Misfortune

 The arrival of forces in the OHW scenario 17 is dependent on the roll of 4-6 on a d6. When this is only happening for the opposing side, unfortunate events can occur.

"God Save the King!"
The King of Albionia discusses recent dispatches with his General Staff

For the remaining games in this Mini Campaign I'm testing a new rule that has come about through comments from Geoff (aka Elliesdad): this relates to a Commander's quality. Each General throws a d6 before the game starts and applies the following:

6 equals General is classed as Inspiring - The usual +1 applies to the unit that the General is with, the Army EP is set at 40%

4 or 5 General is Average but experienced - The usual +1 applies to the unit that the General is with, the Army EP is set at 30%

2 or 3 General is Average but inexperienced - +1 applies to the unit that the General is with for a single unit type only (roll d6 1-2 Infantry, 3-4 Cavalry, 5-6 Artillery), the Army EP is set at 30%

1 equals General is Poor quality - No bonus is applied and EP is set at 25%.

For the following battle the General for the Kingdom of Uqbalistan was Inspiring. The General for Albionia was Average and had been promoted up from the Cavalry, only applying a bonus when imbedded with Cavalry units.

 Game 3 Encounter

The Albionian Army is still trying to extricate itself from Uqbalistan. Both sides are looking to take control of a strategic hill however their units are arriving piecemeal. 

The first units arrive and head for the hill

Weight of numbers is already one-sided

Another unit of Albionians has turned up

and gets onto the hill

only to be destroyed

Late in the day, the army of Uqbalistan have total control of the objective

Albionian fire begins to dent the enemy but confidence has collapsed and Exhaustion Point arrives

Day's end - another victory for Uqbalistan

 Campaign Scoreboard: KU 6 AAU 0

The Albionians now need to win the last two battles to avoid defeat. Recent events suggest that this is unlikely.

Logjam

 Attempting to extricate themselves from their  incursion into the Kingdom of Uqbal, the Albionian force is marching West towards their own territory. As the road passes between a densely wooded area and a small lake, they stumble across a force of tribesmen. 

To achieve a victory, the Albionian Army of Uqbal (AAU) must clear the road of the tribesmen (who are in the pay of the Kingdom of Uqbalistan (KU)). This objective is achieved if there are no KU troops either on the road or in a grid adjacent to it. Only a single unit of tribesmen (skirmishers) and no Albionians are able to enter the wood. The lake is too deep to ford. The lack of space to manoeuvre is likely to cause a bottleneck on the road. 

Game 2 Bottleneck

The Albionians arrive ready for action (having good scouts helps)

"Clear the road you fellows"

At this point I just want to mention the Albionain Artillery battery who were completely hopeless; even when they got a bonus for not having moved they could only manage to hit a few defenseless trees. The Artillery Officer has been persuaded to resign his commission.

Cavalry charge Camelry

The Tribesmen stoically hold their ground

Midday the fire fight grinds on

With the treeline finally cleared the Albionians press forward

but can't get enough men into the gap

and reach Exhaustion Point with Tribesmen still adjacent to the road

The AAU has suffered another set back.

 Campaign Scoreboard: KU 3 AAU 0

Incursion

 I couldn't resist starting another OHW Mini-Campaign today - the scenarios to be played were rolled for as in the previous version (see here) and are as follows:

1. Scenario 21 Twin Objectives

2. Scenario 24 Bottleneck

3. Scenario 17 Encounter

4. Scenario 6 Flank Attack 1

5. Scenario 20 Fighting Retreat

As in the previous mini-campaign, I'll be using Portable Wargame rules (with occasional changes if it suits the Scenario). I'm using my Late 19th Century setting, an imaginary continent called Uqbal that is being colonized by some equally imaginary Great Powers, one of whom is the Kingdom of Albionia.

Background

In a serious attempt to smash the illegal, and morally reprehensible, slave trade, a brigade from the Albionian Army in Uqbal, in pursuit of the Slave Traders, has crossed the Eastern border into the Kingdom of Uqbalistan (causing umbridge in the latter). Quite naturally, the King sees this action as an incursion into his territory and sends a force of his own to chase the intruders away. The two force's initial meeting sees the Uqbalis split, and holding two objectives; a hill and some ruins. For Albionia to win the battle their larger force must have captured both by Turn 15.

