I finally put together a large battle using my ACW collection. We are currently still gaming after 2 nights with a 3rd night coming up to complete the game. I have the majority of my collection on the table and it is impressive.
The scenario I am using is loosely based off the Battle of Shiloh. I wanted to create some confusion in the game along with some unpredictibility. I managed this quite well! I had units set up to enter on various turns using their command rolls. Some came on right away and some didn't. So far it has worked to what I was hoping for.
I have 24 brigades, 2 cav brigades, and 15 batteries for the Union. For the Confederates, I have 17 infantry brigades, 2 cav brigades, and 15 batteries. The troops are arranged into divisions/corps. I did all the rolling for troop quality and command rolls ahead of time to speed up the game. My die rolling wasn't to hot for the command rolls. With my system, you need to roll a command roll in order to move units. This number is based on a d10. I had plenty of rolls for command at 6's and 7's. Needless to say, not too many units moved. You need to roll that number or less. This is something I am planning on changing for future games.
The scenario....I had an independant corps moving out in the early morning hours. Each side was probing looking to find each other after several days of miserable weather caused each army to loose each other. The weather began to break, but a heavy fog still lasted for quite sometime. About 4 a.m. the Cav from the independant corps met and commenced to engage.
The picture is of the 2 cav brigades engaged. They fought a couple of turns before the Confederates lost morale and broke. The Confederate infantry brigade and it's artillery made it into the nearby woods and proceeded to hold off the Union troops as the poured on the table. The defense by the Confederate brigade reminded me of the Hornet's Nest at Shiloh.
The remainder of the night dealt with more moving around trying to gain some advantage. Below is a battle report from the field. This is from the 1st day's fighting:
The forces of the CSA and USA were somewhere out in the countryside
plotting and probing their next moves. 3 Corps for the Yankees, and
2 Corps for the Rebels. Small reports from the locals had given
information that each was near, but weather had kept them apart.
Patrols were sent out on each side with no luck. That was until
early one morning when recon troops consisting of 2 cav brigades, 1
inf. bgd and a battery of artillery discovered each other in the
silent, moonless night. That silence was about to be broken.
At about 4am, Union forces had just crossed a bridge and stumbled
upon an equal sized force of Rebs heading in their direction.
Without any hesitation, the Union Cav mounted a charge that was
robustly accepted by the Rebel boys and both crashed into each
other. The scene was chaos! In the darkness, horses whined and men
screamed in agony as pistols went off with orange flashes and sabres
clanged in the night. The troopers from both sides at first refused
to budge. As suddenly as the clash began, it was over! The boys in
gray appeared to have lost heart and were routed from the melee.
With the melee in full force, a rebel brigade managed to move
themselves into the woods along the roadway attempting to re-enforce
the troopers. With the troopers in full flight, the infantry were
left to fend for themselves. Moving to take up a good fighting
position, the dawn began to break revealing more Federals moving
across the bridge. With the brigade appearing to be surrounded, they
dug in and defended the woods from a Union brigade trying to
dislodge them. The boys clad in butternut and gray held firm and
repulsed the blue brigade, forcing them to fall back out of sight.
A huge roar of joy could be heard, but it was short lived as more
and more Union troops began to appear. Another brigade of blue moved
into the woods with vigor but met with the same fate and was too
repulsed. With the Rebel commander hollaring out orders and praise,
the Johnnies were last seen holding firm, disrupting the Union plans.
Along the front, troops from both sides had recieved their orders
and have began to move to the sound of the guns. However, with the
poor visability, many units are unsure about where they are to move
to. Many units stalled in the congestion of the roads as units ahead
of them stalled. Units have engaged to the south, sparring with each
other trying to determine force strength. Another bridge seperates
them, but both sides are spreading out to bring up more fire power.
The middle for the Rebels has seen their units move up but as of
yet, have not engaged. Union lads are moving towards them, but the
misty, foggy day has limited their vision.
To the north, the leading units on both sides have managed to
engage, with a union brigade being routed back as it approached in
column. The Rebel unit was able to deploy faster and moved to line
and sending off a well directed volley. A Blue brigade has managed
to get into the woods, almost flanking the rebel line, but again,
vision has prevented them from seeing this. The rebel lads, spirits
high, anxiously await the next blue column to approach them not
knowing what may hit them.
Small pockets of muskets can be heard throughout the countryside as
both sides desperately try to engage each other. Orders could be
heard to move forward along with the obvious cursing. The fight has
only just begun! As the day progresses, more chaos is sure to ensue
as the armies of both sides are sure to clash in one final struggle.
