The following Battle Report serves two purposes. First it is a small, very playable evening game. While designed for "On To Richmond", it might be easily used as a rip roaring game in any "Horse & Musket" setting with any set of rules. Secondly, it is a specific teaching device to cover the actual workings of OTR. Thus, some of the incidents may seem just a bit strange because if it could happen in the rules, it would happen in this battle. PREGAME DETAILS The board was laid out (see map) with the following values: 1. The stream is fordable except in the area between the hills. 2. The hill with the cliff may only be climbed by infantry and staff; not artillery or mounted cavalry. The cliff face may not be climbed at A. 3. The railroad is elevated, troops behind it are considered as in works. 4. The buildings have die following values: Buildings Stands Held Hits to Destroy Melee Bonus Church 6 6 +2 RR Station 2 2 +2 Town Houses 3 3 +2 Farm Buildings 2 1 +1 All buildings are of wood construction and will burn. In OTR, each buildings is given a value for the number of stands it can hold, the number of hits it can withstand, the amount it aids the garrison in defending in melee and if it is subject to incendiaries.The church, for example, is a large strong structure holding a large garrison and offering good protection; it is however, made of wood and might easily catch fire. The farm on die other hand is mere collection of shacks offering little help, and is ready to collapse or burst into flames at any moment. 5. The plowed field and muddy section of the road are considered as (woods) for terrain rolls. In addition (as a scenario rule) artillery may get stuck in the mud with a role of 0. A second roll of 0 being required to pull them dad-blasted guns out. OTR calls for a roll of a D10 (only D10's are used in OTR) each time a unit moves through rough terrain. A base number is altered by the type of terrain (hill, woods, etc.) by formation, arm, and quality or experience of the unit. That is, it is easier for good infantry in proper formation to pass through rough ground than lesser troops or say those guns again. 6. The woods are all of normal density allowing passage of all arms, naturally subject , to terrain rolls. So much for the board; now to the armies. UNION OB Corps C in C: Hiram Krohmdohm Under his control is Marlowe's Cavalry Brigade (8 stands and all armed with breechloading carbines) 1st Infantry Division: Gen. Owen Thursday CO Ross' Thunderbolt Brigade (6 stands) Adam's Brigade (6 stands) Sackett's Brigade (6 stands)73 1st AM. Battalion (1 stand - Rifled) 2nd Infantry Division: Gen. R. B. Flabgirdle CO Brittle's Brigade (6 stands) Hank's Brigade (6 stands) Rough & Ready Brigade (6 stands) 2nd. Arty. Battalion (2 stands, 1 rifled, 1 smoothbore) CONFEDERATE OB The rebs are led by Gen. 0. T. Washington Rome Clays Cavalry Division Pointsetts Brigade (6 stands) Mirbeau's Brigade (6 stands) Stewart's Horse Arty. Battalion (1 stand-rifled) Jubilation T. Kornpone's Infantry Division Ripy's Brigade ( 8 stands) Hollister's Brigade (8 stands) Cameron's Brigade (8 stands) Wilkes' Brigade (8 stands) OTR now calls for the determination of the quality of both troops and their leaders. Turning first to the boys in blue, we must make 3 rolls for their officers; the CinC Krohmdohm, and his two divisional COs. The results were 7, 7 and 3. Consequently, General, Krohmdohm. and Thursday are "FIREBRANDS" and poor, portly Flabgirdle is a "CAUTIOUS" commander. The Union will then have two quite good leaders and one who is rather below average. OTR gives these various ratings different abilities in combat. The "FIREBRANDS" will give units under their commands a +I when attacking and another +I if they lead them in the attack. Our "CAUTIOUS" Flabgirdle will give his men a +I bonus if they are defending, and another +I if he is personally involved. In addition, the commanders give their troops a number of exemptions from morale checks called "MORALE PASSES". In this case, 4 "PASSES" for each "FIREBRAND" and 2 for the "CAUTIOUS" Flabgirdle. The quality of training and experience of the Cavalry and infantry is also determined.The rolls tell us that Marlowe's Cavalry are ELITE, the infantry faring as follows: THURSDAY'S DIVISION Ross' Brigade GREEN Adam's Brigade REGULAR Sackett's Brigade VETERAN FLABGIRDLES DIVISION Brittles' Brigade GREEN Hank's Brigade VETERAN Rough & Ready Brigade GREEN (No wonder he's cautious!) Artillery is not rolled, as in OTR they are all heroes. Seriously, a study of the Civil War of some 20 years seem to convince this author that artillerymen were a breed apart whose bravery was shared by both sides. Now, let's see how the battered, butternut grays of the South made out. Again, 3 rolls were made for the commanding officers. They yielded 5, 5 and 2. Looking on the Confederate charts, this shows that 0. T. Washington is an "AGGRESSIVE" CinC. The Reb cavalry will also be led by an "AGGRESSIVE" Rome Clay while the infantry is under the 'CAUTIOUS" Kornpone. CLAY'S CAVALRY DIVISION Pointsett's Brigade ELITE Mirbeau's Brigade REGULARS KORNPONE'S INFANTRY DIVISION Ripy's Brigade REGULAR Hollister's Brigade REGULAR Cameron's Brigade VETERAN Wilkes'Brigade VETERAN The scenario, being a meeting engagement, it begins with the cavalry of each side in column of march along their respective roads 24" along from the baselines. At this point they are assumed to have spotted one another. The remaining parts of both armies appear at their baselines on turn 4. In the playing of OTR each division or at times, and independent brigade, is entered on a small card, these cards are then shuffled