Game 1 Twin Objectives

The majority of the Uqbali force defend the ruins

The Albionians advance on both objectives

Albionian Cavalry and Mounted Police attempt to soften up the defenders

The Rifles (Light Infantry) and Regular Line Infantry attack the hill

Infantry replace the cavalry attacking the ruins

The first objective has been taken

The Rifles rush to join the attack on the ruins

but time is running out and casualties mounting

The Albionians reach Exhaustion Point having failed to capture the 2nd objective

So the first battle is won by the Kingdom of Uqbalistan (KU) to the chagrin of the Albionian Army of Uqbal (AAU).

Using the same scoring system as the last campaign, the scoreboard after one game reads:

KU 1 AAU 0

Finale

 The final game in my OHW mini campaign, set in the imaginary US state of New Wiltshire, saw General Wise retreating north with the surviving members of his Army. With fresh troops a days' march away, the Union force set up a rather disorganized triple line of defence in order to slow down the approaching Confederates. The CSA General Gilder knew that success could give him a chance to take the strategic town of Scrubyville, County Featherstone, opening the road towards Washington.

To win the scenario, a side needs to exclusively occupy the hill to the North of the river. To give the smaller Union force more of a chance I made the woods impenetrable so only a frontal attack is possible.

Game 5 Triple Line, or Crossing the Papercon

The Confederates approach the bridge across the River Papercon

Fierce fighting for the crossing point delays the CSA

A breakout is finally achieved

Lines are formed. The Rebs hope for the same success as their previous battle

The larger CSA force looks unstoppable as it closes in

The Union troops staunch defence of the hill

The last line of defence

With time running out, a charge with fixed bayonets is ordered

Battle's end and the Federal force has held the Southerners at bay

A disappointed General Gilder pulled his forces back and started planning the next campaign.

Final Campaign Scoreboard: USA 8 CSA 7

Tolled

 The fourth battle in my OHW mini campaign is probably the least interesting of the 30 scenarios in the book. I have added a road, and a building that represents the toll booth for a now removed turnpike, to the otherwise symmetrical landscape. These have no affect on the game mechanics. The side with the largest surviving force at Turn 15 (or when both sides reach exhaustion point) will win.  The two sides diced to see who would play Red (moves first each turn) and the CSA won. With this in mind I decided to play the CSA, under General  Gilder, aggressively, and the Union force, led by General Wise, defensively. 

Game 4 Pitched Battle, or the Battle of Gushville Turnpike

The two armies face each other across the Gushville Valley

 

General Wise establishes himself on the hill known as Little Square Top

CSA cavalry roar towards the Union's left flank

The Union guns miss their mark

Early action on the left flank

Musket fire rings out across the valley - the Union side take hits

The Blues fall back to the hill...

..and are soon at Exhaustion Point

The CSA troops close in on Little Square Top

The CSA hit EP and win the day

General Wise and his surviving men escape, abandoning their guns, but with a chance left to stop the Confederate surge towards Scrubyville, the supply hub for the State of New Wiltshire.

Campaign Scoreboard after four games: USA 3 CSA 7

With 5 points on offer for the final game, can the Blues cause an upset?

Juncture

 The first two games of this OHW mini-campaign have seen the Federal Army dominant; in the third game, however, the North finds itself very much on the back-foot. In this scenario, the winner is the side in control of the hill at turn 15.

Game 3 Fighting Retreat, or the defence of Dunce's Hill

Part of the Union Army has become separated from the main force and is hurrying back to join them, pursued by a stronger Confederate contingent. Spotting what he hopes is a defendable hill, Colonel Brandon leads his men across a pair of fords...

The Blues rush towards the hill.
The light green area is marsh, impassable to all units.

The CSA in hot pursuit 

The Federal force established on Dunce's Hill 

Artillery opens fire across the river as the CSA infantry close in

Early afternoon and casualties mount on both sides

The Union force is at Exhaustion Point as the Rebs close in

The CSA troops are on the hill

Heroic last stand

Despite the Union force still having a tiny presence on the hill at turn 15, the Umpire ruled that control of the hill was in the hands of the men of the South. A Confederate victory; is this the turning of the tide?

Campaign Score Board after three games: USA 3 CSA 3.

It's all to play for.