River gunboat battles?

[tankfist45]

While looking through the preview images for a few of the CWB games I noticed that a few of them showed what looked to be both player and AI river gunboats and Ironclads.

Now I know they are most likely included to act as water-based heavy artillery to support operations on the land, But if a scenario build felt so inclined to do so...would it be possible to recreate some of the big river gunboat battles of the war?

[rahamy]

Yes, when using the 4.01 updates you can do so.

[tankfist45]

Yes, when using the 4.01 updates you can do so.

So I can have Yankee and Southern River ironclads slugging the ever-loveing hell out of each other?

Nice!

[rahamy]

Gunboats are now a bit more robust than they used to be as well. This for the OOB document:

Gunboats.png (57.83 KiB) Viewed 743 times

There is also a Gunboat Ammo value in the PDT file, so they can be handled separate from the land based artillery ammo pool.

[tankfist45]

Is there a difference between the various iron/tin/timber/cottenclads and the larger seagoing screw steamers or are they regarded as more or less the same in-game?

[rahamy]

They are different, in Forgotten Campaigns, as noted by the insert above - the different armor ratings. FC is the only title that has been worked to take advantage of the new changes thus far.

[RobearGWJ]

Glad that FC is the latest one I picked up then lol Thanks Rich!

[Verdun1916]

Yes, when using the 4.01 updates you can do so.

So I can have Yankee and Southern River ironclads slugging the ever-loveing hell out of each other?

Nice!

If I remember correctly there was a game series on Steam dedicated to iron clads. Five to be exact:

Ironclads: American Civil War
Ironclads: High Seas
Ironclads: Schleswig War 1864
Ironclads: Anglo-Russian War 1866
Ironclads:Chincha Islands War 1866

I used to play them several years ago and had a bit off fun with them. However in the end it got boring lobbing shot and shell for ages with neither side managing to penetrate the enemy armour only doing very little damage, if any!

[mimar]

Actually the games were/are developed by a Russian group "TOTEM Games". The ORIGINAL title "Ironclads: American Civil War" circa 2008, I got directly from a Totem website. Game was atrociously bad.(can no longer find it on-line). They have continued to follow up with newer and better titles as you mention, available on STEAM; and I'll add..."Ironclads 2: American C.W"., "Clash of Iron: 1864","Clash of Iron: 1898". They are all basically 3D real time encounters, generated by a hum-drum strategic setting. Fortunately you can auto resolve the 3D, and experience the strategic side as I've done, as the 3D is NOT my cup of tea, (nor is the UI & AI of any worth). Currently for PC is a title (also on STEAM @ early access)..."Victory at Sea Ironclad" . Looks quite promising, although again a real time 3D affair, but with Grand Maps and economic/development, and strategic considerations.

IF any of you wish to simulate the GREATEST A.C.W. tactical naval game, a board war-game, (my favorite board game in over 50+ years of doing so) I will direct you to a set produced by Yaquinto games ..."The Ironclads"(1979) and "Ironclads Expansion Kit"(1980). Later 3W made another (same system with some excellent rules and additions) "Shot and Shell"(1987). A purely Tactical sim (firing individual guns vz. specific sections of hull), aka wooden men and iron ships. Units such as Monitor, Virginia, Hartford, Hunley, Alabama, 90 day gunboats, Cairo, Neuse, Warrior, Glorie. On rivers, harbors, open seas, and FORTS. Some land troops too (poor presentation in Expansion Kit, but pretty good in Shot and Shell).
Such a niche audience led to the games demise. As is true I suppose for paper and chits too. NO ONE as of yet has produced such a masterpiece as these via a PC program. Perhaps WDC may make such an attempt. Forget the pretty 3D images, give me a hardcore IGO-UGO, well researched, nuts and bolts old school simulation of Naval warfare and developement, for the age of Industrial Revolution circa 1860-1906.

3 B.G.G. websites for your purview...

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/280 ... at-america

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/279 ... ansion-kit

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/692 ... -civil-war

[dudalb]

i really want to see a game devoted solely to the Civil War At Sea and on the rivers;probalby using an adaptation of WDS's naval battle system.