Gettysburg Tabletop Game By George Knapp February 2007

Transcription

1 Gettysburg Tabletop Game By George Knapp February The Battle of Gettysburg is a perennial wargaming favorite. This version is deceptively simple. Players have to make decisions every turn and need an overall plan to succeed. The goal is to play all three days of battle in three hours on the tabletop. 2. How to win. The side with the most points at the end of the game wins. One point for each enemy infantry strength point eliminated. Two points for each enemy cavalry strength point eliminated. Three points for each enemy artillery strength point eliminated. Five points for each enemy infantry, cavalry, and artillery unit eliminated. 10 points for Union corps commanders. 15 points for Confederate corps commanders. 20 points for General Meade. 25 points for General Lee. 10 points at the end of each turn beginning on July 2 for possession of Cemetery Hill (C5). Confederates only - 10 points at the end of each turn beginning on July 2 for possession of Devil's Den (E9). 3. Turn sequence: Confederate move Union fire Union move Confederate fire 4. Moving: Scale. Each area is approximately 800 meters square. Command Range. In order for a unit to move, it must begin its turn within the command range of its parent corps commander or its army commander. Exceptions: Heth is exempt from this rule until 1pm on July 1. Buford is exempt entirely. Allow Early, Johnson, and Pickett a turn or two to move themselves into their commanders' range once they arrive as reinforcements. Movement rates: Infantry 4. Artillery 5. Cavalry and Leaders - 6. Terrain costs: Road 1. Clear/Slope 2. Hill/Town 3. Woods/Creek/Run - +1 cumulative. Units moving along a road use the road movement rate regardless of the other terrain in the area. A unit may always move from one area to an adjacent area even if the cumulative cost is more than the unit's entire movement rate. Units may not use road movement to enter an enemy occupied area. Gettysburg Rules 1 4/4/2006

2 Stacking: Not more than two infantry units and one artillery unit (three units total) may occupy an area. Leaders do not count against this total. Assaults (also called melee, close action, and attack). When enemy units occupy the same area, the normal turn sequence accelerates as follows: Side A moves into the same area as Side B. Side B Fires. Side A takes any morale checks and, if it remains in the area, it fires. Side B takes any morale checks and if it remains in the area, it fires again. Continue until one side withdraws, is driven away, or is eliminated. Artillery units may not conduct assaults by themselves alone, but may accompany assaulting infantry units. Think of them as supporting the assault and, if successful, being ready to repel counter attacks. Terrain Effects on Assaults: Units assaulting hills subtract one from each of their die rolls (not morale rolls, though). Confederate Divisions consist of two units each (Part A and Part B). Both parts must occupy the same or adjacent areas whenever possible. If forced further apart during the course of a turn, the two parts must attempt to return to each other as soon as possible. If one part is eliminated, the remaining part may continue unrestricted. The two parts may be combined if their strength falls low enough to justify the act, but it is not mandatory. 5. Firing: All units may fire at target areas within their range. Leaders alone are never legitimate targets. Fires from different units may be combined against enemy target areas. A unit s fire must be used entirely against one target area and the enemy units therein. It may not be split among two or more target areas. Placing hits. When an area takes hits, the owning player decides where to place the hits if there is more than one unit in the target area. The intention here is to allow the receiving player the greatest latitude in placing casualties. Units that take hits will also take morale checks for each hit. Players may wish to spread their hit among their units or take all their hits on one unit. It is the owning player s choice. Ranges. Infantry and dismounted cavalry at range 0 hit targets on 5, 6; at range 1 hit targets on 6. Artillery at range 0 hit targets on 4, 5, 6; at range 1 hit targets on 5, 6; at range 2 hit targets on 6. Note that firing can take place at three ranges. Each area is approximately 800 meters square. Firing at targets in the same area as the firing unit is at zero (0) range. This represents close range musketry, artillery canister, and hand-to-hand fighting. Firing at targets in adjacent areas (range 1) represents long range musketry and mid-range artillery fire, solid shot and exploding shell. Long range firing (range 2) at targets two areas distant, represents extended range artillery firing solid shot and shell. Gettysburg Rules 2 4/4/2006