Local Observer
The scenario I am using is loosely based off the Battle of Shiloh. I wanted to create some confusion in the game along with some unpredictibility. I managed this quite well! I had units set up to enter on various turns using their command rolls. Some came on right away and some didn't. So far it has worked to what I was hoping for.
I have 24 brigades, 2 cav brigades, and 15 batteries for the Union. For the Confederates, I have 17 infantry brigades, 2 cav brigades, and 15 batteries. The troops are arranged into divisions/corps. I did all the rolling for troop quality and command rolls ahead of time to speed up the game. My die rolling wasn't to hot for the command rolls. With my system, you need to roll a command roll in order to move units. This number is based on a d10. I had plenty of rolls for command at 6's and 7's. Needless to say, not too many units moved. You need to roll that number or less. This is something I am planning on changing for future games.
The scenario....I had an independant corps moving out in the early morning hours. Each side was probing looking to find each other after several days of miserable weather caused each army to loose each other. The weather began to break, but a heavy fog still lasted for quite sometime. About 4 a.m. the Cav from the independant corps met and commenced to engage.
The picture is of the 2 cav brigades engaged. They fought a couple of turns before the Confederates lost morale and broke. The Confederate infantry brigade and it's artillery made it into the nearby woods and proceeded to hold off the Union troops as the poured on the table. The defense by the Confederate brigade reminded me of the Hornet's Nest at Shiloh.
The remainder of the night dealt with more moving around trying to gain some advantage. Below is a battle report from the field. This is from the 1st day's fighting:
The forces of the CSA and USA were somewhere out in the countryside
plotting and probing their next moves. 3 Corps for the Yankees, and
2 Corps for the Rebels. Small reports from the locals had given
information that each was near, but weather had kept them apart.
Patrols were sent out on each side with no luck. That was until
early one morning when recon troops consisting of 2 cav brigades, 1
inf. bgd and a battery of artillery discovered each other in the
silent, moonless night. That silence was about to be broken.
At about 4am, Union forces had just crossed a bridge and stumbled
upon an equal sized force of Rebs heading in their direction.
Without any hesitation, the Union Cav mounted a charge that was
robustly accepted by the Rebel boys and both crashed into each
other. The scene was chaos! In the darkness, horses whined and men
screamed in agony as pistols went off with orange flashes and sabres
clanged in the night. The troopers from both sides at first refused
to budge. As suddenly as the clash began, it was over! The boys in
gray appeared to have lost heart and were routed from the melee.
With the melee in full force, a rebel brigade managed to move
themselves into the woods along the roadway attempting to re-enforce
the troopers. With the troopers in full flight, the infantry were
left to fend for themselves. Moving to take up a good fighting
position, the dawn began to break revealing more Federals moving
across the bridge. With the brigade appearing to be surrounded, they
dug in and defended the woods from a Union brigade trying to
dislodge them. The boys clad in butternut and gray held firm and
repulsed the blue brigade, forcing them to fall back out of sight.
A huge roar of joy could be heard, but it was short lived as more
and more Union troops began to appear. Another brigade of blue moved
into the woods with vigor but met with the same fate and was too
repulsed. With the Rebel commander hollaring out orders and praise,
the Johnnies were last seen holding firm, disrupting the Union plans.
Along the front, troops from both sides had recieved their orders
and have began to move to the sound of the guns. However, with the
poor visability, many units are unsure about where they are to move
to. Many units stalled in the congestion of the roads as units ahead
of them stalled. Units have engaged to the south, sparring with each
other trying to determine force strength. Another bridge seperates
them, but both sides are spreading out to bring up more fire power.
The middle for the Rebels has seen their units move up but as of
yet, have not engaged. Union lads are moving towards them, but the
misty, foggy day has limited their vision.
To the north, the leading units on both sides have managed to
engage, with a union brigade being routed back as it approached in
column. The Rebel unit was able to deploy faster and moved to line
and sending off a well directed volley. A Blue brigade has managed
to get into the woods, almost flanking the rebel line, but again,
vision has prevented them from seeing this. The rebel lads, spirits
high, anxiously await the next blue column to approach them not
knowing what may hit them.
Small pockets of muskets can be heard throughout the countryside as
both sides desperately try to engage each other. Orders could be
heard to move forward along with the obvious cursing. The fight has
only just begun! As the day progresses, more chaos is sure to ensue
as the armies of both sides are sure to clash in one final struggle.
Local Observer
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