Impromptu Games

Ok guys.  Looks like I'm good to go    

Will post some links for latest mod and the map shortly.

Martin (J)

Hi guys

You only need 2 mods for today’s game.  I don’t believe the order is important, but no doubt Kevin will pipe up if I’ve got that wrong.


1. Murfeesboro Winter Map

This map is much more open than many, and the trees have lost their leaves, so kindly adjust your vegetation setting back up to 100% please.  Here is a link https://www.dropbox.com/s/kby2oer1nxvxdw3/MurfreesboroW.zip?dl=0


2. Additional ACW Flags & Sprites Mod

Have made a number of changes to better reflect cavalry’s often somewhat ineffectual contribution in a stand-up battle.  Have also made the use of defensive skirmish formations more practicable.  There are also some new sprites.  Here is a link https://www.dropbox.com/s/u3jnwsgkxaeqv20/Additional%20ACW%20flags%20%26%20sprites%20v1.48.zip?dl=0


Martin (J)

A few technical issues last night (now sorted), so we're now going to play this game today at 20.00 UK time.

All are very welcome, but please be aware that this game is not necessarily balanced in any way shape or form 

You also will need the mods (see earlier post)

Martin (J)

I am all set up.

...this game is not necessarily balanced in any way shape or form...

Just like it's creator.

Any ideas?




Answer had to remove the "." from the 1.48 in the MOD Folder name.

Yesterday’s game saw a tough fight between two mismatched armies.  The Confederate AI outnumbered the Union 17,000 to 11,000, and also had the assistance of numerous small bands of irregulars, which had at least a nuisance value.  The Union force however was better-trained, better-armed, and had the benefit of incomparable human leadership!

In test games, the AI had variously attacked each of the Union divisions, but yesterday it concentrated virtually all of its troops against Herron’s 3rd Division (Mike) in the south.  For a long while he was almost surrounded, and fought bravely against high odds, whilst the 1st and 2nd Divisions took their own sweet time in moving to his assistance.  Their attack finally gradually got underway however, overran several Reb batteries, and succeeded in re-establishing a firm link with Herron.  Several Confederate attacks were still to come but the crisis of the battle was now past.

As night fell, General Schofield (Kevin) held a hurried council of war.  Herron had been hard-hit, but was for carrying on.  The other two divisions had suffered less severely and were in reasonable shape, although most of 2nd Division’s supply train had been lost.  The general feeling was that the Rebs had suffered significantly more losses overall, and Schofield decided to remain on the battlefield, and share out the remaining rations.  This was a good decision, especially in the light of the secret Confederate objective......

Your army has been drawn from every post in Arkansas.  It is large, but it is neither well-trained or especially well-armed.  Critically, you only have enough ammo on hand for one battle.  

If you do not score a clear victory, you will be compelled to give up Little Rock and retreat SW towards Texas.  What defines a clear victory?  The Union army is believed to consist of 3 mixed divisions of infantry and cavalry.  They are deep in Confederate territory.   Crushing even one of the Union divisions would probably be enough to cause them to retreat.

Throw yourselves upon them like wolves, you Sons of the South!

As a result, Hindman's Confederates pulled back overnight towards Little Rock, and from there beat a disconsolate retreat towards Texas over the next few days.  Arkansas has been won for the Union!

Replay here https://www.dropbox.com/s/qgkcyxveuw2vmph/NetServ-01132516%20005704.zip?dl=0

Martin (J)

It was a most interesting situation you'd created Martin. Thanks for organising it. I was sorry to make a "user error" and inadvertently leave the game before my boys got stuck in. Well played Mike! You were surrounded and battled valiantly without any support for a long time. But serving under Kevin that tends to happen.

What was the user error Diggers? I only ask so I can avoid doing the same thing

Martin (J)

It's called "dropping a piece of cheese out of the cheese and onion sandwich you are scoffing and it falls on your keyboard between the Alt and Windows keys and you press both while trying to dig it out with your fingernail that is too short". I understand its a common problem among late night gamers.

I'd suggest avoiding ham sandwiches as well and also other things that fall apart under gravity when unattended due to having to spend time manoeuvring your command, such as but not limited to, pizza and anything with salad in.

SOW - the home of haute-cuisine..........

A few of us are getting together in T/S for an ACW game today, and all are welcome.  We will aim to start at 15.00 UK time, so please try and arrive in T/S a few minutes before.

You will need the standard KS set-up for ACW games, which is set-out here https://kriegsspiel.forumotion.net/t370-set-up-for-sow-acw-games-for-kriegspiel-style

If you haven't already downloaded it, you will also need the Additional ACW Flags & sprites Mod (v1.48), which you can get here https://www.dropbox.com/s/u3jnwsgkxaeqv20/Additional%20ACW%20flags%20%26%20sprites%20v1.48.zip?dl=0

You will additionally need to have purchased the Brandy Station add-on.

