Civil War Buildings

Even though I play Command Combat: Civil War in 15 mm, I've often been using 10 mm buildings by the company Buildings in Turmoil.  The reason is two-fold.  First, 15 mm buildings are sometimes too large.  Even though they're supposed to be appropriately scaled to 15 mm figures, the fact is that each figure isn't supposed to be representing 1 person; it represents dozens or even hundreds, so it's actually more appropriate to go one scale down for the buildings.

I met John from Buildings in Turmoil at Historicon, and he let me sell my rules at his table.  I was putting on Gettysburg that day, and was short an important house, the Bryan house, which was essentially the goal of Pickett's charge.  His buildings are all based on real buildings from the battle fields, (he lives at Gettysburg,) so I asked him to paint one up, and his son Jeff had it to me the next morning.  They're a great group of sculptors and painters, and I highly recommend them.

http://www.buildings-in-turmoil.com/

Old Glory Miniatures

My favorite miniatures for Civil War figures has always been Old Glory.  There are the obvious things to like about them, such as the quality and the various poses.  But what I like most about them are the pieces that seem like they're merely decorative, but they are so interesting that I had to make them into relevant pieces for the game.

For instance, the signal tower is a piece they constructed.  This has no game value for any other rules set, but I liked it so much that I added it to the 1862 rules.  Players are able to send orders over great distances using this piece.  I've also used the civilians in the Bull Run scenario, their photographer for Matthew Brady, their dead pieces for bodies, and several others.  Most impressive are their generals.  They have packs of figures molded to look like specific generals.  These are perfect for the generals you choose out of the Command Combat books for your armies.  If you have generals they haven't specifically sculpted, many of their non-named generals look close enough to whomever you want to field.

You can find their Civil War figures at:

http://www.oldgloryminiatures.com/products.asp?cat=662

Command Combat Pictures from Kubla Con

Command Combat: Civil War played at Kubla Con earlier this year.  Craig Robertson hosted the Battle of Wilson's Creek.  It was an interesting fight as the Union cavalry went straight after the Confederate supplies right in the center and held there against relentless attacks.  The Confederates at last squeezed them on both sides and at the end, pressed them out.  They used paper minis from Billy Bones, which are available on Wargame Vault.  Below are pictures from the battle:

Command Combat to be Played at Celesticon in San Francisco

Command Combat will be at Celesticon in San Francisco this Memorial Day weekend, August 30 - September 2.  This time we have a special surprise.  Not only will we be putting on Command Combat: Civil War, but we will also be showcasing the upcoming Command Combat: Colonial Wars by Craig Robertson!  He will be showing British battles in South Africa and in India.

Command Combat: Civil War will have Gettysburg, the second day, the same game that premiered at Historicon.  Prizes will be given out to players, including free copies of the Gettysburg battlepack.

http://www.celesticon.com/

Command Combat: Civil War - 1863 released

The second expansion for Command Combat: Civil War is now available on the website, and at this location:

https://www.createspace.com/4354880

As with the 1862 expansion, 1863 focuses on the elements of the Civil War that were most prevalent in 1863.  This time, that means larger armies.

Just as 1862 saw a large use of siege equipment, forts, and the navy, 1863 focuses on the larger bodies of men that came together.  For the first two years of the war, individual corps fought often fought one another away from the main armies.  As 1863 came around, major generals allowed less and less of this individualized movement, forming stronger armies and larger bodies of men at arms.  This expansion provides rules for army generals who give each corps specialized objectives, such as capturing a road, breaking through enemy lines, and capturing or killing enemy generals.

Also, as with 1862, there are new generals with specialized rules, and some return generals with new rules associated with them.  The game also provides specialized regiments, which can be placed into brigades, that give them extra benefits.

The book also includes the battles of Gettysburg, Champion Hill, and Chickamauga.

Historicon - 2013

I just got back from Historicon, and am in definite need of recovery.  It was a wild few days with a lot of walking, standing, and especially staring.  The place was, frankly, overwhelming.  I had gone there with what I thought was a huge and well-crafted board, but it was puny in comparison to the enormous and masterfully crafted boards made by others.  My most recent expansion to Command Combat happened to be the theme of this year's Historicon, 1863, so we were given a special location right at the front where people would pass by and see what we were doing.  But before I even got to my game, I was blown away by all the other amazing games and set-ups.  I felt a little emasculated by the huge displays, and knew that mine would never compare, even though it had such a prime spot in the convention center.

It seems people are more into war gaming, and in particular, miniatures, in the east.  Someone explained to me that in cold temperatures, people tend to play more, which is why there is less gaming in Southern California.  It seems to be true, as the conventions, such as Kubla Con and Celesticon in San Francisco, are bigger than the ones in LA.

One of the brighter spots for me was that I was invited to play Fire and Fury with Richard, its inventor.  We spoke about researching and building our games, and it just was really nice and fun.  I don't see us as competitors, but rather people who both invented games we hope people will try.  Far from wanting to compete with his game or Johnny Reb, I dream of a day when I walk into a convention and see all three games being played side by side.