victory conditions · 2019. 2. 1. · 52 reinforcing the skirmish line. victory conditions the...

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Reinforcing the skirmish line.

Victory Conditions The winner of the battle is the side which forces their opponent to withdraw from the board, or that attains the most Victory Points. Victory Points are awarded for each unit driven from the field or dispersed.

There also numerous terrain features on the board that award Victory Points to the side that controls them at the end of the game. A player receives 1 Victory Point for each 6 inches of enemy earthworks that they control. To control the works, the player must have a regiment on or over the works. The player cannot be using the reverse slope of the works as cover with the enemy still in them. Control of the hasty works or rifle pits do not gain any Victory Points. Control of the hill at Victory Location A is worth 5 Victory Points. For control, no enemy unit may be within one inch of the bottom of the hill. If an enemy unit is within range, neither side gets the points.

Control of the bridge at Victory Location B is worth 3 Victory Points. For control, no enemy unit may be within two inches of the bridge. If an enemy unit is within range, neither side gets the points.

Control of the crossroads at Victory Location C is worth 5 Victory Points. For control, no enemy unit may be within two inches of the crossroads. If an enemy unit is within range, neither side gets the points.

Control of the hill at Victory Location D is worth 10 Victory Points, as it commands the road and the town. For control, no enemy unit may be within one inch of the bottom of the hill. If an enemy unit is within range, neither side gets the points.

The only units that can exert control over a Victory Location are non-routed infantry, artillery, and cavalry. Officer and command figures, and routed units do not count for control. In addition, each side can receive 10 Victory Points if they connect the units in the town with the units at the main line. To be considered linked-up in this

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fashion, a non-routed infantry regiment from the initial brigade deployed behind the works must be within 2 inches of an infantry, artillery, or cavalry unit that marched unto the board. Officer and command figures cannot provide a connection. There must be an unbroken line of units, with gaps less than two inches apart, across the forest. The formation is irrelevant, as even skirmish lines can provide the connection, and

often did during the real campaigns. Once the line reaches the edge of the forest and out into the open no other connection is necessary. It is entirely possible to cut off the units in the town from the main army, with the possibility of them being destroyed at a later date. It is also possible that both sides could be awarded the 10 Victory Points if each meets the appropriate conditions.

Order of Battle

Union

1st Division

1st Brigade PFDE 20 30 40 50 100 Status Arm.

Colonel [+1] 1,459 73 49 36 29 15

1st Union 412 21 14 10 8 4 3 R

2nd Union 415 21 14 10 8 4 4 R

3rd Union 309 15 10 8 6 3 3 R

4th Union 323 16 11 8 6 3 3 R

Artillery PFDE Status Armament

Battery A 134 3 6x 12 lb. N

1st Cavalry Brigade (independent) PFDE 20 30 40 50 100 Status Arm.

Colonel [+1] 1,441 72 48 36 29 14

1st Union Cavalry 360 18 12 9 7 4 3 BC

2nd Union Cavalry 415 21 14 10 8 4 3 RC

3rd Union Cavalry 343 17 11 9 7 3 3 RC

4th Union Cavalry 323 16 11 8 6 3 3 BC


Battery B 119 4 6x 3" R

2nd Division

Major General [+2]

1st Brigade PFDE 20 30 40 50 100 Status Arm.

Brigadier General [+1] 1,315 66 44 33 26 13

5th Union 339 17 11 8 7 3 4 R

6th Union 397 20 13 10 8 4 3 R

7th Union 220 11 7 6 4 2 3 R

8th Union 359 18 12 9 7 4 3 R

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2nd Brigade PFDE 20 30 40 50 100 Status Arm.

Brigadier General [+2] E 1,438 72 48 36 29 14

9th Union 351 18 12 9 7 4 3 R

10th Union 375 19 13 9 8 4 3 R

11th Union 278 14 9 7 6 3 3 R

12th Union 434 22 14 11 9 4 2 R

3rd Brigade PFDE 20 30 40 50 100 Status Arm.

