"One Hour Wargames" - Scenario 4 - "Take the High Ground" - The Game

..and so having taken you through the set up [clicky], on to the game..

The table was as follows - starting edges top (me) and bottom (DG):

For this game only two units start on the table - they deploy (anywhere they like) on the hill and we decided up front that they would be Confederate, and that I would play them. The decision as to where to deploy them on the hill is very much shaped by what both sides throw on the automatic force table..

In our case I threw a one (four regular infantry with musket/1 elite infantry (zouaves)/1 artillery(light horse)) and DG threw a four (four regular infantry with musket/1 elite infantry (zouaves)/1 regular infantry with rifle).

I took the decision to garrison the forward half of the hill (which was classed as "broken ground" for movement purposes), and I used one of my regular infantry regiments and the Zouaves (for stiffening purposes)

DG (surprisingly, I thought but it turned out he had misunderstood the shooting ranges) deployed his rifle armed regiment on his far right flank, and attacked headlong with his regulars holding his zouaves in reserve..

The following shows the situation 3 or 4 moves in; my garrison still holds the hill, DG is attacking with 3 regiments (we are exchanging rifle fire), he has a flanking force moving up in column, his Rifle Regiment is in the corn field in the far distance. I have entered from the road and sent one regiment of regulars to hold that flank while the other two, and the artillery are moving to my left..  the artillery has just deployed.

Three or four more moves - I like this picture - dice, firing arcs [clicky - thanks again AJ!], that's a wargame in progress..  out of picture a bowl of Hula Hoops (other starch based snacks are available) and a glass of ale ("Proper Job" in my case, "Flagship" for DG), a good time was being had...  click to embigen (as Conrad Kinch would say)..  my artillery has opened fire (not particularly effective all game as I remember) but DG's assault on the hill has been beaten off bloodily.... the two units with red dice behind them are down 2 bases each so about to become "shaken" (reduced firing/melee effectiveness). DG has bought on the zouave reserve...

A few moves later and how the picture has changed! My left flanking force (on the road) has been sent packing by DG's Rifle Regiment; a concerted assault by two regiments of regulars has seen my Zouaves off, in the foreground two regiments are coming to blows (this was a ding dong affair lasting three turns). I'm bringing up reinforcements, as is DG, my regulars are however still on the hill (you can just see their flag the other side of the victorious Yankies)

Happily however, it didn't stay that way for long...  my zouaves recovered and came howling over the hill, pushing all before them - DG's army then became shaken (force level morale check due to bases lost), and I eventually won the melee in the foreground of the previous...  DG graciously conceded...

Post Match Analysis:

• I do like the "Hearts of Tin" rules - they give a fast, bloody, simple game with enough nuances to make you think a little, perfect...
• We had a few questions which I'll direct to Ross McF - specifically how does defensive fire work, are there any special movement requirements for "retreat" and "retire".. nothing major, and being grognards DG and I just came up with an understanding we both were happy with...  we did realise afterwards that we didn't play the melee right as we didn't understand the "corner to corner" comment correctly (in essence overlapping bases do count)
• the key to winning the game is judicious use of "range based troops" - assaults are always bloody, so the key is to use the troops you have with superior range, in our case rifles, artillery, or cavalry...  given his army choice I think DG would have been better off flanking the hill with his regulars and using his Rifle Regiment to either pin,or inflict long range pain. I would have had no choice but to either retreat over the ridge (in which case he could follow up), or come at him, in which case the flanking units would take the hill. If he'd had artillery I'd have done the same; with cavalry the option to pin with one and outflank with the other becomes easier...  easy to say in hindsight in'nit..
• we played to conclusion in a little over 2 hours, as the evening was still relatively young we played on after the army break and it was a lot closer than DG thought it was going to be..

Looking forward to the next one already!