ACW Rules and a Revised Revision....

Whilst tinkering with my homegrown ACW River Action Rules - which are ready to playtest just as soon as I finalise the specifications for the combatants - I was struck by how easily the basic system could be translated into a different era, namely the next one up the timeline - my old favourite of 1890 to 1918. I already have a pretty good set for these (if I say so myself!) that I have drafted for my own use and have successfully used for a few Balkan Wars and WW1 actions. If anything the ACW set is probably closer to what I wanted to achieve for the later era than that which I already have. I am tempted then to rework the later set into a direct equivalent of the ACW version in the interest of consistency. I realise that most naval enthusiasts will probably be scratching their collective heads at this - primarily because a warship of 1900 was a very different animal from its 1863 equivalent (especially on the rivers!) - but in respect of my rule mechanics this difference largely disappears. With this in mind I have cobbled together a set based on the earlier ACW version which I shall experiment with. This may not work but I am keen to try the concept - the biggest advantage of which being the greater simplicity in construction of the ship specification tables - in due course. Should this work out (and I cannot see any reason why not which probably means there are a hundred reasons why not!) then I will of course discuss my findings further on the blog. I have managed to acquire the missing material from Modelzone for my ACW models currently under construction and so tomorrow evening will see the building resume in earnest. I also have a cunning plan in connection with stern wheelers (this was giving me a minor headache and no mistake!) - more of which when the order from Screwfix arrives!