K&P Goes B&G

A great scrap with new uniforms and amateur optimism;

not the first time a war would be "over by Christmas"!

In a never-ending search for the perfect rules, we gathered to satisfy the unhealthy obsession lively interest that The Angry Dachshund [click] has with the opening battle of the ACW, First Manassas. 

First Manassas. This is an interesting battle, characterized by lively aggression, adequate leadership, and decent planning on both sides, overall.  My personal opinion is that McDowell's plan was unrealistic for green troops and leaders to accomplish in heat and heavy terrain. He probably should have just picked a crossing point to slug it out and grind the Confederates down...but then he'd be Gen. Grant, I suppose!

Rules. Steve had  been working on an ACW adaptation of my "Kepi & Picklehaub" rules - themselves an adaptation of Neil Thomas' inspiring "Wargaming 19th Century Europe" rules. For NT fans, these represent his best developed horse and musket rules for his "4-base systems" that started with "Simplicity in Practice". Worth buying if you're a fan of anything from SiP to the machine gun era!

Player Level. The "Wargaming 19th Century Europe" mechanics provide good "feel" for Player = Division / Corps Commander level of play. You can see the fight developing, troops advancing, standing or retreating, but the nitty-gritty of why things are happening at the lower battalion and company level isn't there and  doesn't bog the game down with unnecessary details. This is tricky to get right, and NT manages it with modest amount of rules using nearly zero "novelty mechanics". I'd like to shake his hand, but apparently he's something of a recluse...

My spin on it, "Kepi & Picklehaub", adds some period nuance and pulls in the rally mechanic from NT's "Wargaming: an Introduction" ACW rules. Altho it is focused on the FPW, there's no reason for it not to work in a "Blue and Grey" version with a few changes. But this would be the first time we actually did it.

This battle had a lot of discussion regarding mechanics [and a lot of fun sidebar conversation] so it was played over multiple sessions. Steve had a lot of questions, inputs and mods, many of which were really quite interesting to hash out, and I was determined to stick with him in his obsession project.

Map

I'm not going to rehash the historical battle as there's plenty on it in books and the internet.  But it was a fluid maneuver battle, and therefore interesting to game for anyone who wants more than a simple slugfest. McDowell had an interesting plan that that spread the fight out, so it is also easier to play with a smaller figure collection.

from https://www.military-history.us/2014/08/the-first-battle-of-manassas-21-july-1861/

Below, for those who want "the big picture" is the full map from above source.

May 25th Session

With the figures he had on hand, Steve wanted to fight the main fight, the one focused on Henry House Hill.  So we are viewing HHH from the North, Matthew's Hill, from whence the Union attack is coming. From the left, Confederates Bartow - Bee - Evans [top] are facing Union Wilcox - Burnside - Porter [bottom]. I admit to perhaps mixing up the exact brigades... Visible at the intersection, atop the hill to the right of the house, and farther to the right on the hill, are the three red beads that denote the victory points - winner is whoever has the most beads / points.

Below, Union troops rapidly flank the most forward confederates in a classic "hammer and anvil" approach. The battle lines are quite fluid in this battle, making for an exciting game!  Steve's Rebs are withdrawing in pretty good order, and he is avoiding making the mistake of letting me trash some exposed troops with my mass of Blue-bellies.

View from the Reb west flank. I am - literally - pushing as hard as possible to extend and thin the Reb left.  K&P allows troops that are not close to the enemy to march a lot farther. Thus it really pays to have light infantry and light cavalry out in front, constricting the enemy maneuver space. Again, this is a NT "Wargaming 19th C. Europe" rule, but one that I think is both familiar to many wargames / wargamers and quite realistic.

Above. Despite his left being obviously outflanked, Steve keeps his nerve and - just like an Angry Dachshund, hangs on to HHH with determination.

Basically, I'm pushing an entire brigade around the Confederate left....

