Game: Gettysburg - 125th Anniversary Edition

Thread: Re: Great intro to wargames for the skeptic

abimilech — 2008-08-11T03:45:34+00:00

I've had this one for awhile, but for some reason, like many of my other wargames, somehow never actually set the game up or even read the rules. Pulled it out this week and really like the fact that the rules are only one sheet (double-sided) and pretty simple.. I think this is a good one to introduce newbies with.

David "the preacher" Wilson

Thread: Re: Great intro to wargames for the skeptic

TomW731 — 2008-07-20T20:48:50+00:00

I think this is a great little game and I always leap to its defense whenever it gets bad-mouthed. I think with the historical tweaks the game system could and should be used for some other Civil War battles and I wish that someone like GMT would consider it.

Thread: Re: Great intro to wargames for the skeptic

ralpher — 2008-07-18T08:21:10+00:00

Yes, the board artwork is nice--as is the box art, but I just wish the box were smaller. I know they were trying to go mainstream, but there was just too much empty space in that box.

Thread: Re: Great intro to wargames for the skeptic

jens_hoppe — 2008-07-17T11:02:19+00:00

ralpher wrote:
About the luck, I wonder how the game would play using an eight sided die as opposed to a ten sider.

Or even using 2d6 for a non-uniform distribution, perhaps?

Thread: Re: Great intro to wargames for the skeptic

rri1 — 2008-07-16T23:44:52+00:00

ralpher wrote:
About the luck, I wonder how the game would play using an eight sided die as opposed to a ten sider.

Not much change, except the odds of getting step losses are significantly decreased:
[c]A-D Chance of +1 Chance of +4 Chance of +8
Diff (D10/D8) (D10/D8) (D10/D8)
0 45/43.75 21/15.83 3/0
+1 55/56.25 28/23.44 6/1.56
+2 64/67.19 36/32.81 10/4.69
+3 72/76.56 45/43.75 15/9.38
+4 79/84.38 55/56.25 21/15.83[/c]

Thread: Re: Great intro to wargames for the skeptic

t_s_sullivan — 2008-07-16T21:45:54+00:00

oneilljgf wrote:
I also think the word is sceptic and apologise for the pedant in me.

I believe that it's one of those "two peoples separated by a common language" things.

My Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary (written, of course, for an American audience) lists "skeptic" as the preferred spelling, and "sceptic" as a variant. I suppose it falls into the same category as "theatre" or "catalogue."

Thread: Re: Great intro to wargames for the skeptic

ralpher — 2008-07-16T17:14:45+00:00

About the luck, I wonder how the game would play using an eight sided die as opposed to a ten sider.

Thread: Re: Great intro to wargames for the skeptic

jens_hoppe — 2008-07-16T08:47:05+00:00

I agree, it's a nice little game, if perhaps a bit simplistic and luck-dependant. At any rate, I have fond memories playing this back in the old days.

And having sold my copy many years ago, I actually got another one a few months back.

Thread: Re: Great intro to wargames for the skeptic

oneilljgf — 2008-07-16T08:35:22+00:00

I still have and play this game. The board artwork is worth the price alone. This holds fond memories for me as my first board wargame was the original version and I can still remember the feeling of pure joy when I opened this one. I also think the word is sceptic and apologise for the pedant in me.

Regards,

Jim O'Neill
Est. 1949

Thread: Re: Great intro to wargames for the skeptic

ZombyDawg — 2008-07-16T05:39:01+00:00

The physical qualities of this game are worth mentioning, too. The map is of course mounted just as all the old AH game maps were. The colors of the map are pleasing and the counters have the usual light blue and light gray with Union or Rebel battle flags on them. Cavalry units have cavalry guidons. Overall the game is very nice looking. The hexes on the map are oversized and the counters are larger than your usual AH wargame cardboard chits. Easy to handle, not fiddly and easy to read.

With one page of rules I have always considered this a great gateway wargame.

Thread: Re: Great intro to wargames for the skeptic

duckweed — 2008-07-16T05:09:17+00:00

I also agree. I've played the game with a couple people who weren't wargamers, and they enjoyed it. I also find it enjoyable myself just to blow off steam. The d10 can produce some pretty wild results, which bugged me at first, but now it has become one of the game's odd little charms.

Thread: Re: Great intro to wargames for the skeptic

swandive78 — 2008-07-16T03:38:06+00:00

I agree; this is a great game for a wargame newbie or skeptic. IT doesn't take long to learn or teach, plays pretty quickly, and has a lot of replayability. It's not just good for new players. though; it's still good fun for ol'-school grognards.

Thread: Great intro to wargames for the skeptic

ralpher — 2008-07-15T22:14:12+00:00

I bought this game in college, and out of about a dozen wargames I took with me, this one got the most play. It helped to have at the time, recently read "Killer Angels" to understand the day to day progress and strategy involved in both sides.

The game is set a division level for infantry, and brigade level for artillery and calvary. Most units have two strength levels, though some union calvary can be destroyed in one hit. The units are named after their commander, although to the side you can see what division number they are. A nice feature as well is individual divisional/corps level generals, which allow units to stack together.

When playing a beginner, it's best to give them the Confederates, as they have fewer units and more powerful ones. They'll be blasting union units and feeling good the first day, and they'll have easier decisions for the most part. Soon the new player will learn they have to move with anticipation of the opponent's counterattack the next turn--rare in a wargame of this low complexity.

