INTRODUCTION
Ahem. I apologize for the hyperbolic post title, but I haven’t had an ACW victory in months and months, so I have to vigorously exercise my bragging rights when the opportunity arises! In fact, I think The Scarlet J has beaten me (soundly) a half dozen times in a row, before this most recent outing. In any case, on to the battle report….
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AFTER ACTION REPORT
This battle was to be yet another meeting engagement, played using Regimental Fire and Fury; however, there were a few key differences between this game and our usual set-up.
We used random terrain placement, which consisted of strips of paper with types of terrain on them pulled from a hat and laid down on a grid. At that point, terrain was applied to the board as directed by the papers.
Somewhere in Mississippi…The Yanks over on the right are there temporarily, while TSJ organizes his brigades.
I would NEVER have set up a battlefield with all the terrain in the center of the board. I mean, who would choose to give battle in such a place? Having to deal with whatever came out of the hat was an interesting challenge, and would provide unusual opportunities, as well.
We then rolled a die each, and whomever (or is that whoever) rolled highest had to make a choice: pick your side of the table, or choose who moves first. The Scarlet J won the roll, and chose his side (hereafter called the north side of the table). I chose to make the Yankees deploy first. This would let me see their starting disposition before committing my own forces.
The other significant change was in the order of battle. For these fictional scenarios, we typically put out six ten stand regiments each, with cavalry and a couple of batteries. This time, I wanted to spin things a little differently-we went with 60 stands of infantry, arranged however you like. TSJ stuck with the large 10 stand regiments, but I broke mine down into a mixture of sizes, and ended up with a total of eight regiments. These eight regiments consisted of two ten stand regiments, two eights, and four sixes, all in two brigades. The smaller regiments would be brittle, quickly going from fresh to worn to spent (these three states have significant effects on maneuvering in Regimental Fire and Fury), but I thought having more maneuver elements might prove to be an advantage.
Confederate forces take the battlefield. My right-hand force faces light resistance (two regiments, one of which is cavalry, and a battery). They’ll attempt to brush this resistance aside, and roll up the Yankee flank. Nothing but 6 stand regiments on this side of the field!
The blocking force is screened by the central hill, for now. They’ll be fighting for their lives once the Yankees come ’round the mountain. My larger, more resilient regiments are on this wing.
Blocking force sits, while thing heat up on the center and right flank. I really should have dismounted my cavalry, at this point. Later, they’d pay for my dereliction. My largest regiment holds the center, and occupies the north end of the wheat field.
A warm action…Weight of fire begins to tell on the Yanks, though I’m taking some casualties, as well. My artillery is considering advancing into the corn field, to take the advancing Yanks on my left under enfilade fire. Note that I’m deployed in depth (well, sort of)? Unheard of!
Thinning them out, before the big push.
The fight in the center.
Over on my right, it’s looking mighty thin for Billy Yank. The cavalry has pulled back (I think they were out of command, and rolled poorly on a rally check.) Time to charge!
At last, the northerners crest the screening hill on my left. Bloodshed ensues. Screaming horses!
Fighting all along the line. My poor cavalry is still mounted, and now is within range of a couple of full strength Yank regiments.
My assault force rushes forward, and pushes the Yankee Zouaves back. Not pictured, tissues for drying TSJs tears.
Victorioius charge. The Zouaves would route off the table at the next rally phase.
The main battle line has shifted nearly 45 degrees.
The Yanks are doing well on my left, and have pushed me back a considerable distance. You could even say they’re threatening my lines of communication (represented by a supply wagon). Still, I have decent forces there for defense, which are in good order.
Shot from the observation balloon. Opportunities abound for Johnny Reb.
State of the game, at end of play. I had pulled back on my left to get a little distance from the Yank onslaught. On the right, I moved a couple of shot-up regiments to deal with the Yankee cavalry (waaaay up there on the right). I was a little concerned that, unattended, they might mount up and make a run on my artillery.
The Scarlet J called the game after four or five turns. I had eliminated one of his regiments, had greatly reduced his cavalry, and was about to take his batteries on the northern hill, or at least drive them away. This would have uncovered TSJ’s supply wagon, and I most likely could have captured it.
Major Confederate victory!!!
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DEBRIEFING
I think having the additional infantry maneuver elements DID help me. At one point I was able to drive a wedge between a couple of Yank regiments, and push one of my small units up to get enfilading fire on a flank exposed by aforementioned wedge driving. This simply wouldn’t have been possible with larger regiments. Plus, I was able to deploy in depth, and could pull (or push) regiments from the second line up into the front to plug holes, or just use them as support in charges. It was very nice to have that flexibility, and made the game much more interesting tactically.
The terrain really worked to my advantage. Having that screening hill in the center of the battlefield gave me a couple of turns to prosecute my attack plan on the right, without having to worry about what The Scarlet J was going to do to me on my left. Once he DID move to contact on the left flank, I knew I’d be able to hold at least a couple of turns. Having initiative, and choosing to let the Yanks go first helped me out with this, too.
If TSJ made a mistake, I think it was in leaving his Zouaves and Cavalry out-of-command the entire game. Those units were in trouble from the start, and it can be difficult to make rally checks, when there’s no commander there to offer support.
Here’s the real reason I won, though: Luck. I started off very hot on the dice, and made at least a dozen good rolls right at the beginning, while TSJ struggled along with a bunch of ones, twos, and threes. AS I KNOW FROM LONG SUFFERING EXPERIENCE it can be very difficult to overcome a streak of luck.
ArkieGamer 