From time to time it is the intention of the COURIER to present different sized battle problems for OTR. We begin with a small exercise which has been used with great success as a teaching tool for learning the rules. It has the added benefit of being played through in an evening's time. While specifically designed for OTR these scenarios should be easily adapted to whatever ACW or any "horse and musket" rules you may be using. For those old timers, you may recognize where this game originally came from, but don't tell. This scenario is taken from the western theater of the war. In OTR terms this means that the Union troops roll for their quality on the CSA chart. Officer quality is rolled on the regular Union chart. Remembering as well that western Confederate brigade did not keep their strength up as well as in the east, all infantry brigades are of 6 stands. The Cavalry on each side is an 8 stand brigade armed with breechloading carbines. OB as follows: UNION 1 CinC, 1 Cavalry Brigade (8 stds.), 2 Division COs, 6 Infantry Brigades (all of 6 stcls.), 2 Arty. Btns. (1 of which is rifled). Each division consists of 3 Infantry brigades and 1 Art. Btn. CONFEDERATE The Confederate forces are identical to the Union. SCENARIO INSTRUCTIONS Both Rosecrans and Bragg have decided on a concentration. Critical to this move is the seizure of the small but vital Prattville Valley. Both armies have sent a small corps of 2 divisions to accomplish this task. Screening the move for each side is a strong brigade of Cavalry. On the Upper and Lower Pike respectively the Union and Confederate cavalry will be placed so as their last stand touches the end of the board. On the first turn each brigade makes a full road move up the road. On turn 2 and 3 the cavalry moves freely. However, on the 4th move the rest of the armies are added to the turn deck*. They appear in column of march anywhere along their baselines. VICTORY CONDITIONS The holder of the three buildings of Prattville is the winner. Holding two of the three buildings constitutes a marginal win. Losses are immaterial as seemingly Civil War generals were indifferent to losses. Can we do less? TERRAIN The River is fordable along its entire length. All hills and the woods require dicing for effect on movement. The stone walls, rail fences, and fields do not. The trees bordering the wheat field and those behind the southern ridge block sight (and therefore fire), but not movement. This scenario has proven itself over and over again. Remember the objective. It is much easier to hold the town, than to storm it. Get it early and hang on. *OTR uses a card movement system of random movement. Thus neither side ever knows which of its units will move first or last. Back to Table of Contents -- Courier Vol. VII #1 To Courier List of Issues To MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 1986 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