What do you mean we can dig in Colonel?

It hasn't come up but you can dig in in Longstreet. So far John and I are being very historical... neither of us dig in.

 I picked these up at Hobby Bunker a few weeks ago they are meant to be "gone to ground" markers, for Flames of War I believe these are form a company called Battlefield Architects. They will cover about 22 inches of ground end to end.

 The sculpt is not perfect with lots of small air holes but with a proper wash they worked out well rocks just freed from the earth.

The look good with some discounted cavalry ready to defend them.

DBA Monday (1)

I met with Maureen for some Games of DBA we did two battle in the First I commanded an army of Italian Greeks against Campanian force. All the troops belong to Maureen and were painted by her.   Infantry face each other across the valley.

 My light cavalry launches a sweeping flank move...

 While the infantry advances into the valley.

 Maureen counters with her cavalry...

 I get a hard flank right off but...

 in an early indication of how the day will go I loose a battle the odds say I should win..

 The axuilla advance on my flank...

 and are soon chewing on my flank as Campanian cavalry continues to chase my cavalry

 I've lost 3 base (1 Hoplite and two Light cavalry) and my formation is in tatters but there is nothing for it but to charge

 The charge fails... I lose and we switch sides.

 Maureen advances on my flank with light cavalry.

 I take  a strong defensive position my Campanian Hoplites flanked by Auxilla.

 Seeing a chance to Hit an "isolated" Greek hoplite I take it  but fail to break through

 There are then several turns that look more or less like this as both of us advance an retreat neither gaining a decisive advantage.

 I begin to make head way on the left as  Maureen makes advances on the right both of us are down 3 stands.

Finally I gain what look like a decisive advantage! but my dice fail me and I loose the combat and a stand losing the second game as well.

54th Massachusetts

Since there is a chance John will get some US Colored troops through the campaign cards I have been working hard on these guys the 54th Massachusetts Volunteers.  I still need officers... I am promised those will arrive "soon" actually I was promised they would ship last week but that is a subject for another blog.

As you can see I have decided to base them to suggest they are moving across a beach as they did before assaulting Battery Wagner .

The sand is from Hampton Beach in New Hampshire and the tufts of grass are from Army Painter I think they look admirably like dried tufts of dune sand.

Blanket rolls are a one of the few places I get to be creative on Union Uniforms... enjoy.

Two Flames of War Objectives for Sale

I just posted these on eBay hope they find a good home

Longstreet cards (4) Campaign effects

History is full of generals who contribute to victory more by their action before (or after) the day of battle then on the day of battle. We've already review two of these Friend in the State Hose and Political savvy there is a tendency in looking at the Civil War to scoff at "political generals" like Butler or Banks.  We tend to forget that Grant and Sherman had political connections and used them.  For that matter Robert E. Lee appointment to command of the Army of Northern Virginia was due at least as much his close relationship to CS President Davis as to his Military record up to that point.  Don't avoid these card for fear of getting labeled a political general.

Wealthy is a great card because it gives you a free Epic Point each game that is not insignificant if winning the campaign is important to you.  To put this in perspective if John or I had this card the man with it would be leading in our campaign by a margin of 29 to 25. This card also means your Cavalry do not suffer the automatic 1 base loss other recruits are subject too.   If your looking to build a cavalry brigade this card is a must in my opinion.

This card is for Yankees only, not surprising as southern abolitionist were a pretty rare breed.  This is a tricky card to analyze.  One must balance the fact that for the first four battles of the campaign it does nothing for you!  Starting in the replacement phase following the 1st battle of 1863 benefits kick in as you can choose to recruit a "Colored Regiment" and what's more it will interact with the rest of your force with out penalty.  Every other union commander can only get "colored" troops by drawing a card in the post battle phase and even if he does it will complicate his command situation (until 1865).  "Colored" troops are significant because from 1863 and beyond they are the only troops that come in with an Eager elan. This is a significant benefit and I think this is a good second card for a Union player... its perhaps the best card a Yankee can pull at random when he gets the "valuable experience" campaign card.

I would love feed back on any of these assessments especially from players who have used them in a Campaign.

Longstreet cards (3) Miscellaneous battle field effects

If you missed the Mexican War you probably spent your army career fighting Native Americans. This is good because it forced you to become a n expert on reconnaissance. This is a a good card because it make it more likely you'll win the scouting roll letting you choose if you want to attack or defend.  

Robert E. Lee was an Engineer himself so this almost has to be a good choice right?  It is as you add an extra piece of terrain either a set of breast works to cover some of your men or an all important bridge over a river.  It also helps your men dig in (something neither John or I have done) but it might be the difference between victory and defeat. This card would not be my first choice in a one on one campaign like John and I are doing but if your doing multi-player games the Engineering Officer is definitely a man I want on my side. 

