As promised, this column is part two of "How to Solo Wargame the Alamo." I had some On with this one and I'm pleased to show you what I came up with. Please drag out part one and keep it handy because I will refer to it from time to time.
Here are the issues I decided I needed rules for. We'll cover them one at a time. As you will recall, my intent was to automate the Mexicans while commanding the Texans.
- effects of preliminary bombardment and Texan counter battery fire.
- number of assault columns and their composition
- effects of leadership on both forces
- point of attack of assaulting columns
- effects of Texan fire on column's forward movement
- effects of Mexican musket fire
- procedures to cross walls.
Preliminary Bombardment
There are three issues here - the placement of the Mexican batteries, their target priority, and relocating Texan guns. I decided to take the easy way out and used Santa Anna's solution of two batteries each of three light field pieces and one 7-inch howitzer. Again, talking the easy route, I decided that the batteries might be located so as to fire on any of the four sides of the Alamo. Try as I might, I could not justify weighting any side as more likely to have a Mexican battery so this boiled down to 2 straight-forward die rolls, one for each battery.| Die Roll | Battery faces this wall of the Alamo |
| 1 | north |
| 2 | east |
| 3 | south |
| 4 | west |
| Die Roll | Results |
| 1 | Both sections fire counter battery |
| 2,3,4,5 | 1 section counter battery, 1 section breach wall |
| 6 | Both sections breach wall |
- no effect today, sorry
- no effect today, sorry
- no effect today, sorry
- inflict 1 figure casualty
- inflict 1 figure casualty
- destroy 1 Texan gun
- no effect today, sorry
- no effect today, sorry
- no effect today, sorry
- make small breach
- make small breach
- make large breach
Of course, the Texans won't stand still for this sort of nonsense and at the beginning of each day, they fire counter battery first. I had each Texan gun roll 1D6 once per day and a roll of 6 knocked out one Mexican gun. The arithmetically inclined among you will note that this gives the Texan guns a 2 to 1 advantage in counterbattery fire. However, I decided not to allow the Texan 4 pounders along the wooden palisade or the single 4 pounder in the Convent garden to fire counterbattery; they were too light. Remember that both guns of a Mexican section must be laiocked out before the section is kaput.
If the Texans want to relocate a gun in order to replace one that is destroyed by Mexican fire, they can do so free of charge at night. However, if the Texans want to build a new gun emplacement, they can build the emplacement during the night but they lose the use of the gun they are moving for one day. For example, if during day one, the Texans decide to move a gun from the west wall to a new emplacement on the north wall, the emplacement is built by dawn of day 2 but the gun can not fire until day 3. During day two, the gun is removed from the west wall and placed in the plaza where it can not be fired upon but can be fired if an assault breaks in. The Texaris can only build one emplacement each evening. The Texans can not fix breaches. They can dig trenches in the plaza to the width of one wall segment each night.
Number and Composition of Assault Columns
Santa Anna assaulted with 3 columns of line infantry, one of light infantry, and a reserve column of zapadores (originally combat engineers, now elite infantry) and grenadiers. I See part one for the historical order of battle. I arbitrarily decided that the Mexicans could have anywhere from 3 to 8 columns and therefore a roll of a single 1D6 plus 2 would give a solution within the desired range. I was using Napoleonic French mounted 5 figures to a stand for the Mexicans so I figured that what I had to work with was:
21 stands regular infantry (R)
3 stands light infantry (L)
8 stands grenadiers/zapadores (G)
| . | Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 | Column 4 | Column 5 | Column 6 | Column 7 | Column 8 |
| 3 column assualt | 7R 3G 1L |
7R 3G 1L |
7R 2G 1L |
- | - | - | - | - |
| 4 column assualt | 7R 1G |
7R 1G |
7R 1G |
3L 5G |
- | - | - | - |
| 5 column assualt | 4R 2G 1L |
4R 2G 1L |
4R 1G 1L |
4R 2G |
5R 1G |
- | - | - |
| 6 column assualt | 4R 1G |
4R 1G |
4R 1G |
4R 1G |
5R 1G |
3L 3G |
3L 3G |
- |
| 7 column assualt | 4R 1G |
4R 1G |
4R 1G |
4R 1G |
5R 1G |
3L 3G |
3G | - |
| 8 column assualt | 4R | 4R 1G |
3R 1G |
3R 1G |
3R 1G |
3R 1G |
3R 1G |
3G |
Effects of Leadership on both Forces
Leadership played a large role in the actual event and I wanted to address it appropriately. The Texans can win only if they can keep assault columns from closing with or crossing over the walls. They can do this with crushing firepower (fat charice) or they can seriously damage the morale of the soldiers in the column to halt them or turn them back. I chose to place a Mexican colonel figure with each assault column arid a Santa Anna figure as well. When the colonel becomes a casualty, morale suffers. If Santa Anna moves within a certain distance of the column, morale improves (actually morale doesn't improve but the troops are less inclined to run away). Simply stated, the presence of a regimental commander or Santa Anna himself moved morale readings to a higher column. Of course, now I needed to include in the firing tables the possibility of hitting key leaders.As for the Texans, the key decisions to be made are which column to fire at and if and when to move reinforcements. Bowie was effectively out of the picture but I allowed that either Travis, Crockett, or Captain Almeron Dickinson (the artillery commander), if withm a certain distance of a defender, could direct the defender's fire or order him to move to another wall or position. In reality, of course, I was making decisions but I would not implement them unless a Texan leader figure was proximate to the troops involved. If all three Texan leaders were casualties, the defenders remained on the walls until the wall was crossed, and then withdrew to interior buildings to fight on.