Below, by advancing as fast as possible, taking a few risks, I manage to dislodge the Rebs from a more determined defense.  I really want the red bead at the top right, as I think the HHH bead is unlikely, and the crossroads is a certainty! While we both make a few little errors here and there, the inevitable difficulties of facing superior numbers maneuvering well is making the Reb's life difficult. He can't get too pinned in the front, or his flank will collapse.  He can't get to spread to the flank or the front will collapse.  So far, Steve's doing well, especially given the numbers of Union regiments coming at him.

As may be apparent, looking closely, while the guns are 1-base batteries, just like W19CE, Steve's regiments are on three bases of about 8-10 figs.  We did a few simple adjustments to the rules to accommodate this. First we used my "strength point" concept that assigned fixed values to Bases regarding the number of hits they could take.  I think it was 3, but maybe 4. A red die indicates that the regiment has "lost a base" in typical NT rule terms. It only has two left, however, not three.  Rallying and shooting similarly take into account his basing, which shows how flexible the rules are; one doesn't have to even use 4-base units for Neil Thomas' 4-base rules!

Anyway, the game plays - overall - much as you would think if you took the W19CE rules and added the Wargaming an Introduction: ACW mechanic for rallying.  Overall, a lot of depth for minimal rules overhead!

Below, The Confederates are being steadily outflanked as they try to hold a strong point in the woods.  I'm trying to keep the Union forces organized for both fighting and rallying. This way I don't lose regiments, but keep the pressure on his flanks. Overall, it seems to be working, and I think I'm inflicting more damage than I'm taking and - more importantly - I'm able to rest and rally my units more than he can.

Meanwhile, on the Reb left, the forces are looking thin indeed!  I'm racing to outflank him while he's racing to support his left... but he has a central position, and I'm flanking him through rough ground.

This ended an exciting and eventful session.  We figured out a lot of the mechanics we'd keep and a lot that we'd tweak a bit, all on the fly while playing, so it was also good clean fun.

May 29th Session

More Union arrive on the Rebel right, this time - Sherman, I believe.  They're being outflanked everywhere, operationally speaking this is a great Union attack! However, he has been reinforced by - I think - Evans' brigade. Steve has one unit holding off a lot of uncoordinated Union troops, Burnside center and Sherman at left [top].

At bottom, real pressure is being brought to bear on the Reb regiments - one is at two bases [of three] lost.

But more and more troops enter the fight on both sides.  And it seems the Reb's bacon will be pulled out of the fire for now, as reinforcements arrive at the point of contact.

Overall, since I'm pretty familiar with these rules, I'm coordinating well but there's always a hiccup or two along the way.  Guns lag behind their brigades, while I try to sort out troops and guns and keep brigade integrity solidly near their leaders. That's not easy to do in a maneuver battle!

Meanwhile, on the left of Henry House Hill [HHH], the Rebs of - I believe - Stonewall Jackson's brigade have arrived on the scene. They moved a lot faster in the open without any Union lights or cavalry to slow them down than the Union could in the rough ground and woods. Still, I'm developing solid firing lines and banging away at the Rebels as they arrive.  I also have more to spread out and continue the attempt to outflank him.

Also, I'm trying to rally my hits off whenever possible, an advantage of having more numerous troops in the scene.

June 13th Session

In a bold - unwise? - move, the Union reaches the far end of the table with a couple batteries. As the fight down teh roadway is mostly evenly matched, two batteries adding in their firepower could be decisive, given enough time. 

Meanwhile, at Henry House Hill, the Rebs have put together a pretty solid defense.

On the Union left, Sherman et al are keeping the Rebs tied down.

Finally, in a stunning turnaround, the Rebs take to their heels, retreating behind the bead!  Union has won the fight at the road, and now needs to secure ground with the best regiments possible.

At HHH, two lines of Union regiments surge forwards!  I gave up on trying to turn their right. With the crossroads in hand, and their left flank being forced to withdraw, the center has become the place of greatest pressure against the Rebs.  This prevents them from supporting their left, so the Union is likely to end up with 2-3 objectives given enough time. 

The confederate right is doing just fine, however.

An interesting series of games and game design discussions. A lot of it was distinctly focused on game mechanics. Much of it was similar to concept and development for the Kepi & Picklehaub rules. 

