This is a scenario using CHEF DE BATTALION (CDB) to refight the American Civil War clash between the 20th Maine and the 15th Alabama on Little Round Top, Gettysburg, July 2nd, 1863. CDB is a tactical rules set for the Horse and Musket period, roughly from the Seven Years War through the American Civil War.

Written by Scott Bowden and Jim Getz, CDB places the player in the role of a battalion commander, controlling one unit on the table. With experience, the gamer could control a regiment or brigade of three or four battalions, but beyond this, one would lose the "feel" the system is trying to simulate (and probably go crazy keeping track of which unit is doing what).

The scale of the game for 15mm is 1:15 with the figures deployed in the correct number of ranks in company formation. For example: A 120 man company which historically used a three rank formation would appear on the table as 24 figures in three rows of eight. For 25mm figures, the scale would be 1:10. Actually, if you don't care too much about the visuals, you could use one rank of 25mm figures at 1:30 since the important aspect in game terms is the frontage of the company.

In addition to the rank and file, officers, standard bearers, and musicians are needed and are mounted as single figures. The internal structure of the battalion is what is important here: the proper number of companies deployed in the proper order, i.e., the number one company always being on the right when in line. The ground scale is 1" = 10 yards regardless of the size of the figure.

The rules are very chart heavy and require lots of die rolls with many different kinds of dice (D4-8-6-10-12-20 and percentage dice) in various configurations. This system could be simplified, but at a loss of the wide variety of outcomes the authors are trying to achieve. The heart of the system is the activation die roll. To do anything in a turn, the player must first make his activation number. This is a percentage chance that increases each turn so that eventually you will be able to activate. This is done for each unit every turn.

The percentage change is based on unit quality, the CHEF DE BATTALION'S leadership skills, and what the unit is attempting to do. This aspect of the game reminds me of THE COMPLETE BRIGADIER. In that system, if your unit is too far from the Brigadier, it does not respond to orders for some number of turns. In CDB, if you don't make your activation roll, the unit does not respond. This seems to me to be the same goal with a different way to get there.

Once activated, you get to perform what you ordered the unit to do (via order chips ala JOHNNY REB). Let's assume a "move" order. Here the system is reminiscent of TSATF in that the distance moved is determined by throwing various numbers and kinds of dice based on the unit's formation and the type of terrain you are in. Terrain is rated on a 1-6 scale with one being the march field at Wagram and 6 being the Devilts Den at Gettysburg. If your order was to fire, then the effectiveness of this is based on quality, range, target formation, terrain, and die rolls.

I think it works better than it reads. Casualties are kept track of, but figures are not removed from the table. Close combat is based on the premise that a charge initially has a 5/50 chance of success. You are either going to win or you're not. This percentage is increased or decreased by the usual suspects (quality, disorder, etc) and a percentage chance die roll is made (the authors say the system is similar to EMPIRE - I wouldn't know).

Morale checks follow movement and combat and that is basically a turn (I've left out things like wounding of officers, capturing flags, urban fighting, and so on - I did not intend the article to be a review, just background on the rules for the scenario).

THE SCENARIO

The game can be played on a 3x5 table regardless of the scale of the figures used. As I said earlier, "frontage" is what counts.

TERRAIN: Behind (east of) the low stone wall is level 4 (clear). North of crest line is level 6 (heavy woods). Rest of table is level 5 (medium woods).

UNITS: 20th Maine: Approximately 380 men in ten companies with a separate color guard, Colonel Chamberlain figure, and a subcommander for each wing. For game purposes, I rated Chamberlain as superior and Charismatic. Wing commanders were rolled on the random officer chart in the rules. The unit is deployed along the crest line with its left wing refused. Company B is detached and deployed as skirmishers behind the low stone wall.

The Confederate player can not react to them (he doesn't know they are there in theory) until the initiate combat. 15th Alabama: Approximately 490 men in ten companies. Color guard and wing commanders as for 2Oth Maine. For scenario purposes, I considered colonel Oates to be Excellent-Inspiring. The unit is deployed in line in the southwest section of the table.

VICTORY CONDITIONS: This is real simple - the Alabamians to drive the Mainers out of their position. If they do, they win, if not...We played without a turn limit.

When my friend Wayne Phillips and I played this out, it went like this. The 15th AL (me) advanced under an "Assault by fire" order. The 20th ME had "Defend" orders except for Company B which had "Skirmish" orders. They jumped the wall and advanced to a firing position on my right flank. They became such a pair in my side that my right wing commander rode to his right hand company and detached them as skirmishers to cover the right flank. This effectively took both companies out of the game.

Unfortunately it also took the officer out of the game as he got lost on his way back to his position (which means I couldn't roll under 25% for a mediocre officer for the rest of the game). Meanwhile, the 15 AL advanced to close range and hegan the firefight. Initially, this went well, with both Union wing commander's wounded and the 20th ME disordered.

The time seemed right to Oates (me) to cease fire and charge. Unfortunately, while waiting for the orders to be passed down the line (in other words while I was trying to roll my activation number) two good things happened for Chamberlain (Wayne). He got in a serious volley which disordered the rebel line, and he took the time to reorder his own line. This meant that I was now sending a disordered line into an ordered one. The resulting melee was short and ugly (for me).

The 15th AL lost one of its two colors, was driven off in confusion, and its colonel was captured (I'm not a role player, but I can see where getting your personality figure captured can really stink).

This was our first game using the rules and Wayne had never seen them before. The game took three hours and we played 24 turns (if there is a time scale mentioned in the rules, I missed it - about one minute per turn seems about right).

This may seem like a long time and a lot of effort for a game with one unit per side, but if you want a game with a low level tactical feel, I believe the effect was worth the effort. I've long wanted a tactical level game that required correct alinement, internal organization, and evolutions by company. THE COMPLETE BRIGADIER came close, but I think CHEF DE BATTALION is a step beyond.

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