Mechanicsville - Order of Battle

Here is the OOB I am using for the Mechanicsville scenario

UNION:   (organization value: 4 cards)

V Corps – BG Porter [P: General I]

1^st Division – BG Morell [Mo: General II]

              1^st Brigade (Martindale)                             (Reinforcement 1)

[Ma1, Ma2, Ma3: 3 Infantry units]

              2^nd Brigade – (Griffin)

[G1, G2, G3: 3 Infantry Unit]

                             Division Artillery

                             [Mo1: Smoothbore with 3 crew]

                             [Mo2: Rifle with 2 crew]

3^rd Division – (Col McCall)

              1^st Brigade BG Reynolds [R: General III]

[R1, R2, R3: 3 Infantry units]

              2^nd Brigade BG Meade [Me: General III]                     

[Me1, Me2, Me3: 3 Infantry units]

              3^rd Brigade (Seymour)

[S1, S2, S3: 3 Infantry units]

                             Division Artillery

                             [Mc1: Smoothbore with 2 crew]

                             [Mc2: Rifle with 2 crew]

                             [Mc3: Rifle with 2 crew]

                                           [Mc4: Smoothbore with 2 crew]

Bolded units are in fieldworks

CONFEDERATE:      (organization value: 5 cards)

Light Division – MG A.P. Hill [H: General I]

              1^st Field’s Brigade (Field)

[F1, F2: 2 Infantry units]

              2^nd Gregg’s Brigade – BG Gregg [G: General III]

[G1, G2, G3: 3 Infantry units]

3^rd J.R. Anderson’s Brigade (Anderson)

[An1, An2: 2 Infantry units]

4^th Branch’s Brigade (Branch)

[B1, B2: 2 Infantry units]

5^th Archer’s Brigade – BG Archer [Ar: General III]

[Ar1, Ar2: 2 Infantry units]

6^th Pender’s Brigade – BG Pender [P: General II]

[P1, P2, P3: 3 Infantry units]

Division Artillery

              [H1: Smoothbore with 2 crew]

              [H2: Smoothbore with 2 crew]

              [H3: Rifle with 1 crew]

              [H4: Rifle with 2 crew]

              [H5: Rifle with 1 crew]

              [H6: Rifle with 2 crew]

D.H Hill’s Division

              5^th Ripley’s Brigade – BG Ripley [R: General II]

[R1, R2: 2 Infantry units]

Now I realize this is not entirely clear since I have not yet posted the rules for this game, but most of you who are into this kind of stuff can likely glean out some info anyway.  Enjoy!

Mechanicsville - photos

Here are a few photos of an ongoing play-test of the Mechanicsville scenario.  Three turns have been completed, The feds are massing troops near the creek at the north end of the field.  The rebs managed to knock out one artillery battery on the south end, and then A.P. Hill has just thrown forward the bulk of the light division.  Enjoy the pictures.

Morell's division on the north end of the table

The light division approaches the creek

Porter's men see the rebs coming their way

And here is the scenario map.

Mechanicsville June 26th, 1862

This is a scene from my game table right now.  The battle is Mechanicsville VA, Jne 26th 1862.  Also known as Beaver Dam Creek.  This was the first of the Seven Days Battles.  After I've played it through once or twice I will post a map and order of battle.  But in the mean time you will just have to enjoy the one picture. 

Revised Scenario for First Manassas

I've played through this battle a couple of times recently and I am continuing to tune the rules, cards and scenario to my liking.  Here is the current state of the map and the order of battle.

July 21st, 1861    Manassas, Virginia

Bull Run OOB – Union                  Organization: 4 cards

1^st Division – BG Tyler [T: General I**]

  1^st Brigade (Keyes)
    [K1, K2: 2 Infantry units]

  2^nd Brigade – (Schenck)
    [Sc1: 1 Infantry Unit]

    [Sc2: Rifle with 1 crew]

  3^rd Brigade – Col Sherman [S: General I*]
    [Sh1, Sh2, Sh3: 3 Infantry units]
    [Sh4: Rifle with 1 crew]

2^nd Division – Col Hunter  [Hu: General II**]

  1^st Brigade (Porter)
    [P1, P2, P3: 3 Infantry units]

    [P4: 1 Cavalry unit]

    [P5: Rifle with 2 crew]

  2^nd Brigade (Burnside)
    [B1, B2: 2 Infantry units]

    [B3: Rifle with 2 crew]