together in a single blind stack. In this little game, there would be 5 cards (the Yankee Cavalry, and die 2 Infantry divisions, and 1 each for the Reb Cavalry and foot divisions). On turn I only, the 2 Cavalry cards would be --zed and the 3 remaining cards added and shuffled in at the start of turn 4. All of this takes a good bit longer to describe than to do. Players of quite limited experience can easily perform these pregame activities in 15 minutes to a half-hour. If the game host is acting as an umpire, he may do all this before the garners arrive. He might, for example, give a player a very formidable looking host only to discover it is all of GREEN troops with CO's rated as POLTROONS. On occasion, that can be great fun, especially if these poor ratings can be kept secret from his opponent who might be given a small but all ELITE force! THE CAVALRY CLASH Dawn found Jack- Marlowe's command ranging far ahead of the little corps he had been ordered to protect. They looked like anything but elite troops, still those new Sharps carbines were supposed to be that best shoulder arm going. His musing was stopped quickly by his scouts and the evidence of his own eyes. The Lower Pike beyond Prattville was choked with Reb Cavalry, hundreds of them, at least 2 brigades! He ordered his buglers to sound the Gallop and double­timed his column toward Prattville and the spur of the Aberdeen/Rockfish RR. As Marlowe saw the Southerners, so General Clay observed the blue horsemen. As they went swiftly across his front, safely beyond any charge distance even if he was deployed and he was not, he ordered Pointsett's troopers up the Pike to cut them off and had Mirbeau's Louisianians to form line facing the town. He also had a little surprise for the Yanks, not only did he have them -outnumbered, for a change, but he also had a dozen Parrots with him as well. "Letum run" he told his orderly, "they never could ride anyway. " This was turn 1, there were two cards, 1 for Marlowe and 1 for Clay. Marlowe's was turned up first. Clay watched as his troopers deployed and the Yankees entered the town with a regiment or so occupying the upper end while the remainder dismounted in the hillside area around the church and town cemetery. Marlowe had ordered his men to dismount in order to give the Rebs a greeting made by Mr. Sharps. Clay was overjoyed, "Lordy we got them people now" he "Tell Major Boyd to shell the Cemetery & Mirbeau, sound Charge!" The other Confederate brigade seeing this, formed on the road before the hills facing Prattville. They would charge, too, if the Yankees retreated. Their commander, Col. Pointsett, was alarmed; the charge was up hill against an enemy behind stone walls. Still, old Rome Clay could put fight into a palchicken and they were only Yankees.Clay's line moved under the covering fire of his horse guns. Unfortunately, the fire failed even to annoy Marlowe's steady troopers. Artillery may inflict either a morale hit, causing the target ,check morale, or a "kill" which removes a base and forces a morale check as well. The blue troopers dismounted, behind stone walls were not an easy target, Still, things could have been worse; the slope of the hill did not disrupt the squadrons to any extent, then it happened! A thundering crescendo of fire from Marlowe's men. Breechloader armed troops are allowed double firepower and not only did Marlowe's men destroy 2 stands of the brigade, but a 0 rolled on the D10 also dropped Rome Clay. Since old Rome is one of our favorite generals and he had to live to die fighting Indians with John Wayne, he was not killed, but just rendered "hors de combat" for the game. The melee was lost as well. The Yankees had the advantages of being up hill and behind those stout stone walls, and Clay's troops were badly disorganized by their fierce fire. Likewise, Marlowe's men are elite and Mirbeau's only regulars. In OTR terms, this translates into a base rating of 7 per base for the Yankees, +3 for stone wall (works), +2 for being uphill; or 12 points per base for 48 points for their 4 dismounted bases. Cavalry deploys fewer bases when dismounted due to decreased frontage and horseholders. OTR provides a conversion table. Mirbeau's men had not only lost Rome Clay, and 2 stands of their own, but these losses canceled the gains of having the Division CO present, and charging. Further, since they are in disorder, they lose -2 per stand. Rather than a possible 8 points a stand, they are only 3 for a total (4 stands) of only 12 points. The Yankees therefore, won die melee 48 to 12 or a difference of 36. There is no chance of dice altering the outcome as in OTR it can only add or subtract a maximum of 9 points and we are in the middle of die 26-50 slot in the melee chart. So, 2 more stands of brave confederates are removed and Marlowe loses one stand of his men in the successful defense. Mirbeau must now retreat 12" and Marlowe's men may pursue. Wisely they decline, electing instead to stay put behind those very comforting stone walls. The next turn was largely spent sorting out of the cavalry. Marlowe once more held his ground easily passing his morale rest. The Morale chart used in OTR is unique in that not only can morale be too bad it might be too good as well. Units may make uncontrolled advances toward the enemy as well as move in the wrong direction or even bolt to the rear. In this case, Marlowe's men received the advantage of being ELITE status and a very great bonus for holding a strong position. They would add 20 to their roll on percentile dice, there was very little chance of them withdrawing. Mirbeau's decimated brigade did not fare so well. Their