Game: Forged in Fire

Thread: Re: Wanna Play?

mrbeankc — 2008-09-09T00:38:14+00:00

I swear I need to learn to use Cyberboard.

Thread: Wanna Play?

BarryRoy — 2008-09-09T00:21:56+00:00

Any one interested in playing either FTF or via email?

I am in Montclair, NJ. I am cyberboard and vassal capable.

Barry

Thread: Re: Forged in Fire, a brief overview

Eldard — 2008-08-30T05:42:02+00:00

wargamer55 wrote:
The first block wargame was Quebec 1759 way back in 1972, . . .

Or a decade earlier with Stratego, depending on how you define block wargames.

wargamer55 wrote:
. . . so the type isn't much younger than the hex-and-counter style of wargame. But for a long time block wargames were pretty much the exclusive domain of its originator, eventually known as Columbia Games. In fact. it's really only since the rise of the Eurogames in 1995 that other game makers seemed to take a fresh look at the potential of block wargames and in the last decade or so Columbia has finally gotten some company.

Are Eurogames the inspiration for GMT and other companies' block designs, or was it award-winning titles from Columbia Games like EastFront?

wargamer55 wrote:
. . . One company that has done both is Worthington Games, which has some wooden block designs that owe little to the typical Columbia game such as Clash of a Continent, . . .

This gets back to one's definition of block game. Blocks were adopted to create the fog of war, and record step reduction. Clash for a Continent is a hex-counter game, with the counters elevated by pieces of wood. Stratego is more of a block game than Clash.

wargamer55 wrote:
. . . but has also been willing to publish some titles that are classic Columbia. One of these is Forged in Fire, a strategic-level game that depicts the Peninsular Campaign of the American Civil War. . . . Cavalry units have some special screening and scouting powers, but can't take part in ordinary battles.

I think the cavalry rules are one of the strengths of the game. By giving cavalry its actual ACW functions, the campaign becomes much more interesting.

wargamer55 wrote:
Overall, if you like Columbia's block games you're going to like Forged in Fire.

I agree. This is one of the better block games around.

Thanks for the fine review, Seth.

Thread: Re: Forged in Fire, a brief overview

nhojput — 2008-08-30T00:42:53+00:00

i have this game and enjoy it much. nice review. it is a nice rendition of the peninsula campaign without being complicated and tedious and although the mcclellen factor is a factor, but it doesn't hogtie the player control so that union player can still be more aggressive than little mac was. well done except for some rules questions and maybe a need for some house rules not necessarily to change the game as designed but to decide what certain rules intend or things that come up that may not be covered in the rules explicitly. nice job.

Thread: Re: Forged in Fire, a brief overview

Coffeebike — 2008-08-30T00:18:19+00:00

I enjoy reading your wargame discussions, Seth, and this is no exception. Nice job.

wargamer55 wrote:

Overall, if you like Columbia's block games you're going to like Forged in Fire. It's very similar in style and approach, but deals with a topic at a scale that Columbia hasn't tried yet, so it still breaks some new ground.

It's worth noting that the last couple of games from Worthington have taken a more Euro style of presentation, so the company may be leaving its Columbia-inspired style behind.

You will probably be interested to know that the Worthington Games website mentions a game in progress in the style of Forged in Fire:

Jackson's Foot Cavalry

Using Worthington Games FORGED IN FIRE sytem to simulate Stonewall Jacksons complete 1862 Valley Campaign.

The game will a block game with point to point movement covering Stonewall Jackson's classic 1862 Valley Campaign. The game system will be using our Forged in Fire rules with adjustments for the situation facing both Union and Confederate commanders in the Shenandoah Valley. Supply and surprise will be critical as Jackson races up and down the Valley fighting one Union force after another as the Union try to trap the Confederates. The game will include a main campaign as well as several shorter scenarios. Playable in 3-4 hours for the full campaign with 1-2 hours for scenarios. Victory is determined by how many Union troops the Confederate player can force the Union player to keep in the Valley. The Union player will try to keep the bare minimum of troops in the Valley to prevent the Confederate player from obtaining certain objectives.

source: http://www.worthingtongames.com/upcoming.html

PS. Even as we speak I'm waiting for my copy of "Forged" to arrive!

Thread: Re: Forged in Fire, a brief overview

Jan van der Laan — 2008-08-29T21:40:28+00:00

I am a long time admirer of Columbia Games (my closet is filled with a reasonable amount of CG games) and GMT's FAB: The Bulge, Asia Engulfed and Europe Engulfed and I even own Prussia's Defiant Stand (so you can call me a blockgame sucker) and this great review has convinced me to buy Forged in Fire also. Thank you for that!

Thread: Forged in Fire, a brief overview

wargamer55 — 2008-08-29T18:39:04+00:00

The first block wargame was Quebec 1759 way back in 1972, so the type isn't much younger than the hex-and-counter style of wargame. But for a long time block wargames were pretty much the exclusive domain of its originator, eventually known as Columbia Games. In fact. it's really only since the rise of the Eurogames in 1995 that other game makers seemed to take a fresh look at the potential of block wargames and in the last decade or so Columbia has finally gotten some company.

Most of the other publishers who have experimented with the block games have tried to put their own stamp on the genre, so their games, while bearing some resemblance to Columbia's line have also developed some distinctive elements. Examples include GMT's Europe Engulfed and Simmons Games' Bonaparte at Marengo.

