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18th MS, Extend line to the right and advance to engage Yankees to the front (1st CA)

17th MS, advance in line formation maintaining position relative to 17th MS

Comp MS Cos, Extend the line and move to engage 15th MA

VA Cav, form a skirmish line and engage reused flank of 15th MA

8th VA, extend the line and advance to engage 20th MA

Locate Evans to stay within command range of most units especially the CSA right.

No leaders to attach and detach so I went right to the roll, 1st I rolled the 4 Regiments in command.

I rolled a 10 so with the needing only an 8 or more for them to get a “Double Quick” result, they are more than happy.  I must say, since I’m trying to follow orders and since this turn Ron is issuing orders to engage, I did feel the stress of trying to execute those orders the best I could.  Very nerve raking in itself, funny but true.  This being the 1st time I am “seeing the elephant” using Regimental Fire & Fury, It makes for an interest turn, but you tell me.

The 18th and 17th MS were easy to do, I left the 17th MS in the woods for cover if they need it later, and far enough back to not be a “mass target”  (which I learned about later)The 17th MS, I moved up close, because there was not enough woods to give it protection, and I was ordered to engage and so not wanting to be court-martialed, I moved them up close to engage as ordered.

The Comp MS Cos and the 8th VA just didn’t have enough room to do what I wanted, most of the Comp MS Cos units movement was used in wheeling and I could only move 1/2 the distance with the 8th VA since I had to change formation so I wasn’t able to move up as much as I wanted to engage the 20th MA.  I am again going to blame this on 1st command gitters and trying to figure out what my superior commander wanted done.

The Cavalry unit was out of range and I rolled a 4 so even with the +2 fresh, got a tardy result.  So again, what should I do, move up into the trees mounted or dismount and wait (I could not change formation AND move)  Here is the final positions of the Confederates.  (all very much fun indeed) 

Next was the Union defensive fire, we have not had to do this yet so it was fun to see how it plays out.  First thing for the Union was that due to my guns moving along half speed a couple of times with Tardy results, they either had friendly troops in the way or no one in their firing arch, so neither of the Artillery units could fire. 

1st CA fired all its stands at the 18th MS (14 points worth)

15th MA Fired all its stands at the Comp MS Cos (some at long range so 8.5 points)

20th MA also fired all its stands at the Comp Ms Cos (but most at long range due to smoothbore muskets so only 9 points)  Both units combined gave a total of 17.5 fire points and we had enfilade on the Comp MS Cos!!

The 1st CA rolled a 8 +3FP -1 green, -1 target extended line totaled 10 (telling fire) so loss of 1 stand and disordered the 18th MS. (in the picture I show 2 lost but later found it was a -1 for the Rebels being in extended line)

The 15th and 20th MA rolled a 5 +4FP, -1 Green, +2 enfilade, -1 extended line, totaling 9, also telling fire, so loss of a stand and disordered.  I really missed some opportunities to wear down the Rebels.

As a bonus because of the position of the 8th VA being too close behind the Comp MS Cos, they suffered one level less on fire for being a Mass Target, and Galling fire caused it to become disordered.  (rookie mistake that wont happen again)

To wrap up the Confederate turn 4 they still had their return volley (no one charged so this would be it)  I put yellow beads by the units who are disordered (still working on making markers) and I put a casualty figure by the unit to show a stand lost, I like how it looks and shows where the battle is raging.  Anyway offensive fire for the Rebels was thus:

18th MS fired on the 1st CA with all its stands 10/2 = 5 so (-1FP)modifiers, rolled a 10 totaling a 9 so Telling fire, also low on Ammo due to the natural 10 (placed a white bead), and no Union commander was within 4″ of the target Regiment so no roll for a leader loss or that could have been trouble for the Union.

Comp MS Cos fired on the 15th MA 7/2=3.5 (-2FP) 0 modifiers, rolled a 3 so Desultory Fire, no effect.

8th VA fired on the 20th MA 3/2=1.5 (-4FP), 0 modifiers, rolled a 2 so Desultory Fire, no effect.  The disorder really hurt the attacker.  Hind site I think I should have not “panicked” and fired a volley from the woods, but orders are orders and I’m finding it very fun to try and figure out what Ron was hoping the commander on the field would do.  I look forward to his thoughts on if that was what he was looking at in his minds eye or if he had something different in mind.  It really does add a lot of fun to the situation.

Anyway, that is the end of the Confederate turn 4.  I’m hoping to get to the Union Turn 4 by the weekend if not this week.  Please feel free to comment folks.

Union Turn 4

Union orders were to hold all the Infantry units and get the artillery units moved so they have Line of Sight to Confederate Infantry attacking.  Remember the buildings do not block LOS as per the scenario rules.

