Club Night 29th october

And what a busy night it was. We even had to compromise and move around to accommodate all the games (thanks very much Duncan and Robin for being very decent!). We had a Mexican-American using Fire and Fury regimental battles, and Impetus, a Flames of War, a Napoleonic Naval, a Hordes vs. Warmachine and Steve K and me doing a Black Powder ACW. A great night though an was good to see much, and such variety going on.

Steve and I played a Johnny Reb scenario I had found for Fox's gap on South Mountain. We had looked at some interesting house rules published on the black powder yahoo group, but neither of us had really had a chance to look at them properly so we stuck with the normal rules, although used their rebel yell for the confederates that allows them to win drawn melees.

Steve took the initially outnumbered Rebs defending a sunken road across the hill, while I took the Yanks trying to take it. I immediately moved my cavalry to my right to threaten the Reb flank and the road their re-enforcements would arrive on, while i sent my 1st Brigade to the left flank to try and turn the southern line and concentrate on part of their force. Both sides finally reached the end of the sunken road at about the same time and so I had to attack the Rebs in ta good defensive position. Over the rest of the game i continued to attack here, but although not taking many casualties I kept being disordered which prevented me from launching a co-ordinated and so effective attack.

On the right the cavalry was very shot up, but holding on behind some walls, and were enough of a nuisance to pin the Reb cavalry against them, to prevent the Yankees from thinking about advancing on the road.

In the centre my 2nd Brigade marched smartly across the open ground, formed up and assaulted the rebel centre. And so very nearly broke it. Of the first two assaulting Ohioan Regiments the first was devastated by musketry and cannister, but the other attacking through the cover of an orchard and without artillery against it fell upon the Confederates in a viscous melee. However the melee was drawn and so the Rebs won thanks to their Rebel Yell, but the union forces held. However by now southern reserves had arrived and were moving to strengthen the line. With increasing support the Union just got not break the line and so, despite more charges in the centre and on the left were held, and even as their second division arrived the first was so battered to be ineffective and the Rebel positions were strengthening by the hour the Union called off the attack.