So here we go, as mentioned previously, a little run through of the recent battle that DG and I have just completed in our ongoing American Civil War campaign.. we started the battle on December 12th, so although virtual games across the ether are a definite possibility, they aren't quick...!
We used Battle Chronicler for handling the movement, as the level of granularity is just phenomenal - we used a table top that was measured in "real" inches, allowing us to represent units in "real" size. The rules were Regimental Fire and Fury, and DG and I tended to exchange move files once per day. In many ways this explains how long it took us to play the game, which only lasted for 12 turns, but took approximately 50 days to complete...! A Regimental Fire and Fury turn comprises 8 phases - so a minimum of 8 days/move - faster if there was no melee or shooting by either side...
Terrain was as above (click on any of the pictures for a bigger view), and as DG was already present he was allowed a short time to create some quick defences represented by the line of fences and logs just north of the station.
The objective of the game for me was to push DG out of the town whilst not taking too many casualties... (there were other tactical and strategic imperatives, but DG reads this blog so I'll not expound on them here!)
Forces available were one brigade of infantry for DG, two brigades for me - the second of which would not arrive until later in the game. No artillery on either side - I had a half squadron of cavalry....
The following shows the progression of the game, which you can download the first nine moves of here [click here] and the end of the game from here [click here] - all you need is Battle Chronicler, open the file with that and you'll be able to see all the game mechanics, dice throws and everything else DG and I discussed... clicking the move advance button shows the units magically marching across the pixels as if by magic... well electrons anyway...
Move 1 (and I'm only showing the Confederate moves) and I enter the table - I made full use of the available room for a daring (for me) flank march, successfully bypassing the fortified walls/logs etc. I like to think DG was worrying at this point!
A combination of moves from DG, on balance though I drew from this that he was worried - half of his infantry withdrew while one advanced looking to take me on, and the other (huge!) regiment about turned...
...and time to attack - short moves to go from column of march to double lines and away they go - Georgia boys to the fore... in the ensuing melee the Union 12 New Jersey regiment breaks and routs... in the subsequent Union turn they fail morale and retreat again..
Turn four and it's the turn of the Confederate cavalry to keep the pressure on the 12th New Jersey - a mad dash across the battlefield, they contact and drive the 12th back in such disarray that they carry on and also attack the 108th New York and drive them back as well! They did well, but truth be told I knew they'd overextended themselves... elsewhere you can see that the 60th Georgia are wavering...
Turn 5 and my reinforcements arrive in the form of my second infantry brigade - with the hurriedly fortified positions now clear, I send them straight into the fray.. their combined shooting is almost enough to finish off the 108th NY, and the subsequent charge by the 13th Georgia sweeps them from the field.. elsewhere the 1st Delaware and contacted and forced to surrender.. to be honest - I could no wrong this turn, and I suspect DG thought he was on the wrong end of a tsunami - the dice went my way, and the arrival of my second brigade was timely..
Closing in... the field is mine... 14th Carolina caught and finished off..
General pursuit - and at this time we recognised that we needed a bigger table - which with Battle Chronicler is a synch... we just increased the size! Switch to the second file I linked to above for the rest of the game...
Pursuit..
More pursuit...
Caught him... firing...
End of game just before this turn...
Post Match Analysis:
In the meanwhile the campaign rolls on...
We used Battle Chronicler for handling the movement, as the level of granularity is just phenomenal - we used a table top that was measured in "real" inches, allowing us to represent units in "real" size. The rules were Regimental Fire and Fury, and DG and I tended to exchange move files once per day. In many ways this explains how long it took us to play the game, which only lasted for 12 turns, but took approximately 50 days to complete...! A Regimental Fire and Fury turn comprises 8 phases - so a minimum of 8 days/move - faster if there was no melee or shooting by either side...
Terrain was as above (click on any of the pictures for a bigger view), and as DG was already present he was allowed a short time to create some quick defences represented by the line of fences and logs just north of the station.The objective of the game for me was to push DG out of the town whilst not taking too many casualties... (there were other tactical and strategic imperatives, but DG reads this blog so I'll not expound on them here!)
