Part II Victory Hill and the PDF scenario

[has.been]

I wish I could say I painted it, but it wasn't me.
The skill belongs to a friend, Andy Taylor.

[vodkafan]

OK here we go GAME 2. This time I am the Confederates.

Turn 1 sees the initial ambush.

The Union units are hit hard. Casualties are slightly higher than in the first game but none of them fail the initial morale test. This is a crucial difference to the first game!
On the Union first turn the 45th NY throw double six on activation. The random events table  allows a second action for the same unit straight after the first. Peter makes the most of this

He fires. The Rebs take 3 casualties and are disordered. Then the  Union bayonet charges up the hill !

The 16th Mississipi lose 3 more casualties and become a half strength unit. They reel back broken! First VP to the Union.

The two opposing Brigade commanders are in handshake distance!
in the centre the  Green 8th NY fail their activation so do nothing-still shocked by the ambush?
but 27th Pennsylvania also charge up the hill.

Their boldness wins the melee and 15th Alabama are pushed back

Both units have the same number of casualties but the Rebs are broken and the only action they can take next turn is to try to rally.
The Bucktails see no advantage to tying to flank through the woods so they change direction and make a full move to add their weight to the events in the centre.


Well that was an eventful first turn. I have to admit that Peter's generalship was better.
In Turn 2:
21st Georgia sent musket balls downhill. But they might as well have rolled marbles- the smoothbore musket fire found no bodies.

The two Reb units either side both successfully rallied.
On the Union turn 2
The 27th Penn follow up and charge the 15th Alabama again, hardly giving them time to collect their wits

It is a vicious scrap. Men die on both sides but the Rebs lose one more casualty than the Union so they are pushed back in Disorder. Union morale remains good.

The weakened 16th Miss. are charged again.

 After this melee they are  Broken and pushed back again, now down to a third of their original strength.
Once again all they can do is try to Rally next turn.

In the centre the 21st Georgia are fired on first by rifles of the skirmishing Bucktails, which causes 1 casualty:

and then by the muskets of the 8th NY, which causes none.  Reb Morale holds good.

[Norm]

Well, quite the different game - tense play! Can the Confederate reinforcement rescue the moment?

[vodkafan]

Turn 3 
on the Confederate turn 16th Mississipi Rally as best as they are able-they cannot get rid of the single permanent disorder marker for being less than half strength.
In the centre The Georgians fail their activation and do nothing.
On the Confederate right flank 15th Alabama fail to Rally and retreat back a half move.

Union turn:

45th NY charge again; I fully expect 16th Miss to be wiped out but they fight as if possessed by demons and this happens:

Yes the Union unit loses the melee and pulls back with losses. One charge too many I guess. They pass their morale test.
In the centre 21st Georgia are fired on again by the Bucktails and their numbers are being whittled down. At the base of the hill 8th NY fail to activate again.


Turn 4

On the Confederate go both the units on the main hill fire but with no effect. The 15th Alabama Rally again. These Rebs are certainly game.




We have both been so engrossed with events on the hill we completely forgot Buell's artillery. They belatedly activate now and race forward an 8" move, but won't be in time to take part in this first half of the game.
45th NY  attack again and this time 16th Mississipi are wiped out to a man.
2 VP to the Union.
The Bucktails skirmish up the hill, firing to half effect as they go.

21st Georgia are now at half strength (+1 VP to the Union) and  Broken, they have pulled back a half move from the crest of the hill.
Once again the 15th Alabama have only just Rallied before being rushed again. The  Regular Union troops are determined to harry them right off the hill.



Turn 5, the last turn of the first half.
The 15th Alabama , now down to half strength, ineffectually fire their muskets up the hill they just vacated:

21st Georgia manage to Rally as best they can, but then have to turn to face one last charge from the tired 45th NY (their fifth bayonet charge!)



and then after that from the 8th NY

It is simply too much. The remnants break and rout

 (In the Officer Fate roll after the game, Trimble is rolled to have been wounded, but is pulled off the battlefield by his loyal troops)
The reverse slope of the hill is strewn with Confederate dead.



At this point technically Peter has already won enough VPs to claim victory for the whole scenario; but we carry on with Game 2 anyway.




 

[Golgotha]

Awesome looking game and nice sounding scenario and stat ideas...

[MaleGriffin]

Magnificent! Beautiful game! Well done!

[vodkafan]

GAME 2 PART 2:


Turn 1 and both Regiments of the Confederate reinforcement Brigade activate without trouble.

On the Union turn  27th Penn pull back:

The Yankees on the main hill all activate on their dice rolls and Stahal forms them into a battle line across the slope.


In Turn 2
The Rebs start to deploy:

Buell's artillery gets near but he's going to have to get it on the hill to see any Rebs.

Here is how things stand at end of turn 2:


Turn 3

This is my last photo as my phone died


But the Confederates conceded defeat shortly after this.
The second Yankee Brigade started to reach the hill;
One of my reinforcing regiments rolled a double 1 random event which turned out to be no ammunition; and the last straw was when Buell's artillery got onto the hill and had both my regiments covered.

I guess the lesson to take away is that if the initial ambush fails to inflict enough hurt on the Union at the beginning then the Rebs are really in trouble.

Many thanks to has.been for hosting (this was his scenery and 90% his toys)  and to Norm for this excellent scenario. 

[vodkafan]

I do like the aspect and impact of random events, both of our rules used them to give a good narrative and your Bucktails giving friendly fire and then what rolls out of that is a great example of that.

 Norm, we also like the double 1 and double 6 random events, although one of our pals hates them! They add a lot to the fun but always seem believable. The other aspect of Rebels and Patriots is the Officer Traits and the way the officer develops over a series of games; victories bring promotion to higher rank. But this being a historical scenario we decided giving the Commanders traits might skew things too much. But in every other way these were both typical Rebels and Patriot games.

[Norm]

Thanks very much for not only running the scenario, but also for putting so much time and effort into presenting a narrative here. The fight for the hill proved to be a real nail-biter!

Yes, I agree on the random events, especially on the point that they can be so believable. They really add something to the dynamics of play without adding extra rules overhead.

[vodkafan]

The pleasure was ours, we had a lot of fun. And you have got me back into ACW so I might get some unfinished stuff done before long. We look forward to some more scenarios from you in the same vein.

[has.been]

The pleasure was ours, we had a lot of fun. And you have got me back into ACW so I might get some unfinished stuff done before long. We look forward to some more scenarios from you in the same vein.

As the other player, I echo James' sentiments. 

[flatpack]

Well done.
Two games in a day.
Looks like James will be digging out more ACW figures to paint.

[has.been]

Looks like James will be digging out more ACW figures to paint.

He has just acquired some more Redoubt ACW figures.
James has a hankering to try the 'Bonny Blue Flag' rules set.
 

[Zingara]

Good report and well done Norm for designing the scenario. I like swapping sides - give both sides an appreciation of the problem.