Crossroad: First Assault

Its been a busy day so this is going to be a very quick look at the first game which was played last week.

Rebels: A brigade with 3 infantry, a brigade with 2 infantry and a light infantry, plus a battery and a unit of cavalry.
Government: A brigade with 2 infantry and a light infantry deployed along the ridge supported by a gun and by a unit of Hussars in support on the base road. A second brigade will march on table from the wall when they roll d6 less than the turn number. 

The scenario was an impromptu one. I wanted to have the Origawn Rebels attacking but I don't have enough troops ready for a large attacking force so settled on a reinforcement scenario.

Turn 2. The Rebel right is pushing ahead hoping to cut the road before reinforcements arrive. His left has advanced and engaged in a firefight while the cavalry carries out a flanking movement. A rather rash charge by the Hussars has just been bloodily repulsed. 

The Rebel cavalry has suffered heavily by fire from the house and a charge by the Hussars but they have forced the Fusiliers to move back from the wall to protect the gun, allowing Rebels to close on the wall. Across the road the Rebel light infantry is more than holding its own against two units of Highlanders though in part this was because I forgot that the woods provide protection against shooting and cavalry charges but not against infantry charges.

Minnow takes command. By the time the Fusiliers had dealt with the cavalry, the Ft Henry Guard and Victoria Rifles had both been broken. Under this version of the rules, the Brigade was now shaken and not allowed to move towards the enemy and was penalized if shooting or in melee.

Each side has now lost 2 infantry units but the Government has a shaken Brigade because both units were lost from the same brigade. Since the brigades on both sides were intermingled this felt more than a little unfair. Mind you, having lost their gun and the stone wall on the crest of the hill, the Government's hopes are a bit forlorn. On the next turn the Fusiliers  were broken and the Queen's forces were forced to retreat from the field.

Tomorrow the replay and a bit on the rules tweaks and how they affected the game.