Point of Attack of Assaulting Columns
The Mexican columns would give priority of the direction of their attack to the location of any large breaches. Thus I allocated one assault column to each large breach. A problem arose when the number of assault columns exceeded the number of large breaches. Because only two walls would be fired upon by Mexican guns, I wanted to come up with a means of sending Mexican columns against 3 or 4 walls if troops were available. So, the general rules are these:- First, assign 1 assault column to each wall segment having a large breach.
- Then, assign excess columns against segments of walls that were not breached by Mexican artillery.
- No more than one assault column per wall segment.
Of course, the Texans have no idea which walls will be assaulted and therefore the Texan figures and leaders are in position before I roll for the points of attack of the assault columns. The Texan leader figures can move (and can order troops to shift position) as soon as the Mexican buglers sound the charge.
Effects of Texan Fire on Column's Forward Movement
The Mexican imperative is to move forward whenever possible; firing only if halted. From the flow chart in part one, I showed that there are two key decision points for the assault columns. First, while closing on the walls of the Alamo, a column could be stopped and then either continue forward or withdraw. Once at the relative security of the wall, the column could either cross it or choose not to try crossing it but remain under the shelter of the wall. Once across the wall, however, there was no stopping the onslaught. The Mexicans will move to the closest defenders and engage them in hand to hand combat. I selected only two variables to consider: casualties and the presence of leaders. Casualties suffered during a turn prompted a die roll for morale and that roll was modified by the presence or absence of leaders. In any turn in which an assault column received two casualties (columns consisting entirely of elites require 3 casualties) the column was governed by the following morale table. This led to the Texan tactic of firing at the closest column until enough casualties were inflicted to require a morale roll.| . | Assault column closing on wall | Assault column in shelter of wall |
| 0 | If moving forward, column halts but does not fire that tum. If halted, column withdraws. If withdrawing, column moves 2 move distances to the rear. |
Column withdraws one movement distance; continues facing away from Alamo; starts next turn withdrawing. |
| 1 | If moving forward, column halts but can fire. If halted, the column withdraws. If withdrawing, column moves 1move distance to the rear. |
Column withdraws from wall one movement distance; halts and faces wall; does not fire that turn. |
| 2 | If moving forward, column halts but can fire. If halted,column continues halted but does not fire that turn. If withdrawing, column moves 1 move distance to the rear. |
Column continues in shelter of wall; does not fire; does not attempt to cross. |
| 3 | If moving forward, column halts but can fire. If halted, column continues halted but can fire. If withdrawing, column moves 1 move distance to rear. |
Column continues in shelter of wall; fires at available targets but does not attempt to cross. |
| 4 | Column continues moving forward. If halted, moves forward 1/2 move distance. If withdrawing, stops and regroups |
Column continues in shelter of wall; fires at available targets but does not attempt to cross. |
| 5 | Column continues moving forward. If halted, moves forward. If withdrawing, stops and regroups. |
Column attempts to cross wall. |
| 6 | Column continues moving forward. If halted, moves forward. If withdrawing, stops and regroups. |
Column attempts to cross wall. |
| 7 | Column continues moving forward. If halted, moves forward. If withdrawing, stops and regroups. |
Column attempts to cross wall. |
Regimental commander a casualty, subtract one from die roll.
Santa Anna within 4 inches of column, add 1 to die roll.