Division CO shot in the combat could no longer aid with the morale roll. Likewise, they had lost 4 stands of their complement. They are therefore at -20 on the morale chart (-5 for each stand lost); they rolled a 38 for a total of 18, forcing them to retreat another line move. The roll was lucky it could have been much worse. They now could withdraw and attempt to rebuild their shattered squadrons. OTR allows units to withdraw from the fight and attempt to regain stands. This simulates the return of walking wounded, run aways, and stragglers. It also encourages aggression and the taking of units out of the line before they are too badly chewed up, an aspect of the game we find to be extremely realistic. Rebuilding shattered brigades is a real key to winning OTR games. THE ARMIES ARRIVE At this stage it looked quite bad for the Confederates. Their one real hope rested in the fact that they were very superior in cavalry and could reasonably expect to be in a commanding position by the time the infantry reached the field. Clay's rash charge had thrown that away. Still, with luck, their better infantry might carry the day. Southern hopes were not raised when they found that Mirbeau, Clay's successor, would prove to be a POLTROON in division command. The remaining cards were now added to the deck and shuffled. The first card proved to be Thursday's Union division which doubletimed directly toward the town. Units in column of march may move very quickly in OTR. 20" across open country. There is a danger, however, as after die first doubletime move a unit lose a stand as stragglers. This chance increases as more doubletimes are taken. Kornpone's big Reb division came next, but for so unknown reason, he formed his troops into slower moving, ass' columns. The Yankees under Flabgirdle formed to face Point a and sent their artillery forward to support Thursday. Finally, I Pointsett dismounted his brigade of horse, the artillery fired, hitting nothing and Mirbeau's men very luckily picked up a stand. The fifth turn found all troops on the board, thus a quick shuffle of the movement cards and the game was on. Once more Thursday's division moved first and relieved the cavalry. Thursday placed his guns in the Cemetery, a brigade in support, a second brigade in the town and his green troops (Ross' Brigade) along the railroad embankment. Amazingly except for some artillery fire this was all that happened on the turn. It seemed at this point that the Confederate high command could not think of what to do. The thick columns of infantry edged closer but did not even try for extended movement. In OTR a unit moving through open terrain may attempt to extend its move by rolling a D10, it then must move the result of the roll in inches in addition to its normal Move. The sixth turn however brought the battle to a climax. Kompone began by edging still closer to the left in a delayed flanking move. The Gray artillery scored a MORALE HIT on Sackett's Brigade deployed on the hill. However the next card was Thursday's. His Artillery decimated the nearest Confederate brigade with point blank fire, he then elected to try his luck on the MORALE CHART. The result was a 97 -- REVENGE!!! OTR has a small chance of units simply going berserk. They charge the nearest enemy regardless of distance and melee like devils come hot from hell. This usually leads to disaster, but there are times when it works just great. Thursday led Sackett's veterans down the hill into the already disorganized Rebs. Their fire in defense was negligible. Sackett's 6 stands were in fine - as veterans they were counted as 5 CV per stand. However, as Thursday led the charge, (+ 1) and Thursday was rated as a FIREBRAND, (+I) and the attack was downhill, (+2) the basic CV of Sackett's men was raised to 9 CV per stand or a total of 45. On top of this, they are increased 50% for their berserk status for a total of 67 melee points.Their target, Ripy's Brigade were regulars (CV of 4) but -2 per stand for being disorganizcd thanks to artillery fire and down 2 stands as well. They rated then a mere 12 points of melee, 2 per each of its 6 stands. A melee difference of 55. There was small chance of dice altering the outcome, and they did not. Ripy lost 3 more bases and had to retreat a total of 18". Sackett also had a bonus move. OTR generously but excitingly allows bonus moves for melee winners to be taken in any direction. Thursday therefore now led Sackett's men into the flank of Wilkes' Brigade which had been previously disordered by small arms fire of Adam's Union Brigade in the town. Even with the loss of a stand Thursday's charge would be tremendous. They would total 70 melee points against 14 for Ashley Wilkes' people. Again a dice roll did not alter the issue. Wilkes lost 3 stands to one of Sackett and Thursday went through unscratched. Meanwhile, Yankee guns had all but destroyed the Confederate flanking brigade with enfilade fire. With 3 of their 4 Infantry brigades all but wrecked, the southerners called it a day. End The entire game was played in about 2 hours. Mike Guth who commanded the Union Cavalry handled himself very well, and I must take great paternal pride in the martial achievements of my son David who commanded Thursday's division so well. As for the Confederates played by Bob Boyd and Roger Wells; well, better luck next time. It is the hope of the author that this report may help clean up some cobwebs about OTR. Back to Table of Contents -- Courier #60 To Courier List of Issues To MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 1993 by The Courier Publishing Company. This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com