Advisory Note

Please Note: This blog contains poorly painted toy soldiers that may offend those of an aesthetically sensitive disposition.

Sunday 27 October 2019

Battle in Forge Valley

Introduction

General Gilder's Confederate Army continues to fight its way across Featherstone County on the road to Washington. Desperately short of supplies, the campaign looks close to failure. By chance the General learns of a Union cache of food and ammunition held in Forge Valley. A force is sent under Colonel Potter (an ancestor of the famous Korean War Officer) to take the much needed provisions.
The game was fought using the Portable Wargame. Exhaustion Point was 30% casualties. The CSA had until sundown (15 turns) to drive the Union force off the table and capture the supply dump (building). The heavily wooded hills were impassable. I used playing cards to determine the number of units that could be activated in each turn, as described in the Solo suggested rules, which worked well.

Couldn't resist borrowing this from Plastic Soldier Review

Game

A crisp Autumn morning - The initial disposition

The Union defence (Commander: Col. Horatio Webster)

The Rebels advance

Dismounted Cavalry about to join the fire fight on the CSA left flank

The Artillery was (as usual in my games) ineffective

CSA Cavalry charge the guns

and prevail (Col. Webster has quickly changed units!)

The end is in sight. Union at Exhaustion Point, CSA close to it.

Sundown - The Union's last unit are allowed to retire

The game was basically a fire fight between a larger attacking force and a defender who had the benefit of some cover. In the end the larger force won, but only just. The CSA had only one point left before they reached EP.