The turn sequence, as we were reminded, is everything here. Care when shooting, and extreme care now when attacking stationary brigades (post Napoleonic units with Rifle Muskets get 7 dice in stationary melee with '6' to hit - an attacking unit gets 4 dice in the revised 2nd edition for ACW).
Turn Sequence is :
Command - check those radii Move - BIG moves, but you can get too enthusiastic VERY easily. Rally - critically important, and always forgotten for Corps Commanders. Morale - one bad dice role can end a division's entire day. Combat - firing and melee - careful who you fire at - they fire back!
Exhaustion - critical for the victory conditions in this one.
The scenario was based on the entire battle, with reinforcement schedule based on card draw - the scenario being from Jessee A. Scarborough's 'A Storm in the Valley 1862' scenario book. Two entire Confederate divisions did not make it to the battlefield...
We actually did part of the centre effort for this battle a few years back - with Fire & Fury - though with V&B, a base is a brigade, so considerations are a little different.
Victory Conditions were crucial here, with Victory Points awarded on how many divisions had been exhausted and/or collapsed, and who held Seven Pines - this, to me, is the core of V&B and gives you great mechanics for how armies fall apart. An option for a second day of battle could be taken, if both players agreed.
Looking west as Hill's Division makes its way through the woods
a goldurn railroad trek
Union forces are in defences, but can not activate precious 'stationary' status right away. The Union would take an absolute mauling early on their right - but at great cost to Whiting's Division
Union reinforcements on the Williamsburg Road - the cards would not be so kind to the Rebs
One of the Minifigs 1970s figures kindly donated to me by Steve many years ago - I have promised to use them, some require basing and will indeed see the light of day soon
Rebs are itchin' fer a fight
On the Confederate left, the Rebs do not let up, forcing poorly rolling Union troops from their positions with close assaults, and pinning across the creek with accurate musketry fire (but...at a creeping cost)
The Union divisions learn the value of the Rally phase early on
'Charge them guns boys!"
The Union right in disarray
...outflanked and outfought...
The flank holds for now, even though the centre 'appears' to be collapsing
Re4b reinforcements, seriously? And they still have two divisions to bring on...
...but it is the Union troops that are about to gain the upper hand, with the expectation of two divisions...and...the Rebs have bled themselves white on their left...about to hit...divisional exhaustion and then...
...Divisional collapse
The entire Confederate left is in deep trouble...
The centre holds...
...and here comes Longstreet
All the Union has to do is hold ...unless of course, the Rebs get 'them thar two divisions'
The Confederate line is forced to bend, but yet another division is close to collapse
Longstreet plugs the gap, and with only 4 or 5 game turns to go, attacks the Union centre, now heavily reinforced, at Seven Pines
Pickett's 'other' Charge
Gathering for another attack...
The deck a Union one today...despite its 17th century livery
In the woods, a Union division is exhausted...but in the same turn, another Reb division falters
...and the Union have power in numbers on the collapsing flank
Seven Pines is contested! No clear holder of the objective, as a single Confederate brigade surges on.
"Get off my land boys!"
In the end though, a close run thing - two Union divisions are exhausted, but for the Rebs - one Exhausted, and one collapsed. Union wins on victory points - and elects NOT to fight a second day. Great game as usual.
Oh - change of period, but if you can catch these recent two movies - latest versions of Dumas' 'Three Musketeers', they are absolutely stunning. 'D'Artagnan' and 'Milady'. Eva Green is in it, what's not to like!
Ian Godwin's 'Emperor of the Battlefield' is an excellent Divisional/Corps level set, with units as battalions, but written such that Napoleonic tactics (not exactly my usual dish of choice) work, doctrines are easily written into the rules and where units can be brittle such that managing reserves becomes absolutely critical. An excellent game which we enjoyed immensely for our Christmas bash.
Cuirassiers charge to the 'sound of the rules'...
At its heart is the 'control' test and the 'morale' test - control gets stuff done, morale lets units get hit (units are brittle) and/or stand.
That there old ordre mixte thingie...
Unit traits are simple and movement and units in melee, though not overcomplicated, has a nice feel to how you can play tactics or choose to throw units into the fray and/or lose them to rout.
For the first time ever, I found myself using 'ordre mixte' with a French Brigade and it worked in terms of shooting in an assault column...which was nice...
Ian previously wrote 'King of the Battlefield' for the 7YW and this is an extension of his Napoleonic notes after that - I believe that KotB is getting the 'new edition' treatment in light of EotB.
To battle...
The scenario represented the afternoon at Quatre Bras, when Ney's caution has abated, but it's all too late...
The guys' superb 15mm collection
The 'Emperor's Widget' design copied from that in the rulebook - encompassing movement and arcs and distances in a single place
Bachelu's Division readying itself to get its ass kicked...
Most of the Allied centre
British units in the centre
French on the march - two strong flank attacks, with what would prove to be a feint in the centre
On the French right
Vive la D10!
The widget in use
The French left - heavily forested - the flanks would decide the battle
The French right, as artillery moves to get flank control, the Allies venture from the woods
Centre and French right
The centre holds against a French feint
On the French right, there is cavalry action and infantry assaults
Lancers and light cavalry crossing the river
More action on the French right
The centre holds with neither side gaining advantage
French columns assaulting on the right
Note: the mass of Allied reinforcements at centre
Attack columns!
Into the woods
Attempting to break through at centre right, the French are stymied...
A sizable Allied contingent moving to reinforce their left
...as the centre continues to play space for time
The French left has devolved into a draw, though the Allies have British guards moving to reinforce - they think it's all over...
French now on the defensive in the centre...
Cuirassiers arrive to reinforce, but it's all too late
Dutch cavalry now free to roam in the centre
Disarray on the French right...it's all over now.
A great set of rules - very Napoleonic and very tense. More to follow from this one I think...suggestions that I might have been inspired to write some notes for 'Duke of the Battlefield...1670-1720' are simply rumour... ;) ...
