Dahlgren and Columbiad Duels

CSS Alabama vs USS Kearsage

I've singled out two follow on scenarios for Dahlgren and Columbiad, after my initial try out game the other day, both featuring duels between Confederate and Union warships to keep it simple while I learn the rules. The first scenario is the classic Battle of Cherbourg of June 19th 1864 between the USS Kearsage and CSS Alabama, which should be interesting as neither ship is armoured and both have pintle mounted armament as well as broadside batteries. This will be an action on the open sea and a duel to the death, or at least until one ship or the other is forced to withdraw.

CSS Arkansas vs USS Carondelet (but you get the idea)

The second scenario is a riverine action with a 'What If?' twist, featuring the ironclad ram CSS Arkansas and the river ironclad USS Essex, which almost happened on 6th August 1862 at Baton Rouge. In the actual event, the Arkansas broke down and was scuttled before going into action but I'm going to give her a chance and send her into battle, albeit with the chance of a crank pin snapping at a critical moment. It will interesting to try out the rules for mechanical failure, drifting and grounding, assuming the Arkansas does actually conk out.

As before, I'll be using the print and play card counters that I prepared before I left for France, so there are no actual miniatures involved, for the moment at least. It's a great way to play around with a set of rules to learn the 'ins and outs' without actually having to assemble and paint the relevant models, but it does leave something to be desired from a visual point of view. I'm definitely going to follow up this rules learning exercise with some resin and lead, however, probably in 1/600th scale with my big box of ACW ironclads.