A pleasant surprise about this game is how well it abstractly depicts the importance of the long battle line in Gettysburg. Even the counters are rectangular shaped, which lets you draft the line by turning your counters to face the enemy, if you so choose. The game is resolved through throwing ten sided dice and adding your unit strength against the defending hexes' strength, plus any terrain advantages. However a unit sitting by itself can be attacked by multiple units or even a more powerful single hex unit, whereas when units are in line all friendly units that touch the unit must also be engaged in combat either in that combat or a separate one.

A differential of less than four causes a retreat without losses, over 4 causes one step loss, over 8 causes two step losses. So many of the battles involve few or no losses, allowing both players to attack again and again to move the line of battle. The battle is fairly dynamic. The union can lose a lot of units, whereas the confederates have more concentrated strength, but more brittle once they lose units.

Luck can be minimized in the game. A good player will realize there is no need to attack except when the odds are strongly in their favor. When the confederate player falls behind, they're forced to make attacks with even odds, and the game can turn on the outcome of such battles.

The inaccuracies are relatively minor and can be easily adjusted. Custer is a double strength calvary unit for example, just based on his reputation. Meade is also on the ground as a battle field commander.

I recommend using most of the alternative rules in the game, especially forbidding artillery stacking and infantry stacking.

Thread: Re: East Calvary Variant??

rsitaly — 2008-04-08T11:42:55+00:00

I have the map (JPG) and the article on the General (JPG) as well; I have printed it and it is playable.

If you are interested, send me a private message with your Email address and I'll send it to you by Email.

Roberto

Thread: Re: East Calvary Variant??

DarrellKH — 2008-04-07T15:48:06+00:00

Isn't that the expansion where Jesus sits in the garden, and decides whether or not to get involved at Gettysburg?

Thread: Re: East Calvary Variant??

billyboy — 2008-04-07T15:15:22+00:00

It was in an old General magazine around 1988 .I have it . Its just a paper map extension (no new units) and rules for a scenario.You can also play the game with this map but it really never ends up getting used in my experiance.Your not missing much in my opinion if you don't have it.

Thread: East Calvary Variant??

Lunga — 2008-04-07T15:02:20+00:00

I notice the "East Calvary Variant" being mentioned in some of the posts for the Gettysburg 1988 edition. What was/is this? An expansion offered thru The general?
Anyone have any information about this and perahps how to find it (or at least the rules, map and counters it included?

Many thanks for any help!
Lunga

Thread: Re: Gettysburg -- testing a theory

billyboy — 2008-04-05T03:01:55+00:00

Nice article .I have that 1988 expansion module and used it a few times.I never felt it added much to the game and what the author suggests is ridiculus.Even if I hadn't played this game I wouldn't buy into this nonsense.How many civil battles on this scale led to the destruction of entire armies?None!Sounds like someone is trying to make a big hero out of Custer and repair the damage Gettysburg did to Lees reputation.Lee doesn't need any help with his reputation and Custers record speaks for itself.

Thread: Gettysburg -- testing a theory

wargamer55 — 2008-04-05T02:08:57+00:00

Revisionism is a popular past time in the field of history. It's a good way to get attention to claim that what everyone "knows" about some historical event is wrong in some fundamental way.

This can even be a healthy corrective in the field, especially when new facts emerge or existing facts are reinterpreted in the light of new knowledge. For example, the story that Thomas Jefferson had a slave mistress was known even in his own lifetime, but scarcely credited. Now the tide of opinion seems to have turned, based in part in new DNA evidence, but also a relook at the documentary record.

But often the revisionist view fails to gain traction, usually because there's generally good reason why the conventional wisdom has won acceptance -- the evidence backs it up.

One of the great mysteries of the Battle of Gettysburg was why Gen. Robert E. Lee ordered the attack known as Pickett's charge. Certainly his most able lieutenant, Lt. Gen James Longstreet, was vigorously opposed to the attack. Longstreet's opinion was not one to be disregarded lightly, either, being the only general in either army who could reliably organize a multi-divisional attack.

Yet Lee ordered the attack nevertheless. The traditional view is that Lee simply misjudged the effectiveness of his first two days of attacks. Even though he had wrecked three corps of federal troops, the Army of the Potomac had seven corps. At least four were still in good shape on the field and the army wasn't close to defeat. Lee apparently believed that Meade must have heavily reinforced the flanks and therefore would be weak in the center.

Maybe even more critically, Lee recognized he simply had to win on July 3rd or he'd be forced to retreat back to Virginia. It's an easy mental leap from believing one must do something to believing one can do something. So he ordered the try. When Pickett's shattered division and the others returned in pieces Lee was heard to say "It's all my fault." He never explained his decision.

But author Tom Carhart claims he's solved the mystery. In "Lost Triumph: Lee's Real Plan at Gettysburg and Why It Failed" (2005) Carhart claims Lee secretly planned to have Jeb Stuart's Cavalry division swoop in from behind the union lines just as Pickett's charge reached its climax, catching the Union army in a vise and shattering it in a Napoleonic-scale decisive victory. He further claims that the plan would have worked except for the heroic defense by the "boy general" George Armstrong Custer that foiled Stuart's attack as it started, off on Low Dutch Road.

Those interested can read a detailed critique of Carhart's argument and scholarship at this link: http://civilwarcavalry.com/?p=5

My question was, even if Lee had such a plan, could it have worked?

It's very easy for a writer to engage in flights of fancy. Authors can wish away difficulties or ignore them entirely. The spirit of the bayonet can sweep all before it or curtains of steel can make an advance impossible.

