I have been playing around with different configurations for a custom table and wanted to note some things I’ve landed on that I really like. A main one thing is having the map mounted so that it can slide around as needed on top of a bigger playing area. My table is 65” x 95” in total with a 5.5” arm rest around the outside and the middle is a recessed neoprene surface. I have the OOB Global map mounted on 1/2” rigid foam with a 1/2” aluminum frame around it. This allows the map to slide up close to whoever’s turn it is, but then be in the middle so both players can roll dice In front of them without disturbing the map and in easy view of the other player. (Plus we like lots of room to roll the bones). This ability to adjust the surface along with a standing height, makes it comfortable for long uses because you can move around more and don’t feel as tied down.
Things I’ve learned and changed from original design - I originally used too big of a frame for the map and mounted it on too high of a foam block (you can see these pictures at the bottom) - it made it hard to see the other player’s dice and the big frame took up too much real estate. My global map is mounted on much thinner foam (the framing is bad, you can see if you look closely) but I also used much thinner aluminum angle for the frame. This gives just enough grip when needing to move the map around (I use furniture slides on the bottom, which glide very nicely on the neoprene) but doesn’t make the whole thing too bulky. Having it an inch or so off the surface keeps the dice off, but isn’t so heigh that you can’t see the other player’s dice rolls. When playing other versions (such as Zombies) the board is much smaller, but it can easily swap in and out on the same table since it can move around where ever it is needed or be pushed aside.
I originally made it normal table height, but found long reaches while sitting were harder and it just felt cramped. Standing height with a bar stool is a great way to have the best of both worlds.
The 5.5” rim around the table itself gives you a nice arm rest that doesn’t interfere with the gaming surface. I’m playing with how to best add some cushion to this part - open to suggestions. Sometimes I just lay a piece of leftover neoprene on it.
Dice bounce nice on the neoprene and stay off the floor. It also feels nice and has enough give to allow things to slide but be picked up easily. Wouldn’t definitely go with neoprene again as a surface covering.
I made the drawers open to the inside of the table so you can stay hunched over the action while accessing and stowing stuff away. 50/50 on whether I would keep this if I were to do it again. If I were doing it again, I might try to build customer drawers form scratch using actual drawer glides, but that was beyond my ability when I first did this, so I just used clear plexiglass boxes with aluminum pulls mounted on them. It’s nice having them clear, and I was happy with how the pulls came out, but without glides they can be a little fussy sliding in and out of their slots.
I originally designed the table so that I could put a cover surface back on top when not in use, but find I don’t really ever do that, so if I were to do it again, I might not mess with that part (I never even finished staining those as you can see in the pictures).
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Axis and Allies Civil War Game
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https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2744368678
Welcome to Total War 1861-1865! My goal is to create something new out of something we already know and love – Axis and Allies. Many have been looking for a Civil War era game that plays mechanically like Axis and Allies and feels and plays like a historically themed civil war game should. So here is my attempt at creating it! If you have been a player, most of the rules should seem pretty seamless and intuitive. There are a number of rule changes and additions to make play more interesting since there are fewer units to work with during this ear of warfare. I will make a list here for you to take note before diving into the rules. Much of it will seem the same and easily recognizable. Thanks to all those on social media who have made suggestions along the way. Like what you see? Buy me a coffee
New Units: Cavalry, fortifications, breastworks, garrisons, warships (sail), ironclads, schooners, and riverboats. See unit profiles for details.
Espionage: Spies perform infrastructure damage and steal currency.
Retreats: Defender may retreat on a successful die roll.
Assault/charge: Attacker may perform an all out charge on defender.
Amphibious assault: transports must be paired up with other ships to move, only infantry can assault occupied territories and don’t fire first round.
Cavalry raids
Sherman’s Total War: Attacks on infrastructure by all ground units.
Ports: Ports are safe havens for ships.
Possible Great Britain involvement.
Two hit Ironclads.
Several theaters of play from the Mississippi river to the eastern theater to the far west.
Pre-Combat roll table to add historical advantages and disadvantages.
First strike artillery bombardments.
Combine arms with artillery paired up with either infantry or cavalry
Fortifications and breastworks for defender.
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@earmark This looks so cool, I’ve seen a civil war game discussed but never an actual board. Have you play tested it?
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@tincanofthesea
It is being playtested right now on Tabletop Simulator. Just getting started with that and I’m hoping its balanced well, but might need to make some adjustments. If you have TS, you can play if for free…it’s in the workshop. If all all goes well, I’m planning on printing up 50 games to sell. Facebook has a large axis and allies community called “axis and allies”. In the files section I have posted the map and rules. -
Will this game come with the miniatures?
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@earmark
watching; this looks incredible. Well done! -
@john-brown Yes. Having them printed.
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@vodot Thanks! You can follow progress of this game on facebook forum for axis and allies if you’re already on it.
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I suggest you look at some historical maps. The New Mexico and Arizona Territory were historically divided horizontally not like the current division of the states to this day. The northern half of the territory was pro Union and the southern half was pro confederacy. Also the Axis and Allies style of mechanics for combat do not work the Civil War Era. Most regiments are just not completed killed off in battle. Rolling dice and eliminating whole regiments within a turn is far from historically accurate and does not capture the nature of the combat. IPCs in the Civil War Era do not make sense. Most of the southern states were rural and agricultural in nature. Also most of the Southern states did not like helping each other out. They were never really unified as the North was in their cause. Also the vast majority of Southerns would refuse any attacks made into the North. Robert Lee got into huge problems when he invaded the North. The Southerns just wanted to fight a purely defensive war. The South had better generals and better trained soldiers because by its rural nature most of the people who enlisted already knew how to fire a weapon and they knew their home territority.
The reason a successful Civil War style Axis and Allies does not exist, is because the mechanics do not translate to the appropriate time period. I suggest doing extensive research about the Civil War, including how battles were fought, and how the states interacted with each other, and etc…
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Thanks for the feedback. Most of the rules for the game were crowd sourced from those actually playing an axis and allies style game. The game was never intended to be a historically accurate representation of the American civil war…as are the axis and allies WW2 games. They are themed games. You are welcome to try it out on Steam tabletop simulator if you have it before casting any kind of judgement. It really is a fun game that challenge players. If you want more historically accurate games, you’ll have to look elsewhere.
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