Hit and Run: A Scenario as played.

 It took me a week to play a two hour game but its done.

The Confederate artillery bombardment.

To be fair, most of the time 'lost' was due to domestic duties but there were also multiple pauses as I banged the 'Brigade as unit' version of the rules into the shape that I wanted. Naturally, it now needs a couple more test games with different scenarios then with more than one player, but the ACW has had its time in the sun for now.  The Quick Reference sheet for the current draft of the rules is available here: Plastic Army of the Potomac. 

Overview of the battlefield early on.

The Scenario

The scenario pits two detachments from opposing armies and could easily be shifted to a different setting/period, scale and rules. The 'Red' army is defending an off table supply depot which is being moved to a safer location. The 'Blue' army's mission was to pin the covering force until the other half of a  pincer movement captures the depot from the other side and surrounds the 'Red' defenders, forcing their surrender.  The 'Blue' force, however, has had a difficult march over bad roads through an area of thick woods made worse by inaccurate maps. Instead of being deployed in the open and ready to attack by early morning, they are still straggling in, one brigade at a time. The situation is too good to pass up, the order goes out for the 'Red' forces to deploy to attack. 

Mid game: The Confederate Highwater mark as they capture the southern wood and come close to cutting the road before the last Brigade in that column arrives. 

Victory Conditions.

In game terms, the game lasts for 15 turns. 

The Yankees have one brigade deployed on table on the edge of the wooded hill on the Southern flank and one just arriving in road column behind them. Each turn the Yankee General rolls 1d6 needing 1 the first turn, 2 the next turn etc for the next brigade or battery to arrive. At that point the next unit starts rolling starting back at 1. The 1st Division is moving along the southeastern road, the 2nd Division along the northeastern road.  They win if they can capture the two Confederate exit roads before they exit with more than 1/2 of their original units. (I'm not sure yet if its possible.)  (6 x  infantry units (8 stands each), 4 guns)

The Confederates begin deployed up to 1/4 of the way on the board. They win if they can either rout the Yankee force or do more damage than they suffer and have a clear exit path off the two road exits in the  southwest corner of the board. (6 x infantry units (8 stands each), 1 cavalry unit, 3 guns) 

The Yankees win by routing the Confederates and being able to pursue, or by cutting the two critical road exits trapping over 1/2 the Confederate force. Anything in between is a draw though it could be judged to be a draw in one or the other side's favour.

On the Northern flank, the column must have hit a good stretch as the Yankee brigades pour onto the table, one after the other. I've rarely seen a 'side' happier to roll SO many one's in a row!  

Out of curiosity, I copied Les's deployment from the last game but made my own decisions from there. Things started OK and the attack on the right was more successful than I expected. The reinforcements poured on MUCH faster than in the last game but the Blue commander was a bit off his oats and forgot for a long while that he couldn't win by sitting on the hill.

Belatedly Blue, launches an attack up the Northern end of the field. (His left was in no shape to attack up the other, vital flank).  

The Confederates didn't manage to wreck the Yankee Corps and suffered almost as much damage as they took but they came close and still had a clear escape route so I awarded them a minor win.

____________

AND NOW...........SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT:

An 8 ounce 'Battle in a Box'.

Stay tuned!