Real life, of course, is full of limits, details and difficulties. Real war even more so. It's not possible to test a historical what-if against real life, but it is possible to test a what-if against a wargame's presentation of the event. While not proof, of course, it is evidence. Proof being unavailable in any case, the evidence provided by a wargame, which also has to contend with time, space, fortune and the presence of an opposing will provides a useful check against authorial exuberance.

Most wargames on Gettysburg don't even include the territory to the east of the main battlefield where the cavalry action was fought, but an expansion map provided in the old Avalon Hill General for the 125th Anniversary edition of Gettysburg did. This provides an easy-to-play what-if.

It might be objected that the 1988 Gettysburg was a simple game, but it's my experience that more complex wargames such as This Hallowed Ground tend to add many limits and increase the friction of war, so it's highly unlikely you'd be able to do something in a complex wargame that you'd be unable to do in a simple one. The simpler game is much more lenient.

And a quick glance at the set-up for the July 3rd scenario, modified to account for the additional map space, demonstrates that Carhart's theory is farcial.

The cavalry action is so far from the center of the Union line that even completely unopposed, Stuart's men could not possibly have arrived on the scene until after the fate of the charge was decided one way or the other. The game map shows the route to be about 20-21 hexes from Stuart's start point to the middle of the Federal line. As the movement factor of the cav brigades is 7 and they can move double speed along the roads, it will still take two unopposed turns of movement to arrive on the scene.

Cathart seems to believe that Stuart could simply ride down the road in column in order to make it on schedule, but that's nonsense. No soldier with a sense of self-preservation would do any such thing. There would be no way Stuart could know whether at any moment he'd be ambushed, so a leisurely road march is out of the question. Indeed, a single opposing unit astride the road would be enough to throw the advance off kilter.

The most favorable counterfactual for Lee would have been if Custer was not present on that flank. He wasn't supposed to be, but the 2nd Cavalry Division commander, Gregg, diverted him. Gregg could simply not have overstepped his bounds or Custer could have simply refused his order. Gregg, after all, was not his boss. But Stuart and Lee couldn't know this. In fact, there could have been more in the way just as easily. There was no way the Confederates could know there would a clear path for Stuart.

And clearly there was a lot more than Custer standing in the way. Unless paralyzed into complete inaction, the Army of the Potomac had ample resources available to slow down Stuart's ride until it was too late. Stuart would have had to ride right past the Army of the Potomac's Artillery Reserve artillery park, for example. It's hard to imagine that a few battery commanders wouldn't have taken the initiative to engage the rebel horsemen. The artillery branch was probably the most professional in the army and battery leaders were accustomed to independent action. One battery across the road would have been enough.

Lee did order Stuart to attack, but it seems much more likely he just wanted Stuart in position to complete the hoped-for victory with a cavalry pursuit, not try the impossible task of a coordinated joint attack in the pre-radio age.

One can't know what Lee was thinking. He didn't tell us. But it seems unlikely to me that Lee, an excellent battlefield general, would have come up with such an unlikely and impossible plan as Carhart proposes.

From my gaming blog at http://pawnderings.blogspot.com

Thread: Re: Scenario Five - The Battle for Gettysburg

JackFlash — 2008-04-05T01:07:38+00:00

Great report! This is one of my favorite games!

Thread: Scenario Five - The Battle for Gettysburg

old DM — 2008-04-04T21:25:23+00:00

Turn 1:

Hearing rumors that elements of the rebel army were foraging in the area. Reynolds accompanied Wadsworth toward Gettysburg. Buford, also, hearing about the rebel army movements unites the 1st Cavalry Division and moves to the bridge at Willoughby Run.

Turn 2:

Heth and Pegram decided that Gettysburg would be an ideal location to look for supplies and began the march toward Gettysburg. As they approached the bridge crossing the Willoughby, US 1st Cavalry Regiment under the leadership of Gamble opened fire. Quickly assuming a battle-line and unlimbering the cannons, Heth marched against the Union forces supported by Pegram's battery. A short exchange of shot and ball and Gamble's Regiment fell back with moderate casualties. Devin's Regiment now unsupported also retreated.

Reynolds, hearing the sound of cannon and rifles, marched to sound of the battle. He arrived just in time to see the US 1st Cavalry retreating. Quickly, he ordered a counterattack utilizing those in the cavalry who were not shaken along with Wadsworth's Regiment. Unfortunately, the attack was repulsed with light casualties. The cavalry continued their retreat until they reach a small wooded area. There they tried to dress their lines. Reynolds and Wadsworth fell back to Gettysburg and sent runners to summon assistance.

Elements of US 11th Corps summoned by the runners and the sound of gunfire, raced along Taneytown Rd toward Gettysburg. Also answering the summons, Barlow with Elements of the 1st Corps advanced down Emmitsburg Road toward Gettysburg.

Turn 3:

A.P. Hill, hearing the sounds of battle and knowing that Heth and Pegram were out foraging, mobilized the remainder of the 3rd Corps and engaged the US 1st Cavalry Division. The attack could not have come at a worst time for the Union forces. Both regiments collapsed under the assault. Buford attempted to rally the troops, but was wounded and taken to a field hospital.

Meanwhile, Heth and Pegram, now located in the woods that the US cavalry had occupied earlier, launched a devastating attack against Wadsworth. Wadsworth had anticipated an attack to be launch by A.P. Hill and so this attack on his flank caught him totally unaware. The regiment drained away like water in sand and fled from the field. Renoylds took a fatal wound and died shortly after reaching the field hospital.

