28mm Sash and Saber ACW, Prototype

The American Civil War is my major period of study. I've read all the major histories and have a library of dozens of memoirs and journals from participants. Until this year, I taught a one semester class each year on the Civil War.

So it's no surprise that the Civil War is what drew me into miniature gaming ten years ago. I have ACW armies in 1/72 plastic with some 22mm Musket Miniatures metal figures, 15mm for Fire and Fury and Johnny Reb III, and 10mm for display in my class. My 10mm figures are in a diorama of one 425 man regiment, which I use to show my students the size of Civil War formations.

I have long been tempted to try ACW in 28mm for tactical battles. I've never really been satisfied with Johnny Reb III, having found the rules too clunky for my taste. Guns at Gettysburg seems like a much smoother system, but because it won't really work with my 15mm figures, I've long thought about trying it in 28mm. I have bought packs of 28mm Old Glory here and there, but although I am an Old Glory fan, their ACW line leaves me a little cold. I tried a Sash and Saber artillery piece a couple years ago and liked it very much.

So when Sash and Saber offered their entire 25mm line at half off this month, I jumped on it. I ordered about 300 infantry, 70 cavalry, and guns and generals to match. MSC's closeout sale on GMB flags was a godsend, allowing me to pick up all the flags I would need for just $120. This will be a huge project, but I'm hoping to finish by October.

Whenever I start a new army, I paint a prototype figure to get the colors right. Union infantry had very dark jackets, much darker than most people paint their figures. I tried accurate colors on my Old Glory packs, but the blue was so dark on the table that it looked black. So for this figure I tried a more traditional wargaming Union blue. The figure is a Federal sergeant from pack US-1"Federal Infantry Command Advancing (right shoulder shift).