184 pages
· Hard back
· Rules for warfare covering 1700-1900
· 7 Battle reports
· Reference sheet
· Extraordinary photographs of probably the worlds best painted miniatures and the finest military collections
· Written by the hugely talented and handsome Rick Priestley and the very tall Jervis Johnson


Black Powder Supplements

Dark and Bloody Ground, Black Powder supplement

Dark and Bloody Ground, Black Powder Supplement

French and Indian War

Fought between 1754 and 1763, this conflict saw the French and British empires fighting for dominance of Canada and North America. The European armies had to overcome harsh weather conditions and the equally unforgiving wilderness before fighting battles and skirmishes in which little quarter was asked for or given.

Inside this book, you will find a complete history of the conflict with details of every major battle fought between the two sides. Also included are details of the uniforms, organisation and commanders of the European armies, their colonial regulars and militias, and the various Native American tribes that supported or opposed them. Scenarios are provided for many of the battles of the war along with suggestions for campaign games.

A Clash Of Eagles Black Powder Supplement

A Clash Of Eagles Black Powder Supplement

This Black Powder Supplement charts Napoleon Bonaparte’s disastrous campaign in Russia during which the greatest army the world had ever seen was destroyed in just five months.

A Clash Of Eagles is a glorious work of passion from the author Adrian McWalter. 200 pages of full-colour text, maps, and figures plus art from renowned artist Peter Dennis & Johnny Shumate. A must have for any collectors and gamers of the Napoleonic Black Powder period!

Re-create epic moments of the 1812 campaign: the battles of Smolensk and Borodino, the numerous smaller affairs involving Napoleon’s allies and the long, protracted retreat from Russia culminating in the crossing of the Berezina, all of which left the Grand Armée reduced to a shadow of its former self.
Within the pages you will discover how Napoleonic armies fought differently from preceding Black Powder armies; including background detail focusing on the campaign, the numerous nations that took part in the campaign, as well as their armies and statistics on over a hundred different troop types.

You will find information on how to reflect Napoleonic battles using the Black Powder rules as well as a few new rules that are pretty standard amongst wargames communities across the globe.
Running alongside this you will encounter numerous national characteristics for France, Russia, Austria and Prussia to name a few, that will give your gaming experience more of a Napoleonic feel.


Glory Hallelujah! Black Powder Supplement

Glory Hallelujah! Black Powder Supplement

‘Glory Hallelujah!’ – the American Civil War 1861 – 1865 supplement for Black Powder.

In 1860 Abraham Lincoln was elected President of the fledgling United States of America. Years of seething hostility between the North and South boiled over as the Southern States saw Lincoln’s election as a direct threat to their rights, and the nation fell apart as a new Confederacy was formed in the South. The Confederacy, striving to assert its independence, opened fire on the Northern troops occupying Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbour on April 12th 1861. Determined to preserve the Union, Northern troops headed south and on to Richmond! Over the next four terrible long years American armies tramped across American fields and burnt American farms as Americans killed Americans in a war the likes of which the nation had never seen before. The epic battles fought during the American Civil War proved beyond all doubt that war can be ‘all hell’.


This supplement for Black Powder describes the history, armies, key leaders, doctrine and tactics of the American Civil War, and includes a comprehensive set of army lists and optional rules for recreating the battles of that war in miniature.


Blood on the Nile Black Powder Supplement

Blood on the Nile Black Powder Supplement

They charged out of the shimmering desert, thousands of fanatical warriors dressed in white, brandishing fearsome weapons. These were the Mahdi’s men and a British soldier’s worst nightmare. The Mahdi had emerged from the wilderness to lead a rebellion against the Egyptian government in Sudan. His armies overwhelmed the Egyptians and trapped Governor Gordon in Khartoum. The British launched a relief expedition, but it arrived too late. Such an insult to the Empire could not go unpunished, and the British returned to crush the Mahdists. Sudan then came under British Imperial control, but, like shifting sands, history could have turned out very differently. 
Using this Black Powder supplement, you can take charge of the British army fighting in the desert, or assume command of the Mahdi’s forces in their struggle against the world’s greatest military power. Along the way, learn about the battles and campaigns of the Mahdist Wars, and the soldiers who served in them.

The free miniature with this supplement is based firmly on one of history’s great characters – Colonel Frederick Gustavus Burnaby. For those who don’t know much about this British officer try an internet search – he almost beggars belief! This is a superbly sculpted miniature by Steve Saleh that perfectly portrays this Victorian hero.

A copy of the Black Powder rulebook is required to use this supplement.