Elements of the 11th Corps and 1st Corps, seeing Federal soldiers fleeing from the area rush in to fill the line. Wainwright and Robinson launched a hasty attack against Heth and Pegram. Heth saw the attack coming and prepared for it. The exchange was sharp and brutal. Wainwright and Robinson were thrown back with heavy losses. They managed to regroup in Gettysburg.

Howard, however, caught A.P. Hill flat-footed. And after a brief exchange, A.P. Hill retreated to McPherson's Wood with moderate losses.

Turn 4:

Heth hearing the fight on his flank maneuvered his regiment and gave battle to Howard. Although occupied with attacking A.P. Hill, Howard quickly adjusted his lines and fell back in good order.

A.P. Hill, now with a little breathing room, engaged Barlow. Barlow out-gunned and without cannon support stood against the initial assault. The Union troops could not hold against the numbers of Rebels that were coming against them. So, Barlow ordered a withdrawal. And His regiment fell back with heavy losses.

Ewell, hearing the battle, moved with Rodes toward Gettysburg and caught Doubleday just east of the town. Doubleday's Regiment completely out massed soon melted away. Survivors ran toward the bulk of the Federal army.

With the Union lines giving way across the battlefield, Howard launched an attack against Heth and Pegram. The Rebel line wavered but did not break and Howard called off the attack.

Steinwehr marched on Seminary Ridge and took up a position right on the edge in a wooded area.

Turn 5.

With messengers arriving with news of the battle, General Lee along with General Longstreet and elements of the 2nd and 3rd Corps marched to Gettysburg. General Lee quickly assessed the situation and took command.

Anderson, marching under General Lee's orders, headed toward Seminary Ridge. Steinwehr's Regiment, itching to pay back the Rebels, opened fire. The fire was to early and did little to stop Anderson. The Rebels soon fired back and a general melee ensued. Slowly at first and then in a torrent, the Federal forces fled from the area.

Heth and Pegram pressed their earlier advantage against Howard. But, Howard adroitly maneuvered his forces and repositioned on top of Cemetery Hill.

A.P. Hill, barely containing the spirit of the men, attacked Barlow. Barlow's soldiers tired from their first attack offered little resistance and soon collapsed under the weight of the Confederates assault.

Ewell with support from Early launched an attack on Robinson and Wainwright. The Union cannons opened fire against the Rebel infantry but did little to slow the attack. The Confederates had too many men attacking from too many directions. Robinson's Regiment supported by the artillery fought hard. But, the effort was not enough. For awhile, the Union lines looked as if they would hold. But then, the numerical advantage of the Confederates took hold. The collapse was sudden and Robinson managed to retreat with most of his men. The guns however could not be saved.

Robinson disengaged and moved to Cemetery Hill.

Turn 6

Sensing that the Union forces were on the verge of collapse. The Confederate forces moved to deliver the final blow.

Jenkins' Cavalry Regiment surveyed the battlefield and decided that a better vantage point is needed. Spotting Culp's Hill, the regiment moved to occupy it.

Anderson moved out of the woods that he had occupied. And with his assistance, Heth and Pegram attacked Howard. Not to be left out of the fight A.P. Hill joined the attack. Howard, showing a brilliance for maneuver, extracted his forces from the noose. However, not even Sun Tzu could have extracted his forces without loss and Howard suffered very heavy losses saving His command.

Ewell with Rodes and assisted by Early attacked Robinson. This attack was just too much for Robinson's men. After one round, they fled from the field.

With more and more Union soldiers retreating from the battlefield, Slocum mobilized elements of the 12th Corps and headed to Gettysburg.

Williams is ordered to take Culp's Hill and to set up an observation post. As he approached, Jekins' men opened fire on them. Williams formed line and attacked. Quickly ordering his men to mount and disengage, Jenkins retired from the hill with some losses.

With little information about the state of the Union or Confederate forces. Slocum attacked the first Rebel regiments he met. This decision was a poor one. Ewell repositioned Rodes' regiment to meet the attack. Cannon shot and musket fire filled the air. Smoke covered the field. Then it was over. Slocum with Geary had fallen back. The Union cannons were scattered over the field. Geary's Regiment had suffered badly.

Turn 7

Jenkins still smarting over the brief engagement with Williams continued to fall back.

Johnson and Early received orders to remove the Federal forces that now occupied Culp's Hill. Williams could now see clearly that the unless General Meade was given time to arrive the battle would be lost. With this in mind, he grimly positioned his men. The assault, when it came, was overwhelming with Confederate artillery under command of Dance and Nelson supporting. The regiment was completely destroyed. Only a hand few of men survived.

A.P Hill now joined Heth and Pegram and attacked Howard. Anderson and McIntosh joined in the assault. Howard had fought beautifully but nothing would save him or his regiments this time. They had fought too long and given too much.

The Union forces had for all intents and purposes been destroyed. However, some still remained. Sickles occupies the Peach Orchard.

Turn 8.

Night Fall. No combat.

Elements of the 1st Corps joined General Longstreet.

General Meade arrived with the Army of the Potomac. But after surveying the disposition of the Confederate forces retired from the field.

---------

This is my first session report. Hope you like it.

