As I've stated before I use Carnage and Glory II as my rules. I find them very good and it punish the person who uses poor tactics while factoring in ammo, terrain, weather, morale, etc. at the same time.
I have run two solo 1st Kernstown games. The table I used was 6x5, and to be honest it was just too big. It took forever to move troops. With this in mind I am taking a page out of the guys who put together the Alter of Freedom rule/website. My board will be significantly smaller. Just in putting things together as a template it looks much better, although it feels strange with such a small board. I posted a pic at the end.
In both my 1st Kernstown games the Confederates suffered 24% and 20% casualties while the Federals suffered 7% and 3% respectively. The first time I used 1 inch equals 50 yards. Although this worked ok for faster movement it didn't really seem to fit 6mm. I use 1 inch equals 50 yards for 18mm. So I redid my measuring sticks (C and G have specific rulers - they are cool) to 1 inch equals 150 yards (taken from the Alter of Freedom guys). This worked better but made the 6x5 board way too big.
As for casualties, the Confederates have a mixture of good and bad rifles, so do the Federals but that Federal artillery just eats Confederates for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Its murderous. The first solo game saw the Confederates get eaten up in a head on assault towards Prichards Hill. The second solo game saw two enveloping attacks which resulted with the Federals occupying good defensive ground in woods on their right flank with Kimball's troops. Given this position the Confederate attack against these forces in the woods caused three of the five regiments of Garnett's command to rout after serious casualties. The Confederate right flank pushed hard into Sullivan and was supported by guns but could not break the Federals. Now would have been the time to launch the reserves at Prichards hill and drive the Federal guns off, but with the Stonewall brigade unable to keep the Federals occupied on the Confederate left it would have not been a good move. Also at that time word came that Tyler had arrived with his command and was somewhere nearby. So the Confederates withdrew....and there were 20% casualties to contend with.
Typically I play the C and G Napoleonic rules. This is my second time with the ACW rules. I have to say that the rifles of the ACW period are bloody murderous! Closing on your enemy is a death sentence in many cases, and if you happen to have a unit that has to get within 200 yards of an opponent to fire at long range, and the opponents optimal range is 300 plus yards, say goodbye to your unit because it will not survive long enough to get more than one volley off.
I can see why R.E. Lee used woods to neutralize Federal superiority; why old soldiers went prone and did their fire fight instead of "charge valiantly", and why it is critical in C and G to use tactics. Fall back, regroup, send i skirmishers, but don't just march in to the fire.
I did not send in a unit or two as skirmishers for the Confederates but i know now that my habit of using them when playing the Napoleonic rules for C and G will stay in place.
Lastly, I am posting a picture of the board I am making for 1st Kernstown. This styrofoam board consists of three parts and use some recycled pieces I obtained from when we bought cabinet and it was surrounded by styrofoam. (My wife thinks I'm nuts) Although white styrofoam, and I know it is not the best, its cheap and serves as my first official battlefield board. It comes in three parts. It is a total of 2 feet 7 inches by four feet 10 inches. It'll work.
I have mapped out my hills, roads and water course and carved out the water course. I vacuumed up those white little puffs after carving out the water water course with a dermal tool. I will probably use the water down pvc glue - paper towel - pvc glue method. I will post pictures as I go.
You see the board as the Confederate player. Prichard's hill is in the center. Roads are drawn in, water curse is carved out. I will probably use cork board for the hills but I am kicking around another method I saw the Alter of Freedom boys show recently. Probably cork board though since its my first attempt.
If this works I believe this will be my new method of playing, and I will eventually buy 6mm NAPs and Great War figures from Baccus (via Scale Creep Miniatures) and continue this battle board process.