Black Powder - My ACW troop types

For the benefit of those who've asked; these are to the best of my recollection the stats used for the Black Powder ACW game last week. I would consider these suitable generic stats for early period Eastern forces in the war.

The values are in standard order of Hand to Hand, Shooting, Morale, and Stamina. Special rules are mandatory, optional rules may be selected or ignored.


I rudimentarily value a positive special rule as worth about one third of a unit, a negative special rule as reducing a unit value by one third. Certain rules may have less even more effect and others I've not listed above may be used to reflect particular regiments. Hence an elite brigade of Virginians with three regiments was seen as the same value as a brigade of Philladelphians with four regiments of untested men.

command ratings. Superior brigades are rated 9, normal brigades 8 and inferior ones, or isolated detachments 7. I would generally give the Confederates the greater overall command ratings.

Army generals; I would be tempted to allow Confederates to reroll 1's for personality traits, but the second roll must stand. Union generals would have to reroll 6's and accept the second score. (this indicates the tendency for aggressive southern generalship against a more cautious northern approach).

Myself and Martin have another game next week and this time I will produce full army lists for you to look at.

Confederate foot: 6/3/4+/3 Smoothbores in 50% of units otherwise Rifles. Optional rules: Elite 3+/4+ Stubborn or Bloodthirsty

Union foot: 5/3/4+/3 Rifled muskets in at least 66% of units, others may opt for Smoothbores. Optional rules: Untested, Unreliable, Stubborn

Superior Confederate Cavalry: 6/0/4+/3 Sabres, but may dismount to fire. Special rules: Bloodthirsty, Determined Charge, Marauders

Regular Confederate and Union Cavalry: 6/1/4+/3 Rifle Carbines. Special rules: Skirmish, Marauders

Dismounted cavalry: 4/2/4+/2 Rifle Carbines. Special rules: Skirmish, marauders

Light Artillery 1/3-2-1/4/2 Smoothbore light or Rifled light. Optional rules: Horse limbers

Heavy Artillery 1/3-2-1/4/2 Smoothbore Heavy or Rifled Heavy. Optional rules:
Horse limbers