One Hour Wargames - Take the High Ground

Today my girlfriend kindly offered to play a one hour wargame scenario with me using my muddy fields wargaming mat and my American Civil War armies.

We played "Take The High Ground" on a map that consisted of a marsh, road and small hill. With the limited amount of terrain I currently have this scenario was the most appropriate to use.

We each rolled for army composition and for who would be Red / Blue forces. I was the defending Red Army, fighting with Union forces, whereas my other half fielded a Blue Army of Confederates. I had three infantry units, two elite infantry units (called Zouaves in the Wargames book) and one artillery piece. Facing off against them were four Confederate infantry units, one elite infantry unit and a unit of dashing Rebel cavalry. After my test game (Marye's Heights) I allowed cavalry to charge as per Napoleonic rules, dishing out D6 damage but then retreating 6" once the sabres had been rattled!

The cavalry charging ability was put to good practice, taking a toll on the elite Union infantry guarding the hill. My artillery was also present  on the hill, enabling it to start thinning out advancing Rebels. Having the cannon at the front line also stopped Union reinforcements from blocking its line of sight. The elite units in the game were high priority targets, getting some good volleys off but attracting plenty of attention in return. Union firepower started off very well but Lady Luck eventually favoured the Confederates in the crucial final stages of the game.

To summarise the battle, isolated Union forces on the hill were crushed by a mixture of cavalry charges and elite musketry. Meanwhile Rebel infantry held Union reinforcements up on the main road long enough for their comrades to secure ownership of the hill. By taking the high ground, the Confederate forces just had to dig in and hold out against the Yankee counter attack. At one point both sides had exactly the same strength, but the dice rolls eventually favoured Johnny Reb and my brave boys in blue were seen off. My girlfriend quite enjoyed it, especially using her gallant cavalry to savage my elites. 

Overall a very close game, showing that the dice don't always go your way despite seemingly good visual odds on the battlefield. Severely wounded units can still cause a lot of pain (especially those elites with a +2 damage bonus!). I learned that artillery in the open and close to the enemy can only hold out for so long, and that at the end of the day, it's the poor bloody infantry that secure victory!