Stars *n* Bars is coming!

[Jupiter]

Yes, one of your favorite ACW games is about to be available once again, and in PDF format!

Stay tuned for more information!

[War Depot David]

Cool!

I have heard a lot about this and have a massive collection of unpainted 6mm Adler eyeing off my copy of Fire and Fury but the owner (me!) is not so keen. Would love to know a little more about SnB.

[Scott Bowden]

...my long response/post went, but it vanished!!!

I'll try again a very brief version...here goes...


First and foremost, SnB is not EMPIRE for the American Civil War. It has scales (troop/ground/time), importance of leaders, reserves, different weaponry effectiveness and rewards proper tactics of the period. Combat resolution is firepower based and is very different from EMPIRE.

I have had armies for SnB in 25mm, 15mm and 10mm scales. I liked the 10s best, because I doubled the infantry castings, and formed them in two ranks on the stands that gave a much better "look." You will be able to do the same with your 6mm collection.

Am currently writing a 5-volume work on the generalship of Robert E. Lee, the first two volumes due to be released together, followed by the next three. In case you were not already aware, please check out my 2001 work on Lee and the Gettysburg campaign, which won five literary awards, named to the recommended reading list by Chief of Staff U S Air Force in 2008 and it required reading at US Army Command and General Staff College.

www.lastchanceforvictory.com


Any further, specific questions about SnB, please ask.

Regards,

[BartK]

Hi Scott,

Are there any plans for a new edition of S&B or another ACW set? I'm curious to know what changes you would make to the rules considering the research that has been done in the period by many people, yourself included, over the last 25+ years.

Bart

[Scott Bowden]

Hi Bart,

Thanks for the question. There has been significant new work done, but I doubt if the new rules will ever be anything more than a pdf document. We are weighing the options.

Regards,

[BartK]

Hi Scott,

Thanks for the reply. Considering the limited audience for any set of wargame rules I think PDF's make a lot of sense. While I enjoy nice formatting as much as the next guy it's all about the information. I've bought several PDF sets of rules and as long as they are searchable I've had no regrets about buying an electronic copy. If I need to print them out, that's what the high-speed color copier at work is for. ;-)

My current gaming group has a gent that plays Johnny Reb II, which is a fine set but it doesn't scale well and I'm looking for a set that can do the larger battles without totally bogging down. An updated Stars & Bars would be very interesting.

I have a copy of S&B in the basement but have never played it due to lack of interested parties in the local area.

[Scott Bowden]

Bart,

Thank you very much for your interest and comments. You hit the "nail on the head" when you cited wargaming's limited audience. We'll discuss the options about the updated rules the next time we (design guys) get together.

A lot of work was done by myself and another local gamer on what was going to be a different title of rules. However, we decided, and I think correctly so, that the miniatures market is so small and the percentage of acrimonious pinheads who would never play the new rules but-only-voice-their-opposition-to-said-rules-over-the-internet so vocal that it was not worth our time or money to print them. One only has to go to the EMPIRE Yahoo group to read how the forum has become totally dominated by fake "players" who have never played EMPIRE, and is headed by the site's "owner" who admits that he hasn't played the rules in more than a decade and is constantly carping about how the rules suck. That particular yahoo-group scenario is similar to the so-called "Napoleon Series" website that is in acutality dominated by rabid anti-Bonapartists whose libelous posts against those to hold Napoleon in respect is nothing less than shocking. Almost nothing "Napoleon" about it, unless "Bashing" is added to the title.

That is small glimpse as to why we thought it made sense to re-release the rules through Greg's War Event site (and hopefully the mods and new rules as well) while having also available a method to discuss the rules in an environment sans the jerk weeds.

Any questions and comments you have about the rules are welcome.

Regards,

[Rick Hensley]

Scott,

Will be interested to see the rules back in print, so-to-speak, and to see any new mods/changes.

And you're right about the clowns on the Yahoo site. I know what you mean that many are genuine, but it is the gospel that the ones who post the most are the ones who admit they don't play. Bizarre.

[Berthier]

I would point out that there is more than one owner to the Empire Yahoo Group (I'm one of them, by the way) and I still play Empire when I can.

Christopher Anders

[Scott Bowden]

Chris,

Thanks for correcting me. I should have said: "one of the two owners, etc."

[fraserdw]

Is there a campaign manual. I have a brand new just out of plastic wrap V3 but there are no ORBATs or scenarios or even a campaign manual. Just the rules and some cards. The rules mention a campaign manual but....

[Scott Bowden]

From your post, I take it that you have a copy of Empire 3. These are rules for miniatures battles. The mention is of the Empire Campaign System, which is a separate title and was published separately.

[fraserdw]

Thank you for the quick response. I have SnB V3. Everyone keeps telling me about the OOBs and research material in the back of the book. I have none this, just a simple designer notes section. My SnB V3 was procured recently from Noble Knight and was still in the original shrink warp. Does the downlod feature the research material and OOBs or is this an earlier version of SnB?

[Rick Hensley]

Hi,

The extensive OOBs were in an earlier edition which I have a copy. I'll be glad to domestic mail you a copy of those simply for the asking.

If that is agreeable, just send a PM with your address.

Regards

[Scott Bowden]

Rick,

No need to bother, as I can do the same, and probably a lot easier.


Fraserdw,

I have plenty of old SnB copies with the Orders of Battle. If you live in the USA, I'll be glad to send a copy of these for your use.

[revzoom]

Scott,
How does S&B take unit frontage into account? This is my major beef with JR in any incarnation - the 4 or 5 stand Regiment size limitation and the increase in figures - or decrease - to account for men in the Regiment - but without increasing the unit frontage - or decreasing as the case may be. This is absolutely contrary to reality in the ACW. Hence my question about this in your rules.
Thanks
rev zoom

[Scott Bowden]

Casualties taken by casting...however, frontage remains the same...consistent with ACW reality, as the battle line of a unit got thinner while under fire...not smaller.

Please see comments under thread entitled "Unit Frontages" in the EMPIRE section.

Regards,

[cosmico610]

Hello, I've joined the forum and I've already taken the steps to upgrade to the combo for Casus Belli rules, but I'm interested also in going on with Empire and Stars'n'Bars because I liked the them.
I've found a couple of years ago a copy of SnB 3rd edition but I've the same problem of Fraserdw, no OOBs and ratings.
Can anyone help, please?
....I live in Italy
thanks in advance, Sergio

[Scott Bowden]

Original SnB had many OOBs and ratings...the 3rd edition was printed without those, with the separate booklets (two of which were done) to list the OOBs and ratings, and more.

I am discussing with Greg the procedure to pdf the OOBs to be available for those who buy the rules. More to follow on how progress is made on that front.

Bottom line is that we want to be sure that good information is provided for our buying customers.

Regards,