More V&B action, with a scenario from Grant's 1863 campaign, and a flanking action near Memphis. This is taken from superlative 1995 edition 'Battles of the American Civil War' scenario book, by Greg Novak and Frank Chadwick, designed for the 1st edition of 'Volley and Bayonet'.
Again, these rules are straightforward (with some very nice nuances - especially for ACW and AWI), allow for big battles with brigade bases, and though there are a lot of moving parts, everything is intuitive and there is just enough 'chaos' (of which more later), to keep things frantic, tense and with plenty of 'off the chair' moments.
Some tinkering with the mechanisms pre-battle - and confirmation re. 'disordered' mechanisms, the ability to remove same, and then charge in same turn...but all resolved.
20mm plastic out in force once more, on 3"x3" bases - granted, with some support from old 1970s Minifigs 25mm chaps (donated by Steve of Steve's blog).
"What's that Zeke? You believe that the design philosophy of Volley and Bayonet is sleek, elegant and somewhat based upon old 1970s 'hex'n'chit' systems, pioneered by Avalon Hill, then refined by GDW...Hmm, yes, worth due consideration after we fire that cannonball in your hands with our heavy smoothbore, at those demned yenkees...suh!"
Moves on the Union left - two divisions would be exhausted, with a third on the verge
The Union right seems more 'do-able' - yet the Yankees would have some hard fightin' here too
Union troops avoid the dug in position, though shooting stationary troops in V&B always a tough ask. It pays the attacker to focus attacks on a single brigade to open a hole...
The Union assault on the right
One division exhausted, another pushed back. "Reform and Rally to the flag boys!"
A lot of Union reinforcements - essential as the Confederate flank begins to weaken...
Some of those Reb brigades down to the last strength point...about to cave in ...but you will notice, oh casual reader, that Army Commander..U.S.Grant has decided to attach to a Union brigade - very dangerous in these rules as...
..."why suh!, a single roll of 6 on a d6 could get him killed! ..uhhh just like that!"
Every V&B game turns into a great contest. We do not have 'commander characteristic' rules, nor massive amounts of 'friction'. Honestly, it does not seem to matter, as the rules and play-style give a great game every time.
There are some key things to do though:
Get your troops stationary as rapidly as you can and focus readied firepower with those additional dice.
Assaults are difficult - focus on a flank or centre, and promote the exploitation of a gap when it comes.
Watch out for weak divisions, and rally where you can.
Be careful when you attach Army Commanders, as affecting the entire subsequent history of the US was not intended ...oops...
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 roll 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!
