Double line October 2019 play test

After publishing their book on Castelfidardo battle Paolo, Alberto and my club mates continue with their play test to create a new rules set of ACW period.

The wargame wrote by Paolo is a collaborative wargame designed to let a group of person to play an Acw game at divisional level. 

Every General (or CiC), after reading the scenario objectives, must create a strategy with his Sub commanders and to give them his orders. For example … if the objective is to take the control of an hill … the Cic gives to the his subordinate the order to “reach and conquest the hill in 3 turns. Starting from 4^th turn you must wait other orders”. The problem is that the sub commander must execute the order even if he can see the other sub commanders are in trouble. The CiC can change the initial orders to his subordinates only during the battle and he cannot be sure that the new orders reach the Sub commander every times.

It is difficult to explain … easier to play … but the idea is to recreate the mess that during the American civil wars, General's orders sometimes created.

In the last year … my club mates painted a great number of miniatures to test the rules they wrote at the best

Double Line Dec, 28 2018 – Iuka battle Sept 1862

I'm writing this post with a tremendous delay but, only today I found the time to translate and to prepare it. 

Every years some of my club mates played an ACW battle using the rules wrote by Paolo Montinaro: double lines. It is a collaborative wargame system designed to play in group at division level.

This year the Confederates were lead by Valter as CiC (Little division) supported by Francesco (Maury division) and Alberto (Reserve division).  Franco Be. was the Unionist Commander while Paolo and Franco Bo. controlled respectively the north and south columns.

My mates decided to play part of Iuka battle. The real battle was fought in September 1862 (North Missisipi).

To support Bragg's Kentuky invasion, the Confederate troops have to defende the important railway junction of Iuka. The Unionist reaction does not wait ... the yankee move from Corinth in two columns to take the rebels between two fires.

The Unionist commanders start with a direct attack to reach quickly their obj

The second column on the right move slowly for a difficult terrain and a good defense line

At the end, on the left, a Confederate brigades is destroyed opening an hole into their lines allowing the blue jackets to arrive till Iuka suburbs

Double Line June, 15 2017 – Play test Meeting at the creek bend

Last Thursday we tested a new scenario for "double line"; the ACW rule system wrote by Paolo M. The scenario was a multiplayer game with four players plus the support of Paolo.

I want point out that all miniatures in the post are not painted by me but by "La Piccola Armata" members. 

The initial deployment is particular because the idea is that the armies arrive on the field in a random way. Starting from Union troops, each player deploy a brigade placing it 1d6 x 5 inches from his table side. The obj is to control (by the 12^th turn) the field on the middle of the table.

After the deployment the table appears as in the photo below. The obj is the green field on the center

Confederate started close to the obj and tries to push back the Unionist left wing 

On the Union front the right wing and the center advance while the left remains steady 

Some Louisiana batteries try to demoralize the Unionist left wing but unfortunately without great success

Union centre advance while ...

... the left rebel wing is repelled but new reinforcement are arriving

Near the obj the struggle becomes hard but Unionist troops maintain the control

The commander of the left rebel brigades decided to split his forces hoping to regain the obj but ...

... in this way are easy target of the Unionist troops

Final position after 12 turns. Union victory

Double Line Feb, 16 2017 – Play test Farm defense

Last week we performed another play test of "double line"; the ACW rule system wrote by Paolo M. 

We played the scenario testing it as a multiplayer game.

Orders of battle are simple: in the middle of table there is a farm that four Confederate brigades must conquer within 12 turns. The Unionists starts with two brigades while other three will arrive in the following turns.

Just for the record miniatures are not my work … I’m working on but I have to finish a couple of stuffs required by my son before. I hope to start Confederate army by the beginning of May.

Furthermore I was part of Confederate team.

This is the map

Initial deployment

The Confederates cross the river

A detail of Confederate advance

I was the commander of the center and the left Confederate wing. Our idea was that my brigades keep blocked the enemy while my partner uses his troops to attack the Unionists in the flank

Another point of view of the attacks

The Unionist troops are outflanked

Also my brigades start the engagement

The fighting for the farm starts

In the last two turns the Confederate tide is a continuing push and retreat

Final positions

The Unionists keep the farm and win the battle.

Double Line Feb, 2 2017 – Play test

Last week I played with Paolo M. a playtest of his ACW rule system. I played with this rule system two years ago and, during the long pause, Paolo and the other club members improved the mechanisms. 

I must anticipate that the rule system was created for a multiplayer game. Last week, we tested (for the second time) the mechanisms for a struggle between two players. We played 12 turns and it took us around 3 hours.

It is necessary to consider that I was rusty and so a player more skilled could close it in less time but Paolo was satisfied so ... he is the creator. Furthermore the units to lead were more than in a normal game because the scenario was a playtest.

The set is a custom scenario in which an initial Confederate force must protect a crossroad. The table is a regular 120x180 cm with a small stream in the middle.

Union forces:

1^st division 2 brigades plus artillery support (immediately deployed)

2^nd division 2 brigades plus artillery support (arrives during the five turn)

Cavalry brigade 3 units (arrives during the second turn)

Confederate forces:

1^st division composed by five brigades:

                Artillery brigade (arrives after the first turn)

                Cavalry brigade 3 units (immediately deployed)

                1^st brigade (immediately deployed)

                2^nd brigade (arrives during the third turn)

                3^rd brigade (arrives during the fourth turn)

I played as Union commander.

Initial deployment

The right wing of the Union is on march. On the opposite front the Confederate dismounted cavalry take his position

Second turn. The marches continue

During third turn, my cavalry arrives and the artillery creates a hole into the enemy line

On the right the cavalry supported by a couple of brigades try to outflank the Confederates

The reinforcements arrive for each player. On the right the Confederates fill the hole while on the right their artillery bombards hard my new division

With my units I push towards the center ... 

... in the meanwhile, on the right, my outflanking maneuver is clogged up

At the 12th turn my units are close to the crossroad but their efforts are not sufficient

 Confederate victory