Valor & Fortitude in the Valley

Having sampled the Valor & Fortitude rules last week at Phil's with his War of the Triple Alliance collection we decided to give them a further run out in GHQ with a part of my ACW collection. Rather than try to recreate the action in detail I offer a sequence of pictures I managed to take during the game with a few observations on the rules in play. We diced for both Attacker/Defender and for Initiative. Phil was the attacker with the Rebs leaving me as defender. I won the initiative and got to move first. The game would last for up to 12 Turns. Here we go then ~

The by now almost obligatory Union camp scenes providing interest in one corner of the table. 

Using the 'free' first brigade activation the Union moves a battery of 3" rifled artillery into position, supported by infantry moving briskly towards the fence line.

All my brigades successfully activated in Turn 1 ~ the Iron Brigade moves to hold the centre of the Union defensive lines.

On the Union left the Brigade has further to move in order to get into position. I should have 'Doubled' with them of course, but forgot!

The Rebs move boldly forward in their turn, Phil not forgetting the 'Doubling' option!

Looking along the Rebel lines towards  towards their right flank more infantry pour forward towards the Union lines.

By Turn 2 the advantage of 'Doubling' was becoming obvious, as the leading regiments crossed the road and advanced on the still deploying Union lines.

Rebel artillery takes up position on their left and commences a galling fire on the Union Zouaves opposite.

Progress on the Rebel right is not developing so well. Action on this flank will lag behind the rest of the assault throughout the game.

The Union right is slow to come into place in support of the artillery, taking casualties before fully deployed. I confess a nostalgia at this point for Saving Throws!

At last the Union right flank gets into position and can engage the advancing Rebel infantry. Five firing dice, being three and two Supports, sadly producing only two hits. I had a Fate Card for rerolling 1's but forgot to use it! A bit of a theme developing there...

The Rebels return fire with rather more success unfortunately. Casualties are already mounting on the most forward defenders.

The Iron Brigade holding the Union centre pours it on into the closing Rebel infantry! As you can see to little effect!

Taking full advantage of the desoltary Union fire the Rebs crash into the Union lines inflicting numerous losses on the boys in blue! Facing six Valor tests there is no chance of passing and Rout is inevitable. Oh for Closing Fire...

At last though I can play a Fate Card to help. One routing unit Rallies and Returns as Reinforcements! Hurrah!

On the Union right the defenders are holding off the Rebel attack for now, losses to fire from 5 dice are just detering the attack as Phil orchestrated Movement with Rallying.

This clever combination has brought the assault to fruition on the right. Meanwhile in the centre, despite heavy losses to their Tenacity, the Union defenders Rout the Rebs in Melee.

Sadly though the Rebs Rout the Zouaves, but are halted by a sharp volley from a second line regiment...for now at least.

Another Union Rout, this time due to mounting losses from Artillery fire! Counter Battery fire would have helped silence the Reb guns but Union fire was needed desperately to support the infantry in holding off the Reb assault!

The fire from the second line Union infantry fails to halt the Rebs whose dander is definitely up now! They crash into the defenders for another melee!

Away on the Union right the Rebs finally reach the Union line. The ensuing Melee takes on an all too familiar pattern as the Union fail another Valor test. 

The Iron Brigade sees another Union Rout! The Rebs have secured four Objectives by now and its looking grim for Ol' Useless S Bykleigh once again.

Turn 9 sees a valiant counter attack mounted by the Bucktails, but to no avail as they suffered terrible losses and, you guessed it...

...Rout! It's all up for the Union with flank turned and centre pierced! Ol' Useless concedes the game after a hugely enjoyable three hours and Ten Turns.

Leaving Phil 'Old Reliable' Robinson to celebrate with a little band music...

Clearly Valor & Fortitude are designed for large table/army multi-player games, all beyond our more modest facilities here in GHQ. Notwithstanding those reservations they played out pretty well, though I think we came out slightly in favour of Black Powder rules in the post game debrief. As Phil said though, that could be due to more familiarity with those rules. I have downloaded the Army Sheets for the AWI and the ECW, so these may figure here later in the Autumn. Meanwhile, its back to painting archers for my Wars of the Roses project...