This Pocket Army project is aiming for 8 - 10 infantry units, 1 mounted and 1 dismounted cavalry unit and two gun batteries (in pairs of 2) per side, to allow for 2 - 3 brigades fr each force, giving a divisional sized game and this should be a good fit for a dining table type game.

For support it will need mounted leaders and casualty bases and then the specific terrain for the period such as snake fencing and ACW buildings.

As a starting point, the Perry ACW 28mm Battle in a Box, offers superb value to the gamer looking for the first building blocks to an ACW collection. The contents are plastic and both sides get 4 infantry regiments, 1 cavalry regiment, 2 guns, 1 commander, a building kit and some snake fencing.

It includes a fast play starter set of rules called Firepower, with some scenarios designed to work with the contents of the box.

With the starter box all painted up, there have been enough troops to get some small games to the table and keep up the enthusiasm for painting more units.

I have been using the small scenarios that come from the Neil Thomas ‘One Hour Wargames’ book, but using the supplied Perry Firepower rules as they are a step up from the simple Thomas rules. However, I know that as the number of figures grow, I will be looking for rules that do a bit more.

So I have been looking at Black Powder (Warlord Games) and have also been working at converting my Two Flags - One Nation rules from being hex based to being usable on the open table and designing another scenario to include in the rules, that will be even smaller than the Mill Creek scenario to serve as an introduction that works with small collections (mine).

To keep the project growing, I have bought Perry dismounted cavalry for both sides, a couple of extra guns and some more Perry plastic infantry. From 1st Corps, a pack of 8 casualties for each side have also entered the collection.

For terrain, the snake fencing has been added to. Ten 8” strips were made up from BBQ type skewers and a further six 12” strips were bought from a terrain builder (Last Valley) at a wargame show. The building from the starter kit has also been made up into a nice looking piece.

The painted part of the collection has now hit the mid point of the Pocket Army concept, with the forces big enough that any of the ‘One Hour Wargame’ scenarios from the Neil Thomas book can be played.

Central to each force are 6 regiments of infantry.

Each side also has a cavalry regiment, including dismounted troops and artillery.

To take all of this to the next stage, each side simply needs 3 more regiments of infantry and a couple of commander bases painted up. the Confederate side also needs one more artillery piece, so that each side can field a couple of batteries, each of two guns.

When only one battery is needed, the union can be represented with three guns and the Confederates with two, to reflect their organisational deployment.

I think each army will fit into one of these plastic boxes, which are 12L as sold by Hobbycraft (UK).