Since I’ve only just now started subscribing to Charge!: The Official Newsletter of the Johnny Reb Gaming Society, I’ll be reviewing the first two years of the newsletter two issues at a time in a similar format to my reviews of North & South, Blue & Gray, America’s Civil War, and Civil War Times Illustrated. Back issues of Charge! cost $5.00 plus $1.00 shipping per issue. The newsletter comes spiral-bound (think Kinkos here), and is usually around 20 pages long. Many of the maps and illustrations are in color. Typical articles include scenarios for Johnny Reb, painting figures, creating terrain, special rules for certain out of the ordinary situations, and historical pieces on a unit or battle.
Charge! Issue 3
| Page 4 |
| Johnny Reb III Basing by Gary Sapp |
| Page 4 contains a chart by Gary Sapp which shows gamers how to base different-sized regiments. Regardless of size, each regiment up to 610 men uses 4 stands with various figures per stand. The chart shows succinctly how many figures per stand should be used. As I start out in JRIII, I’m sure I’ll be referring to it periodically. |
| Page 5 |
| Wilson’s Creek: August 10, 1861, Missouri by Scot Gore |
| This scenario was designed specifically with JRIII in mind. In it, Scot covers the smallish early-war engagement at Wilson’s Creek. Although Lyon lost the battle, he saved Missouri from Confederate control. The scenario contains some interesting rules on Confederate troop activation (they were surprised in camp when the battle started). Infantry armed with shotguns are not covered in the core JRIII rule book, so Scot created an entry for this weapon as well. The map is 5×10 feet, but looks rather easy to set up. |
| Page 10 |
| Designing Your Own Scenarios by Scott Mingus, Sr. |
| Award-winning scenario designer Scott Mingus gives 11 tips for creating your own. He also points the reader to some good web sites for research. |
| Page 11 |
| Scratchbuilding Fences And Stone Walls by Daniel Erdman |
| Daniel Erdman takes the reader through the steps necessary to scratchbuild worm fences, post and rail fences, and stone walls. |
| Page 13 |
| Hood at Atlanta: Background by George Anderson |
| In preparation for a series of scenarios covering Hood’s attacks on Sherman around Atlanta, George Anderson describes the events leading up to the Battle of Peachtree Creek. |
| Page 16 |
| Hood at Atlanta: Peachtree Creek by George Anderson |
| This scenario is the first in a series of three covering Hood’s fights with Sherman at Peachtree Creek, Bald Hill (Atlanta), and Ezra Church. This scenario appears to be written with JR2 in mind, but it looks easily adaptable to any miniatures rules. Anderson writes a nice background of the battle. One thing I don’t like as much is that pretty much every regiment is marked as “average”. It gives the scenario a more generic feel than I’m comfortable with. The map is well-designed and measures 5×7 feet. This is a larger scenario, so I’d recommend it mainly for veteran miniatures gamers. |
| Page 22 |
| The Napoleon by Philip M. Cole |
| Licensed battlefield guide Phil Cole talks about the ubiquitous Napoleon, the 12-lb. “gun-howitzer” used so often during the war. The Napoleon was a smoothbore gun, so it wasn’t as effective as rifled cannon at long ranges. Where the Napoleon did its damage was close in, essentially acting as a giant shotgun. |
| Page 25 |
| Artillery Tables for JR3 & Ask John Hill Artillery Questions |
| The artillery tables for JR3 are printed on this page, along with some artillery-specific questions for JR3 designer John Hill. |
| Page 27 |
| Splashing to Glory: Streams and Rivers, and Their Effect on Civil War Battles by Doug Kline |
| Doug Kline, owner of Battlefield Terrain Concepts, talks about rivers and streams and the effects they cause on a Civil War battlefield. He goes on to give the reader ideas on how to realistically model waterways on the gaming table. |
| Addendum |
| 15MM ACW Barn by David Glenn Jr. |
| At the end of the issue there are two identical templates for model 15mm barns by David Glenn, Jr. These would make a nice addition to anyone’s battlefield. |
Charge! Issue 4
| Page 3 |
| Hood at Atlanta: The Battle of Atlanta by George Anderson |
| In the second part of a three-part series, George Anderson covers the Battle of Atlanta in a scenario designed mainly for Johnny Reb. Anderson has an excellent historical introduction to the scenario. This is a rather large scenario and probably shouldn’t be attempted by new players. The map is 5×7 feet. |
| Page 9 |
| Morgan’s Raid by Scott Mingus, Sr. |
| Scott Mingus writes a background article on John Hunt Morgan’s raid into Indiana in 1863. Morgan ended up getting captured on July 26, 1863 in New Lisbon, Ohio. |
| Page 11 |
| Corydon: July 9, 1863, Indiana updated by Scott Mingus, Sr. |
| This scenario article covers the small Battle of Corydon, where members of the Indiana state militia ambushed Morgan’s men. The scenario is very small, with a brigade on each side and only a 3×3 foot map. This one looks good for beginners. It originally appeared in the Johnny Reb scenario booklet and has been updated by Scott. |
| Page 13 |
| Buffington Island: July 19, 1863, Portland, Ohio updated by Scott Mingus, Sr. |
| Scott updated this scenario depicting a portion of Morgan’s Raid as well. It originally appeared in “A Clash of Sabers”, which is one of many scenario booklets for ACW miniatures gamers written by Ryan Toews and George Anderson. This is a medium sized scenario with some naval units involved on a 4×7 foot map. |
| Page 16 |
| The Sutler’s Corner: Product Review |
| In this section, the editors review products associated with miniatures gaming. In this particular issue, Sanath Fernando’s painted miniatures are covered. Sanath, based in Sri Lanka, has a website at www.miniaturelovers.com. |
| Page 16 |
| Bonus Ask John Hill! |
| In this bonus section, Johnny Reb creator John Hill responds to gamer questions to clarify rules. |
| Page 17 |
| Early’s Attack on East Cemetery Hill: July 2, 1863: After-Action Report by Doug Rogers |
| Doug Rogers writes an interesting AAR describing the action in this scenario, which originally appeared in Scott Mingus’ Enduring Valor: Gettysburg in Miniature Vol. 2. The game was played on May 15, 2004 and was sponsored by the North Coast Historical Wargamers of Lake County, Ohio. |
| Page 19 |
| JR3 – Ground Scale Conversion Chart |
| This handy chart takes real-world distances in inches and feet and converts them to Johnny Reb scale yards, feet, and miles. |
| Page 20 |
| Digging for Protection: Hasty Entrenchments in the ACW by Doug Kline |
| Terrain guru Doug Kline handles a discussion of hasty entrenchments during the war including their effect on defense and attack. He follows this up with a specific discussion of hasty works in JR3 games. |
| Page 23 |
| Modeling Roads for Your Miniature Battlefield by Burkhard Schulze |
| Burkhard discusses techniques for modeling realistic looking roads in ACW miniatures gaming. |
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