No leader to attach or detach so I was ready to Roll, and I rolled a 6

1CA (disordered)  6, -1 Green=5 Rally With Elan
42NY                         6, -1 Green, -1 Prov. Command=4 Well Handled
20MA                        6, -1 Green, -1 Prov. Command=4 Well Handled
15MA                         6, -1 Green, -1 Prov. Command=4 Well Handled
B1RI Art                   6, -1 Green, -1 Prov. Command=4 Well Handled
2NY Mil Art            6, -1 Green, -1 Prov. Command=4 Well Handled

So for one of the first times, my guns could move the 2″ via the crew pushing them and Finally Get into position

So, ready for the Confederate Fire phase

Comp MS Cos fires at the 15MA, 4FP=-1, rolled 1=0 No Effect
18MS fires at the 1CA, 5FP=-1, rolled 3=2 No Effect
8VA fires at the 20MA, 3FP=-2, rolled 7=5 Galling Fire, disordered the 20MA

Confederate Fire was not very effective, so they were going to need the North to shoot over their heads this round to give the Commander a chance to issue new orders and regroup.

Union Fire Phase was next

1CA and 2NY Battery fire at 18MS, 16FP=+4, -1 Green, -1 Target ext. Line, rolled 3=5 Galling Fire
15MA and B 1RI Battery fire at Comp MS Cos,  13FP=+3, -1 Green, -1 Target ext. Line, rolled 10=11 Withering Fire, this caused the Comp MS Cos to go to Worn condition, both Union units go Low on Ammo, and there was no leader loss check as no Rebel commander was within the 4″.  It also inflicted the next condition lower on the 8VA since they are a massed target being too close behind the Comp MS Cos, so also Telling Fire on the 8VA  I’m hoping to keep from being Court-Martialed when I get back to camp tonight, my positioning of the Confederate Brigade and lack of experience in command (my 1st game of this) has really caused an issue for the Rebels with bad placing.
20MA fires at 8VA,  4.5FP=-1, -1 Green, -1 Target ext. Line, rolled 1=-2 so No Effect

So the final positions at the end of turn 4 are listed below.  It will be interesting to see if the Confederate Commander can come up with something to save the bad positioning of the Rebel regiments (not his fault by any stretch of the imagination) .  I feel the only mistake I have made in following my orders to this point, is getting the Confederate left in a massed target position, it may cause the attack to falter, but not all hope is lost.  One thing I have noticed is when using the D10 for results you can get some really extreme rolls, so one turn of low rolls for the North and really high rolls for the South could cause the Green union troops to fall back, opening up huge holes in the line.

Confederates turn, Turn 5, here was the orders I got from Ron:

So the 18th MS, 17th MS, and 8th VA were all in command range, all are still fresh so they all get the +2, but the 18th MS, and the 8th VA are both disordered.  I rolled an 8, which becomes a 10 for all three units.  both disordered units Rally with Elan so they get a tardy move, and the 17th MS supporting the 18th got a double quick.

so following orders as best I could I moved the 3 confederate units up as close as I could and make sure to keep the 17th MS far enough back to not create a Mass Target.

The Comp MS Regiment and the Cavalry on the left were both out of command.  It would seem that the casualties and the bunching up of the Comp MS unit took it just out of command Range.

The Comp MS unit was worn so no positive modifiers, but no negative either, and the Cavalry unit is still fresh.  Unfortunately for the Comp MS, I rolled a 1 so Panic “retreat broken” and the Cavalry unit got a 3 with +2 for fresh so 5, causing it to be Tardy, and get a half move, but it was still able to move into a decent position.

 

Defensive fire was pretty straight forward now.  the 1st CA fired at the 18th MS 13 stands giving them a +3, -1 green, -1 for target in extended line, overall +1 rolled a 5, giving me 6, got Galling Fire, so disordered the 18th MS

all of these fired at the 8th VA
20th MA   9 stands disordered=4.515MA  only six stands could fire and low on ammo so 1.5
1st RI Light Art.  3 points, but only 1 gun so 1.5 points
2nd NY Mil Batt. 3 points for range on this battery

Total stands ended up only being 12 so +3 for FP, -1 green, -1 extended line overall +1 and just like above, rolled a 5 so equals a 6 Galling fire so disordered the 8th VA

The Jenifer Cav unit was out of the right flank of the 15th MA so that was it, no stands lost.  I really though the South would get pounded moving up so close, but the rolls were low enough and the green muskets must have overshot.

