My ACWmaster Project

I have been wanting to do this project since I was 15 years old and I have finally been able to get it started.

This will most likely take me about 12 months to complete. I am in NO RUSH to get it done as I'll be doing alot of research before I start painting I also want to get all of the flags in for each regiment before painting starts. And I still need to add more stuff to the collection like:

Dismounted Confederate troops
Limbers for both Confederate and Union Artillery
Cassion with riders for both Confederate and Union Artillery
GS wagon and rider for both Confederate and Union Armies.


Here are some early pics:

The swag of metal:


210 bases [40mm x 20mm]:


Cheers
LGW

NB: Yes I know I have far to many projects on at the moment but this one is going to there when I need a break from painting:
Super Dungeon Explore
Warmachine Cygnar
Warmachine Mercs
Zombicide
BKC II Germans/Soviets
FWC Orks

I now have the Following sorted out:

Union Army:
Cav. Mounted [3 stands]
Cav. Dismounted [3 stands]

Iron Brigade [4 stands]
8x Regiments [3 stands each]

6x Rifled cannons
4x Nap cannons

Confederate:
Cav. Mounted [3 stands]
Cav. Dismounted [3 stands]

8x Regiments [4 stands each]

4x Rifled cannons
6x Nap cannons

just need to work out which regiments/brigades/divisions/corps I want to use. Desgin up some commander/HQs for both armies and then sort out the colours schemes.

this part took ages to work out and I still have:
71 kepi advancing with rolls
32 kepi advancing with backpacks

I could use these to make even more regiments just disperse the kepis through the Confederate army [only used a small amount of kepis in the Confederate army]

Union: 28 stands of troops
Confederate: 32 stands of troops.

I think I'll need to make more troops for the Union forces I hadn't realised how many stands the Confederates out numbered the Union. I could add another unit of 3 stands or make it one with 4 stands but a green unit fresh of the boat.

Not sure if I'll use points for these armies or just play OOB instead.

Anyone got any good scenarios for Gettysburg I could use for ACWmaster.

Cheers
LGW

NB: I was able to add another Regiment of 4 stands to the Confederate army which will be "Green" and 2 more 3 stand regiments for the Union which will be fresh of the boat.

All three regiments will be classified as poor troops and will be lead by an inexperienced officer. So basically cannon fodder. Go forward MOVE!!! MOVE!!!!

Your Confederate Army may re-write history!

Going to be doing a test paint on some of the Union boys but its the Confederate lads that I am not sure about.

what colour is the brown they used? how much mix should I do? [eg should all the pants be that blue-grey colour or do I paint some brown etc]

Cheers
LGW

This looks exciting! I have had trouble not getting into ACW with the pre-painted plastics released by Gordon and Hague.

I was under the understanding that most Confederates were dressed in butternut Khaki but due to supply problems they were often wearing whatever they could get, especially by the time of Gettysburg. Sort of like this collection.

http://lordashramshouseofwar.blogspot.ca/search/label/acw

However this guy who is an excellent painted seems to be doing all his in a traditional Grey.

http://theandersoncollection.blogspot.ca/search/label/ACW

I am painting the Union force up at the moment. I want enough painted for me to play the first day of the Battle for Gettysburg.

So far I have painted up:
Regiment of Union troops [3 stands],
6 Union Rifled Cannons, [6 stands]

on the painting table at the moment are:

Union Mounted Cav. [3 stands]
Union Dismounted Cav. [3 stands]
Union Iron Brigade [4 stands]
Union Napoleon Cannons [4 stands]

for you who haven't played Warmaster here is a clarification of what a stand is.

Stand = Base [40mm x 20mm]
Each Regiment/Brigade can be made up of 2 - 4 stands. I have made my stands have 14 6mm minis on it.
Each stand of Cannons has one cannon and 4 crew on it.
Each stand of Cav. has 4 mounted or 4 dismounted soldiers.
Each Command stand will have 3-4 minis depending on the size of the base. [Commanding officer 25mm round base, 20mm ,15mm and 10mm for the lower ranked officers.]

Will post some test pics soon.

Cheers
LGW

here is an update on my ACW project:

V Corps 1st Division



Rifled Cannon Brigade


Iron Brigade


Currently painting up:

Bufords Cav Regiment [mounted and dismounted]
Nap Cannon Regiment

Once these have been done I'll start up a small Confederate force to use against them.

Cheers
LGW

Damn they look small!

How the hell do you motivate yourself to paint so much?

mudboy wrote:

Damn they look small!

How the hell do you motivate yourself to paint so much?

I have been doing a fair bit of research with this Project so once I get the regiment/brigade/corps nailed down I set out the minis and then start to paint them. As for motivation I just keep on pushing myself. One day I'll actually finish a project.