When I first got the card set I really discounted the value of this card but now I think its one of the best cards you could pick. First your risk is reduced by 1/3 and the most you can lose from risk is 2 cards!  That is a great deal especially with Mexican War Hero or Foreign Service cards. The biggest advantage to this card is it will save you about a turn per game as your opponent will not be able to us "Couldn't hit an Elephant..." card saving you 1-6 cards and your freedom of action in the turn your opponent would use it.

Shotgun Cavalry

 I got these are part of the same set as the Union cavalry but as they have shotguns a weapon used almost exclusively by the Confederates states cavalry.

 I thin these 5 men and one officer will make a good partisan cavalry unit something like Mosby's rangers 

The officer is very fancy and unarmed but he makes a good unit officer, scout or higher level commander.

Yankee Cavalry

These are part of a lot of Essex figures I got from my friend Rich in exchange for a bunch of unpainted Napoleonic figures(which I had gotten from John).  I got enough to make 14 stands for Longstreet. 

One thing I have always been a bit lukewarm on regarding Essex figures is the molded flags this one painted up pretty good I have to say.

Prepared to charge! Essex horses sometimes look weird like the one in the second rank foreground but most of this set were pretty good.  Over all I am pleased with how these scale with my Blue moon figures I do not think I could mix them in the same unit but they won't look out of place with them on the table.You can see more pictures on my facebookpage

Post Battle Process (5)

Well the assault on the Wheat field went as well as any one could have hoped for Confederates.  I fact it probably went far better than did historically.  I presumes that this probably means the fight on Little Round Top was a little more desperate but some one on the Yankee side, maybe John rallied the last survivors of his brigade on the other side of the ridge and brought them back just in time. Its quite probable that General Carriere and others were wounded in the course of the assault leading to a lack of coordination fatal to the confederate cause. Regardless there was no great victory at Gettysburg for the Confederacy so sorry alternate history fans the war goes on its historic course.

As mentioned in my previous report I lost heavily in the post battle process but that mostly burned away the last of my recruits the loss of the extra cavalry will be missed. Robert E. Lee paid a personal visit to the 17th Georgia (Hail to the Chief) giving them a story they will tell their grandchildren and raising their Elan to Eager. I got a bunch of artillery cards which I used to build a new battery Pulaski Artillery and replace the guns of the 1st Texas Artillery (the last of my original army) I also got a new Heavy Rifle for the Palmetto Artillery.

I used my last two cards to bring the Louisiana Tigers and 20th Georgia up to 5 stands each.   I have new regiment of recruits from Alabama.  I now have a lot of powerful artillery probably more than John but he has all the artillery modifying cards.

Hobby Bunker Campaign (5) Battle of The Wheat fields

John an I met again at the Hobby Bunker to play out the Cornfield scenario from the book which I have renamed the Wheat Field as this is the middle battle of 1863 which means Gettysburg to me.  I won the scouting roll (actually we tied but ties go to the Confederate player) and I elected to attack both because I felt it was the right thing to do from a role-playing stand point and because I needed to rack up some epic points.

 This scenario require the attacker to set up first so I did a classic cavalry on the wings, infantry in the center set up with the weight being more to the wings.

John put his main strength on my right put 3 regiments in the center and had one realy large regiment and a to the left of of the central fields. Above is the position after two turn of manuver.

I froze the Zouaves with old Rivals hoping I might be able to clip them in a charge on the following turn.

John was to careful for that to happen however bringing his horse up to defend. John in fact hit me with an attack of his own throwing back the 20th Georgia. After a turn of maneuver to set things up... 

I hit John with They couldn't hit an elephant and he rolled a 5...

I launched a Powerful charge(over 20 stands) modified with Rebel Yell...

I was victorious across the field savaging of Johns regiments and sending them stumbling back through the fields of wheat 

The 20th Georgia gamed a hero(so did the 17th in a latter action)

John would launch another desperate charge for Epic points that mostly ran up his casualty score but did net him a pair of epic points.   The 1st Texas gained on last moment of Glory taking the objective. John lost 19 stands total in the battle (including two guns to counter battery fire) while I lost 3 stands it was a terribly lopsided victory for the CSA. I had very good luck having the right cards at the right moments while John had poor luck in this regard. John's dice were also quite bad on this night.  Of Course after the Wheat field my men had to try an storm Little Round top and Cemetery ridge and we all know that didn't go well (in the post battle reduction I lost 13 stands and had 3 units reduced to the point they were broken up).  I earned 6 epic points in this game and John earned 5 so we are all tied up a the mid point with 25 Epic points each.