Next was the South, based on how the Union fire went, I was thinking this would be much the same, so pretty straight up firing this turn

18th MS fired at 1st CA, 10 stands 1/2 for disorder = -1 FP rolled a 9 = 8 so telling fire killing a stand and disordering the 1st CA
8th VA fires at 20th MA 7 stand,s but 1/2 for disordered = 2 FP, +1 buck & ball, rolled 1 = 0 so No Effect
Jenifer Cavalry at the 15th MA 2 stands – -3fp rolled a 4 = 1 so No Effect

Not much better but they did not out and disorder the 1st CA, the Union turn will be interesting because with the green troops and provisional command on man of them, one bad roll and the line will crack.

So Ready for Turn 6 for the Union to go, and like I said, one bad roll could make thing get ugly.  good rolls and the punch could be out of the Rebel attack.

Trying to give the table a little more of a diorama look, so using casualty figures to mark the hot spots.

 

Pivot  VA cavalry to face the enemy line remaining behind woods.

Shift 8th VA to the left, leaving a gap for the 17th MS.

The 17th MS will change to a field column and advance to fill the gap between 8th Va and 18th MS.

 Keep all regiments behind the woods and forming a single front if that is possible.

 Evans

So no leaders to replace so I went on to step 2 of the Maneuver phase

I measured 8″ from Evans since he was not attached to anyone, and the only units out of Command were the VA Cav and Comp MS Cos, so rolled for the units in command and got a 10, so they got the Double quick result and had no issues following the orders issued.   My next command roll was for the Comp MS Cos Unit and it got a 3, but with +2 for fresh the 5 gave it a Tardy result and it was able to hold the ground with no issues.  Final roll for the VA Cav, that was a 6+2 for fresh so 8, giving it a Well handled result and it swung into a little better position.  I was given no instructions on what to do with Evans so he stayed put.  All the Rebel Regiments are rated as Trained.

Click on the picture below once, then again to get a larger version and see the movement arrows better if you like

Due to Line of Sight (LOS) Issues, there was no Musketry & Cannonade Phase or Charge Phase.

Union Turn 1

Commander Bakers orders:

42nd NY to oblique to their left and move up toward the main line
1st CA & 20th MA move up to the turnpike and cross over and stay behind the 2nd fence line
RI LR Artillery move closer to the turnpike fence line
Move the 15th MA back up on the hill and start to line up with the turnpike creating a continues battle line.

For my command Roll, everyone was in command except the 42nd NY, so I first made my roll for the units in command

Command Roll was a 7, now the Union units are all Green, and the only one in direct command to Baker is the 1st CA, so all other units get the -1 for Provisional command, and a -1 for Green, this could be a problem later.

1st CA got a 7, -1, +2 = 8 so Double Quick
20th MA got a 7, -1, -1, +2 = 7 so Well Handled
B 1st RI Lt Artillery got a 7, -1, -1, +2 = 7 so Well Handled, special Rule for artillery, no limbers so they are allowed to move 2″ pushing the guns.
15th MA got a 7, -1, -1, +2 = 7 so Well Handled, wasn’t able to just shift over like I hoped so they followed the orders I gave and backed up and refused the flank again.
2nd NY Mil Artillery got a 7, -1, -1, +2 = 7 so Well Handled and held the line.

The out of Command 42nd NY, rolled a 9, -1, -1, +2=9 but on the out of command table was a well handled and moved up.

so as per the Confederate turn, there is no LOS so no firing or charges to resolve and now it goes back to Ron for Evan’s next set of orders, and the start of turn 2.

here is a final close up from behind the Union lines and in a small game like this not sure we need a final over all shot since we can see all the action in a couple of the pictures anyway.

 

End of turn 1 Stay tuned for Turn 2.

12-4-12 Turn 2 update

Ok, so got a chance to work on turn 2 tonight, so here we go:

Commander Evans’ Orders were as follows

The out of command Jenifer VA Cav rolled a 8 +2 for fresh so 10 out of command “well handled” and held their position.  Here is the close up with some movement arrows and a shot from the back left of the Confederate side.  Oh yeah, and if you are wondering the woods look a little more dense, yes they do.  A friend of mine found his lost tubs of trees and brought them over to fill out our woods better

Still no LOS as the Confederates take there time to organize for the attack.

Union Turn 3

Not much going on for the Union.  I ordered both Guns to move and everyone else to hold.  All the Union units are in command so the modifiers or everyone except the 1st CA are -1 provisional command, -1 Green, +2 fresh, the 1st CA doesn’t have the -1 for provisional command.  No leader to attach or detach, so I rolled a 3.  Good thing not much is going on yet.

So everyone got a 3 (Tardy) and the 1st CA is one better so a 4 (Well Handled)  So both guns moved 1 inch and no fire or melee phase.  So other than lots of trees, the union side looks pretty much the same, but Ill load up a couple of shots.

On to Turn 4.