Planning Kriegsspiel for Strategicon in Los Angeles, May, 2015

I just got home from an enjoyable weekend of gaming in Los Angeles. Although it was hot and humid both outside and in (the hotel had some air conditioning issues on the 2nd and 3rd floors where I spent most of my time) the games were fun and my duties were light.

As it happened, I was asked by multiple people about Kriegsspiel. Was there going to be a game this time?

Apparently, the game I ran with Calpurnius last February made quite a splash and was talked about long after the con ended. There's significant interest for another and I was asked by a friend and organizer if I would run a game at the next con.

Unfortunately, the next con conflicts with Valentine's Day, which gives me the choice between umpiring a game and divorce, which is a no-brainer, except that lawyers are really expensive. So unless I can get a discount rate on legal services, the game will have to wait until the May 2015 event. From then on, assuming the game is successful, I will run the game as a regular Sunday event.

This is where I need your help.

The interest is in a Civil War KS game. I need an American Civil War map to use. I will have custom units made for the game. I can use the map to plan a scenario of interest that uses the units and players that show up.

Do you have any map resources I could use?

Beyond that, any specific advice? Hopefully Calpurnius can make the event too and direct or help umpire, but even without the affable fellow, I am attacking.

-Neal

"Unfortunately, the next con conflicts with Valentine's Day....."

Sometimes I wonder what hope there is for wargamers.  Let's pray that we are not relying on a breeding program to secure the future of our hobby

Will have a think re maps.  I'm sure something can be done.

Martin (J)

Was it Khryses who ran a superb Shiloh game at Little Gaddesden last year?

David Commerford is having trouble logging on at the moment, but has asked me to post following:

Neal,

There are multiple maps available on line from the Library of Congress and Ohio State University.

Those from the Library of Congress are found here: http://www.loc.gov/collection/civil-war-maps/

OSU are here: http://ehistory.osu.edu/osu/sources/records/atlas.cfm

In terms of being useful, the LoC ones are more varied and if you hunt around you can find period maps of the territory actually fought over, drawn during or just before the war. While these have more atmosphere, age and style of drawing sometimes make them hard to read.

The OSU ones are clearer but like a number of the LoC ones, a lot of them have the dispositions and movements of troops marked on them. As the are digital you can get round this with "Photoshop", or something similar, that has a "Clone" function which enables you to replace one part of the map with another. Painting over a Unit block with adjacent wooded terrain, for example.

Both sites have maps suitable for indvidual battles, or more strategic actions.

Thank you.

I know scale matters, so I would need a map with the proper scale. As far as what map, it doesn't matter, anything from the correct time and place will do.

Thank you all for your continued help. So you know, I ordered customized pieces today, colored blue and gray.

-Neal