US Ships.......

[Popsical]

Bob, i hope i haven't offended anyone
Our great nations are inextricably linked through a shared language and strong historical ties. I have a very good liking of US history, and find it engaging and because of its youth quite refreshing. I sincerely hope that both our nations will one day embrace their own histories as they should.
Our schools do not teach the English civil war which is a travesty, as it began the western worlds voyage to democracy.
The Victorian empire era is also neglected, to my sadness.

Friends.

Kenneth, its never bad to recognise a superlative achievement like Yorktowns. She was in a war of unprecedented scale (which we hope will never be seen again), so her contribution was amplified by this. Icons like these should help focus people into interest in the topic and thus to appreciate the greater contributions of all involved.


Also the words we type on the web can come out wrong so if any offence is taken i apologise

[NimitsTexan]

I didn't say you specifically were being petty for wanting more US ships. I want more US ships. I want more of everything. Lets get a grip here.

Actually, I'd rather have some British 64s and French 80s than the BHR (more useful for gaming purposes). Just stating that an American wanting more American ships is perfectly legitimate. And yes, the BHR is a famous ship, a natural (along with Constellation), if Ares is going the famous ship route (as demonstrated by Victory and Constitution).

I will agree that Yorktown (CV-5) could also qualify, but she is a bit further outside the Napoleonic time period than BHR.

[fredmiracle]

Enterprise and Yorktown shared the glory a bit at Midway, and then I think Yorktown's role may have gotten tied up in politics, i.e. the dissatisfaction with Fletcher and celebration of Spruance

[Popsical]

Ah. Its sad politics can sully anything

[Devsdoc]

If Ares had made rules and ship models separate, the ships 1-1200 scale. This thread would be dead! You could use the rules and Ares ships for your standard game. If you wished to go for different ships/nations you could go to other makers and get the ships you like. As of now you are all stuck with waiting and hoping that Ares make what you are waiting for. Ares have you boxed in.
Be safe
Rory

[csadn]

Enterprise and Yorktown shared the glory a bit at Midway, and then I think Yorktown's role may have gotten tied up in politics, i.e. the dissatisfaction with Fletcher and celebration of Spruance

Considering _Yorktown_ wasn't even supposed to be at Midway.... (Its presence was an illustration of why the Japanese were never going to win the war.)

[Kentop]

Actually, I'd rather have some British 64s and French 80s than the BHR (more useful for gaming purposes). Just stating that an American wanting more American ships is perfectly legitimate. And yes, the BHR is a famous ship, a natural (along with Constellation), if Ares is going the famous ship route (as demonstrated by Victory and Constitution).

I will agree that Yorktown (CV-5) could also qualify, but she is a bit further outside the Napoleonic time period than BHR.

I would rather have some Chinese junks. Imagine sending frigates to fight amongst the islands and inlets around Macau. Their mission, to destroy the pirates lurking therein. There's a lot of stories and amazing adventures to be captured by Sails of Glory. If you want to do pirates in Sails of Glory, Macau is where I would sail to. Imagine a sails of glory scenario where HMS Centurion reaches Macau and goes on the lookout for Spanish treasure galleons. Standing in it's way are loosely confederated war junks. All based on actual events. There are hundreds of these kind of stories from the area around Macau. Sails of Glory is a perfect fit.



HMS Volage & HMS Hyacinth confront Chinese
war junks at Chuenpee, November 3, 1839, by Miller

[fredmiracle]

Considering _Yorktown_ wasn't even supposed to be at Midway.... (Its presence was an illustration of why the Japanese were never going to win the war.)

That story gets told a lot, but typical vanilla narratives of the battle itself center on Hornets TBDs, Enterprises SBDs and Spruance on the bridge

[NimitsTexan]

I would rather have some Chinese junks. Imagine sending frigates to fight amongst the islands and inlets around Macau. Their mission, to destroy the pirates lurking therein. There's a lot of stories and amazing adventures to be captured by Sails of Glory. If you want to do pirates in Sails of Glory, Macau is where I would sail to. Imagine a sails of glory scenario where HMS Centurion reaches Macau and goes on the lookout for Spanish treasure galleons. Standing in it's way are loosely confederated war junks. All based on actual events. There are hundreds of these kind of stories from the area around Macau. Sails of Glory is a perfect fit.