Forces available were one brigade of infantry for DG, two brigades for me - the second of which would not arrive until later in the game. No artillery on either side - I had a half squadron of cavalry....
The following shows the progression of the game, which you can download the first nine moves of here [click here] and the end of the game from here [click here] - all you need is Battle Chronicler, open the file with that and you'll be able to see all the game mechanics, dice throws and everything else DG and I discussed... clicking the move advance button shows the units magically marching across the pixels as if by magic... well electrons anyway...
Move 1 (and I'm only showing the Confederate moves) and I enter the table - I made full use of the available room for a daring (for me) flank march, successfully bypassing the fortified walls/logs etc. I like to think DG was worrying at this point!
A combination of moves from DG, on balance though I drew from this that he was worried - half of his infantry withdrew while one advanced looking to take me on, and the other (huge!) regiment about turned...
...and time to attack - short moves to go from column of march to double lines and away they go - Georgia boys to the fore... in the ensuing melee the Union 12 New Jersey regiment breaks and routs... in the subsequent Union turn they fail morale and retreat again..
Turn four and it's the turn of the Confederate cavalry to keep the pressure on the 12th New Jersey - a mad dash across the battlefield, they contact and drive the 12th back in such disarray that they carry on and also attack the 108th New York and drive them back as well! They did well, but truth be told I knew they'd overextended themselves... elsewhere you can see that the 60th Georgia are wavering...
Turn 5 and my reinforcements arrive in the form of my second infantry brigade - with the hurriedly fortified positions now clear, I send them straight into the fray.. their combined shooting is almost enough to finish off the 108th NY, and the subsequent charge by the 13th Georgia sweeps them from the field.. elsewhere the 1st Delaware and contacted and forced to surrender.. to be honest - I could no wrong this turn, and I suspect DG thought he was on the wrong end of a tsunami - the dice went my way, and the arrival of my second brigade was timely..
Closing in... the field is mine... 14th Carolina caught and finished off..
General pursuit - and at this time we recognised that we needed a bigger table - which with Battle Chronicler is a synch... we just increased the size! Switch to the second file I linked to above for the rest of the game...
Pursuit..
More pursuit...
Caught him... firing...
End of game just before this turn...Post Match Analysis:
- A good game for me - it was one of those games where certainly in the middle phase I could do no wrong - the dice were definitely rolling my way
- Having said that, I think my tactics were sound, and I outnumbered DG so I really should have won - I wasn't expecting to do it quite so resoundingly though..
- Casualty recovery occurred overnight and was diced for - I recovered ... well if I told you I'd have to kill you - I have no idea how DG did, but I hope it was worse then me!
- Something like our third game with these rules, but the first time with the published full set (we've been using the beta up until now) and again no real issues... surprisingly few differences between the beta and full versions - obviously we had a late beta version or the rules were just good in the first place!
In the meanwhile the campaign rolls on...
Those maps are friggin cool.
ReplyDeleteGood thing my family saved their Confederate money, isn't it?
ReplyDelete(Actually I have no idea what happened to it . . . I know that my Grandmother showed me some when I was a little tyke . . . but I never saw it again.)
Looks like you had a good battle plan and carried it out well.
-- Jeff
A classic demonstration as to what happens when the enemy successfully turn your flank. The battle was won on the opening move with the bypassing of the defences.
ReplyDeleteWell done.
Thanks all - I was quite chuffed with the plan, but I'm no Bobby Lee.. :o)
ReplyDeleteBeccas - I can't take the credit for the map, DG created it and a damn good job he did of it... can't speak highly enough of Battle Chronicler either as a game recorder, or for playing virtual games - bloody amazing when you consider it's free!
Those maps are very cool, good game and you always need to protect your flanks, good dice rolls help aswell.
ReplyDelete'Twas a battle that shouldn't really have been fought. But I was anxious to blood my troops in the hope I could delay the Rebel advance or at least inflict some useful casualties. In the event I didn't achieve either. However; the next encounter will be different! DG
ReplyDelete