Conwy Wargames Club August 15mm ACW Black Powder game

Dave hosted a 2 board game set in 1863. Both boards were side by side with each game having the option to enter troops on to the other board. Once this was done those troops came under the command of the players on that board and appeared during their turn. This avoided issues such the games moving at different speeds.

The scenario saw the Confederates tasked with taking a Union fort. We used the Black Powder rules with the Glory Hallelujah amendments.

Board 1 saw Mel, and Ian command the Union relieving/counter attack forces attacking the Confederate forces moving up to assault the fort led by Pete, Tony and later Dave.

Dave supplied the figures and terrain for board 1.

Board 2 saw Gaz's Confederate brigades assaulting the Fort 69 commanded by me. Terrain by Dave with my figures.

Gaz's 2 brigades

The fort. Defended by a Union brigade

Board 2

Board 1

Dave used a random dice to determine where the forces came on and typically they all came on together. This allowed the Confederates to get a gun on the hill and get some flank shots in as the Union troops maneuvered.

Confederates on board 2 racing towards the fort

The Union reaches the town first and fortifies it. Access to the fort is only allowed by using the road and it's 1 battalion in march column wide. No firing was allowed over the boundary between board 1 or 2.

Confederates still racing forward

The Union consolidate in the town

A Union brigade reaches the road to cross on to board 2

Gaz's reinforcements arrive just in time to cover the road

The Confederate assault goes in!

The Union march on to Board 2 and discover a cannon aimed right at them!

The Confederates continue to march up the board 

The Union move to block them

Ian's Union brigade attempting to force their way on to board 2

This does not end well for the Union

Gaz's first brigade to attack gets mauled but pushes the Union defenders back

The remains of Gaz's 1st brigade on the left and a fresh brigade reaches the northern ramparts.

Things get a bit disordered for both sides. Black and white cotton wall denotes broken units by firing. In normal Black Powder these would be removed but Glory Hallelujah treats them like a unit in a broken brigade.

The Union under pressure, but the artillery doing it's job. I'd positioned the terrain so that the outer defence was in short range betting that attackers wouldn't have enough moves to cross.

The Union march column left to be destroyed by it's fellows after they realise they can't force their way down the road. Instead they wheel to join the left of the Union line facing the Confederate attack. Board 1's Confederates didn't have the strength to shift them. Gaz's brigades were on their own.

The fort is still in Union hands as dusk falls. Of the 2 attacking brigades, 1 is broken and 1 is very unhappy.  If Gaz could have used both his attacking brigades at once he would have had a chance as the Union would not have been able to concentrate their fire. Unfortunately the scenario didn't let him.

The destroyed valiant 1st brigade

Fun game. We had to tweak the scenario as we played as ways were found to get round the scenario constraints. One tweak was a late additional brigade for Gaz as he had to turn one around to face the Union relief force that had won the race quite early on in the game.

I thought the Glory Hallelujah rule additions added period flavour and played well. I need to check the forums on some of the rules affecting charging as I'm not sure I played them right. It was great to play with my ACW figures, their last outing under my generalship was in the early 1990s!