Fair enough. Too each his own. However, Asian military history in general, and Chinese military history in particular, bores me. I doubt I would ever purchase such miniatures.

[Kentop]

Fair enough. Too each his own. However, Asian military history in general, and Chinese military history in particular, bores me. I doubt I would ever purchase such miniatures.

So you are bored by just the Chinese or anybody but your own narrow Texan interests?

[7eat51]

1. My curiosity about the Yorktown has been piqued. I know very little about WWII naval history, but some of the comments here have me desirous to learn more. Baz, on the 'Drome, introduced me to Shattered Sword. I picked up a few Osprey titles in their duel series covering the U.S. Navy and the IJN for a couple of bucks apiece - one on carriers, one on destroyers, and one on cruisers. Time to add these to the summer reading list.

2. Kenneth, you paint an attractive picture for missions to the Chinese Coast. Not knowing much about junks, would they offer a decent fight to a frigate, or would there have to be a high numerical advantage to create an even playing field?

[fredmiracle]

2. Kenneth, you paint an attractive picture for missions to the Chinese Coast. Not knowing much about junks, would they offer a decent fight to a frigate, or would there have to be a high numerical advantage to create an even playing field?

A book I read about Anson - which was not hagiographic but certainly British-centric - said that Centurion (24 lbrs) could have wiped out all the Chinese naval vessels and forts on the Pearl River (armed with nothing larger than 4lbrs). FWIW...

[Kentop]

A book I read about Anson - which was not hagiographic but certainly British-centric - said that Centurion (24 lbrs) could have wiped out all the Chinese naval vessels and forts on the Pearl River (armed with nothing larger than 4lbrs). FWIW...

What the junks lacked in cannon, they made up in numbers. The flagship of the Chinese at the Battle of Chuenpee had only 12 guns. But there were 13 additional war junks and 15 fire rafts. The british frigate and sloop, a million miles from home with no port to go to nor anybody who could fix their damaged ships, were into it up to their eyebrows. The British withdrew from the battle, never challenging the flagship.

[7eat51]

From both of your posts, my suspicion seemed correct. The western ships would have outgunned, the junks, but the Chinese would have had numbers on their side. I think this would make for an interesting scenario because of the tactics involved - definitely something worth looking into.

I just found this title - could be promising:

[7eat51]

And on Chinese pirate minis: http://cianty-tabletop.blogspot.com/...g-chinese.html

And 1:1200 armed junks: http://navwar.co.uk/nav/default.asp?detail=4246

KWANTUNG ARMED JUNK
Code - 12CJU1
£3.00
Qty
Description - ARMED JUNK Kwantung sea-going Junk widely used in Southern China in the 19th and 20th Centuries. Although primarily merchant vessels, they were widely both by the Chinese Navy and by Pirates as armed vessels due to their speed and strength. 11 junks of this type served at the Battle of Foochow as part of the Naval Squadron. When armed they could carry 4 or 6 smooth bore guns, usually 24 pdrs.

An Langton's: http://www.rodlangton.com/notice.htm

Order Ref: FE1
Chinese Sea Going Junk of Canton Area. Price £7.00
Used for Coastal, Trading, Fishing and Piracy. Kit comprises metal hull and fittings and
brass photo etch sails.

[Kentop]

Junks weren't easy to sink either. A certain engineer, looking at the way junks were constructed, came up with the idea of water tight compartments below decks. No, the junks did not use southern live oak in their construction, but they didn't suffer the splintering effect the oak caused when struck. Junks were the preferred ship among pirates in the South China Sea for a reason. There are such things as seven masted junks, hauling a years supply of linen to Macau or Canton during the same period.

[NimitsTexan]

1. My curiosity about the Yorktown has been piqued. I know very little about WWII naval history, but some of the comments here have me desirous to learn more. Baz, on the 'Drome, introduced me to Shattered Sword. I picked up a few Osprey titles in their duel series covering the U.S. Navy and the IJN for a couple of bucks apiece - one on carriers, one on destroyers, and one on cruisers. Time to add these to the summer reading list.