Overall, I felt like the "Wargaming 19th Century Europe Rules" are a good fit for ACW - all you have to do is use lots of green units [not all, but lots] and the rally mechanic from Wargaming: an Introduction - ACW.  The table needs lots of terrain and little cavalry, usually.  In this way, a "typical" ACW battle can be played out.  Also, using the occasional smoothbore and / or breechloader regiment will add a bit of variety.

W19CE should be called "Wargaming Horse & Musket" as it can easily cover anything from the use of musket battalions to Zulus [using the mob rules].  I think NT's editor pigeon-holed the rule set, and with little changes to the rules but lots of different battle coverage NT could make them go from Blenheim to Basutoland. All the mechanics you need are in this final, most developed set of rules that NT started with "Simplicity in Practice".  I highly recommend ANYONE with interest in the horse and musket period pick up this book.

Conclusions

1) The use of Strength Points per base and varying Base numbers per Unit makes for a simple, easy change of feel.  Units can be made more durable or fragile.

2) The Rally mechanic [especially when combined with a "Fatigue Level" that limits how much you can rally back] provides for an easy, realistic measure of "rest and replenishment" cycles, a tactical pause for the men to catch their breath.

3) No figure / base removal means units continuously occupy the same space altho they lose combat effectiveness. This enables fresh troops to have a realistic advantage in a given Battle Space of the table.

ACW distinctions

- Lots of heavy terrain; woods and deep linear water features.

- Linear combat, column movement [column is not a fighting formation]

- Many units have low morale, and it is likely they will Fall Back or Retreat. After, they are able to rally and possibly return to the fight. Ergo the side with the most fresh troops skillfully handled to keep up the pressure will take ground and seize the key objectives, causing the enemy to retreat from the field.

FPW Kepi & Picklehaub Playtest

"So, how are the rules are coming along, my Fine Frenchie Friend?"

Frenchie looks glum, but it's the disagreeable Prussian cuisine, not K&P!

So, back in March, I got a request from Steve the "Angry Dackel" [CLICK] to try out my adaptation of the "Wargaming 19th C. Europe" rules by Neil Thomas.  He was perusing the book and wanted to give the system a go.  With that in mind, I chose to do the main scenario out of the book, "Pitched Battle", which has some interesting random event twists. Having played it before, on my diminutive table, I knew that the scenario would produce a good fight - and I didn't want to Anger the Dackel:

Who wants to see that distinguished, somber face burst into fury???

The board has three objectives, the two towns and the large hill in close center.  The winner secures 2 of the 3 objectives.  I doubled the forces involved, which gives a much more realistic density of units on the table, around 20 per side.  The majority are infantry, altho I didn't use the random chart for it.  Instead, I used the two divisions I had finished basing.  This was about 12 infantry, 4-6 guns, 2 lights and 2-4 cavalry per side.

In the pre-battle sequence, the French rolled a Flank March, so set aside a cavalry and two Infantry to do so - but they don't have to reveal the flank!  The Prussians roll resulted in two of their units becoming Bogged Down, and Steve had to set aside an Artillery and - I believe - it was a cavalry.

Opposing Plans

The French plan was to drive on the near town [along the river] and use the flank march to secure the hill objective beyond. Their left was to delay the Prussians and reduce their opportunities to bring their full combat power to bear.

The Prussian plan was to hold the near hill, and secure the near town by the wood. The wood would provide a base of Fire against advancing Frogs, and the Hill was only about 12" away - a strong, central position.

What happened?

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Below, view from the French side who are approaching from scenario South. The French successfully got the initiative, and pushed their cavalry far forward to constrict the Prussian advance. This stroke of fortune allowed them to compete for a town that is actually a bit closer to the Prussian side, scenario East. Altho the Prussians have occupied the town, their infantry are slow to support them.

Closer up, the Prussians are just emerging from the woods to rescue their jagers in the town. The French cavalry are threatening and preventing them from performing any Operational Moves, which are at double rate but can't go within 9" of the enemy.

Just to the right, the French are making a strong push in the center, supported by cavalry, Legere, and artillery / mitrailleuse.

