Mitchell Land - 07:44pm Dec 15, 1998 PST (#237 of 258) "War doesn't determine who's right. War determines who's left." The following was sent to me by a gentlemen of the name Jay Meyers...who was kind enough to write it all up and send it to me for posting. Here are the opening moves/possibilities. This assumes the historical motivations of each side (Heth being aggressive, and Buford/Reynolds trying to hold McPherson+s hill). 7 AM Admin Phase Union: Reynolds rolls for ACPs (drm=4). As per the special rules, any ACPs that are generated will have to be used to move Reynolds during the action phase until he is adjacent to Buford at the Seminary. Buford rolls for CCPs (drm= 4[his rating] - 3[independent status] = +1). These should be saved to modify his activity roll later in the turn. He does not go inactive if you roll a modified 6 or less. Throw his DAC in the URAC. Wadsworth and Rowley are given march orders. Confederate: Heth rolls for CCPs (drm= 2[command rating] - 3[independent status] = -1) since he is independent. If you manage to generate 2 CCPs or more, buy a second DAC in order to push Buford back. Don+t buy an Attack or Direct command order. The Direct command order costs 1 CCP and only gives a +1 modifier to the Activity roll; if you save the CCP and use to modify the activity roll, you get a +2 modifier. Since infantry can always enter cavalry ZOC, there is no need to have a Direct command for Heth this early. As for attack orders, since Buford can withdraw his troopers, you won+t inflict any damage. You+ll lose morale though and a second DAC is even better as it allows you to move twice thus pushing Buford back further. Action Phase Union: When you move Gamble+s brigade, keep the following in mind: 1. you want to be as far west as possible as this delays Heth until Wadsworth arrives. 2. You want to be far enough away from the rebs so that they cannot surround a unit. Remember that cavalry ZOI is three hexes, but after the first infantry unit closes, the others don+t have to worry about ZOI costs from the cavalry unit now engaged. 3. Try to position your troopers out of LOS of reb artillery. Reverse slopes, behind/in woods are the ways to do this. When the rebs adavance, withdraw again keeping the above in mind. Also note that you want to spread out your units but if they are too far spread out than withdrawing before combat may put them in jeopardy if they don+t get to move again before the rebs do. Finally, don+t forget that your artillery unit has a ZOI of 4 hexes as long as it has a LOS. During the OP Movement, move Wadsworth and Rowley up the roads, hoping to roll high on their activity rolls (which are modified only by their CRs). Confederate: Use your artillery to bombard as much as you can. Press the cavalry with your infantry as much as you can. Try to work around one of his flanks. It will go a little slow at first, especially if Heth doesn+t get full activity. (That is why you want to only buy an extra DAC with CCPs - save all other CCPs to modify Heth+s activity roll.) The Union will probably withdraw, but don+t always count on it (try to get decent attacks set-up just in case). 8 AM Union: Assuming that Reynolds made it to Buford, you can now start spending ACPs. Not really sure what to do with him at this point in the game. Try moving him back to stack with Wadsworth as this gives Wadsworth an addition +2 modifier on his activity rolls. Also, you will probably be in range to spend ACPs on Doubleday+s arrival if you do this. Notes about Buford, Wadsworth and Rowley are the same as 7 AM. During the OP Movement phase, you roll to see if Doubleday and Robinson+s division arrive (drm = 3 (Doubleday+s rating + 1xACPs spent on the roll+Reynolds must be within 12 MPs of Doubleday+s entry point for these ACPs to be spent). If Doubleday arrives, roll for Robinson+s activity (drm= 3(CR) + 2 (Doubleday+s CR/2)=5). Minimum result is half and he can+t go inactive this turn. Move +em up the pike at the 1/3 rate. If Doubleday fails the arrival roll (modified 8 or less), he and Robinson don+t arrive and roll again next turn. Confederate: Notes about CCPs and movement for Heth remain the same. Be sure to remember to drop his divisional morale if a second DAC is bought - this is done after the second DAC is spent. Also, DACs can+t be burned by the opposing side, so the only thing slowing down Heth will be his activity rolls and Buford+s road blocks. Pettigrew and Brockenbrough show up as a single group of reinforcements. For arrival and activity roll purposes, their CR = 3 (1/2 the highest morale rating which is Pettigrew+s 5). Heth can modify their arrival roll if he is within 8 MPs of the entry hex and has CCPs left (each CCP spent increases the roll by 1). He cannot modify their activity roll, which during the turn of entry is minimum ½. 9 AM. Union: Reynolds can now use ACPs as PPPs for the I corps assuming that Doubleday arrived. It is worth spending 1 ACP as a PPP for the 10 AM turn. One ACP so spent increases the CCPs for the corps by an average of 2. Each addition PPP only brings the average up about .33. So, it is best to spread out your PPPs if you are not planning something big for a particular turn. Other than that, ACPs can be spent on moving Reynolds around (having him near Doubleday to modify the I corps CCP roll with his CR is a good idea) or trying to win the initiative. At this point, if Buford is in trouble, spend them on the initiative so he can move before Heth. Notes on movement of Buford remain the same. You might start moving Devin+s brigade around now if you want. As Wadsworth and the rest of the I corps show up, leave a retreat lane open for Buford+s boys to pass through the lines. They can+t move through infantry. As for Doubleday, you want to place him in such a way that he can command his three divisions. Use his CCPs to modify activity rolls. At this point, all divisions should still be under March orders. Confederate: Keep on pushing the boys in blue. Given that we have a lot of hindsight on our side, in most Gettysburg games, my strategy is to slide Heth+s men south so that the line on McPherson+s hill/ridge has to be extended or is turned. When Ewell arrives, this