Shattered Sword is excellent (though I think in a few cases the author's overstate their revisionist case), and is "required reading" for any interested in the Midway campaign; however, it focuses almost exclusively on the Japanese side of Midway. If you really want to know more about Yorktown and/or the American side at Midway, you also need to add in Lundstrom's First Team and Black Shoe Admiral, though admittedly both cover a much wider scope than just Midway. Prange's Miracle at Midway, while starting to get a little bit dated (and challenged/superseded in part by Shattered Sword, is still probably the best overall one volume narrative account of the battle. Ian Toll (of Six Frigates fame) has done a book on the first six months of the naval war in the Pacific (Pearl Harbor through Midway); I have not had a chance to read it yet (doing my Master's Thesis on the IJN, I have not had as much opportunity to read outside of that topic lately as I would have liked), but, based on Six Frigates, I would suspect it is at least decent.

[Kentop]

Shattered Sword is excellent (though I think in a few cases the author's overstate their revisionist case), and is "required reading" for any interested in the Midway campaign; however, it focuses almost exclusively on the Japanese side of Midway. If you really want to know more about Yorktown and/or the American side at Midway, you also need to add in Lundstrom's First Team and Black Shoe Admiral, though admittedly both cover a much wider scope than just Midway. Prange's Miracle at Midway, while starting to get a little bit dated (and challenged/superseded in part by Shattered Sword, is still probably the best overall one volume narrative account of the battle. Ian Toll (of Six Frigates fame) has done a book on the first six months of the naval war in the Pacific (Pearl Harbor through Midway); I have not had a chance to read it yet (doing my Master's Thesis on the IJN, I have not had as much opportunity to read outside of that topic lately as I would have liked), but, based on Six Frigates, I would suspect it is at least decent.

And your Master's thesis about the Imperial Japanese Navy is about what? Your are a post grad at what college? If you talk the talk, please walk the walk.

[Popsical]

1. My curiosity about the Yorktown has been piqued. I know very little about WWII naval history, but some of the comments here have me desirous to learn more. Baz, on the 'Drome, introduced me to Shattered Sword. I picked up a few Osprey titles in their duel series covering the U.S. Navy and the IJN for a couple of bucks apiece - one on carriers, one on destroyers, and one on cruisers. Time to add these to the summer reading list.

2. Kenneth, you paint an attractive picture for missions to the Chinese Coast. Not knowing much about junks, would they offer a decent fight to a frigate, or would there have to be a high numerical advantage to create an even playing field?

There is a book which i will try to dig up from my collection about Dr Ballards search to find the wrecks of the Midway carriers (US and IJN).
I recommend this as a very touching way to read about Midway.

[GrimmJack]

I would love to see a game with Civil War era ironclads in the mix. In a way, they might have shot themselves in the foot a little by calling it "Sails" of glory. "Seas" of glory would have opened up more avenues for future expansion as we could have even gone as far as WWII battleships.

Ok, I'll chance putting my foot in my mouth and enter the conversation here. Would more USN ships be a welcome sight? Of course, but then I'm an American, the Polish fleet doesnt interest me. (No offense) But I would say we all have that bias to some point, some more than others. Would I call wanting more USN ships petty? Not in the least, we all would love to see our country represented.

Having said that? I intend to play the Brits in the game, because of family history, not nationality. :)

I will say however that the second the game leaves sail powered ships and moves into coal etc? I will step away. I have no interest in another WWII game of any stripe having been down that road and fought those battles to many times over the years. (I'm 52 and been gaming since I was 13)

The War between the States would be as far as I would go down that road, with the iron clads being my stopping point.

No offense intended to anyone that wants to go that route, simply my 2 cents. :)

[7eat51]

Interesting approach to military history, Steve. Thank you for pointing this out. I am working on a project that examines WWI and WWII pilots' and/or crew members' actions in light of virtues - a nice way to combine work and hobby. Your comment, here, about "touching way" reinforces my desire for a part two focusing on ship captains. I find the human story the most fascinating aspect of military history - behaviors, thought processes, values, effect of personality, sacrifice, etc.

Melvin, I do not think you have anything to be concerned about regarding the scope of SoG. Ares will be focused on AoS for years; the pace at which waves are released would dictate such a thing, especially when adding WoG releases to the mix. The only way I can envision Ares deviating from AoS is with the introduction of a new game, something I hope the company won't do until SoG and WoG has far more releases in-hand.