As for my other projects they are on the back burner until I can get a starter force done for both the Union and Confederate armies.

so my poor Germans/Soviets for BKC II are on hold
so my poor Mech Orks and Feral Orks for FWC are on hold
so my poor Stormwall Colossal for Warmachine is on hold
so my poor Dragonkin for Super Dungeon Explore are on hold
so my poor Thornwell council Team for Tutatis are on hold
so my poor Poffy Team for Tutatis are on hold
so my poor Dwarf for Tutatis are on hold

as you can see my back log of stuff is still waiting. And the Zombicide stuff haven't arrived yet so they will be added to the list.
Thankfully the X-Wing stuff are all PRE-PAINTED!!!!!!

I'll post pics soon of the Cav and the remaining cannons.

Cheers
LGW

I finished Buford's Cavalry.



Will have the 2nd lot of Cannons done by tomorrow then its onto the REBs

Cheers
LGW

Here are the Napoleon Cannons for the Union Army:


While I was waiting for the Cannons to dry I made these up:


K.I.A markers. I have made them rather bright so they stand out more on the battlefield. I tried them darker but they just didn't "pop" or "Stand out" so I made them brighter and you can see quite easy that these have dead troopers.

Will be adding a whole heap more of these tokens once I get more casualties. Adler Miniatures don't have any mounted Casualties anyone know where I could find some 6mm versions?

I have started painting up the first of the Confederate units, should have it done tonight, also undercoated 6 Napoleon cannons, and a unit of Confederate Cavalry.

Will post more pics once these have been done.

Cheers
LGW

here is the first of the Confederate Army:



going to be working on the Cavalry and Artillery tonight.

Cheers
LGW

Very cool pics. Love the casualties! Are they hard to paint?

not to bad its paint by numbers.

dipping is the key.

and BRIGHT colours. which make it easier on the eye and easier to define things.

Will post more pics as I get them painted.

LGW

Can you make a step by step picture show-off? It would be interesting to see the progress from empty slate to glued models to initial coloring, to dipping, to basing.

I'm not into such a small scale... but it sure looks interesting!!!

i'll do it for the next regiment I paint up as I am almost finished painting the Confederate Artillery and Cavalry.

So will do a stage by stage guide on how I paint them.

Cheers
LGW

here is a pic of my Confederate Cavalry. Mounted and Dismounted versions. I downloaded some flags and I like them not to expensive and I didn't have to pay postage and wait for them. plus I can print off as many as I like.



next lot up is a Brigade of Smoothbore Confederate Cannons. Then I'll start on Mordheimers painting tutorial.

Cheers
LGW

The flags are nice touch! You use them to mark anything special on the model?

yup: which is the U.S federal army and which side is the Rebel Confederate side.

As The scale is tiny from a quick glance it can be difficult to tell who is who so flags help tell which is which. plus its historical for each regiment/Brigade to carry their flags into battle. and they look good with flags.

Once I get onto the Commanders the flags will change as I'll use General Lee's personal flag for his stand as well as General Longstreet,

The Union officers will get the same. I'll have one Union officer with the V Corps 1st Division flag which is a red cross. I liked this regiment as they were on the far flank defending small round top against huge odds from aggressive Confederate attacks.

I may use some flags as tokens that will be placed beside a regiment/brigade to denote who they are. As I want to use these miniatures for other battles beside Gettysburg and some regiments/Brigades where in Gettysburg but may not have been in other battles [were either disbanded, absorbed, or wiped out] so by having generic flags on my ACW stands they could be any regiment/brigade.

Cheers
LGW

Lord GreyWolf wrote:

yup: which is the U.S federal army and which side is the Rebel Confederate side.

LOL! You are as lame as always!

I understand that the colors may be a little difficult to see; grey vs blue. Here is a HINT. Use different flock (static grass) for each side)! Use that bright green for the Confederates and dark green for the Union.

What I mean was "The model with the flag has a special significance in terms of personnel or equipment." If you say that the guys with the flag have Plasma Guns or Power Weapons, I will fly down there and ... I swear! Does the flag mark any for game mechanics, like moral?

I think the flags are one of those "less is more" accessories. If you put flags on every base, they loose the appeal.

I only use one flag per Regiment/Brigade

A full unit can be 2 stands to 4 stands. [a stand = 1 base]

I only use flags for the lead stand.

Here is an example of the Union:


Here is an example of the Confederate:


As you can see not EVERY stand gets a flag. as for game play flags have no meaning its merely decorative.

Cheers
LGW

Decorative my ass... INSPIRATIONAL!! I hear the bugles boys... CHARGE!!!!

Mordheimer wrote:

Decorative my ass... INSPIRATIONAL!! I hear the bugles boys... CHARGE!!!!

Well DUH!!!!

gessh you lot who live in the past are slow. Of course the flags were inspirational how many times in the movie Gettysburg did you see the flag guy die and another man drop his gun to pick up the flag and carry it forth into battle. Come on your walking towards your enemy who is firing muskets at you and all you have is a Confederate or Union flag. Its got to mean something for YOU to do that.

I missed a page in the ACWmaster rules and I can buy some special banners that can add things to the unit its connected to. So they DO actually mean some in the game...

LGW