What can I say? 
'Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa..etc", I am a bad blogger, bad boy, for it has been 5 weeks at least since my last update... I have no excuse, just a general lack of time, a new office location (which is taking an extra hour a day out of my life more than the previous location due to it being further away), some much needed R&R (Cyprus.. just glorious...), and various other time wastage's ("life").. I think that I will be making some serious changes come the new year - it's time I started culling those various wastes of time, that detract from the more constructive use of my time (you know who you are Farcebook)...
Anywho... here we are/were.. it was 'Warfare weekend', and as friend DG was down from deepest darkest Wales to attend the show, it seemed downright churlish not to also grab the chance of a game.. period was a quick decision, it's been almost two years since the last game using these ACW figures, and that is more than long enough.. last time we played, we used the rules from One Hour Wargames that we had played around with and modified - they give a good game and have a particularly good mechanic for unit activation I like, so we decided to use the same again this time..
For a scenario I went back to the book to continue the delightful wend through the scenario's, and I am up to #19 which posits the idea of a surprise flank attack from the rear (and you'll get no more than that from me as you need to go buy the book [clicky] if you haven't already... only £3 on Kindle!)
Table was as follows:
The river marks the defensive line..
..the defender deploys this side of it, the attacker the other side..
We played fixed/identical forces of 6 units - three infantry (Regulars by God!), one zouave, one cavalry, one artillery.. DG chose Union and the defender role, I took Confederate and the attacker role..
....and so to the game (or games, as we played twice..)
First game... a resounding DG victory..
Early in the game (following) and on my right flank/bridge (following) I had deployed a blocking regiment who never quite managed to suck in as many of DG's troops as I had hoped..
On the left flank was the bold move... I have sent my zouaves and a supporting infantry regiment across the bridge with the idea of forcing an early decision - unfortunately, it was 'decision making' but not quite the way I wanted it to be...
....as by the time my reinforcements had arrived on the table (following) both the zouaves and the infantry had been destroyed..
...and worse, DG's reinforcements we sallying forth from their encampment (following)..
...in these rules, you move or you fire, and it encourages static positions in the presence of any enemy so that you can fire... suffice to say DG managed this better than I and with my reinforcements melting away I conceded... time for beer and starch based comestibles...
Second game... a resounding StW victory..!
Having started on the beers we decided to play again, same sides/forces, as I think I saw what I had done wrong and wanted to see if I could force a win..
For this game I deployed the infantry and zouaves on the other bridge (my right flank) but with artillery support from the start... basically I then blew DG's forces away from the bridge, crossed in force (following), and DG conceded when it was clear he wouldn't be able to force my units away from the bridge..
...apologies, no other pictures as I was enjoying the game too much!
Post match analysis:
- we continue to really like the dice allocated activation, and when the ECW forces arrive on the table I will use the same mechanism in the rules I write for them
- we cocked up mightily on cavalry charging (or rather not charging) and only realised we had about half way through the second game - won't make that mistake again! Basically they can charge anything, not nothing..
- some kind of unit marker to show full/two thirds/third strength would speed up play considerably
- beer on the evening was the delightful "Summer Lightning" [clicky], an absolutely classic bottle conditioned golden ale
Hi Steve,
ReplyDeleteLooks like a heap of fun and I really should revisit the OHW book (and get the same for the Kindle). I would be curious to see what your take on the rules for the period look like.
All the best,
DC
DC - send me a message via the contact me widget on my blog and I'll send you a copy..
DeleteI use coloured chits for one third and two third strength (yellow and red tiddlywinks respectively). Yes, it does speed things up.
ReplyDeleteHiya Martin - you read our mind - we were going to use the same red and yellow map pins as I use for the AWI rules
DeleteSounds like two very different but interesting games.
ReplyDeleteDavid - defimitely... and the very best outcome, a win each..!
DeleteNice game as always and playing twice is exactly what Neil Thomas is about :-)
ReplyDeleteI know you do your own variant, so wondered re your cavalry comment - in his rules, NT doesn't allow hand-to-hand combat for the ACW period (i.e. cavalry wouldn't be able to charge).
Hi Norm - yes, and in all reality he is probably right - but in our rules infantry only charge when they have an "advantage" (and only against other infantry/atillery) but cavalry can charge anything.. if they can reach...
DeleteGreat looking games. Hope you enjoyed Warfare? Hop Back do make some tasty beer!
ReplyDeleteRay - cracking weekend, including the beer...!
DeleteHi Steve, I think your changes have the right balance and I have always viewed charging to contact as including just moving very close and firing, intimidating the other to break away and not necessarily an actual crossing of bayonet / sword in the physical sense. In the Thomas rules as written, because you can only Fire OR Move and movement comes before shooting, then when the shooting actually removes the enemy, it becomes impossible to there and then take that ground. From that perspective alone, I think his rules need a charge event to simulate clearing and taking ground.
ReplyDeleteNorm - yes, and that turn sequence was the major change we made.. what we do now is throw a number of dice equivalent to the number of units on the table, and then allocate the dice one per unit depending on which units you want to action first, low numbers move first, if two units have the same number then dice off to decide who goes first, then you can move/charge or fire (just one)...
DeleteClearly an enjoyable game and again goes to show you don't need hundreds of figures on the table to achieve this. 6 units per side and the game played twice with refreshments, excellent.
ReplyDeleteLee - you sum it up nicely... having said that a couple of extra units would have fitted just as well... :o)
DeleteGood looking games and perfect results! I really like the rule set and I also like that beer!
ReplyDeleteBest Iain
Iain, ta muchly... you are,of course, absolutely right... :o))
Delete