3^rd Division – Col Heintzelman [He: General III**] (Reinforcement 1)

  1^st Brigade (Franklin)
    [F1, F2: 2 Infantry units]

    [F3: Rifle with 3 crew]

  2^nd Brigade (Wilcox) (Reinforcement 2)
    [W1, W2: 2 Infantry units]

    [W3: Rifle with 1 crew]

  3^rd Brigade (Howard) (Reinforcement 3)
    [H1, H2, H3: 3 Infantry units]

Bull Run OOB – Confederate      Organization: 5 cards

Army of the Potomac

  1^st Bonham’s Brigade (Reinforcement 2)
    [Bo1: 1 Infantry unit]

  5^th Cocke’s Brigade – Col Cocke [C: General II*]
    [C1, C2, C3: 3 Infantry units]
    [C4: Rifle with 1 crew]
  6^th Early’s Brigade – Col Early [E: General III*] (Reinforcement 4)
    [Ea1, Ea2: 2 Infantry units]
  7^th Evans’ Brigade
    [Ev1: 1 Infantry unit]
    [Ev2: 1 Cavalry unit]
  Unbrigaded – Hampton’s Legion
    [H1: 1 Infantry unit]

Army of the Shenandoah
  1^st Jackson’s Brigade – BG Jackson [J: General I**]
    [J1, J2: 2 Infantry units]
    [J3: Smoothbore with 1 crew]

  2^nd Bartow’s Brigade
    [Ba1: 1 Infantry unit]
    [Ba2: Smoothbore with 1 crew]

  3^rd Bee’s Brigade – BG Bee [B: General III**]
    [Be1, Be2: 2 Infantry units]

    [Be3: Smoothbore with 1 crew]

  4^th Smith’s Brigade (Reinforcement 3)
    [Sm1, Sm2: 2 Infantry units]

  Unbrigaded - JEB Stuart [S: General II*] (Reinforcement 1)

    [St1: 1 Cavalry unit]

Reinforcement Rule – A player may choose to receive reinforcements once per turn by playing a card with a time value of 4 or 5 and requesting reinforcements instead of the action written on the card.  Reinforcements arrive in order, left to right as depicted in the graphic.  Reinforcements must enter the battlefield through the hexes labeled with a blue or gray colored triangle, and all of the units must enter the battlefield on the turn they are requested.

Victory Conditions – High score after both sides have played through one deck.  One point is earned for each infantry, artillery or cavalry unit destroyed.  Two points are earned for controlling each hex containing a yellow star.

First Manassas: Re-Oriented

That title sounds like a summer block-buster doesn't it?  It even has a colon in it!

I've shifted the map of my scenario of first bull run/manassas from a north-south orientation to an east-west orientation.  Now the distance to the Stone Bridge is more accurate, and there is enough terrain in the west to do a flank attack along Chinn Ridge or Dogan Ridge.  I have also revisited my depiction of the hilly terrain with an eye for greater accuracy.  Here is an aerial picture (looking north) of the battlefield on my game table.

I've also expanded the orders of battle to include Howard's brigade on the Union side and to include Bonham and Kirby Smith's brigades on the Confederate side.  I'll post all of the details of the OOB and the map after testing it once or twice.  Below is a picture of Hunter' division in the foreground on Matthews' hill looking at the brigades of Evans, Bee and Bartow on Buck hill.

Buildings at Manassas

Here are two of the five buildings I've painted for the Manassas battlefield.  The first is the Stone House at the intersection of the Warrenton Turnpike and Sudley Road.  Today those roads are better known as Route 29 and 234. 

The second building is the Robinson House.  This is a great little model with a front porch assembly.  I assembled the porch, painted the model and then attached the porch to the house.

Both of these castings are 10mm models from StarFort Models.  I got them from Doug Kline at Battlefield Terrain Concepts.

I have also painted a model of the first Henry House, plus the Bryan Farm.  The Bryan Farm is from Gettysburg but has been transported to Manassas in order to fill in as the Lewis House.  I'll try to add photos of them some other time.

44th New York Infantry

A few days back I finished painting this unit of 20 figures.  All of the figures are Old Glory 2nd edition.  These guys make a decent table top unit.  I know they aren't my best work.  During part of the painting process I was dealing with a CSER in my left eye, and floaters in my right.  Yep, gettin' old - what can I say.  That's why I need to teach my boys how to paint soldiers for me!