Image

Howitzer_120mm — 2008-03-06T03:28:15+00:00

Closeup of the Right Side of the board

Image

Howitzer_120mm — 2008-03-06T02:53:53+00:00

Closeup of the Left Side of the board

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Howitzer_120mm — 2008-03-06T00:33:39+00:00

Union Reinforcement Sheet

Thread: Re: The Full Scenario Part 1

JackFlash — 2008-03-02T03:00:00+00:00

Welcome Andrew! Glad to meet you!

Thread: Re: The Full Scenario Part 1

oneilljgf — 2008-02-27T18:30:49+00:00

Andrew,

A hearty welcome to BGG

Kindest regards,

Jim O'Neill
Est. 1949

Thread: Full Scenario Part 2

Howitzer_120mm — 2008-02-27T01:09:06+00:00

This continues the battle on July the 2. The Union have received many reinforcements and the Confederates are grouped in strength around Gettysburg. The Confederates win an automatic victory if they have 15 more victory points than the Union at the end of this day.

9th Turn- The Confederates rout the enemy near Culp's Hill and surround a few Union battalions.
Union - Slocum rescues Howard from his predicament down by Culp's Hill. Jenkins, a Confederate Cavalry Brigade over in the Union Sector, escapes again.

10th Turn- Jenkins takes out an artillery unit behind lines. A Confederated attempt to cut an opening in the line to get him out, fails.
The lines are now forming, with each side trying to encircle the other. Jenkins escapes yet another attack, this one with +6 against him.

11th Turn- The Confederates push forward in the North, near Seminary Ridge.
The Unions finally take out Jenkins.

12th Turn- The Confederates slowly surrounding the Union men in the South, holding several key positions. The Confederates have 3 very strong hexes while the Union has 6 or more weaker ones.
The Union took out an undefended artillery unit by Gettysburg and surrounded Robert E. Lee, forcing him to take extra damage.

13th Turn- Confederates move onto Cemetery Hill, fighting for every inch
Lee takes more damage, now have only 30% strength.
The Unions have closed in on the Confederate Forces and are slowly crushing them. They finished off Lee.

14th Turn- Ewell holds Cemetery Ridge and Longstreet holds a VP hex that is also a reinforcement point for the Union.
The Union take Cemetery Ridge and Gettysburg, and Longstreet is forced off the map.

15th Turn- The 2nd Cavalry Division is forced out of Gettysburg.
The Union surrounds the 3rd Corp and forces it take many casualties

16th Turn- Night Turn, No combat allowed. Both forces pull back and rearrange their positions.

Victory Point Count:
Confederates:
04 Objective Hex VP
04 Damaged Units VP
32 Destroyed Units VP
40 Total VP

Union
12 Objective Hex VP
02 Damaged Units VP
24 Destroyed Units VP
38 Total VP

The Confederates do not win an automatic victory. They cleverly retreated units off the map to prevent the VP points going to the Union. But now they are clearly outnumbered and do not wish to continue. Victory goes to the Union side this game.
The end of the second day:

]]>

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Howitzer_120mm — 2008-02-27T00:25:44+00:00

The Confederates decided to resign at the end of Day 2

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Howitzer_120mm — 2008-02-26T05:31:08+00:00

The board, and the opening setup

Thread: The Full Scenario Part 1

Howitzer_120mm — 2008-02-26T02:02:30+00:00

Day 1 of the Full 3-day Scenario
The Confederates need twice as many VP as the Union by the end of the first day to win an automatic Victory. The Confederates go first each turn

1st turn- only Union pieces are on the map. They regroup around Gettysburg.

2nd turn- Confederates go first, moving in a infantry (Heth) and an artillery unit (Pegram) from the North. Heth moves South, past Gettysburg, and attacks, eliminating a general and a Cavalry unit. The Union Side gets a number of units which move in from the west towards the city.

3rd turn- Confederates take Gettysburg. The Union pushes forward aggressively and attacks Heth. Heth retreats.

4th turn- The Confederates bring in their 2nd General (Ewell) and Rodes, an infantry Division with a high combat value of 6 from the east. Heth flanks the Union position, takes Culp's Hill and attacks Howard, a Union General. Howard's men take a hit and retreat. Fighting is fierce at Gettysburg. Gamble, a Union Cavalry Brigade who snuck behind enemy lines escapes again. The Union takes Culp's Hill back.

5th turn- Some of the Confederate's heavy reinforcements are blocked temporarily by a sacrifice by a Union Infantry Battalion. The Union tries to hold out until its reinforcements arrive.

6th turn- Confederates take a number of VP hexes. Union forces, with some added units sneak past them and take Gettysburg back, eliminate Heth and push forward onto Cemetery Hill.

7th turn- Confederates surround the Union forces at Gettysburg and crush them. They abandon Cemetery Hill in favor of the better defense of Culp's Hll. Union does a few small attacks.

8th turn- Night turn. No combat during this turn. Jenkins, a Confederate Cavalry, is blocking the roads. Very Heavy Forces are arrayed near Gettysburg. The Union gets a ton of reinforcements this turn, but is unable to use them as this is the night turn.

Victory Point Comparison:
Union:
13 hex VP
7 destroyed/damage unit VP
20 total

Confederates:
3 hex VP
13 destroyed/damaged unit VP
16 total

They do not win an automatic victory!

To be continued on the 2nd Day Session Report.

Thread: Re: Missing a piece

Howitzer_120mm — 2008-02-19T15:37:12+00:00

Thank you very much!

Thread: Re: Missing a piece

Michael Ward — 2008-02-19T07:58:55+00:00

Custer has 3C 13 2-7 on the front and 3C 1-7 on the back.

