A Sunday ACW Scenario

                                                  " PLATVILLE VALLEY"                     

The scenario was taken from an old Don Featherstone book and the rules used again are our own adaption of Command combat Civil War 1861.

The objective of the game was to control the valley which was set just off centre of the table, initial forces on the table were our Vanguard who were entering the table along the roads ready to make a early dash for control of  the valley, we wrote down the entry of our other 3 brigades who entered  the game around turn 3. I took control of the Union and my Dad was in control of the Rebs.

Both the Rebels and Union Vanguard advance along the road towards the valley

The Rebels reach the valley first and deploy on top of the hill

Union reinforcements arrive running in column to reach the centre of he field

The first real attack of the game saw my Union troops attack through the valley and engage into a fire fight with the rebels on the hill steadily getting the upper hand. 

Rebel reinforcements troops head through the farm buildings towards the valley which was under attack from a large Union assault.

Holding the left flank with only battery of guns for support the Iron Brigade take refuge behind the picket fence in the corn field, the rebel forces attack in numbers but the Union veterans hold their own. 

Full steam ahead the Union assault goes forward. After winning the fire fight the rebel forces are forced back from the hill and the Union forces push into the vacated position. The Union 3rd brigade pushes forward to support the attack.

Not allowing the Union to have it all their own way the Rebels are pushed onto the offensive  by their CnC on Union right flank, the Texans charge into combat winning but failing to break the Union infantry, a second Confederate units charge is repelled from counter fire.

Far on the right flank dismounted cavalry troops engage in a skirmish fire fight in the woods, these woods must have been more like a dense forest as neither side could muster a hit!

Still the Iron Brigade remained steadfast due to some poor rebel shooting, they held the Confederate advance right until the final turn when they were finally forced to retreat back through the field.

Finally some fine Rebel shooting  had started to force the Union right flank back and  pushing forward they took the vacated ground.

The Union advance had stalled in the centre and while they were busy rallying the Rebels regrouped and charged back across the hill.

Heavy fighting along the valley, slowly the tide was turning in the favour of the Confederates.

YeeeHa ... The Union right flank starts to break as the Rebels start to turn the screw.

The final position looking across the table.

Time was up and after initial success my Union troops ran out of steam, the second half of The game had seen my Dads Confederates start to take the initiative.

I had been unable to get full control of the hill across the valley and now was been forced back onto the defensive. My right flank had been given a hard time and were beginning waver under the the Rebel attack. Luckily I had managed to draw two of the combats on the final turn, in turn managing to save my right flank and handing the Rebels what would have been a victory. 

In the end though the outcome was declared a draw, a very hard fought draw for both sides.

ACW A battle over the rail line

The weekends game saw us fight a ACW game to play a new rule set based around the core rules of Combat and Command Civil War which my Dad has been working on. It has been a number of years since I last fought this period so for this game I opted to use the rebels. The game objective was to fight for control of the rail track and station at the crossroads. Both of us drew maps for deployment with most of my force been deployed to attack the cross roads area, with my cavalry tasked with harassing the union right flank and my left flank was to hold the woods for as long as possible to stop the union left flank from turning onto my centre.  Most of the Union strength was to their left flank with their cavalry facing off against mine.

The battlefield after deployment 

Rebel infantry march towards the woods as the union troops enter the other side of the woods.

Union medical centre and supply wagons and local preacher.

 

The union troops march onto the hill and enter the corn field ready to fire at the on coming Rebel troops.

Confederate artillery peppers the union troops on the hill to good effect with the support of he advancing infantry.

The fire fight in the centre sees the Rebels start to push the union troops back.

After initial success gaining ground in the wood the rebel infantry are out manoeuvred and  flanked by the superior union  numbers. Although they are comfortably beaten in the combat they don't break and only give ground.

The rebel forces continue to get the better of the union centre and break a regiment of infantry and continue to push the union troops back.

With the confederate cavalry managing to get around the union flank they charge and over run a couple of guns, seen this the veteran texans seize the chance to move towards the union infantry to point blank range despite been disordered.

As the confederate cavalry charge the rear of the union troops, the Texans pass their moral and overcome the union fire to charge into combat. Despite the inevitable outcome the Union troops pass their morale and fight for another turn before breaking.

 

The Rebels continue to gain ground in the centre pushing the unions back from the hill and the field

Union troops push the confederate troops from the woods threatening to over run the flank.

The final position, the Rebels have managed to gain significant ground in the centre and are slightly edging the position to their left flank. The Union troops have broken through the woods are starting to turn the rebel left flank over. With time at an end we called it a winning draw to the Rebel forces.

I really liked fighting this period and I felt the rules although very easy to play helped grab a feel for the period. I particularly enjoyed  Not knowing who was going to move there troops first from turn to turn as it really challenged your tactics, you have a token for each division in your army which is placed in a bag, in this game there were 5 Union and 4 Confederate tokens, each player takes it in turns to pick a token from the bag to see who gets to move one of there divisions. In one turn my dad got to move all 5 of his divisions before I could move any of mine which forced me change my intended plans for that turn, as the game progressed it became very important to draw one of your tokens to try and grab the initiative. I'm looking forward to playing an ACW game again and leading the Rebels to all out victory next time....Yeeeehaa