Colonel [+1] 1,346 67 45 34 27 13

13th Union 401 20 13 10 8 4 3 R

14th Union 325 16 11 8 7 3 4 R

15th Union 306 15 10 8 6 3 3 R

16th Union 314 16 10 8 6 3 3 R


Captain [+1] Artillery Only 375

Battery C 134 3 6x 3" R

Battery D 122 3 6x 10 lb. P

Battery E 119 4 6x 12 lb. N

Confederate

First Confederate Division

Major General [+3] E

First Brigade ES 20 30 40 50 100 Status Arm.


1st Confederate 282 14 9 7 6 3 3 R

2nd Confederate 441 22 15 11 9 4 3 R

3rd Confederate 405 20 13 10 8 4 4 R

4th Confederate 448 22 15 11 9 4 3 R

Second Brigade ES 20 30 40 50 100 Status Arm.


5th Confederate 328 16 11 8 7 3 3 R

6th Confederate 423 21 14 11 8 4 3 R

7th Confederate 364 18 12 9 7 4 4 M

8th Confederate 387 19 13 10 8 4 4 R

Third Brigade ES 20 30 40 50 100 Status Arm.

Colonel [+1] 1,593 80 53 40 32 16

9th Confederate 402 20 13 10 8 4 3 R

10th Confederate 340 17 11 8 7 3 3 R

11th Confederate 293 15 10 7 6 3 4 R

12th Confederate 293 15 10 7 6 3 3 R


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Fourth Brigade ES 20 30 40 50 100 Status Arm.

Brigadier General [+2] E 1,300 65 43 33 26 13

14th Confederate 322 16 11 8 6 3 3 R

15th Confederate 409 20 14 10 8 4 4 R

16th Confederate 322 16 11 8 6 3 3 R


Fifth Brigade ES 20 30 40 50 100 Status Arm.


18th Confederate 362 18 12 9 7 4 3 R

19th Confederate 239 12 8 6 5 2 3 M

20th Confederate 341 17 11 9 7 3 4 R

21st Confederate 255 13 9 6 5 3 4 R

22nd Confederate 244 12 8 6 5 2 3 R

Artillery Battalion ES Status Armament

Major [+1] Artillery Only 421

First Battery 79 3 4x 12 lb. N

Second Battery 82 4 4x 10 lb. P

Third Battery 87 3 4x 12 lb. N

Fourth Battery 91 3 2x 12 lb. N; 2x 10 lb. P

Fifth Battery 82 3 4x 3" R

Optional Rules One option is to have the Confederate player field a four-brigade infantry division, and replace the Fifth Brigade with a brigade of cavalry. Also,

remove the Fifth Confederate Battery from the artillery battalion, and attach it to the cavalry brigade. This brigade will be the first one deployed on the board marching into town. Otherwise, everything else will remain the same.

First Cavalry Brigade ES 20 30 40 50 100 Status Arm.


1st Confederate Cavalry 362 18 12 9 7 4 3 R

2nd Confederate Cavalry 239 12 8 6 5 2 3 BC

3rd Confederate Cavalry 341 17 11 9 7 3 4 C

4th Confederate Cavalry 255 13 9 6 5 3 4 C

5th Confederate Cavalry 244 12 8 6 5 2 3 R

Artillery ES Status Armament

Fifth Battery 82 3 4x 3" R

Similar Battles: Old Church, Laurel Hill, Ezra Church Sam

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1” = 40 Yards

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McPherson’s Ridge 1864

Background In the spring of 1864 the Union Army was in a manpower and organizational crisis. The regiments that had volunteered in 1861 for three years were due to muster out before and during the campaign season. Many did re-enlist for the duration of the war, but their strength was often far below what it had been even a year before. This became a problem with the standard brigade organized around four regiments. The regiments were too small, and thus the brigade as an operational unit was not as strong as it had been, or even as strong as its Confederate counterparts. The solution was often to merge entire corps, combining brigades to form new divisions. These new brigades often had between 5 and 9 undersized regiments. Some brigades attempted to employ “demi-brigade” commanders, who led half of the brigade while the formal brigade commander controlled the other. However, this was not standardized and not universally followed. It was, undoubtedly, a command and control nightmare at times.