Thread: Missing a piece

Howitzer_120mm — 2008-02-19T05:02:54+00:00

Can anyone one tell me if the Union Cavalry Custer is a 1-7 on the back?
Thanks, Andrew

Thread: First Full Game - South Wins in Two Days (Solo, with Pics)

Jeremiah_Lee — 2007-12-31T05:35:57+00:00

I've been playing Scenario 1 (just day 1 of the battle) for a while now, since it only last about an hour to play, and it doesn't require getting a lot of units out for my cats/children to eat/mess up. I had a bit more time the other night, so I broke out all the counters for a big showdown.

Because of my many plays of the first day, I knew that the South should come out kicking. I planned to have them take the city, then Cemetary Hill (a bunch of 1VP areas), then Culps (3VP), and push towards Little Round Top (5VP).

My North hasn't been doing very well, so I was just hoping to delay the Confederates until the mass of reinforcements arrived at the end of day 1.

At the end of the first day:

The South had achieved most of their goals, coming up two short on Cemetery, and making no real progress towards Little Round Top. The Greys had destroyed 9 of the 14 active Blue divisions in the first day.

The North had been soundly whooped in many places (see the units getting beat up in the north east), but they had achieved some successes, including defeating Heth's division for 5VP. The full game ends if the South has double the VP of the North after day 1, and the score was N-18 S-22.

Casualties from first day of fighting:

The second day saw the Confederates start to push west, with big battles on Cemetary Hill with the armies of the South circling R.E.Lee (using the +1 General strength optional rule), and the Northern armies flanking.

At noon things were looking bad for the Union, but reinforcements arrived just in time to stop the bleeding. They still lost ground (back to the I-row), and seemed to be slowly marching backward.

Just after noon the Confederates split their forces and made a big push to the northern flank of the Union. Only a few units were left to defend Culp's Hill (which was lost to the Union in the next turn). The northern maneuver worked, and opened up the chance at Little Round Top.

At the end of day two, the South had a strong force pushing Meade's weakened soldiers back east, away from the hill and towards another weakened part of the Northern army.

The South had lost Culp's Hill, and part of the Cemetary, but the Union losses were enough to secure the day two victory, and end the game.

South - 53
North - 34
(South needs 15 more than North to seal a win after two days)

Endgame:

----------------

I have to say that I was a little disappointed that it didn't go on to another day, but I could see where things were going. I had a great time, and I stayed up too late.

In the future, I have to figure out how to keep the Union losses down. Any thoughts on that?

Thread: Re: Couple of Rules Questions

Jeremiah_Lee — 2007-12-19T17:53:31+00:00

Thanks for the clarification, this does help.

I remember using the variant from the General when I played a long time ago, so getting back to using them felt right.

I'm so happy to have re-found this game. A simple wargame that I can play (solo) in the space of an hour. It's great.

Thread: Re: Couple of Rules Questions

Hatricvs — 2007-12-19T15:26:32+00:00

I am fairly sure that at the begining of the game or scenario it is considered that the Union automatically hold all the on board points.

If the Confederate is able to capture the terrain then he has the points and they remain his until or unless retaken by the Union.

Therefore once taken they remain the points of the side that took them until your opponent retakes with one of his units.

As far as I know you do not have to have a unit occupying each terrain VP for the duration to be able to claim the VPs!

Hope this helps!

By the way the rules variant found in the General, mentioned above,is really good and actually helps to balance up the play; removing the Confederate double Infantry stacks which can be vicious. The variant rules also make the game a little more 'historical' for a very, very small increase in rules complexity. Well worth looking into and giving a try.

Thread: Re: Couple of Rules Questions

Jeremiah_Lee — 2007-12-19T13:25:12+00:00

Thanks for the quick reply. I'll be playing again in just a few moments, and this helps clear things up.

One more:
When calculating VP from the board positions, do you actually have to occupy the space to get the VP, or can you get the points for surrounding it (without the enemy occupying it), or for being the last one to hold it?

For example, in Scenario 1 the South never made it close to Little Round Top. Does the North have to keep someone there to get the points?

Thread: Re: Gettysburg and the Optional Rules from The General Magaz

saminurmela — 2007-12-19T11:02:35+00:00

Here's a summary of the optional rules:
http://underworld.fortunecity.com/descent/738/gettyopt/getty...

Don't know if it helps though, the article "Three days in Pennsylvania" with the full rules appeared in the General 29-4. They are four pages (I have only a very bad quality photocopy, and no access to scanner, sorry).

EDIT: After a quick browse through the article, I think the web page I linked here has all the rules. The article is mostly designer notes and historical foundation for the rule changes.

It's worth a try, anyway.

Thread: Re: Couple of Rules Questions

saminurmela — 2007-12-19T10:40:55+00:00

1: eliminated unit is worth its full combat factor, and each flipped unit on board is 1 VP. Eliminated Generals give no VPs.
(Battle Manual, 6a5) Casualty Victory Points)

2: with basic rules, any General will do. Optional rule 10 in Battle Manual has more strict rules for Army, Corps, Cavalry and Wing commanders, requiring matching command (as indicated by the Parent Organization numbers).

3: only one combat unit is allowed in a hex without leader. Two combat units may stack if leader is present. Unlimited number of leaders may stack together.

There are many variant rules for this game, and I remember using a simple set which allowed only two cases of stacking: two cavalry units ~~with their leader~~ from the same command, or one artillery unit and infantry unit ~~with their corps leader~~ from the same command (EDIT: no leaders needed for stacking). This disallowed creating infantry "killer" stacks with overly high combat factors.

