The Return of the Masked Wargamer!

The cobwebs have been brushed aside, the rust has been treated and the giant spiders moved to another home. Yes, GHQ is open for business once more as we've seen another reduction in all this coronavirus malarkey! So Phil arrived, suitably bemasked, for our first game since early March!

So, what could be a better place to start than with an ACW game, a tester for my planned campaign? Each of us commanded a sizeable Brigade with support from a Battery of artillery and a Regiment of cavalry. The battlefield was laid out as you see in the first photo ~

Colonel PJ Robinson's Brigade, Good 'Ol Boys one and all, marched on from the nearside while Brigadier General Useless S Bykleigh, a political appointment if ever there was one, marched his Union Brigade on from the far side of the table. Both sides represent a reconnaissance in force as the respective armies feel for each others' positions, strengths and weaknesses. We played out the game using Black Powder 2 with some additions from the supplement Glory Hallelujah. Each side was also allocated 5 random event cards which they could play one at a time at the beginning of their turn. Cards could be played on the enemy or on their own forces. These are from my Bull Run to Gettysburg rules written a while back for Wargames Foundry. Anyway, no more wittering on, let's get to the action!

Union Turn 1 gets off to a good start. The cavalry and two infantry regiments march down the road to seize the junction. A card plated on the Rebs prevents more than one order being made, and Phil duly fails that too!

In Turn 2 Phil responds by playing a card on the 5th New York to hamper their movement!

Nevertheless the Union reach the road junction in Turn 2 just in time to observe the first of the Rebs marching towards their position.

On the Union right though things are going less well. Although the battery has deployed on the crest of the lightly wooded hill the US Sharpshooters and their two companion infantry regiments are making very slow going. Must be the Virginian mud!

Turn 3 sees the Union infantry labouring to cross the low ridge in what looks like an increasingly forlorn attempt to flank the Rebs on the road.

Finally in Turn 4 the going becomes easier and the Union infantry advance with renewed enthusiasm!

Sadly the Rebs have beaten them to the fence line and the Union columns find it bristling with enemy rifled muskets!

Away on the Union left it all seems to be coming undone as casualties and Disorder combine with a card played on the 5th New York.

On the Union right it's not looking much better really as casualties and Disorder begin to take their toll.

For the Rebs much now depends on the boys from Georgia holding the fence line against the New Yorker's flanking march.

Meanwhile the main Reb attack begins to form, troops from Louisiana supported by more Georgians.

As the Reb attack gathers momentum Brigadier General Bykleigh moves to try to unravel the confusion and Disorder hampering his men holding the junction.

As the battle moves toward a climax on the Union right the New Yorkers manage to deploy into line despite galling fire from those damn Rebs at the fence line!

Phil now plays a low ammunition card on the leading New York regiment further hampering their attempts to dislodge the Georgians!

The  artillery battery supports the defence on the Union left by using the remaining card to increase their range for a turn. It's to no avail though, the Rebs take no casualties!

The Union stragglers marching to the sound of the guns are halted when Phil plays a halt for two turns card on them!

As the battle reaches its conclusion at the end of Turn 12 surprisingly the Union are holding on at the road junction despite heavy Reb infantry fire.

One infantry unit on each side has broken in route but despite that the other troops are steadfastly doing their duty despite Disorder and Confusion!

The battle ended we decided in a marginal Union victory. They held the road junction despite heavy Reb pressure and galling fire while still threatening the Reb left. The Rebs had struggled in the early turns to deploy their full force, in fact their artillery never fired a shot. Neither sides commander performed well enough to merit promotion nor did they deserve any reinforcement for the next battle.