Gettysburg McPherson Ridge

The last six months I have been busy designing a set of rules to play battles from the American Civil War. After a lot of play testing and organising, painting armies and making new scenery ( I seemed to have spent my summer holidays building  fences). I decided that I would showcase the new game at  my local wargaming club convention at San Vincente just outside Alicante. Kiefer my partner in crime was returning to England to start University, but his parents kindly postponed their plans to send him back so we could play all day Saturday. The  rules are designed to play Division level battles, with each player having 3 brigades each, and the basic unit is a Regiment or Battery. 

The first edition of the game is based on the Gettysburg campaign , players can either randomly pick a division to use or play a historical scenario. I decided we would play three games one from each of the three days of the Battle. The first was "McPherson's Ridge."  

The initial setup, I had positioned Gamble's union cavalry brigade to defend the Chambersburg Pike and the unfinshed railroad. Heth sends two brigades in march column directly down these routes, whilst his third brigade, Pettigrew's crack troops attempt to outflank the cavalry on their far left.

Union Cavalry in dismounted skirmish line prepare to be assaulted.

The 8th Illinois take position in a wheatfield just to the right of the cut for the unfinshed railroad.

Pettigrew's Brigade break out from the treeline on the Union's unprotected left flank.

Instead of deploying the Confederate's think they can just sweep the small Union Cavalry brigade

aside. But the Union artillery and Breech loading carbines begin to pour a devastating fire onto the head of the Confederate columns.

Usually at the end of turn 1 reinforcements can not enter, but the commander of the Iron Brigade is aggressive and so gets a +1 modifier. I roll a 1 and so the Iron Brigade arrives ahead of schedule. I place these troops  arriving from Gettysburg along Pike Road. 

Pettigrew's Brigade however is quickly advancing towards the Union left flank unopposed.



At the end of turn two , I roll the dice to see if my final brigade of reinforcements arrive the Commander, Cutler is only competent so does not have a modifier. I need and roll a one again and I place his brigade just in time to rescue my threatened flank.



Both brigades deploy to face each other in the wheatfields.



Pettigrew's brigade of crack troops shout out their famous "Rebel Yell" and charge. Two Union Regiments to my dismay turn tail and run.




However, there is better news in the centre, The Iron Brigade has routed the front of the Confederate brigade, as they run back down the road they spread panic and another two regiments run away as well. Heth is able to rally his troops before they leave the field of battle, but with the Union troops in possession of the ridge the game is finished.

This was a very enjoyable scenario, which could have ended very differently, if I hadn't been very lucky with my reinforcements. Kiefer had made a mistake in not deploying his troops earlier on and paid for it when I managed to easily rout his troops. So after the first game the Union are winning one-nil.  We quickly change the scenery and troop labels to play the second day game "The Wheatfield". I will be posting a report of that game in the next day or so.