Matchstick American Civil War

A few months ago my wargaming club introduced me to the game LaSalle. I found the mechanics similar to DBA and very interesting - especially the interruption mechanic.

A picture from one of two 6mm battles I got to take part in as part of the club. This was my first experience

with 6mm and I love the size of units and sense of scale they give the table.

I decided I wanted a creative project and decided to make a pair of armies for the game using matchsticks to see how the work as a medium. I debated doing F&I or 1812 but ultimately chose to do ACW because it kept me from having to do irregular uniforms. 

                                                                

This is my original idea for infantry layout - each block is meant to represent a company with 8 companies total per regiment (the skirmish line not being bases). I ultimately scraped it and decided to have a single line of foot across the whole base. The figures were painted in simple bands of colour - sky blue pants, grey or dark blue coats, a thin stripe of pink or brown for skin and then a cap matching the coat.


I put the horses on thinner bases because I like longer columns but I will still be able to use them with figures based 40mm across.


Here’s a side few of the horse made of three normal matchsticks in an L shape plus a half-matchstick for the horses head. When I painted these I did a brown base coat, painted the riders exactly the same as infantry, and added a stripe of black horse head down the head every few millimeters.

Here are some finished Confederate infantry, intended to be the Army of the Mississippi. I chose this theater because it allowed more unique regiment flags which suits the small scale of the figures and allows me to more easily differentiate between green and elite regiments. I also included the stainless banner (83-85), before the red-stripe was added, so each unit also has a consistent banner.

Here are some Union infantry and cavalry. Their banners are more uniform than the CSA I don’t have as much leeway to tell units apart. I suppose I could give some black hats as the Iron Brigade or a green banner with a harp to mark out an Irish regiment.

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