Ed Meister
United States
Peoria
Illinois
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I have all the games in the series but I haven't played them in years. This game has resparked my interest in them. For my first time I played Scenario 2 like most everyone else. Here is a recap of how it went:
Looking at the setup, I tried to think of the best strategy for each side. For the Union I decided to just sit tight and defend the objectives. The main objective was the road from Snodgrass to Crawfish Spring, which was occupied by 2 divisions of XXI Corps. They had good artillery and the terrain was clear so I figured it was best to just sit tight. For the Confederates, I wasn't sure quite what to do (I am not much of a strategist). I planned to use their cavalry to delay Union movements and use flank attacks on the objectives.
CSA: Marched the cavalry units directly in front of the Union cavalry but did not press an attack just yet.
CSA: Marched Palmer's division into Van Cleve's hex to strengthen the objcective.
USA: They won the next three initiatives, so Steedman begins marching his reserve forces towards Lee & Gordon's Mill.
CSA: March Hindman into hex with Polk and Cheatham. My plan here is to split them, Cheatham to the south and Hindman to the north for a flank attack.
USA: March D. McCook towards Lee & Gordon's Mill.
CSA: BR Johnson marches south (Hood is now with him).
USA: Minty marches his cav brigade around to the left to delay the coming flank attack by Polk's forces.
USA: March Wilder into hex directly below Minty.
CSA: Activates Polk, marches Cheatham & Hindman. Wilder makes a cav retreat, but Cheatham is still able to reach Spear. Minty retreats, but Hindman advances to hex Minty just left. Hindman has enough movement points left for a prepared attack on Crittenden's forces in Crawfish Spring (Force marker 6). The attack fails, with Hindman suffering a 2D result.
USA: Wanting to return the favor, Crittenden launches and assault but it fails (rolled a 6).
USA: Crittenden assaults again, this time it succeeds. Rosecrans attempts grand assault but it fails.
CSA: Activates Walker, marches his Corps directly south of Hindman (hex 3733).
CSA: Walker assalts with his entire Corps, Bragg does a grand assault with Cheatham (from Spear). The assualt did not go well, 3D.
CSA: Activates Buckner, who marches his Corps into hex with Hindman.
USA: Marches D. McCook into the hex to reinforce Steedman's Corps and Wood at Lee & Gordon's Mill (Force marker 1).
USA: Marches 123 IL/72 IN into hex north of Hood.
CSA: Activates Forrest (Force marker 4)and marches his two brigades south to hex 3531 next to Steedman's hex (Force marker 1) to set up a flank attack.
CSA: Assaults with Buckner, attacking Steedman's corps and Wood. With the +3 flank bonus from the cavalry, the Confederates are finally able to win a fight, forcing all Union forces to withdraw.
So the CSA was able to clear the road from Lee & Gordon's Mill to Kelly Field for 6 VPs. However, they had lost a total of 6 manpower compared to the USA's 4. 6 manpower loss is -18 points. Ouch.
Union Decisive Victory.
Looking back, I really screwed up the CSA strategy. Maybe I shouldn't have split up Hindman and Cheatham and instead assaulted with both. But it has been my experience in this series that a frontal assault doesn't always work either. You need too many forces to get a ratio bonus. I am better off attacking with a smaller force at the same ratio but getting a flank bonus. I also think that perhaps I did not utilitze the CSA cavalry very well.
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Freddy Dekker
Netherlands
Friesland
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First time I've heard about it and wonder what games are available and which one you'd suggest as the best.
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Ed Meister
United States
Peoria
Illinois
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sagitar wrote: First time I've heard about it and wonder what games are available and which one you'd suggest as the best.
This is the eighth game in the series and MMP is reprinting and updating the first game, Stonewall Jackson's Way. I would suggest getting BAtC as it's current; the other ones are out of print and would not be cheap, if you can even find them. There were also two magazines printed, Skirmisher 1 & 2, which are still available from MMP.
The games are on a larger operational scale, dealing mostly with corps and divisions. A lot of scenarios cover "what if" situations, allowing one to study what could have happened during a certain campaign. The maps are very well done and are historically accurate. The basic game rules have been standardized for all eight games and the mostrecent version of these rules comes with BAtC. Each game also has its own set of advanced rules for the campaign it covers.
I like the combat system because it really requires manoeuver and positioning rather than all out frontal assaults. At least that's been my experience.
Stonewall Jackson's Way covers the 2nd Manassas Campaign
Here Come the Rebels covers the Antietam Campaign
Roads to Gettysburg covers the Gettysburg Campaign
Stonewall in the Valley covers the Shenandoah Valley Campaign
On to Richmond! covers the Peninsula Campaign
Grant Takes Command covers Grant's Overland Campaign
I really like the series. All of the games play pretty well solitaire and all of them are on VASSAL. Hope this helps.
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Freddy Dekker
Netherlands
Friesland
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Thanks Eddie,
It is a bit pricey at this end but as you think so highly of it, I'll take a closer look.
The fact it plays well solitair is an added bonus.
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