Twenty years ago if you had asked me about wargame rules for a period, you would have gotten a definite and frank opinion about what made a good rule set. Today, my comments would certainly be much more reserved in that area. It is probably safer to take a steak away from a junk yard dog, than to criticize a wargamer's favorite rule set. With time and experience, I have come to learn that there are numerous reasons why individuals game and subsequently there is an unlimited number of rules that will appeal to wargarners. Today when I write rules, I write them for myself, trying for a fun game that still reflects the history of the period. Recently I have decided that I would narrow my focus on the ACW period. Previously I had gamed a wide variety of ACW battles and used rules that would cover every possibility in those battles. Now I am going to concentrate on a few of the more pivotal battles such as Bull Run, Antietam and Gettysburg. My "sawdust terrain" system will be retired and I plan to make permanent, detailed terrain for these specific battles. For this, I decided to develop a new, limited set of rules just for this type and size of battle. The rules are really for two to four players, or even solo, as that is mostly how I game now. The rules revolve around movement and firing. There is some morale and some close combat but both are limited and not controlled by the players. One thing the rules were not designed for was a "rules lawyer" type player. I game with historical gamers and for the most part, any gray areas can be dealt with by a short discussion. I started working on the rules in 1991; they have been changed several times, looking for the right balance of historical accuracy, fun and fast play. This would be the latest rewrite. I find myself with limited time to play test rules now, so I decided to put these out in MWAN and asked for player observations from gamers who try to game with them. I have only included tables for the 20/25mm scales, but conversion to 15mm would be quick and straight forward. Contest I thought we might have a little contest to see what readers have an eye for the minutia of history. The photo on the back cover of issue #115 of the Union assault on the stone wall at Fredricksburg has a historical error. Actually there might be many historical errors, but I am looking for the one I am thinking of. E-mail me your guess. Make sure the subject matter is contest or wargaming. The first ten correct answers will receive a free flag sheet in any scale that I produce. Good luck and remember Orv's decision is final! Contest is only open to MWAN print subscribers. Back to MWAN #116 Table of Contents Back to MWAN List of Issues Back to MagWeb Magazine List © Copyright 2002 Hal Thinglum This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com