Played our first game in a 3-game 'Glory Hallelujah' mini-campaign at the club last night. Both parties selected 3 armies from a pool of units- some elite types, some raw troops, most plain regulars - then assigned each army to one of 3 maps (with provision for some movement between maps). We then rolled to see which map we played on.
Anyways, first battle was fought on the map I had drawn up - fenced fields between two ridges, with light woods on two table edges (I had gone for a First Day of Gettysburg vibe).
I had assigned my largest force to this map- a brigade of 5 elite infantry regiments and 2 identical brigades of mixed regular and raw infantry (3 and 2 per brigade respectively) for a total of 15 regiments. Two batteries of 12-pounders and two batteries of rifles supported the army.
Svend, the Confederate commander, had deployed what turned out to be his weakest force - a mixed brigade of cavalry and infantry plus 2 identical brigades of 4 raw regiments (armed with smoothbore muskets), for a total of 2 cavalry and 10 infantry regiments). A battery of horse artillery and two batteries of 12-pounders completed his army.
With this force disparity, I had a real chance of snatching an early victory. I deployed my mixed brigades in line to contest the centre and deployed my elite 1st brigade in march columns on the right, with the intention of advancing quickly and enveloping the Confederate left flank. Marcus, who had organised the mini-campaign, sat in as my left-flank brigade commander.
Svend placed his mixed 'legion' on his right, one infantry brigade contesting the centre, and had refused his third brigade on his left (also deployed in march columns, to ease redeployment should it be necessary).
Best laid plans of mice and men, and all that...while my 1st and 2nd brigades stepped off quickly, Marcus' 3rd brigade refused to budge. Confederate cavalry and artillery advanced quickly to place him under galling fire, eventually 'whipping' one of his regular regiments.
In the centre, Svend won the race for the dubious cover of a rail fence and began pouring fire into my 2nd brigade. At short range, the faster-loading smoothbore muskets came into their own - scoring an extra fire dice with the 'Pour it on boys' rule. Svend rolled enough sixes to ensure my troops were pinned under that hail of lead, unable to move, for a couple of turns.
On my right, the Union elite infantry ground forward, slowly (too slowly!) enveloping the Confederate line. My own shooting was diabolical,while Svend's men fought (and rolled break tests) like heroes. A battery of Napoleons deployed forward to place a Confederate regiment under close-range enfilade fire - it took 3 turns (18 dice!) to finally 'whip' them and force them out of the line. This opened a gap, and also exposed another regiment to enfilade fire. At that point, Svend conceded.
However, back on the Union left, the Confederates were leaving the table in good order. They had inflicted disproportionate casualties on their Union opponents (their plan all along!) and, orders fulfilled, marched away. Once they had left, Marcus was able to take the survivors of his brigade in pursuit. Would they be in time to influence the outcome of the next battle? Time will tell...
14 October 2009, 01:40:15 PM