[Popsical]

Ares says they will go back to 1650 i hear, this is a shame as ships such as the Mary Rose were before that date.
However for an interesting read of a fantastic character in this earlier era of (potential) SoG, you cannot do better than look at Prince Rupert of the Rhine.
Not only did he become immensely famous as a dashing cavalry officer for his uncle Charles I during the ECW (well spotted Rory) , but he went on to become a hugely successful privateer after the conflict had finished on land for Charles II after the restoration. He was the iconic image of the dashing Cavalier and led from the front in a head strong manner, which ultimately led to conflict with other generals.
Here is a very brief summary of his life.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/histori...t_prince.shtml

[Devsdoc]

Not only did he become immensely famous as a dashing cavalry officer for his uncle Charles II during the ECW, but he went on to become a hugely successful privateer after the conflict had finished on land. He was the iconic image of the dashing Cavalier and led from the front in a head strong manner, which ultimately led to conflict with other generals.
Here is a very brief summary of his life.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/histori...t_prince.shtml

Sorry Steve,
He dashed around for Charles one.
Be safe
Rory

[Popsical]

Cheers Rory, missed some typing whilst chatting

[Devsdoc]

Sorry for being an, You known what!
Be safe
Rory

[7eat51]

While taking a break from writing today, actually yesterday now, I started rereading this text due to this thread. I am picking up so much more this time through. I am a bit amazed at how much I have learned from posts on this site since the first reading.

[Diamondback]

Melvin, Ares has a hard cutoff date of sometime in 1815 for this game. I'm not sure if it's end of War of 1812, end of the Hundred Days or end of calendar-year, but you need not fear ironclads in SGN, they're at this point Not Gonna Happen. This is direct from specs and guidance they've given me as one of their historical consultants, so treat it as pretty solid.

After SGN is on its feet, I wouldn't rule out a separate ACW line as a possibility, but if it happens it will probably be a separate line, not interoperable with SGN. Really, I'd think that Sail, SAil/Steam Transition, Pre-Dreadnought and Dreadnought Era would require four separate variants on the game engine if Ares were to do them, and my money is to not see the latter three--the era of "barbette/turret" warships is already well-represented by easily-assembled offerings from other lines, and I think Ares is trying to go for the "Sail for the Dexterity Challenged" market.

[Popsical]

While taking a break from writing today, actually yesterday now, I started rereading this text due to this thread. I am picking up so much more this time through. I am a bit amazed at how much I have learned from posts on this site since the first reading.

For what its worth, do you think the author of this book has a large bottom?

[David Manley]

Melvin, Ares has a hard cutoff date of sometime in 1815 for this game. I'm not sure if it's end of War of 1812, end of the Hundred Days or end of calendar-year, but you need not fear ironclads in SGN, they're at this point Not Gonna Happen. This is direct from specs and guidance they've given me as one of their historical consultants, so treat it as pretty solid.

After SGN is on its feet, I wouldn't rule out a separate ACW line as a possibility, but if it happens it will probably be a separate line, not interoperable with SGN. Really, I'd think that Sail, SAil/Steam Transition, Pre-Dreadnought and Dreadnought Era would require four separate variants on the game engine if Ares were to do them, and my money is to not see the latter three--the era of "barbette/turret" warships is already well-represented by easily-assembled offerings from other lines, and I think Ares is trying to go for the "Sail for the Dexterity Challenged" market.

Personally I don't think we'll ever see Ares move into these periods. Models become progressively easier to build and paint, and there are a plethora of existing rules out there that work really well. I can't see it being financially viable for our Italian chums.

[Nightmoss]

Melvin, Ares has a hard cutoff date of sometime in 1815 for this game. I'm not sure if it's end of War of 1812, end of the Hundred Days or end of calendar-year, but you need not fear ironclads in SGN, they're at this point Not Gonna Happen. This is direct from specs and guidance they've given me as one of their historical consultants, so treat it as pretty solid.

After SGN is on its feet, I wouldn't rule out a separate ACW line as a possibility, but if it happens it will probably be a separate line, not interoperable with SGN. Really, I'd think that Sail, SAil/Steam Transition, Pre-Dreadnought and Dreadnought Era would require four separate variants on the game engine if Ares were to do them, and my money is to not see the latter three--the era of "barbette/turret" warships is already well-represented by easily-assembled offerings from other lines, and I think Ares is trying to go for the "Sail for the Dexterity Challenged" market.

"Sailing for the Dexterity Challenged" Makes me wonder why Ares (or anyone) hasn't gone with a more click based naval miniatures game (collectible or otherwise)? Probably too expensive to produce and you'd still have the issue of scale, sailing and measurements.