Game Overview This scenario explores the command problems encountered by the Union leaders of large, conglomerate brigades in the spring of 1864. A typical Union division has encountered a series of Confederate earthworks across its line of march, along high ground known as McPherson’s Ridge. The Army commander orders an assault in the hopes that a quick attack will break the Confederate line before it has a chance to strengthen. By this time, however, both sides have become experts at digging trenches, and can produce formidable works in a matter of hours. Still, the large Union division enjoys an almost 2-to-1 advantage. What will be difficult to manage is moving the large brigades into position, and coordinating an assault with so many regiments receiving orders from a single commander. This is definitely a game for players who wish to explore the command and control aspect of Civil War combat. The map is 4’ x 7’, and designed for 2-5 players. The game begins at 3:00 PM and ends at 7 PM, Turn [25/17/13]. It can also end when one side forces the other from the field or concedes the game. The game may take slightly longer than a normal six brigade scenario, since in reality, the Union brigades contain almost twice as many regiments as they normally would.

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Approaching the works.

Terrain The map is a combination of woods, a ridgeline containing the Confederate position, open fields, swampy lowlands, and fence obstructions. There are also two cornfields. The swamp is passable, but as the worst terrain possible. The cornfields obscure visibility to units inside it, but provide no cover benefit. Units looking into the cornfield from the outside cannot see more than an inch into it. A unit firing into the cornfield at a target more than an inch inside will do so with the out-of-visibility penalty for the set of rules. However, units outside the cornfield and at a higher elevation have a better vantage point. They can see the units in the cornfields but the high stalks still obscure the targets. They should get a slightly smaller penalty for firing upon them. Perhaps one column down on a firing chart, or subtract one dice from the firing strength. However, if a unit goes prone in a cornfield it becomes out-of-visibility to units at higher elevation. Visibility between two units inside the cornfield is the same as for heavy woods.

The earthworks should be medium strength. They also have a line of abatis obstructions in front of them. The woods are light woods for visibility and movement.

The stream is easily fordable. Subtract two inches from any movement across the creek.

Deployment The Confederates may deploy anywhere along their line of earthworks. If desired, skirmishers may be as far as six inches in advance of the main trenches. The Union division does not deploy beforehand, but marches onto the board anywhere on the bottom on Turn [1/1/1]. It may enter in any formation. To accurately play this scenario, both sides must strictly adhere to the command and control rules provided by the rules set. This should work fine while formations are nice and orderly. However, once units begin to break formation because of casualties or detachments the situation could get difficult. Sounds pretty historical!

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Storming the line!

Victory Conditions The object of the Union commander is to break the Confederate line and render the position untenable. The Union player receives 1 Victory Point for any non-isolated unit on or above the trench line at the end of the game. Also, players receive Victory Points for eliminating enemy units. Each Victory Location (A, B, C, D, and E) is worth 5 Victory Points. To control the hills, no enemy unit may be within one inch of the bottom of the hill. Since all the Victory Points on hills are on the second tier elevation, this means the

bottom of the second tier. If an enemy unit is within range, neither side gets the points. To control the gap at D there must be no enemy units within three inches of the intersection of the works and the road. Again, if an enemy unit is within range, neither side gets the points. It may look like the Confederates can easily control all the Victory Locations, but all it takes is a foothold near the base of any of the hills, and it will deny both sides the Points. Then it will come down to casualties, and the Union player’s ability to overrun the trenches and get units across.

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victory conditions · 2019. 2. 1. · 52 reinforcing the skirmish line. victory conditions the...

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