Effects of Mexican Musket Fire
In the actual battle, Mexican musket fire was peculiar enough that I wanted some special rules to simulate the effect. First of all, Mexican muskets and powder were of poor quality and there is no evidence that Mexican drill produced battalions which could fire quickly. Add to this the fact that the Alamo's defenders would expose very little of their bodies to Mexican fire. Therefore I seriously degraded the ability of an attack column to inflict casualties on the Texans behind the walls. However, I allowed Mexican fire to suppress the Texans behind the walls. Suppression means that the defender is not killed but that so many musket balls are whizzing past him that he spends most of his time ducked down behind the wall and when he does fire, he does so quickly and without careful aim. I implemented a rule that 15 Mexican figures which were halted but still Ring could suppress all the Texans on a segment of wall. This meant subtracting 2 from the die roll of Texan musket and rifle firers on that segment of wall. Thus, Mexican fire has its uses but will inflict few casualties. The primary weapon the Mexican soldier possesses is his bayonet and he must close rapidly to make use of it.Procedures to Cross Walls
During the battle, Mexicans managed to cross the north wall where it had been fractured by cannon fire and poorly repaired. I limited wall crossing to three instances. Where a large breach existed, I allowed Mexicans to cross two figures each turn at a 1 to 3 disadvantage in hand to hand combat. Where no breach existed, I assumed that the assault columns had a limited number of ladders and that one figure from a column could cross each turn at a 1 to 4 disadvantage in hand to hand fighting. At the wooden picket wall defended by Crockett's Tennesseans, if no breach was made, two figures could cross iron each assaulting column at a 1 to 2 disadvantage.The Refight!
The dice determined that Santa Anna placed one battery opposite the northern wall of the Alamo (henceforward called the North Battery) and one battery opposite the south wall (ergo, the South Battery). The Mexican North Battery had both gun sections attempting to breach the wall. The Mexican guns were opposed by five Texan guns, all firing counterbattery. The Mexican South Battery had one gun section firing counterbattery while the other tried to breach the walls. Three Texan guns responded.At the end of five days, the Mexican North Battery was destroyed but not before it had created a large breach in wall segment 17 and had inflicted one figure casualty against the defenders. The Mexican South Battery lost two guns but opened a large breach in wall egment 9 and inflicted two figures casualties among the Texans. These were not particularly promising results for the Mexicans and Santa Anna probably wished he had placed his batteries against the less-well-defended east and west Alamo walls.
Before Santa Anna decided on an assault plan, I had to construct the Texan defenses. I placed Travis on the north wall just east of the breach, Crockett with his Tennesseans at the wooden palisade, and Dickinson atop the South Barracks overlooking the breach to the west of him. Defenders were thickest on the north and south walls and I decided to keep no reserve; every man was to defend the walls from the onset.
Santa Anna decided (actually I rolled for him) to form four assault columns and directed one each against the breaches in the north and south walls. Rolling once again for El Supremo, I allocated the other two columns to assault the wooden palisade defended by the Tennesseans and wall segment 15, the northwest corner of the Alamo. The situation in the pre-dawn of the Day of Decision looked something like this.
The Assault
The assault kicked off and the Texans replied with effective artillery and rifle fire. After three turns, only Column I (suffering 20% casualties) continued moving and had closed with the north wall at the foot of the breach. Santa Anna's presence was decisive in keeping that attack moving forward. The other three columns were halted in their tracks and the men were fanning out into a ragged firing line despite the determined efforts of the officers to keep the men moving. Column 3 in particular had suffered heavily, losing 27% casualties to the guns from the Chapel and the wooden palisade. The Texans repositioned troops to better meet column 1 which was trying to come through the breach.The next three turns were touch and go. Column 1 fed men into the breach and met the desperate defenders in hand-to-hand combat. In a close run fight, the Mexicans on top of the rabbled were killed and the remainder of the column refused the orders of Santa Anna himself to advance. The Texans lost twenty men defending the breach but the Mexicans fared much worse; column I was down to 65% strength. Fortunately for the Mexicans in column 1, the Texan guns could not reach them and the Texans at the breach stayed behind the rubbled wall to minimize casualties. Column 4 was so battered by fire that for awhile the men didn't move forward and didn't fire their weapons. Finally, they lurched forward again but still had a full move to go before reaching the walls.
At the south end of the mission, column 3 was shot to pieces in front of the palisade, losing the regimental commander and 55% of its effective strength. Nonetheless, the brave Mexicans refused to run. Column 2 was halted, got moving again for a moment, and was brought to a standstill within yards of the cover of the breach in the south wall.
The next three turns were decisive. The troops in column 1, under Santa Anna's personal command, started into the breach once again and pushed back or killed the defenders. Travis died exhorting the dwindling band on the north wall to resist. On turn 9 the Mexicans in column 1 broke through into the empty plaza and headed east to clear the walls from the inside. Column 4 closed to the northwest corner, put up ladders, and got a Landfilll of men on the walls where the Texans died valiantly. Column 3 died in front of the Palisade, the guns on the Chapel and behind the palisade firing with great effect for the moment. Column 2 closed to the breach and started crossing it. In a single turn they slew all the Texan defenders and entered the Plaza, turning east and closing in on the Tennesseeans from the rear. In two turns all was over; the Texans died to a man while the Mexicans suffered 45% casualties among the assault forces. This was great finish to fight because the Texans have a chance if they can stop the attackers before they close on the walls. However, once inside the plaza, numbers tell and the result is predictable.
Good Soloing to all and I hope this article prompts you to check out Lone Warrior and the Solo Wargamers Association. Next issue, a guest columnist!
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© Copyright 1998 Hal Thinglum
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