ACW Valverde using RFF

[kipt]

This weekend we are going to play the battle of Valverde, an ACW action that took place in 1862 in New Mexico.  We set up the terrain last weekend at my friend Didier's house.  It is a small action, only needing 3 or 4 players.  As we will have 6, we set up two identical boards.  there will be 2 Union players and one Confederate at each board.

Here are the two boards.



This is a closer view of the Rio Grande, showing an old dried riverbed as well as the lightly wooded areas and a mesa at the far end.



Another view with the road on the west side of the river.


This is looking from the Confederate side of the board.


A close up of the mesa.


This is table 2 with the troops in place for the first move; Confederates in the dried riverbed on the left and the Union on the right against the river. Notice the small contact on the right center.  This battle has Rebel Texas lancers attacking two companies of Colorado militia.  That will be the initial action on turn 1.

This is the 1st New Mexico regiment, lead by Kit Carson.  They are guarding the left flank of the Union position but on the opposite side of the river.


After the battle(s) this weekend I will post more pictures and an AAR.

[pierre the shy]

very impressive looking table Kipt, the mesa looks very realistic

I think purhaps the second to last picture showing the troops initially deployed on the table doesn't appear?

 

[toxicpixie]

Very impressive! Hope it goes well

[Steve J]

Great looking tables there and look forward to reading how the games played out .

[paulr]

Two very impressive tables and a really interesting way of dealing with the number of players    

[kipt]

Yep, Missed a picture.
Here it is.

[mmcv]

Great looking table, looking forward to more!

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Looks superb

[kipt]

And now the battle

The Battle of Valverde February 21, 1862, fought on June 4, 2022

The scenario starts with the Union defensive fire phase, then the Confederate offensive fire phase and then the one melee: Texas lancers against two companies of Colorado volunteers in square.

(Regimental Fire and Fury has 3 phases: Maneuver side one – in this case Confederates will go first, Musketry and Cannonade – defender fire first and then the attacker, and the Charge phase).

Victory conditions are 1. Most casualties inflicted: 2. for the Union to have an unbroken unit in the dried riverbed, and 3. for the Confederates to either make it across the Rio Grande on one of the 2 lower fords and block the other or block both fords.  Note the Confederates are not aware of the upper ford on the Union left unless the Union uses it.

Troop dispositions:

The Union left (which is north) on the east of the river consists of 2 regiments of US regular infantry just to the right of two companies of Colorado troops in square.  To their right, in the bosque (stand of trees on the green) at the middle ford is a battery and 2 companies of mounted infantry.  Far to the right, the south near the mesas, are 3 units of dismounted infantry and US Cavalry.  On the west of the river is the 1st New Mexico led by Kit Carson.

The Confederates are all disposed in the dried riverbed; mounted infantry mostly dismounted in extended line and supported by guns interspersed and 2 units still mounted.  Both tables have the same troop set up.
I will describe the action by Table, as we had two identical tables set up.

Table 1

On Turn 1 Union fire caused the rebel lancers to not make contact with the square, and they were disordered.


The Union first maneuver phase saw them straightening out their line on the left flank and not moving on the right.  Confederate artillery fire (the only ordnance that could reach since most of the Rebels were armed with shotguns and hunting rifles, with a few irregular rifles – all infantry being mounted infantry) caused minor damage (2 Union stands) and Union fire caused one Confederate loss.

On Turn 2 the Rebels pressed forward on their right while adjusting the left.  Union fire caused 5 stands lost to the Confederates while the Union maneuver phase moved them closer to the bosque and due to Confederate fire lost 3 more stands.

Each army has a Heavy Casualty number based on the total number of combat stands.  In this case the Union number was 15 and the Confederate number was 16 (only 2080 Rebels and 2300 Federals).  Once the number is reached it affects the maneuver rolls by a -1.

Turn 3 saw the center of the Rebel line moved towards the gap in the Union position.


The Rebel right contacted the Union regulars but forced them back.


Rebel fire causing 4 stands lost.  The Confederate left flank started moving towards the dismounted Union troops in the bosque near the mesa (the Union troops consisted of the 3rd NM Mounted Infantry, Co K of the 5th US Cavalry and a battalion of the 3rd US Cavalry, all dismounted and a single heavy howitzer).


Union reinforcements entered on the road in the middle of the board consisting of a small US Cavalry unit, a section of guns and the 2nd New Mexico led by General Canby, the Union commander.

Turn 4 became the climax of the battle with the Confederates charging the Union right and essentially eliminating them, causing 13 casualties.  (This puts the Union over the Heavy Casualty threshold). The Union left is pushed back to the river.



Turn 5 is where we stopped (the scenario has 12 turns but we ran out of time and casualties were heavy is any case) but in the turn the Federals did cause 3 more confederate losses (which also put the Confederates over the Heavy Casualties – this makes maneuver more difficult).

So, for Table 1, the Confederates came out on top based on points based on casualties.  The Federals did get one point because the Rebels did not get to the fords or cross the river but at the end of turn 4 (when we really stopped) the point count was 22 Federal casualties to 17 Rebels.

Table 2

Turn 1 saw the Rebel lancers mowed down by accurate fire from the square and from the left unit of US regulars.


The artillery exchange resulted in 4 Confederate losses and 2 Union.

On Turn 2 the Confederates aggressively pushed forward their right flank and started bringing some of the units of the left toward the middle of their line.  The union right mounted up and pushed forward.



Casualties this turn were all against the Confederates who lost 3 stands.

Turn 3 saw the Rebel right engaging the Union Regulars while one unit made it to the middle ford, by passing Union troops in the bosque.



This also shows Union reinforcements entering on the road on their maneuver phase.  The rebel left maneuvered to engage the Union cavalry moving around the southern flank.



The two US Regular units were pushed back slowly but moved the 1st New Mexico (west of the Rio Grande) to the upper ford (location not known by the Confederates).  Casualties this turn were 2 Confederates and 4 Union.


Turn 4 the Confederates attacked the Union regulars at the northern flank but were pushed back.


At the bosque near the middle ford they caught the Union guns in the flank and eliminated them.


The Rebel artillery engaged the 1st New Mexico on the west of the river to little effect.  However, on the left flank Confederate musketry with inferior rifles proved deadly to the Union cavalry attempting to turn the Rebel flank, eliminating one small unit.



The US Regulars proved their worth by fighting the Rebels in the center and pushing them back.


The 1st New Mexico poured a volley into a retreating Rebel unit (from the attack on the Regulars the turn before) and devastated them. The severe fighting this turn saw 11 Confederate casualties and 7 Union.  This put the Rebels over their Heavy Casualty number.

Turn 5 was almost an anticlimax, with the Confederate left flank continuing to decimate the Union cavalry flanking move,


the Union reinforcements moving to secure the west side of the middle ford and the US Regulars pushing back the Confederate center. 4 Union casualties and 1 Confederate; this pushed the Union over Heavy Casualties.  Here we stopped.


So, on Table 2 casualties were 21 Confederates and 17 Union.  Union won this board on points.

I apologize for the lack of pictures, but I was so busy answering rules questions at both tables and keeping track of the action and casualties that I only occasionally used the camera in my phone.  Both tables were hard fought, and our players are getting used to the rules.  A good, but tiring day.

[pierre the shy]

Great stuff Kipt, your tables look like they're straight out of a Western and interesting to see the different results on the two tables. from the number of stands lost by each side looks like both games were reasonably close overall.

Thanks for taking the time to put together such a comprehensive write-up of the games.

[paulr]

Wot Pierre sed

[mmcv]

Quite the fight and lovely looking table