I've had an interrupted year of wargaming. Increasing demands from work, a disappointing end to my last wargaming project and wanting to spend time with my daughter have all eroded my desire to wargame and paint. This has never happened before.
I am trying to soldier on and hope the spark re-ignites.
This week's game - on the suggestion of my good friend Nick - led me to an enjoyable return to the Lardies' Sharpe Practice II in the ACW. I use my ACW armies originally painted and based for Fire and Fury. I use one base to represent one figure in Sharpe's. This gives the impression of moving regiments around and the rules feel just right for the task.
The scenario was Sweep the Table and the year was 1863. This Confederates were using the basic list from the Sharpe's book while the Union had their basic list plus an additional command of two units of infantry. The Union were attacking, trying to despoil the supplies of the Rebs.
After all the early marching favoured the Union, the Rebels sprang to life. They led with their skirmishers and the smaller command of infantry with their larger command of three infantry units trailing behind. The took position in Grover's Field and maintained a lively fire on the Union skirmishers. These were happily despoiling the supplies. It would be the sole success for the North.
One Union column went around the side of Grover's Field ignoring the Confederates and went straight for the second supply depot in the new Baptist church at Swain Junction. This was the point at which the game turned and momentum firmly shifted to the Rebels. Despite being in contact with the supply depot the Union 5th command did not receive another card activation in the game. They were left standing in the open as volley after volley poured upon them from the (till now) delayed large command on the Confederates.
Above shows that final large command marching past Tanner's Schoolhouse. The commanders, Nick and Ian, decided they would not form up but rushed their units individually into a firing position as fast as possible and began a lively fire. This - over 5-6 turns - took an increasingly heavy toll as stress/fatigue/shock tokens mounted.
The Union - before it all fell apart - about to seize more supplies.
And the game was essentially over. The Union had lost one command and still had two relatively untouched forces but their morale had been reduced to just two while the Rebels remained on their starting eleven. The game would be decided by a final roll as the Union had despoiled two supply depots. If their commander (me) could roll under (or equal to?) this number at the end of the game a strategic victory would be achieved.
I didn't.
All players enjoyed the rules and had no troubles with the card system of activation. The game swung about but all players felt they still had a chance at victory. The Union put all their cards into quickly taking objectives to secure victory and did not take up firing positions to attack the enemy. This may well have been a key factor but in the final 5-6 turns the Union commanders were starved of cards to take any action. The largest command were repeatedly held up in tangled woodland leading to repeated very low movement rolls.
The Confederate commanders were able to struggle into key positions to fend off attempts at the objective. Both of these commanders felt justice had been done and history repeated itself well as the game proved the superior morale and fighting spirit of southern gents.
The Union commanders will return for another bite at the Virginia. There are always more men, uniforms, muskets and boots for marching in the industrial powerhouse of the North.