We will be playing coop vs the AI, and absolutely no attempt will be made to ensure a balanced scenario   .

Martin (J)

Background

It is 26th April 1863.  Following their victory E of Little Rock in February, and subsequent occupation of that place, the Union army settled in to a life of ease.

The defeated Confederates straggled back towards the safety of Texas, and General Hindman was removed from command, being replaced by Sterling Price.  The new Rebel commander came from east of the Mississippi, where he has a reputation as an aggressive commander.

Earlier this month Price advanced towards Little Rock from the west, and threatened to assault the place.  This has prompted a somewhat reluctant Schofield to take the field.



Special report for Union at 16.00 hours

You advanced towards Price two days ago, and he pulled back west and then NW in the general direction of Texas.   You followed, and by early afternoon reached the line of the unfinished Camden-Little Rock Railroad.  The rebel army continuing to fall back ahead of you.

The situation is somewhat perplexing.   You have captured several dozen deserters from Price's Arkansas regiments, and they tell you that morale in his army is poor.   On the other hand, you are aware of his fighting reputation, and have reports that he has been reinforced from Texas.  

If he is intent on retreating to Texas, you need to press him, or he will break contact.

Dusk is around 19.00 hours.  


Your own force

This has been increased to 13,000 men with, at your request, an increased proportion of infantry.  It has been reorganised as VII Corps, but is still composed of 3 divisions.  General Blunt has taken ill, and Gorman now commands 1st Division:

1st (Kansas) Division        Gen Gorman 3 infantry bgd
2nd (Missouri) Division     Gen Huston 2 infantry, 1 cavalry bgd
3rd (Missouri) Division      Gen Herron 2 infantry, 1 cavalry bgd


The Confederate Army

The deserters have provide what you believe is a reasonable breakdown of Price's army.   Their estimates of it's strength vary widely however between 11 and 17,000.  They say Price's current HQ is at St James' Church.

Frost's  Division              Gen Frost  3 infantry  bgd
Shoup's Division             Gen Shoup  3 infantry bgd
Roane's Division             Gen Roane  2 infantry  bgd
Cavalry Division              Gen Marmadule 4 cavalry bgd

Did you play this battle gents?

Is there a game tonight?

Martin, can you play? If you can we could do ACW or one of the mods. If not it would be good to fight on Meckel again. I haven't worn a smug smile from behind the limber line of a Russian position battery for quite some time.

No Russians, but I do have a scenario where we are French in one and Austrian in another.

Great game last night and good to meet some new people. Miko, Gonzo, Andrew and LordJoe came along from a Steam group that plays vanilla games with Mitra and I hope you guys had a good game.

Kevin - the reworked Prairie Grove map is fantastic. You've done some really innovative work on it. All the bedraggled winter crops and stubble fields look very good and your giant bulrushes in the stream beds were - well, quite a pain in the butt! Couldn't see a thing through them! Perhaps they are a little too tall? Or are you using them to represent generic vegetation that grows along stream banks and often makes them a tangled line-of-sight block to troops?

Should make it today!

Nice to hear of some new guys joining our weekly games.

It was a fun game yesterday. I couldn't really be as aggressive as I usually am with my cav but I still managed to do some good damage to the french. I really hope they add the option to manually choose the target for a charge as it's pretty infuriating to be so dependent on luck.

Hope to play again with you guys!

Perhaps they are a little too tall? Or are you using them to represent generic vegetation that grows along stream banks and often makes them a tangled line-of-sight block to troops?

Yes, I wanted to try something other than the usual tightly packed trees. From this first test, it seems to work nicely. I too was barely able to see the enemy on the other side of the small tributary. I may substitute the cane for patches of trees on some other maps. The random maps seem a good place to start.

Our battle was a very good fight. Initially, we had a very easy time against the French and I thought I had made this too easy. Then we ran into the Bavarians and several regiments of chasseurs. They were slowly destroying Dedovich's division and our cavalry. I believed we had lost this fight. Only after reviewing the replay did I see that Martin's division had seized both river crossings and had the Bavarians nearly surrounded. A stunning victory.

The new players that joined us did a very good job commanding their troops. I hope to see them again on the battlefield.

Hi Andrew. Pleased to hear you enjoyed the game.

Here's the replay file.

You'll need Kevin's latest version of Replay Viewer to see it via that method.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/1e7fk5rej3yvwfz/Battle-of-Carlstein.rar?dl=0

Any one planning a game today!