EDIT: a summary of these rules can be found at http://underworld.fortunecity.com/descent/738/gettyopt/getty...

But the game is great fun just with the basic rules. Quick to play, and the big hexes accommodate two combat units easily, so it's easy to handle.

Thread: Couple of Rules Questions

Jeremiah_Lee — 2007-12-19T05:01:14+00:00

1: I must have missed it, where is the note about calculating VPs from eliminated units?

2: Can any General Unit be used to allow stacking, or does it have to be that unit's specified General Unit.

3: Is there a limit to stacking (other than physics?)

Thanks.

I broke out this game, as well as a bunch of others after more than a decade of storage, and this was one of the first ones to get played (solo, of course). I had a good, quick, fun, first scenario, and will likely play some more tomorrow.

Thread: Re: Gettysburg and the Optional Rules from The General Magazine!

Sir Loin o Beef — 2007-11-30T21:17:00+00:00

christopherwpeterson wrote:
Did you ever get a copy? I'll try to post scans if you didn't.

Please go ahead and see if you can get them scanned, Chris. I haven't seen them yet.

Thread: Re: Gettysburg and the Optional Rules from The General Magazine!

christopherwpeterson — 2007-11-30T19:27:07+00:00

Did you ever get a copy? I'll try to post scans if you didn't.

Thread: Re: Gettysburg and the Optional Rules from The General Magazine!

Sir Loin o Beef — 2007-08-23T00:11:01+00:00

I would be interested in these also.

Thread: Re: Gettysburg and the Optional Rules from The General Magaz

newmanium7 — 2007-08-22T19:45:51+00:00

Hey, is there anyone who has the optional rules from the General Magazine and is willing to post them? I haven't been able to find them anywhere... Thanks!!

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kjuice — 2007-06-01T22:54:42+00:00

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Chachito — 2006-12-28T20:34:10+00:00

Thread: Re: Gettysburg parts listing

Siddartha13 — 2006-08-24T02:44:34+00:00

There is a photo of the counters on the 2nd page of images for this game. You can check which counters you are missing from the scan.

Thread: Gettysburg parts listing

dgc327 — 2006-08-23T22:09:09+00:00

Can anyone help me complete a parts listing for the 1988 version of this game made by Avalon Hill? It is the 125th Anniversary Edition. There are 96 counters included. I have made a listing of what I have but am missing 4 of them.

6 Blanks
1 Turn Marker
1 Initiative Marker4 Reorginization Markers
16 Union Infantry Markers
8 Union Cavalry Markers
14 Union Artillery Markers
14 Union General Units
9 Confederate Infantry Markers
7 Confederate Cavalry Markers
7 Confederate Artillery Markers
5 Confederate General Units

Thank you for any help you can give me.

Darwin

Thread: Gettysburg and the Optional Rules from The General Magazine!

Hatricvs — 2006-07-06T21:30:47+00:00

I originally played this game with the rules as supplied and it was a good game. I then discovered the optional rules as printed in an edition of the General Magazine which greatly improved play. It particularly resolved the issue of stacking which cause many to moan about the original and added a greater level of realism to the feel of the game. Sine then I have always played with the optional rules.

Recently though I have realised that it seems in this version that the Rebs just cannot acheive a victory. In my latest game of this, I as the Confederates, was able to sieze 'Culps Hill' and 'Little Round Top' early on but due to the massed reinforcements that the Union can put into the field I could not hold them for long enough. This is in part due to the fact that being unable to stack units in the way that the standard rules allow means if the Union can get a number of units around your occupying force you've pretty much had it. On reflection I have seen very few victories for the Rebs using the optional system. Does anyone else use this system and if so what are your findings?

Thread: The Confederates have never lost...

wryone — 2006-06-12T02:51:52+00:00

I really enjoy this game and pulled it out yesterday and played a few games with a friend of mine. We played three times and the South won all three. Basic strategy seemed to be to hit weak Union units or go around them for the objective hexes. There's no supply, so move on around.

I looked back at my records of earlier games and the in the three games I'd recorded (from the early 90s) the South had won those three as well.

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duckweed — 2006-04-29T20:42:46+00:00

Map entry hexes are shown beneath each unit (S1, U7, etc.).

Image

duckweed — 2006-04-29T20:42:22+00:00

Night falls after the first days of fighting. The Union army has been pushed off Cemetary Ridge, except for a lone surrounded artillery unit. Note the tents- these units will spend the next day in Reorg.

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duckweed — 2006-04-29T20:37:32+00:00

A zoomed-out view of the situation as the first day of fighting draws to a close. Map has been enlarged for ease of play.

Thread: Re: Confederate Strategy?

kingcujoI — 2005-09-07T16:45:28+00:00

Brian I have generally had the opposite experience playing this game. Even if your initial units get bogged down on the first day you can salvage the situation with the reinforcements. You have to come in swift and aggresive with Ewell's divisions. Even if you the union calvary and first wing are holding above the town those two divisions can make some good progress.

It was only recently and with some minor rules tweaks that I was able to give the Union a chance to make a strong stand on the first day.

Thread: Confederate Strategy?

Grizzley91 — 2005-08-29T17:54:14+00:00

I have only played this game solitaire, but I've run through the full scenario three times now and I can't figure out how to play the confederate side. Even when the Rebs have come out strongly in day one, they've ultimately been overwhelmed by the more numerous Union forces. Is there some strategy that I'm missing, or is this a totally one-sided game?