[n815e]

Note I said "first successful large federal" republic. The Roman Republic was never federal. Moreover, I would debate that it was ever a "large" republic, or at least a "large republic" for any length of time. The Roman republic institutions were more or less limited to the city of Rome for most of its existence. Rome to not control large tracts of territory outside its immediate vicinity until the decades before the Roman Civil War, and that form of government was never extended to those conquered territories. On the other hand, it was in near immediate aftermath of granting citizenship to to the residents of its Italian client city-states (after the Social Wars), that the Roman Republic started to come apart at the seams.

Actually, it was a federal type of government for much of it's existence. It formed the central governing body of the areas it conquered, but largely left the governments of the city-states and other peoples to govern themselves with a certain amount of autonomy, just as long as taxes were paid and troops were raised to fulfill their obligations. It's federal nature was what Hannibal attempted to exploit, as a more centralized government wouldn't have been possible to break up piecemeal.
The aftermath of the Social War was not the cause of the downfall of the republic. It was already weakening as a government during the Punic Wars. Once the loyalty of the troops shifted from the state to the generals (the "Marian" reforms), the republic was doomed to suffer the ambitions of powerful individuals trying to exert their authority over their fellows.

[csadn]

"Sailing for the Dexterity Challenged" Makes me wonder why Ares (or anyone) hasn't gone with a more click based naval miniatures game (collectible or otherwise)? Probably too expensive to produce and you'd still have the issue of scale, sailing and measurements.

_Admiral_ comes close -- the ship stats for a 100-gun SoL fit on a 3"x5" card; and they use refrigerator-magnet materials for the cards and the damage markers, so not only is each ship kept on a small card, the damage markers are not easily shifted by casual contact. Movement is easy to figure out, as well.

[7eat51]

For what its worth, do you think the author of this book has a large bottom?

Thanks for the laugh.

[7eat51]

Interesting remark regarding SoG being for the dexterity challenged. As I am sitting here with a bunch of A&A Bandit High mini boosters, I decided to look up the game on BGG. Someone posted how they like the A&A game better than WoG for just this reason - much easier to maneuver on a hexagonal grid than using Ares' card mechanism.

I cannot imagine Ares going into ACW. Setting aside game mechanics, etc., I wonder if there would be a sufficient market to make the game financially attractive. How popular is the ACW outside of U.S., especially the naval aspect. I understand if folks play a game about the battle of Gettysburg, being an iconic battle of the War.

[Diamondback]

Just to be clear, I mean 'DEX Chal' in the *build* department--it's far easier to push minis around a table than to guide fiddly bits into proper position and keep them there while the glue cures. :)

[7eat51]

Got it. That makes sense, now.

[Nightmoss]

_Admiral_ comes close -- the ship stats for a 100-gun SoL fit on a 3"x5" card; and they use refrigerator-magnet materials for the cards and the damage markers, so not only is each ship kept on a small card, the damage markers are not easily shifted by casual contact. Movement is easy to figure out, as well.

Is this the game from Zvezda?

[Nightmoss]

Interesting remark regarding SoG being for the dexterity challenged. As I am sitting here with a bunch of A&A Bandit High mini boosters, I decided to look up the game on BGG. Someone posted how they like the A&A game better than WoG for just this reason - much easier to maneuver on a hexagonal grid than using Ares' card mechanism.

I cannot imagine Ares going into ACW. Setting aside game mechanics, etc., I wonder if there would be a sufficient market to make the game financially attractive. How popular is the ACW outside of U.S., especially the naval aspect. I understand if folks play a game about the battle of Gettysburg, being an iconic battle of the War.

It really wouldn't suprise me to learn that miniature ACW is actually more popular outside of the US than inside. The same for frontier western US history.

[Berthier]

I'm waiting for GMT to release their Command & Colors Napoleonics - United States Army since if we need more US ships, then that has to be a giant hole in the gaming market as well....

[David Manley]

How popular is the ACW outside of U.S., especially the naval aspect......

Very - worth noting that many of the most popular ACW naval ranges and rules originate from outside the US

[7eat51]

Very - worth noting that many of the most popular ACW naval ranges and rules originate from outside the US

Interesting. I am not sure what this says, what the implications are. Given the talk about the "minor" skirmish of the War of 1812 in the perceptions of Europeans, it makes me wonder why the ACW, with no direct combat with a European country, would be popular. Is it what the War stood for, the battles, the technology of the ironclads? I'm curious.

