"One Hour Wargames" - Scenario 21 - "Twin Objectives" - Set Up and Game

Another of those mismatched scenario's that I love for the challenge, and this one was an absolute cracker..

My apologies for the dearth of posts, I've been busy with this and that, as is my way in the summer months - the boat [clicky] has taken up time delightfully, but I would also say that the whole Covid thing has been a bit of a pain in the ar*se mentally over the last few weeks - sometimes a good book and a beer are the only option!

Working at home - while do-able - has resulted in longer hours, funnily enough..  you save commute time at each end of the day, but end up using the saved time to start and finish later - how does that work?!

What it also means (when your work desk is in the loft with the toys) is that having spent all day there, the last thing I wanted to do was spend more time there...  ergo less done on the gaming front...

Anyway - it's not been a total dead loss - DG and I have been playing DBN via Battle Chronicler, we're on to our third game now, and while the format has it's challenges, the games have been good fun..  current game is set in 1812 Russia, and my Russian army has been drubbed once, and looks to be on it's way to a second one ...  the Russians, like the Spanish, have their own challenges...

Anyway, onwards and upwards, and I thought it was time I had a game...  this is the first since the inaugural outing with the ECW project, so more than long enough...

Set up...  usual caveats, you need to buy the book so only the basics are presented here, but in summary a numerically inferior force is tasked with denying the superior enemy force two key objectives...  table as follows, the objectives are the town and the hill...  the attacking force deploy from mid to bottom right...  I chose to set the game in the American Civil War with the Confederates as defenders, and the Union as attackers..  The Union had thrown on the random table and got some artillery, albeit to pay for that they also had some cavalry which is not the most useful in this scenario. The Confederates had managed to roll up a regiment of Zouaves however, so all was not totally lost for them..

End Move 1 (follows) - as the Confederate commander (and Union, come to that.. ) I chose to garrison the hill only lightly, most of my defences would be in the town..  for the Union commander then attack the hill in force get the job done quickly, pin the enemy forces in town, get the artillery to help, and home for tea and biscuits by Thanksgiving...  or that was the plan...

End Move 2 (following)

Bang, the assault on the hill by the Union, two up one in reserve; the Rebs open fire as they breast the ridge...

End Move 3 (following)

A ferocious firefight ensues on the hill, first (of my new) casualty tokens appear, click to embigen any of the pictures by the way..  elsewhere the Union artillery has deployed, and the Rebs have sent one regiment out to fend off the Union cavalry who have dismounted to return fire..

End Move 4 (following)

 

The firefight spreads to the entire battlefield...  the Reb regiment on the hill was proving remarkably tenacious in the face of what should have been overwhelming firepower..
 

Union initiative dice..  high is good...  or 'not' in this case....  

End Move 5 (following) - third of the way through and the Union commander is struggling - on of the attacking regiments on the hill has been destroyed and he has bought up the reinforcements...  yellow casualty dice indicate casualties in "6's" if you see them then the unit concerned is getting a drubbing...

End Move 6 (following)...  BANG!!

End Move 7 (following) - the Union finally take the hill but we are half way through the game and the Union still have to crack the town...

End Move 8 (following) Union attack columns wending their way off the hill - the Reb Zouaves in the town are proving as tenacious as their brethren on the hill..

End Move 9 (following) -  the Rebs are down to 50%, a combination if cavalry and artillery fire has done for them at last..  the Union commander however his far from happy that he has had to switch artillery targets in order to save the cavalry..  

End Move 10 (following)  Union cavalry mount (though they re a spent force) - they may have an opportunity for a lightning strike later in the game...  on their left flank the first Union regiment has deployed to attack the town; rather than reinforce failure the unblooded Confederate regiment has moved back into the town both for cover and  the delaying benefit..

End Move 11 (following)  and the Zouaves, after 7 or 8 moves, are finally done for..  well done the Tigers...  the town assault commences...

End Move 12 (following)  ..switching to close up mode...   the Rebs brace themselves...  doesn't look like they'll be enjoying good sipping whiskey and a relax any time soon...

End Move 13 (following) - reduced ranges in town but the Union are ready to go...  only two moves left, and the Confederate regiment is still unblooded...   can the Union commander carry it off?

End Move 14 (following)  BANG!!  Both sides open fire, and at the same time the Union flank regiment charges home....   and is bounced off despite inflicting casualties...

End Move 15/Game (following) - a repeat of move 14...  13 casualties, so the Rebels win by a mere 2 points! Phewwwww.....

Post Match Analysis:

• Proof if any were needed that a solo game does not need to be boring or one sided...!  I played to the best of my abilities for both sides and was rewarded with a super close game...

• The rules use an initiative dice system where you throw one dice per unit, and allocate the dice - highest dice gets to move first so there are tactical decisions to be made (do I need to move them quickly, do I need them to fire before anyone else, etcetc)..  any opposing units with matched dice, throw again to decide who goes first...  

• to inject some grit when I play solo I dice to see who throws first so that the winning player throws and allocates dice after the other side has done theirs...  the scenario as written has one side moving first every move, if I was playing DG across the table that side would throw/allocate their dice before the other side does the same..