ACW Batrep - The Battle of Brownsville 1862

 

The Rejects got together for our first game of the year. a couple of Sunday's ago. Postie decided to put on an American Civil War game, using his own version of Fire n Fury.

It was bloody cold in the shed, can you tell?

When I first started gaming proper more than 30 years ago, I used to love Fire n Fury. Not anymore.

We changed from the 10 sided dice several years ago because I and other were sick to death of the, he threw a 10, I threw a 1 scenario, that although random, struck deep in my soul and enjoyment.

As I've said to the lads before, you can be a tactical genius and still be soundly beaten by a mushroom.

Postie took notice of our whines and changed the rules to 2 D6, which kinda worked, BUT in this game it really showed that it doesn't work. Obviously throwing 2 D6, the result of a 7 is more likely and it was ever so true in this game!

This is a moany batrep I'm afraid, if you hadn't realised already???

The sides were picked out completely randomly, I ended up on the left flank of the Confederate left, with Lee centre left, Smiffy centre right and Steve on our right flank.

Facing me was Surj, in the centre was Richard and facing Steve was Dan.

Smiffy and Steve's troops on our right.

My command facing Surj, in column on the hill.

My 4 units facing Surj's 7 units and we were attacking????

Lee's 4 units attacking Richard's horde in the centre.

At the start of the game, we were allowed a 5 minute chat to try and work out a plan......ha!

We all knew we were doomed before we rolled a dice, we were attacking and were severely outnumbered.

What the hell was Postie thinking?

The only thing we could do was push forward as fast as we could to try and catch the Union trying to set up??

Steve kind of had the easier job on our right flank as Dan's troops were hemmed in between a wood and the river, so it would take him a little longer to get into a useful defensive formation.

I quickly moved up and took control of the woods. While Surg was trying to deploy from column.

I unlimbered my guns by the road, to hopefully stop Surj moving across and attacking Lee in the centre.

Its a race to the fenceline!

Smiffy's 3 artillery were so far back we wondered if he'd ever get them deployed, let alone fire.

Surj came off the hill?

We getting closer.

In a very desperate move, I charged both my units out of the woods into Surg's troops, taking heavy fire as I did, from both muskets and cannister fire.

Surj moved into the open ground, I'm glad I unlimbered my artillery there now!

I moved around the table to take a look at what was going on between Steve and Dan.

Steve has charged in and Dan is still trying to find the room to come out of coloum.

Posties rather snazzy looking fort, lucky for us the guns were pointed out across the river!

Dan and Richard's defence.

Going downhill fast
Steve, Smiffy and Lee

Thinks are looking up?

We got some reinforcements on the table. Jeb Stuart and his cavalry have arrived!

Lee charges in!

So does Steve!!!

Three happy Rejects and the evil one!

Steve wins his melee

Lee takes a battering going in....

With his centre unit getting smashed before he hits the fence!

Unsurprisingly, Lee loses both melee's and is pushed back.

Meanwhile some seriously dodgy movement gives Surj the advantage.

And back I go with big loses too!

It was the end of the turn and also the end of the game, we all agreed to throw in the towel and give up and go get a cup of tea!

Conclusion

Postie set up a really great looking game using a 6 x 15 foot tabletop, but the winning conditions for the Rebs were an impossible task. He set the winner as whoever could cause most casualties, being as we were outnumbered and attacking, it was out of our each......oh well, we live to fight another day!!!