Farther right [table West] the French quickly secured the near town, and crossed the river unopposed. The Prussian delaying force - 2 Infantry, 1 Lt Dragoon - did what they could and aggressively pushed back against the French advance, with the support of three batteries on the large objective hill [background]. The Lt Dragoons gallantly charged a French column, but were unable to decisively win. Instead, they ended up worse off than the French. Still, this allowed the Prussian Infantry to form up beside them, along the road.

French are reduced by a stand, the cavalry by two.  The depth of the French maneuvering battalion gives it plenty of reserves, and still enough firepower to - usually - hold off any cavalry. There are no squares in the period.

In my version, stands are not removed as the "losses" represent mostly a loss of combat effectiveness, which can be rallied back, albeit slowly. This encourages preservation of force, keeping fresh reserves nearby, and combining aggression with discretion. From my reading, this is very realistic to the brigade commander's mentality. It does make the game a bit longer, but encourages players to attempt to push hard and reduce units to all bases lost, upon which they are removed as "combat ineffective".

Below view is from the Prussian side of the cavalry fight. There is plenty of space for the Lt Dragoons to fall back and rally behind the Infantry.

As the fighting intensifies, the Prussian center is reinforced with more infantry - desperately needed as they had a weak center and strong right wing. Altho the French advance was modest, their infantry heavily outnumbered the Prussian and their Artillery batteries were only a bit less [altho they are about half as good].

Below, Prussian view of the close town and woods, Scenario East. One French Dragoon regiment is slowing down - but not stopping - the Prussian Infantry Brigade advancing out of the woods. French attempts against the town have given them a bloody nose, and the town is about to be easily secured by the six Infantry battalions, jager companies, and two batteries.

Meanwhile, back on the French Right / Prussian Left, Scenario West, the Cavalry v. Infantry clash is about to be resolved.

Altho the cavalry ultimately lost more figs in the fight, the French lost the Close Combat and had to roll Morale - the rolled a '1', which caused them to Retreat, somewhat ignominiously. Still, they are closely supported and it would be suicide for the Prussian Lt. Dragoons to pursue. Fortunately [?] they roll a '1' for their options, and are only able to stand.

The improvement in light conditions reminds me that it took us two sessions to play this out. Morning light is much better for fig pics on this board!

Meanwhile, back on Board East, the French managed to push the Jagers out of the town! They were unable to advance, having received a bit of a bloody nose. This was quite disappointing, as it was the only chance for them to occupy the town and further delay the Prussian advance to secure *their town*. 

Due to the twists of fate and game design, the French are in turn charged in the flank by a supporting column [because they didn't advance into the town] and are driven from the field. This enables the jagers to re-occupy the town.

The Prussians pursue, but there are French supports to right and left.

The French Hussars charge and despite losing heavily in the closing fire they win the Close Combat...

This sends the victorious Prussian infantry packing, but the entire flank is strongly held by Prussian Battalions, with the Jagers in the town again.

On the left, the French will have to be satisfied with making the Prussians pay for their victory. With two cavalry and one battered infantry battalion, they can't take the town against such overwhelming numbers of Huns!

Their right flank secure, the Prussians begin to strengthen their center. They are able to spare a reserve infantry and a battery to plug the gap, which should secure the Hill Objective's front.

The French are still developing their attack, but four infantry battalions and two batteries are unlikely to make headway - and two of the infantry are battered!

On the right, the Prussians are playing the same delaying game against the French advance against the hill. It seems much more secure [farther back] and the concession of the crossroads is only a temporary setback. The Lt Dragoons are slowly - slowly! - rallying their scattered survivors. The three infantry and three batteries seem like sufficient force, but one more fresh infantry battalion is on the way. Surely, a Prussian victory is in the cards!

Yet... there is a dust cloud forming off-table to the Prussian left...!!

And for their part, the four French Battalions supported by two batteries don't seem like enough to advance upon the hill. Which is likely correct...

Still, chance plays a factor. The batteries and battalion send a French battalion to the rear with almost overwhelming losses. Then the isolated Prussian battalion is devastated by French fire! 9 of 10 dice are hits - sacre bleu! This doesn't gain an advantage in the tit for tat exchange, unfortunately, as neither side has reserves to put into the fight.