Daniel, you are a very bad boy, clever and funny, but bad.

[Popsical]

I can speak for myself and my best mate, the ACW is a draw to us because of the flair and dash of the Confederate forces (sorry union).
The Royalists of the ECW have the same effect, something of the glamour and panache combined with doomed causes.
Many of the people who fought for those causes were good men who felt it their duty to fight.
By contrast, the Parliamentarian and Union forces have less va va voom in regard to their image in the greater public minds.

[David Manley]

For me its a combination of factors. The weird and wonderful designs, the disparate nature of the forces involved, the quite frankly ludicrous names with which some of the ships were saddled, submarines, balloons, battles on rivers, some fascinating campaigns to name but the main ones. I first got interested in the genre when I saw a very large scale cut away model of the USS Benton at the Model Engineer Exhibition at Alexandra Palace when I was at an impressionable age, and that translated into an interest in wargaming when I read Andy Callan's "Noddy" rules in Miniature Wargames (must have been mid 80s I guess). I scratch built a load of ships to use with those rules, then migrated on to Navwar 1/1200 models after visiting the shop in Ilford. About the same time I played in a refight of the passage of Port Hudson at the NWS with a much more complex set of rules which was fun, but really clunky. That spurred me on to write "Iron and Fire" which quickly established itself as one of the main sets of commercially available ironclad naval rules and it all kind of snowballed from there :)

[csadn]

Is this the game from Zvezda?

Bombat -- Ukraine.

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/132556/admiral

Interesting. I am not sure what this says, what the implications are. Given the talk about the "minor" skirmish of the War of 1812 in the perceptions of Europeans, it makes me wonder why the ACW, with no direct combat with a European country, would be popular. Is it what the War stood for, the battles, the technology of the ironclads? I'm curious.

It's that: If the Euros had been Paying Attention, they would have foreseen what was going to happen in WW1, and recalculated their strategies accordingly....

[7eat51]

Interesting. Thank you Steve and David.

[7eat51]

It's that: If the Euros had been Paying Attention, they would have foreseen what was going to happen in WW1, and recalculated their strategies accordingly....

I think I understand what you're getting at, but I am not sure. Would you mind expounding a bit?

[Devsdoc]

The A.C.W. was the frist modern war. We in Europe miss it. Only the Franco-Prussian war came close. O.K. the Crimea war was a little bit like it and in the Boar War we started to understand standing in lines with pretty colour coats on was not so good. We saw the old meet the new weapons and the frist total war. The A.C.W. is and was a milestone in the history of war.
It was frist time "He with the mostest fastest won". Not until W.W.1. was it seen again. This time both sides had the industrial might to stop both sides died. Most of what happen in W.W.1. was frist seen on a smaller scale in the A.C.W. trench warfare, railways became important, mass call-up and industry playing a big part. Sad as all this is the A.C.W. had. Napoleonic ways with big toys. This was also seen by us in naval warfare. Wooden ships going up against Iron-clads. And the two don't mix. That is the interest of the A.C.W. to us over this side of the pond.
Be safe
Rory

[7eat51]

Thanks, Rory, for your insightful comments.

My interest in the ACW took off with the watching of the film Gettysburg, especially the speeches and actions of Colonel Chamberlain. I would have followed that man - a very impressive figure.

[Nightmoss]

Bombat -- Ukraine.

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/132556/admiral



It's that: If the Euros had been Paying Attention, they would have foreseen what was going to happen in WW1, and recalculated their strategies accordingly....

Thanks for the link. I have credit with Noble Knight Games so may watch for it there.

[Devsdoc]

In the 60's we had a set of gum cards. I would spend my pocket money on them and tried to get the set. At some point some of the cards where band as they where so bloody. This made us kid all the more determined to get them all. I think it was number 7 the raid on a hospital that was hardest to get. I loved the Airfix figures and the A.C.W. was the best set's to get. Troop from both sides, Cavalry and Artillery. I got "Charge or how to play wargames" also in the late 60's early 70's and started to use Britain's Swoppet figures to wargame with. I did go back to Airfix after seeing the film Waterloo and they started doing Waterloo and A.W.I. figures. So it was lining up the A.C.W. figures all unpainted that started me in wargaming.
Be safe
Rory