Long overdue wrap up on the game.

Since the fighting at the Railroad Bridge and northern fords had devolved into ineffective firefights, I played the Truex-Gordon fight for the last three turns.

Gordon was able to flank Truex and force a retreat to cover the Washington Road Turnpike.  The Confederates enveloped individual Federal units and, while taking fire casualties to units in one hex, were able to bring overwhelming odds to bear for close-combats.

Truex’s regiments took a terrible beating.  If I had kept track of Brigade Effectiveness, I’m sure they would have been rendered incapable of offering any resistance.  As it was, without the book keeping, they were rendered incapable of offering any resistance.  Note the similar outcome.  Note I did not have to act like a bloody accountant (Sorry Tim).

On the other hand, the Federals had prevented any Rebel units from exiting the map.

I’d call it a draw.  Good game.

Completed Turns 9 and 10 for Drive on Washington.

The Confederates have finally crossed the “Discovered” ford in strength. One of Gordon’s Regiments attempts to pin Truex’s Union division, while the remainder attempt to flank Truex to the south, opening the way to Washington DC. Maruading Rebel cavalry charges a limbered Union artillery battery but, implausibly, fails and is locked in melee. The belagured artillerymen are saved by a timely charge by one of Truex’s brigades and the Southern cavalry retreats. Truex’s division begins a fighting withdrawl to the southeast in an attempt to thwart Gordon’s envelopment.

At the Railroad Bridge, Ramseur’s division begins a prolonged firefight with Rickett’s Union division. Further north, Rodes attack against Tyler’s Federals fails and Clendon’s outnumbered Union cavalry shatters Grimes’ brigade’s charge across the southernmost ford.

The Southern attacks aimed at the two northern fords and the Railroad Bridge have stalled, and their is little prospect for success.

While Gordon’s division has pushed Truex’s division back towards Washington, they running out of time.

In Drive on Washington, victory points are assigned not only for units destroyed or captured, but also for the number of Confederate units that can exit the map on the two roads leading to Washington DC. The number of factors that exit the map are multiplied by a factor based on how early in the game this occurs. The best chance for a decisive Confederate victory is to exit the map prior to the beginning of Turn 12, so the next two turns are critical.

Quick post.  Was hoping to get two turns in but sidetracked by Negronis and Twilight Zone Marathon.

Cranked out Turn 7.  Confederates started moving across the discovered ford, but were stopped cold in their assault attempts across the lower Monocacy.  Even little two strength units can (especially during the defensive fire phase), with a not too improbable roll, slap a Pin result on a powerful stack, freezing them up for a turn.  Makes forcing a bridge a tough – resisted the temptation to use dicey – proposition.  Especially difficult when you lack artillery assets.

Here’s the situation at the end of the turn.

Christmas is over and company’s gone.  First opportunity to get back to Drive on Washington for about a week.

This is a simulation of the Battle of Monocacy, where, depending on who you read, a Confederate attack on Washington DC was stopped by General Lew Wallace of (later) Ben Hur fame.

This SPI game is supposedly hard to find judging by the price out on EBay.  I picked up a copy on the cheap a couple of years ago, and like most things, it was a little too good of a price to be true.  The box was badly battered, and the rules looked like they had been last used to house train a dog.  Still, the map was in great shape and all the counters appeared to be present.  Wrong again.  Missing three counters; one Confederate leader and two Union units.  Still, I can play the game.

Union forces are deployed at fords or bridges along the Monocacy River in an attempt to guard approaches to Washington DC.  Four separate Confederate divisions are placed in general areas, poised to attack, but must first by activated by their overall commander, General Jubal Early.  Early’s arrival is rolled for each turn, with a roll equal to or less than the game turn placing him on the map.  Division activation occurs when Early passes within ten hexes of a division commander.  The division may move the turn after it is activated.  The Confederates may also search for a ford on the Union left.  The discovery of the ford is handled  by a random chit pull.  The Union may destroy the “Wooden Bridge” denying the Confederates one crossing point by rolling a one or two, but cannot destroy the Railroad Bridge.  The bridge to the right of the Union line is weakly defended, but some distance from the Washington turnpike.

It took four turns to find the ford, six turns for the entire Confederate force to be activated and moving, and three turns to  burn the Wooden Bridge.

The stage is set for a series of sharp and vicious fights to force the bridges and known ford, or to quickly locate the ford on the Union right, and envelop the forces deployed along the Monocacy River.

As with my other games playing the Great Battles of the American Civil War (GBACW) system, fire combat is not always  bloody, but in most cases will stop an attack through either a rout or pin result.  By 1864, Union cavalry units had carbines.  Their 5x adjacent hex firepower stopped Rebel cavalry from seizing key terrain on the Union left, allowing Truex more time to react to Gordon’s division moving across the now discovered ford.

By Turn Six, the game was really moving.  Here’s a few photos showing the situation before and after the turn.

I’ll pick up the narrative after Turn 7.