Rebellion Black Powder Supplement 

Black Powder American War of Independence supplement, Rebellion!

This glorious 144-page full-colour book, written by Steve Jones, comes with a free Continental officer figure sculpted by Alan Perry himself! Who else would you ask to design a new figure for an American War of Independence book? You'll be able to buy the figure from Perry Miniatures. We'll show you the sculpt in our next newsletter as the green stuff is still drying as I type!

In 1775 the simmering resentment of American colonists exploded into a bloody rebellion. Beginning in Boston, the conflict eventually stretched from Canada in the north to Florida in the south and lasted eight gruelling years. On one side stood the King's redcoats and settlers loyal to their sovereign, later joined by regiments of 'Hessian'mercenaries. Ranged against them was a citizen army under the inspirational leadership of George Washington, supported by militia and eventually French troops eager to embarrass their old foe. Both sides were forced to learn new tactics for fighting in the wild terrain of North America in a conflict that saw heroism and ineptitude in equal measure. 


Zulu Black Powder Supplement

Zulu Black Powder Supplement 

You've seen the silver screen version of events in Zulu and Zulu Dawn now you can refight these classic engagements on the tabletop. 

This lavish 92 page supplement provides historical background as well as character profiles and rules for recreating the key engagements of the war, including the Isandlwana, Ulundi and Rorkes Drift, as well as other less well known conflicts. Of course it is also packed with images of these battles recreated on the table-top, as well as photos of the region and battlefields as they appear now.


Albion Triumphant Volume 2, The Hundred Days campaign

Albion Triumphant Volume 2, The Hundred Days campaign

On a damp, overcast Sunday in June 1815, twenty years of continuous warfare - the Napoleonic Wars - came to a violent and bloody conclusion on a rain-soaked field in Belgium. These wars were truly a world affair, with European powers fighting battles not only on the mainland of Europe but as far as India, Egypt, the Caribbean and America. The greatest generals of the age finally faced each other on the field of battle; The Duke of Wellington, rooted to a little-known ridge, faced, the Emperor of the French. Napoleon Bonaparte, master of the attack, opposed brigades of British, Germans, Dutch and Belgians; brigades of an infamous army that, despite horrific casualties, clung to the ridge for over nine hours to ensure that the arrival of Blücher's Prussian army would put the Duke's victory beyond doubt.

The Battle of Waterloo became a true landmark in miltary history, one that will never fade, and nothing on such a grand scale would be seen again.

This supplement for Black Powder overviews the main battles, armies and personalities of the Hundred Days campaign, and includes army lists, scenarios and special rules to enable you to re-fight them using the Black Powder rules. 

Featured conflicts include:
Quatre Bras & Ligny (16th June 1815)
Hougoumont (18th June 1815) 
Waterloo (18th June 1815) 

132 pages of Napoleonic army lists, background, troop stats and scenarios make this an absolute must for lovers of Black Powder, of Napoleonic gaming or simply of gloriously produced wargaming books!


Albion Triumphant Volume 1 - The Peninsular campaign


Albion Triumphant Volume 1 - The Peninsular campaign

This is the first of two supplements for our Black Powder game that focuses on the Napoleonic battles involving British forces. Written by long-time gamer and Napoleonic aficionado, Adrian McWalter, this book focuses on the Flanders and Peninsular campaigns 112 pages of Napoleonic army lists, background, troop stats and scenarios make this an absolute must for lovers of Black Powder, of Napoleonic gaming or simply of gloriously produced wargaming books! 


The Last Argument of Kings

The Last Argument of Kings

At the beginning of the 18th century, warfare entered a new era. The widespread use of the flintlock musket had transformed the way armies trained and fought. This period was a golden age for the crowned heads of Europe. They commanded professional troops, gloriously outfitted in splendid uniforms, and fought each other over land, wealth and the succession to their thrones. Some even led their armies on the field of battle. Yet by the end of the century, the real power of kings was gone or greatly eroded - parliaments would decide the foreign policy of nations, democracy had taken hold in the New World and the divine right of kings was everywhere being questioned. These were the last wars fought to protect the succession rights of royalty. These wars were the Last Argument of Kings.