But wait! The French flank march arrives. The Prussians were forewarned [dust clouds a turn in advance] but the French are able to hammer-and-anvil one Prussian Battalion, while the cuirassiers are able to position themselves to threaten the recovering Lt. Dragoons flank!

the situation is even worse from this angle...

Meanwhile, back on the left, the French infantry are trying to organize a resistance to the Prussian right, which is heavily weighted, and supported from the center. Overall, it isn't a very strong situation for them...and the Legere hastily depart the field under overwhelming Prussian firepower. Damn those needleguns!

Back on the right, General von Wirstsnacher falls trying to keep the pressured Prussian battalion in the field [it has 4 figs left out of 20].

Altho the French are a bit battered themselves, they are encouraged to see another bratwurst chewer taken to the rear!

On the left, the Prussians advance methodically against the French remnants - two cavalry [one half gone], two batteries and an infantry that has lost over a base. The French general shows himself, sipping cognac and munching tinned sardines with great aplomb, and disregard of the Prussian fire. The Prussians could try and roll up the French line except that there's a Dragoon regiment lurking out of reach, and the farther they push forwards, the closer they get to the French "Napoleon" smoothbore batteries...

Back on the French right, the Flank march and continuous pressure has squeezed the Prussians terribly. The cuirassiers swept away the Lt Dragoons [who still had a base lost, it should be noted]. Both the Prussian Infantry are taking casualties and being pushed back by twice their number of fresh French [but I repeat myself, sir]. Can the one battery and one fresh Prussian infantry hold the Gallic Horde off!??

Unlikely, it seems. The positioning is all in favor of the French.

The Prussians detach another precious infantry unit from the center to the Hill objective. Only one battery can be spared to support the flank!

On the left, the cursed Gauls continue to fight, giving ground grudgingly...

The center holds but the Prussian left is dissolving under French firepower - three battalions are at 50% or more reduced combat power...

Meanwhile, two French battalions pour fire onto one Prussian battalion, and the cuirassiers prepare to charge Prussian reinforcements.

In an amazing series of volleys, the French inflict devastating losses against the Prussians, with 8 hits and one save. The seven hits cause the unit to evaporate, and it is now one battery and a battalion against two French Battalions and the cuirassiers.

With the Prussians most important left flank units - the infantry - being devastated by Fire, it would be little problem for them to advance on one lone battery supported by one battalion. The menacing cuirassiers may - may - have chewed it up, but even if they didn't, they would keep it busy while the French infantry arrayed themselves to shoot up the survivors as well as the battery.

Was it a victory worthy of Napoleon I?  Perhaps!

Most importantly, the game was enjoyable and full of interesting decisions. 

Altho the dice played a part for both sides, luck wasn't the factor that won the game. The French plan for a flank attack succeeded, while the Prussian right was stymied by careful French placement of threats and the natural delay caused by the woods. Altho it prevented them from taking any casualties from the French artillery, the woods also slowed down the Prussian battalions, and nearly cost them the town [which they likely would have taken back]. 

The combination of French delay against the Prussian main effort, with the added effectiveness of the flank attack on the opposite Prussian flank, enabled them to just squeak out a victory. A few different choices and chances along the way, and it would likely have been a bloody draw.

Except for a few minor tweaks, the rules worked well, provided an engaging and historical fight for both sides, and lots of challenging decisions. Only plentiful play experience would enable someone to really weight the odds carefully enough to consistently win with these rules, which is as it should be.

With some more details - carefully - filling in the generous abstractions of the original rules, all of which use mechanics to push for player decisions, the game has evolved to being quick to pick up and play, but hard to master which decision is "best" given the overall battle. Again, "as it should be".  I'm very pleased with them, but will be working on another draft that tweaks them a bit in each direction, smoothing out the rough, but cutting the details finer. I definitely need to base two more divisions, however, for the next round of playtesting.

More to come, as Steve is already talking about using these rules - modified - for his ACW armies...!