I have been toying with getting into 15 mm ACW gaming, and have been looking for rules sets. Of course you can’t swing a dead cat on an ACW board without someone mentioning Johhny Reb III (see my buyer’s notes/review here). So I picked up the rules and decided to join the Johnny Reb gaming society. I subscribed and picked up all the back issues of the Charge! newsletter at the same time (Issue 7 was just published).

First of all, each issue comes neatly spiral comb-bound (Kinko’s style). Each issue is 24 pages and the covers are printed on card stock. Overall the presentation is very nice. Just flipping the pages after opening the envelope I was pleasantly surprised. The pages all have very nice layouts, and there is a bit of color inside as well! And while there are occasional lapses in the proofreading (only to be expected from a volunteer run newsletter) they are pretty minor.

Guts. The major guts of each issue are the scenarios. Each issue has 2-5 scenarios. Each scenario has historical background, complete OOB information, maps, victory conditions, and optional rules. Almost all of the maps are in color (!) and very nicely drawn. Most are drawn using software, though the one hand-drawn map I saw was still very clear and easy to read. (Click the thumbnail at right to see a sample map from the Shepherdstown scenario in issue #1 - note that it looks better in print than it does here, reduced for the web). I like the mix of scenarios - they cover all the theaters and include lesser known actions, and complete smaller battles.

Blood. If the scenarios are the guts, the articles are the blood. For the most part they come in two varieties: modeling and history (often linked together). There are some very nice terrain articles covering forts, working with “pink board” making cornfield and the like. Most are well illustrated with photos, usually in color. The historical articles cover a variety of topics such as cornfields, reviews, siege guns, balloons, etc.

Sweat. Finally, each issue has a variety of other odds and ends. These include articles such as:

• a regular column of Q&A from John Hill the game’s designer
• errata and rules additions/clarifications
• assorted non-terrain “how-to” articles such as how to add havelocks in 15mm
• uniform information
• Reviews of other ACW gaming products including rules

Overall, I was very impressed. Each article is “meaty” and appropriate to the newsletter. They assume some familiarity with the ACW (such as what a rifled cannon is, what “dress the lines” means, and so on) but don’t fall into the trap of presenting lists of minutiae as “articles.” The use of illustrations is another way in which the newsletter shines. The illustrations really help the articles, rather than acting as mere window dressing or space-fillers.

Whether you like JR3 or not, if you’re an avid ACW gamer, you’ll find plenty here to keep you inspired. Definitely recommended!

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