This supplement for the Black Powder game overviews the main conflicts and armies of this period, and includes army lists and special rules to enable you to refight these wars using the Black Powder rules, as well as scenarios for the most dramatic battles of the time. Featured conflicts include:

The War of the Spanish Succession - the Battle of Blenheim (1704)
The Great Northern War - the Battle of Holowczyn (1708)
The Austro-Turkish Wars - the Battle of Petrovardin (1716)
The War of the Austrian Succession - the Battle of Fontenoy (1745)
The Wars of the English Succession - the 1745 Rebellion
The Seven Years War - the Battle of Hundorf (1762)
War in the Colonies - The French Indian War & The War in India
Raids and Invasions - Amphibious Warfare in the 18th Century

This is a full colour 112 page softback book.


Black Powder Downloads
  1. Black Powder, Quick Reference Sheet.
  2. Black Powder, Army Roster
  3. Black Powder, FAQ - 26 August , 2010. 
Other Peoples Black Powder Downloads

Great Northern War: Stats & Special Rules For Black Powder/Pike & Shotte

Attached to this post are the unit stats for Swedes and Russians, plus mods and notes.
They are designed for Warlord Games Pike & Shotte, but can also be used with Black Powder.
  1. Great Northern War: Stats & Special Rules For Black Powder/Pike & Shotte
Home Before The Leaves Fall Black Powder Rules Amendments For Early World War I by friends Of General Haig

What follows are the minor rule amendments we made to play out the Mons campaign in 10mm using Black Powder rules. As always with Black Powder, if you don’t like them, or don’t agree with a particular interpretation, please fell free to change them. We found that reducing the move distances but keeping the ranges of weapons the same, for example, really reflected how it must have been for troops used to Napoleonic style deployments to suddenly come up against modern weapons. Where
possible, the rationale for the rule amendments is provided.
  1. Home Before The Leaves Fall
Pony Wars Black Powder Stats Sheet

In conjunction with our Pony Wars article in the February issue of Wargames Illustrated; “A Road We Do Not Know”, we present Black Powder stats for using John Ford’s Rangers and Iron Jacket Comanches.
Sgt Perry's Heroes

  1. Unofficial Black Powder, Quick Reference Sheet with additional information on page 2. 
  2. Unofficial Black Powder, Quick Reference Sheet 2/3 Distances Version. 
  3. Unofficial Black Powder, Quick Reference Sheet 1/2 Distances Version.
  4. Unofficial Black Powder, Army Roster 1.
  5. Unofficial Black Powder, Army Roster 2. 
  6. Unofficial Black Powder, Army Roster 3. 
  7. Unofficial Black Powder, Army Roster 4. 
Jay's Wargaming Madness
  1. Unofficial Black Powder, Quick Reference Sheets.
  2. Unofficial Black Powder, Quick Reference Sheets, British, Prussian and French.
The Border Reivers Wargames Society

Black Powder ACW
  1. Detailed BP ACW sequence of play checklist.
  2. House rules and amendments for 'Black Powder' American Civil War.
  3. Quick Reference Sheet for 'Black Powder' ACW house rules and amendments.
Black Powder AWI
  1. Suggested 'Black Powder' points list for AWI.
  2. Quick Reference Sheet for 'Black Powder' AWI using our version of the rules.
  3. Suggestions for using the action cards from Sam Mustafa's 'Maurice' in 'Black Powder'
Black Powder Napoleonic

House rules and amendments for 'Black Powder' Napoleonic Wars.
Detailed Sequence of Play Summary Sheet.
Quick Reference Sheet for 'Black Powder' Napoleonic house rules and amendments.

Loki's Great Hall
  1. Unofficial Black Powder, Half Distance Play Sheet.
  2. Unofficial Black Powder, Quick Rules Summary.
Last Hussar Barracks

Lots of good ideas here,  well worth spending a bit of time reading all the Black Powder posts.

War of Spanish Succession
  1. Unofficial amendments to Black Powder For battles with model soldiers In the Age of Marlborough.
Franco Prussian War

Colgar6 and the Infinite Legion of Toy Soldiers

Black Powder personality cards
  1. The master file for these cards is a PowerPoint document.
  2. If you prefer to obtain a professionally-printed deck of cards, Artscow.
Adventures In Miniature Gaming

Officer personality trait cards for Black Powder
  1. Unofficial Union Officer Personality Card Deck.
  2. Unofficial Confederate Officer Personality Card Deck.
Leadhead, Ph.D

Armies of the 19th Century Booklets for Black Powder.
  1. Unofficial Black Powder, Army lists for the Russo-Ottoman War of 1877-1878 v.2.
  2. Unofficial Black Powder, The Uruguayan Army in the War of the Triple Alliance.
Blenheim to Berlin
  1. Black Powder House Rules Feb 2016 Update.
Edinburgh Wargames
  1. Bill's Black Powder Amendments - Latest.
Too Much Lead
  1. Amendments for Black Powder Medievals.
Keith's Wargaming Blog
  1. Black Powder House Rules for SYW.
The Panzer Depot
  1. Black Powder Napoleonic House Rules.
  2. Unofficial Black Powder Unit Builder.
  3. Unofficial Black Powder QRS.
My Black Powder Downloads & Adaptations
  1. My Black Powder Adaptations
Sources