3 Line of sight: Firing units must have clear line of sight to their target. Measure from any point in the firing area to any point in the target area. If the line passes through blocking terrain, then line of sight is blocked. Slope, Town, Hill, and Woods block line of sight. If there is a dispute, allow the shot. Neither friendly nor enemy troops block line of sight. Killing Leaders. If a leader is present in an area that takes one or more hits, roll one die for each hit taken. Leader is eliminated on rolls of one (1). Leaders can not be replaced. The army commanders (Lee and Meade) must pick up command responsibility for units in corps that have lost their commanders. Risk your leaders when it is important enough that losing them is worth it. 6. Morale: Units make morale checks for each hit they take from enemy fire. Morale is built into the unit strength. Therefore, all units use the same process. There are no units that are "elite" for that reason. Morale Checks. Units roll one die for each hit they receive. Units fail their morale test if they roll a one (1). Since it is possible for a unit to receive more than one hit and roll more than one (1) on a morale check, the following effects are cumulative. 1st one. Unit withdraws one area away from the enemy that caused the morale check. 2d one. Unit withdraws two areas away from the enemy that caused the morale check. 3d one and subsequent ones. Eliminate additional strength points. Players must use good judgment when conducting withdrawals. It is not legitimate to use withdrawals as a movement method to gain an advantage. As a rule, each withdrawal area should be farther from the enemy than the last withdrawal area. Leader effects. If a leader is present and survives the effect of enemy fire, the receiving unit may ignore the 1st die roll of one. If that leader is General Lee, the unit may ignore the 1st two rolls of one. General Meade's effect is the same as Union corps commanders. Leaders, with units that fail their morale check, must obey the effect on the unit that failed. 7. OPTIONAL RULE. Ammo supply: Only infantry units suffer the effects of low ammunition. When a unit rolls three or more ones (1) during its firing phase, it goes "low ammo". The effect of low ammo is that the unit counts only half of its normal firing strength (rounding down) until it is re-supplied. Re-Supply. Ammo re-supply takes place at the beginning of the movement phase, before the unit has moved, and it is (1) within the command radius of its corps or army commander and, (2) it is out of enemy infantry or artillery range or line of sight. Gettysburg Rules 3 4/4/2006

4 Ammo re-supply also takes place during the night turns if the unit is within the command radius of its corps or army leader. Since there is no firing during night turns, all units are eligible for re-supply of they are in command range. 8. Leaders: Leaders have command rating (a number printed on their playing piece) representing their leadership capability in the game. Command Range. From their current position, corps leaders can control all units of their corps that are within the number of areas equal to the number of the leader's command rating. Generals Lee and Meade can control any units of their army within their command range. Combat Modifier. Leaders can add their command rating to the fire of each unit that they are currently co-located with. Example: If Lee is co-located with Alexander, then Alexander would roll seven dice rather than four. 9. Night Turns: Units may make normal moves during night turns, but may not enter enemy occupied areas or move adjacent to enemy units. Units may not fire during night turns. Replacements: Each night turn, infantry divisions in command range of their corps or army commander may roll one die. Infantry units may take off that number of hits up to their original strength. Note than Confederate divisions consist of two units but only one die roll for the division. There are no artillery replacements. OPTIONAL RULE: Replace dead corps or army commanders by placing them in an area containing units from their command. Replace Lee and Meade with a leader with command rating of 2. Replace Confederate corps commanders with a leader command rating 2. Replace Federal corps commands with command rating of Designer Notes: Infantry Units. Using two units to represent each Confederate division is a problem, but the bigger problem is to use only one or to use one unit per Confederate brigade. So, this is a compromise in line with that used in the SPI game "Cemetery Hill". In this way, the Union player has 19 infantry units and the Confederate player has 18. Leaders. The game can be played without leaders, but there is something about having these famous names on the battlefield. I ve tried to not make leaders decisive, but every battle has a story of some leader making all the difference at the point of decision. Gettysburg Rules 4 4/4/2006

5 Artillery Units. The Union Reserve Artillery and Confederate divisional artillery is represented in the corps artillery units. That s why Union artillery units are slightly stronger than Confederate. I have preserved the relative proportion of Union to Confederate artillery in the total strength points of each. Union has seven units. Confederate has six. Assaults. The game needed a way to resolve determined attacks. My opinion is that one side will break on the first or second round. Firing. There is something about a six sided die that just cries out for hitting on a six and missing on a one. Front, flanks, rear. Civil War units fought in a very linear way. It s a good idea to establish front, flanks, and rear if it can be dome simply. It might be a good idea to allow the defender to turn and face an attacker if the initial distance between them is more than one area. Morale. For the most part, I dislike morale rules in wargames. Like everybody else, I want units to obey my every whim even to the last strength point. Morale checks result from enemy fire. If present, leaders may soften morale failures, but to do so they must risk themselves. Gettysburg Rules 5 4/4/2006

