I had trouble trying to post here yesterday, it seems the post was too large?? So I`ll try again in two bits
Turns 1-20
Federal spoiler attack - the game
First off in between me setting up, I realised I`d miss-judged distances and the time it actually takes for the boats to land their troops! Pretty basic stuff, but quite critical in a game.
Therefore the game now starts after the boats have arrived and unloaded their troops, the alarm has already been raised and the rest of the garrison rolls to see how long it takes then to organise.
Another change to the scenario as written, the Constitutionalists start rolling for reinforcements from turn 10 and then every 5 turns, but I changed the table as infantry would just never get anywhere close to the action, so all results where infantry are mentioned (except the train) are changed to cavalry.
First off I set up the troops landing and placed the chits on all the buildings/tents - I marked 8 discs (one for each 5 man squad), mixed them face down and randomly placed them so i had no idea where each unit was. I also rolled for the alert "6" which meant of course those troops off duty would react until turn 7!
The Federals land
I than randomly (by rough grid) placed the two active defender patrols
The game begins turn 1
The 1st naval platoon reaches the first shack at the end of this turn, the chit is marked (occupied), I rule the sailors spend 2 turns butchering the occupants!
Turn 2 the 2nd naval platoon comes under fire from the defenders roving patrol!
Turn 3 sees the 2nd naval platoon with some excellent marksmanship and 4 x 6s on 5D6 virtually wiping out their opponents!
At the other end of the beach (the Federal left) a unit of infantry finds their shack occupied and again I rule the defenders lost!!
During these turns Col. Gomez pushes on toward the rail yard with the bulk of his command.
Turns 4-6 see a general advance, the second roving patrol appears and causes some casualties
Col. Gomez continues onward towards his objective
Turn 7 I turn over all the remaining chits to reveal where the defenders are - weirdly as these things go the random deployment was pretty good - the station building, one of the warehouses, two of the buildings by the station and the last 2 units in the cantina (life imitating art)
Turns 8-9 the defenders deploy and begin a protracted resistance
Turn 10 sees Col Gomez taking personal command of the machine gun and directing its fire against the station and warehouse
also this turn the first reinforcements arrive - a troop of cavalry.
Turn 11-12
Saw bitter fighting in the pueblo, the Federals employed good envelopment tactics and used grenades to clear one building!
Turns 13-14
Saw the machine gun driving off the defenders of the rail station, the sappers started setting their charges on turn 14.
Troops crossed the rail line and engaged the last few occupied buildings, sailors moved down the federal right and checked the last few buildings (unoccupied anyway) they then set up to repel the incoming cavalry.
Turn 15
More cavalry turn up
The last buildings are cleared of defenders, the first cavalry unit is engaged with the sailors on the Federal right.
Turn 16
The warehouses explode
Turn 17
Sees both cavalry troops shot to pieces! The sappers start work on the rail line itself
Turn 18
The cavalry (both units) break and run
Turn 19
The Federal move to form a defensive pocket around the sappers
Turn 20
The rail line explodes!
Yet more cavalry arrives