Jason Temple
Warlord Games
Leadhead, Ph.D
Too Much Lead
Loki's Great Hall
Sgt Perry's Heroes
Blenheim to Berlin
The Panzer Depot
Edinburgh Wargames
Last Hussar Barracks
Keith's Wargaming Blog
Jay's Wargaming Madness
Adventures In Miniature Gaming
The Border Reivers Wargames Society
Colgar6 and the Infinite Legion of Toy Soldiers

Manoeuvre Group Rules

Manoeuvre Group Rules

Manoeuvre Group - All Arms Ground Combat for the period 1942 to 2010 100 pages + markers and Quick Reference Sheet Recommended scales 10mm, 15mm, 20mmm 1/76, 1/72, 25mm, 28mm Level of detail 7/10 Complexity 5/10 Game length 2 to 4 hrs Die required D20 Manoeuvre Group is designed to fight all arms actions in the period from 1941 to at least 2010, using forces up to a Company Group (Battle Group in US terminology).

That is, up to 8 tanks, 1 or 2 platoons of supporting infantry and their supporting close reconnaissance, engineering and artillery assets, in an evening. The innovative rule system means no book keeping At this scale the battles are fought at close quarters, in relatively dense terrain, be it urban or rural, from England to Iraq and all points in between.

Manoeuvre Group's emphasis is just that, the command of manoeuvre units to eliminate the enemy. The reading of the ground, timing and employment of all arms assets are the key to winning a battle.

The player will spend more time moving units about to exploit weaknesses in the enemy's plan than calculation of hit factors and dice rolling.

The rules capture the ebb and flow of a battle often missing in other rules.  With practise, experts (in tactics) can achieve 10 to 15 bounds in an evening even with a full Company Group.

Table Of Contents:  makes finding what you want quick and simple.

Introduction Terrain: limitations imposed by terrain including a new, novel and above all simple but realistic simulation of dead ground.

Commanding Infantry: Skirmishing, moving fast, going to ground, sneaking into position, assaulting a position.

Commanding Vehicles: Move fast, slow and even very fast, Ram, take up positions Hull down, Turret down. Learn to fight as a unit, Shoot and scoot, smoke dischargers and more.

Reconnaissance: How to find the enemy and how not to be found.

Weapons Fire: Simple but comprehensive firing rules with realistic outcomes. Tanks can be damaged not just knocked out.

Defensive Positions: What they are and the protection they give.

Engineering: A realistic approach to combat engineering, booby traps, flame throwers, minefields, minefield clearance, moving heavy gear, towing and more.

Electronic Warfare: Radio intercepts.

Building Your Command: Organisation building, weapons tables and sample organisations.

Introduction To Warfighting:  A guide to how to fight your command. Use of turret down and hull down positions for tanks. How to fight in urban areas.

Scenarios: A set of scenarios and advice on how to fight them to get you started. The rules have been released with a free set of plans to make simple terrain to help in setting up the scenarios and stores flat afterwards. Comprehensive set of markers and Quick Reference sheet to get you started.

Fold Flat Terrain As Featured On The Cover Is Now Available

Wargame Vault

2 Dec 2014

ACW Gamer: The Ezine Issue 2, 2014

ACW Gamer: The Ezine Issue 2, 2014

ACW Gamer: The Ezine Issue 2:

An electronic magazine for fighting the American Civil War on your table top! Miniatures, Scenarios, Reviews and more!

Review: Trident Miniatures’ “Nation Divided” 40mm ACW Range
Battle Report: Crossroads at Seven Pines
Weapons: Weird Weapons of the Civil War
Scenario: The Morning After
Battle Report: Return to Castleman’s Ferry, Part 1
Review: Infantry Flags, Longstreet’s Corps, Gettysburg 1863

ACW Gamer

1 Dec 2014

ACW Gamer: The Ezine 2014 Holiday Gift Guide

ACW Gamer: The Ezine 2014 Holiday Gift Guide

This special is design to help you in your search for gifts to get your gaming friends this holiday      season....or perhaps what to get for yourself if Santa forgets to bring you ACW goodies to play with in the New Year.

ACW Gamer