6 Historical Order of Battle (See Optional Order of Battle below) Confederate Union July 1 7am: Heth begins in area G2. Buford* - area E3. Reynolds, Wadsworth area E7. I Artillery, Robinson - area F8. Doubleday area F9. Howard, Barlow begin in area C10. XI Artillery, Steinwehr, Schurz arrive area C10. 10am: Hill, McIntosh, Pegram, Pender arrive area G2. 1pm: Ewell, Dance, Nelson, Rodes arrive Remove Buford from play*. area C1. Lee arrives area G2. 4pm: Early arrives area A1. Anderson arrives area G2. 7pm: Johnson arrives area G2. XII Corps arrives area A7. III Corps arrives area F11. Night: Meade, II Corps arrives area 39. July 2 7am: 10am: Longstreet, Alexander, Eshelman, McLaws, Hood arrive area G5. V Corps arrives area A7. 1pm: 4pm: Pickett arrives area G2. VI Corps arrives area A7. 7pm: Night: July 3 7am: 10am: 1pm: 4pm: 7pm: Last turn. *Aside from the initial fighting on July 1, cavalry played an insignificant role in the battle. Remove Buford s cavalry from play at the beginning of the 1pm turn on July OPTIONAL ORDER OF BATTLE AND REINFORCEMENT SCHEDULE. 1. At the beginning of the game, both players determine the relative positions of their corps and divisions. Since, in most cases, corps arrived along a given road, in this option, players must decide what corps are approaching the battlefield along what roads and which units are on the battlefield at the beginning of the game. Players may keep these optional positions secret from each other, or may share the information as they wish. Gettysburg Rules 6 4/4/2006

7 2. The Confederate player rolls a six-sided die. The first roll is for which corps is in the lead on the Cashtown Road. If the die roll is 1, or 2, then the First Corps is in the lead and so forth. Next, the Confederate player rolls for which division of that leading corps is the one that starts the game on the table in area G2 (where Heth normally starts). Finally, the Confederate player rolls for which corps is following the lead corps on the Cashtown Road. The remaining corps is the one that approaches the battlefield from the north. Two of its divisions and its artillery arrive on the north, one of its divisions arrives on the Cashtown Road Pike. When the Historical Order of Battle calls for reinforcements to arrive, roll die to determine which divisions or artillery units come on. 3. The Union player rolls a six-sided die. On a 1 or 2, the cavalry division at start is Buford. On a 3 or 4, the division is Kilpatrick. On a 5 or 6, the division is Gregg. 4. The Union player rolls an eight-sided die to determine which corps begins the game in the lead approaching Gettysburg along the Emmitsburg and Taneytown roads on Game Turn 1. Die Roll Corps 1 1st Corps 2 2d Corps 3 3d Corps 4 5th Corps 5 6th Corps 6 11th Corps 7 12th Corps 8 Roll Again 5. Next, the union Player determines the relative positions of the remaining five corps by rolling a six-sided die and assigning the corps approaching along the Emmitsburg Road (1 corps), the Taneytown Road (1 corps), and in sequence along the Baltimore Pike (3 corps). When the Historical Order of Battle calls for reinforcements to arrive, roll die to determine the sequence that divisions and artillery units come on. Ignore the differences between the two-division and three-division Union corps. 6. Allow leaders to arrive at the times given in the Historical Order of Battle. Substitute appropriately. Gettysburg Rules 7 4/4/2006

8 7. Optional rule: On the turn before reinforcements are scheduled to arrive, roll one die. On a 1 or 2, the unit arrives one turn early; 3 or 4, the unit arrives on time; 5 or 6, the unit arrives one turn later. Do not apply this rule to Confederate and Union units arriving on the 10am turn, July 1. Confederate 7am: Division (Corps A) begins in area G2. 10am: Corps commander (Corps A) division, two artillery units arrive area G2. 1pm: Corps commander (Corps B), division, two artillery units arrive area C1. Lee arrives area G2. Optional Order of Battle July 1 Union Cavalry division* begins in area E3. Corps begins in area E7, F8, and F9. Corps commander, division begins in area C10. Remainder of corps arrives area C10. *Remove cavalry division from play. 4pm: Division (Corps B) arrives area A1. Division (Corps A) arrives area G2. 7pm: Division (Corps B) arrives area G2. Corps arrives area A7. Corps arrives area F11. Night: Meade, corps arrives area C10. July 2 7am: 10am: Corps commander (Corps C) two artillery units, two divisions arrive area G5. Corps arrives area A7. 1pm: 4pm: Division (Corps C) arrives area G2. Corps arrives area A7. 7pm: Night: July 3 7am: 10am: 1pm: 4pm: 7pm: Last turn. Gettysburg Rules 8 4/4/2006

9 Baltimore Pike Harrisburg Road A1 Rock Creek A10 B1 Culp s Hill B11 C1 D1 E1 Carlisle Road Oak Hill Gettysburg Seminary Ridge Cemetery Hill Cemetery Ridge Peach Orchard Little Round Top Devil s Den Taneytown Road Round Top C10 D11 E10 F1 Warfield Ridge Emmitsburg Road F11 Willoughby Run G1 Herr Ridge G10 Cashtown Road Fairfield Road Gettysburg Rules 9 4/4/2006