The Battle of Rocky's Road

This was the largest battle of my 2nd Age of 54mm wargaming so far and a squeaker of a game with the advantage swinging back and forth but it was also less than half the planned maximum game size. The scenario by the way was a modification of a Thomas One Hour scenario inspired by Lundy's Lane.

It would have been a good subject for a narrative write up but I've been focusing what hobby time I have on building up armies and trying to sort out what I'm looking for in terms of rules. The rest will come.

The Queen's Hussars launch a quick charge hoping to stall the Rebel deployment. They slow things briefly but at a high price.

I actually started the game with a set of rules using an improvised old school sequence of 1st player moves, 2nd player moves, 2nd player shoots, 1st player shoots, both resolve melee, inspired by one of the sets Don Featherstone used for the little sample game in Battles with Model Soldiers. It actually felt pretty good but it was also quickly clear that there were a LOT of details that required thought, things like firing and moving: should I allow it freely or  mark units that moved or something else?

I decided to roll back the game to first contact and pull out the familiar Square Brigadier and that is where these pictures begin. 

A wider view of the same moment. The Rebel's Grey Brigade and sharpshooters have deployed on a wide front and the Blues Brigade has just marched on table followed by the cavalry rearguard. The question for General Lannigan was: "Attack the ridge frontally with as much force as possible or send one brigade to 'amuse' the troops on the hill while the other brigade and cavalry push through the gap to flank it?".

Over time, General Lannigan has shown himself to be bold but not one to throw away the lives of his men needlessly. (based on his history of rolled for command decisions) The Blue Brigade has started sidling left to pin the hill supported by the artillery while the Grey Brigade and Cavalry deploy and attack. The Guards Brigade, having left their billets at the Double Inn at dawn, have just marched on Rocky's Road and the hill now looks secure against any frontal assault.

General Douglas as impatient as ever was not content to calmly wait to be attacked. The Guards and Highlanders were launched into a series of fierce assaults, their flank  covered only by the Sharpshooters of the Director-General's Foot Guards. At the same time the Heavy Brigade was launched in a spoiling attack against the Rebel cavalry.

The Queen's cavalry was repulsed with heavy losses and the Grey Brigade pushed boldly into the gap while the Blue Brigade held firm. Off screen, the Sharpshooters were being riddled by one of those new fangled Gatling guns (once the crew figured out how to work it) and B Battery was losing the artillery duel.
It was looking pretty good for the Rebel cause.

 The Queen's army had lost several units at this point with others just barely hanging on but a brave charge by the handful of remaining Pensioners utterly wrecked Blue's cavalry and the Guards and Highlanders were still hanging on as the sun started to sink.

Only one Foot Guards Sharpshooter was left but he seemed to have found good cover and relentlessly picked off the Gatling crew until it fell silent.  The Grey Brigade had been hard hit by artillery and rifle fire when suddenly the skirl of Pipes could be heard and with MacDuff and Cu Mor at their head, the remnants of A company of the Royal Highlanders charged the Zouaves who met them bayonet to bayonet! The fighting was fierce between the veteran Highlanders and the young Zouaves fighting in only their second action but in the end, the Zouaves broke.
 There was only an hour to sunset, the remnants of the Queen's cavalry was now behind the Rebel flank and half of the Rebel units were broken. General Lannigan reluctantly ordered a retreat.  General Douglas, whose army was itself teetering on the edge, gave a huge sigh of relief and allowed the enemy to retreat unmolested while he quietly sang under his breath: "One, Two Three, Four, Five, Hunt the hare and turn her down the Rocky Road and all the way to Double Inn.."

More on rules and things another day, there are figures to paint and basing to be done!

ps: I couldn't resist and played out the last 3 turns ignoring Army Morale. It didn't change the result, partly because Red's dice got hot and Blue's fell cold.