Thread: User Review

medlinke — 2005-04-01T03:49:14+00:00

Some wargames are played out of a love of the subject matter and some are played out of a love of wargaming. I played this game out of a love of competition.

Gettysburg seems like the perennial release from Avalon Hill having, in some context, been released in some game form or another many times in the past 40 years. The 1988 version or Smithsonian version as it is sometimes called is by far the most fun.

Gettysburg is really a non-wargamers wargame. It has all the classic elements of a wargame. It has the hex and counter movement and combat, the rulebook written by lawyers for lawyers, but in the end it's relatively simple gameplay and interesting subject matter make it a joy to play.

The Order of Battle is all laid out for you and you simply follow the reinforcement schedule as posted. The level of abstraction really helps move the game along. There aren't hundreds of counters simulating companies in this battle. Rather you are fighting with recognizable leaders such as Hood and AP Hill. It's really a blast.

One of the more interesting thing that this game quickly teaches players is the importance of the terrain gained and held throughout the first day of the battle. In that way, this game proves to be a worthy teaching tool that can easily demonstrate broader concepts and challenges that faced commanders on those bloody days during July.

While hardcore grognards might not appreciate the abstraction in the game, it proves to be a great introductory wargame and gateway for new players interested in trying a more serious wargame without feeling overwhelmed.

If you can find a copy definitely pick it up. It is well work the money and your time!

Thread: Session Report

desertfox2004 — 2005-01-25T13:38:08+00:00

Gettysburg – Smithsonian Edition
March 2004, Leo / Dan:

Dan and I topped off March with a quick game of Avalon Hill’s Smithsonian Edition of Gettysburg. We chose to play the first day scenario, which is only eight turns long. I commanded the Confederates, while Dan directed the Union forces. Dan immediately fortified Little Round Top, a wise move, while putting a few light units forward on Cemetery Ridge. I brought two Rebel corps into action and easily pushed Dan off of Cemetery. I then moved forward and claimed Culp’s Hill. While I pushed Dan’s divisions around at will, he chose for the survivors to lurk in the woods and menace my flanks rather than to fall back to his main position. This was a good move, as I had to try to mop up his units rather than advance directly onto Little Round Top. In order to smash his units, I had to pull my garrison out of Culp’s Hill, which he immediately occupied! The game came down to my last attack to regain Culp’s. Despite completely surrounding his small force and having greatly superior numbers, I could not break through his lines and overrun his band of bluecoats.

At the end, I held all of Cemetery Ridge, destroyed four Union formations and had outscored Dan 15-8. However, the Confederates needed to at least double the Union to win the scenario, and by holding Culp’s Hill, which was worth 3 points, Dan won the game.

Thread: Session Report

MarkEJohnson — 2003-09-08T13:01:23+00:00

Matt and I prearranged to play this one (a Christmas present!) the week before, always a good idea with wargames, even one as simple as this one. The “88” isn't really part of the title, it's just how we distinguish this edition of Avalon Hill's battle simulation from its earlier ones (of which there are three, I think). This was the first game in AH's Smithsonian Series lineup, a good line of simpler, faster-playing wargames covering popular subjects in American history. Aside from this one, all the others are World War 2 simulations (though the Platoon movie tie-in game is one of this series, too, in all but name--it has the same packaging and components). Of the three-day battle, there are scenarios for each individual day, the whole thing, and just the final two days. (For some reason, there isn't an official way to play just the first two days.) We played just the Day 1 scenario, the shortest, and were done in an hour.

That may not have been the best scenario to pick, since most of what happens is that the Confederates big divisions arrive on the scene first, with only a motley assortment of Union troops to delay them before the bulk of the Union forces arrive later that day (and on the second). Correspondingly, the victory conditions are strongly biased: the Confederate player must accumulate *twice* as many victory points as the Union to win, otherwise he loses--there is no draw. VPs are awarded for combat losses to enemy units (1 VP/combat strength), as well as certain strategic hexes that help guide the battle toward its historic result. Well, that's what I think they do. There are several hills around the map, which are useful for defensive purposes, and those have VPs assigned to them. One more hex on the edge of the map probably represents a bottleneck for arriving Union troops: they want to keep it open, and the Rebs would love to choke it up.

As it played out, the Union forces only deliberately entered battle one time, with no substantial effect. The Rebels, on the other hand, used the big divisions to annihilate any Union forces in the way, and quickly marched into the town and then Cemetary and Culp's Hills. But they never challenged that reinforcements “bottlneck” hex, and Little Round Top was just way too far. So in the final tally, my Rebels scored about 1.5x the VP total of Matt's Union forces, well short of what's required to win.

The last time I played this game, I was of the mind that the combat system (1d10 + combat strength vs. 1d10 + combat strength) swung too wide, particularly when small forces fought each other. I'd suggested making the simple mod of using 2d6 in place of 1d10. That idea might still have some merit, but I found myself not as convinced of a problem this time. The next time I play, it will probably be with a larger scenario and most of the simple optional rules. I wouldn't suggest changing anything about the game until I tried it that way.

However, this next time won't be at TVB (more likely over a lunch or two with Hank, at work). Doug has been pitching his old Lee vs. Meade game of the same battle, unique for its square grid with varying movement costs from corner to corner. Published by Gamma Two, perhaps? Well, Doug, snailmail me the rules and I'll be ready when you are, even next time.