More Altar of Freedom - 'Seven Pines 1862'

More 'Altar of Freedom', and proof, if any were needed, that these rules are not only innovative, but fairly open to new gamers.

On this occasion, my wife - Madame de Gobin - La Duchesse Herself, no less, opted to play (and correct me on the rules throughout).

Madame's relationship with the American Civil War starts in the 1980s, with a long distance 'admiration' of Patrick Swayze in North & South. (Truth be told, I'm always up for a bit of his co-star Lesley Anne in a tight dress myself...)

...and terminates here with an interest in the less politicized, and thereby less discussed elements of Irish history which have disappeared into the ether, whilst leaving terms still used, yet rarely appreciated.

 

And so to war:

Being an accomplished board game player, who also never loses at poker... Madame on more than one occasion, reminded me that the 'core' of the game was the bidding system and control of the turn clock, i.e. :

• Taking control of the turn by bidding too high, only enables one or two divisions to act decisively.
• If your opponent has bid low, but wins control, they can effectively outdo all the good work thereby enacted via trying to act first.
• There is a balance therefore between (1) gambling for control when you most need it and (2) balancing enough such that even if you don't get control, you still have done enough in terms of bidding to react to attacks. ...Madame appeared to get to grips with this very quickly...

• The first day of the battle, despite Confederate thrusts on the flanks, would end without a decision. Union reinforcements and counter-thrusts against Reb attacks in the centre would create the real crux of the struggle on the second day.
• Actually I fought part of this battle with the chaps last year, with Regimental Fire & Fury and Casey's Redoubt (a game of seven ...no four...Pines).Though obviously, scales are very different, as are rules and game-play.

 Initial setup: taking up more space than I thought; that's a lot of brigades.

 Confederate positions to the west of Seven Pines, with Longstreet and Johnstone.

 Union HQ to the east. Looks unsuspecting, and much of the Union defences would be abandoned, when Madame smelt blood on day 2...

 

 Early on day one, and a Reb flanking attack at Seven Pines.

 

 Union troops actually pushed from their redoubts early on.

 ...with Smith appearing much earlier than he would have historically...

 ...indeed, the Union left would also be under threat with the early appearance of Huger's Division.

 A fight for the centre ground, with the Rebs getting the better of the action on day one.

 Yankee camp in the centre is captured. The Yanks, bend...but will they break?

 Yank artillery in action.

 

 By the evening however, it is clear that though pushed well back from Seven Pines, the Union have held without incurring significant losses.

 As night falls, divisions retreat and recover, forming new lines of potential advance for the morning.

 

 Day 2: the Rebs make ready for a definitive assault in the centre.

 

 It's all to play for, but the Rebel assault stalls, when both Longstreet and Smith (both considered 'Unreliable' here) roll ones against their traits - their Unreliable trait means that they do not activate in the 10am turn.
...predictably, the Union counter-attacks with everything they have - using all their divisions, and having control of the turn clock. It's a bloodbath.

 The Reb's nose is bloodied in the centre.

 While they are severely pushed on the flanks.

 ...and it had all been going so well...

 By this stage, the Rebs have taken significant losses, and the break point approaches...

 

 

 The Reb's right flank collapses...

It's all over as the Confederate forces break.
Great action, and a tough opponent who thinks about game mechanics in devious ways ...just not fair :(

Although again - there is such such scope for using these systems across different periods.
Steve has already mentioned using the 'First Battle' combat system with the turn mechanic - bidding and turn clock system here... perfect for WWII and WWIII at both platoon and company level.

Again, Napoleonics would also work here, as would Marlburian.