puts pressure on both flanks. Heth will get crushed if you send him up the hill without support against the 1st Division of the I corps. However, if you+ve managed to push Buford+s men back and Wadsworth got half activity a time or two, make the game interesting -- push up the hill and try to defend it until Ewell shows up. 10 AM This is when it should start getting interesting as Wadsworth will either have arrived on Seminary Ridge last turn or will be arriving this turn. Union play should put Wadsworth under direct command and move him to engage those rebels. Pull Buford+s men back and possible south. One rule I+m not clear on is if Gamble+s units can split up more than 6 movement points and still be in command as long as they are in Buford+s range. If they can, two around Oak Hill to screen against Rodes and send two south to guard the extreme flank. Rick what is the ruling here? Confederate play needs to determine if Heth will press the attack at the risk of blowing Heth+s morale for the day. Heth+s units are no match for the Iron Brigade and company especially if the former are on the hill or behind Willoughby run. If Heth will press the attack, it is slightly better (and a bit gamey) to not move AP Hill within command of Heth. Either way the Confederate will need to roll high on CCP rolls to put Heth under attack orders and without Attack orders he stands little chance. One final note: McPherson+s hill seems like a better place to defend than western side of Seminary ridge (the northern flank of the Seminary ridge seems particularly vulnerable). However, making a stand there could cost you a lot in terms of Army Morale if the position is turned by Ewell later in the day (ie, if you have units behind the run and they withdraw, you lose 4 Army Morale points per stack!). For this reason Confederate infantry should put such Union units in ZOI in order to score the Army Morale Points. Rick Barber - 08:12am Dec 16, 1998 PST (#240 of 258) Illustrator/Cartographer/Designer (Summer Storm - the Friendly Monster!)- No Question too small - No Answer too big Wow! A wonderful posting; with more information than the one I'm still working up! He's caught everything DEAD ON, and I've only a few VERY minor points to clear up: As Wadsworth and the rest of the I corps show up, leave a retreat lane open for Buford+s boys to pass through the lines. They can+t move through infantry. A needed clarification; for purposes of moving through other units, the 'normal' stacking limit is the only one that matters. (ie. 3 units in open ground/ 2 in woods, rough, town) Infantry, Cavalry and Artillery may move through each other, as long as THAT 'normal' stacking limit isn't exceeded in the process, simply by paying the extra MP for Stacking when entering the hex. The limit on cavalry stacking is strictly a doctrinal one, and only applies at the END of any single unit/stack's movement. One rule I+m not clear on is if Gamble+s units can split up more than 6 movement points and still be in command as long as they are in Buford+s range. If they can, two around Oak Hill to screen against Rodes and send two south to guard the extreme flank. Rick what is the ruling here? Though it's obviously still a gray area, I'd allow that as a correct interpretation, as it greatly facilitates the 'independent' manner in which Cavalry was and should be used! Historically, by the afternoon the 2 Cavalry Brigades were operating quite separately of each other: Gamble was on the left end of the Union line, south of the Hagerstown Road, while Devin extended the line of Coster's Brigade making its stand at Kuhn's Brickyard (suffering considerable 'friendly fire' from several of the XI Batteries on Cemetery Hill for their trouble. In both cases the Cavalry units were handled aggressively, and posed enough of a threat to several of the Confederate Brigades as to significantly slow down the envelopment of both the I and XI Corps lines! Each instance also provided some of the only documented instances of ACW infantry ever, even if just for a short time, actually forming Square to repel Cavalry! For the life of me, I still haven't been able to pin down exactly where Buford himself was at the time, but knowing John, it wasn't sitting on the porch of the Eagle Hotel! One final note: McPherson+s hill seems like a better place to defend than western side of Seminary ridge (the northern flank of the Seminary ridge seems particularly vulnerable). However, making a stand there could cost you a lot in terms of Army Morale if the position is turned by Ewell later in the day (ie, if you have units behind the run and they withdraw, you lose 4 Army Morale points per stack!). For this reason Confederate infantry should put such Union units in ZOI in order to score the Army Morale Points. A wonderful summation of the Union dilemma at that point in things, that also manages to catch pretty much every nuance of the morale and VP rules! Heth will indeed shoot his bolt(and his Division's further effectiveness)if he continues to attack alone! If both Hill and Ewell manage to stay passive unitl their historical release times there's a chance for the Union player to set up good defences BEHIND the shield provided by the McPherson's Hill position, but if either or both of them release EARLY, you stand to lose a lot more than just the Army Morale points for the terrain! OK...one last question before I start to tackle this..are Wadsworth and Rowley considered Independent Commanders...thus rolling for their own CCP? No, they are simply out of Command to their offboard Corps Commander, in this case Doubleday. All that means is that they may not have any CCPs spent on them, to purchase extra Impulses, other Orders, or as DRMs to their Activity rolls. Effectively, Heth and the Various cavalry Leaders are the ONLY Independent Leaders in the game. Arriving Divisions of reinforcements, such as Johnson and Pickett, are Out of Command when they arrive, but only til within Command Range of their Corps leader. The Idea is to stick to the way the actual command hiearchy worked, rather than allow a multitude of 'Independent' battlegroups to be running around. Well done indeed! El Carto