One company that has done both is Worthington Games, which has some wooden block designs that owe little to the typical Columbia game such as Clash of a Continent, but has also been willing to publish some titles that are classic Columbia. One of these is Forged in Fire, a strategic-level game that depicts the Peninsular Campaign of the American Civil War.

The game even resembles the usual Columbia physical presentation, with stickers on wooden blocks, heavy card-stock maps and a plain, but sturdy corrugated box with a sleeve.

The game play also strongly resembles the traditional Columbia approach for black powder era subjects, with point-to-point movement and a tactical battle board for resolving battles, which are fought over multiple rounds. The game system makes functional distinctions between infantry, cavalry and artillery. Instead of dividing the tactical battlefield into a left, center and right Forged in Fire's battle is divided into four sectors, a right center and left center with flanks on either side. Infantry units and leaders can use the flanking sectors in an attempt to game a favorable position against the center positions.

Like most block games, the number of units that can be moved in a turn is limited by the rules. In this case, activating a corps or independent unit costs a command point or two, depending on the kind of move. Each side is guaranteed three commands and can roll for a fourth, with success depending on the quality of the overall commander. Generally the CSA has the edge here, with Johnston better than McClellan and Lee better than both.

The game includes some atypical and special rules to reflect the particular situation. Supply plays an important role, especially for the federal army. Cavalry units have some special screening and scouting powers, but can't take part in ordinary battles. The CSS Virginia is represented and complicates Union amphibious movement until it's sunk or Norfolk is captured. The Union forces have a powerful tool with amphibious movement, which makes it impossible for the Rebels to make a permanent stand anyplace short of the fortified lines of Richmond.

The key to the game is the McClellan Confidence track, which represents Little Mac's own confidence and the confidence that Lincoln had in the American Napoleon. Success, represented by winning battles and closing on Richmond increases Mac'c confidence and makes it easier for him to roll to increase the number of commands he has available. If successful enough he can be better than Lee. On the other hand, reverses tend to depress Mac's confidence, and, being Mac, it's easier to depress him than cheer him up.

Victory conditions depend on capturing Richmond and/or pushing Mac's confidence level up or down to specific levels.

Besides a grand campaign game, there are three shorter scenarios covering the initial Union advance, Johnston's attack at Fair Oaks and the start of Lee's Seven Days Battles campaign that finally drove the Union army away from Richmond.

Overall, if you like Columbia's block games you're going to like Forged in Fire. It's very similar in style and approach, but deals with a topic at a scale that Columbia hasn't tried yet, so it still breaks some new ground.

It's worth nothing that the last couple of games from Worthington have taken a more Euro style of presentation, so the company may be leaving its Columbia-inspired style behind.

For other reviews see my game blog at http://pawnderings.blogspot.com

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mrbeankc — 2008-08-26T18:59:00+00:00

Player Aid Chart

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mrbeankc — 2008-08-26T18:58:21+00:00

Sticker sheet

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mrbeankc — 2008-08-26T18:57:43+00:00

Battle Board

Thread: Re: A "Talk To The Hand" review (thumbs up)

kostek — 2008-08-07T01:33:34+00:00

Cool. Nice review. I've had my eye on this one for a while. I just need to clear up my backlog before I get another game.

Thread: Re: A "Talk To The Hand" review (thumbs up)

Harae — 2008-07-21T12:49:34+00:00

Fantastic Review and this is the first game on my HOT list! Keep 'm coming!!

Thread: Re: A "Talk To The Hand" review (thumbs up)

Stradk — 2008-06-29T16:18:10+00:00

This video review made me put Forged in fire on my wishlist replacing Hammer of the scots..

How would you say the rules clarity is on this compared to the games by Columbia Games?

Thread: Re: supply question

nhojput — 2008-05-16T20:13:11+00:00

thanks for the answer, but now i have another question. are the csa allowed to attack or move into fort monroe? and if so, what are the negative cost to the union? thanks for this fine game.

Thread: Re: supply question

cartking24 — 2008-05-16T13:37:58+00:00

Norfolk is an exception due to the fact it is right across the river from Ft. Monroe.

Grant Wylie

Thread: supply question

nhojput — 2008-04-22T16:21:05+00:00

on a previous question asked, the designer answered 'yes' to "are union units in norfolk in supply without a depot in that location?" my question is---are union units in supply in any port on a union controlled river without a supply depot if they are to far away to trace to a land supply source? or is norfolk an exception? in other words, can they thrace supply by river back to ft. monroe? thanks for any help.

Thread: Re: A "Talk To The Hand" review (thumbs up)

cartking24 — 2008-03-07T18:56:31+00:00

Tom,

Thanks for the review. I personally think it was one of our better designs (at least from a personal standpoint). We tried to simulate the options available to each side without forcing the same decisions upon them. I hope you and everyone that own this one enjoy it.

Thanks,
Grant Wylie

Worthington Games

Thread: Re: A "Talk To The Hand" review (thumbs up)

minordemon — 2008-03-07T08:04:58+00:00

Really good! It gives a lot of insight in the appeal of the historical aspect of wargames. For me quite an eye opener.

Thanks.

Thread: Re: A "Talk To The Hand" review (thumbs up)

Kingdaddy — 2008-03-07T01:30:54+00:00

Good suggestion about the sample turn. I'll include one in my next review.

Thread: Re: A "Talk To The Hand" review (thumbs up)

Sprydle — 2008-03-07T01:07:49+00:00

It needs slightly higher audio levels, it was a tad quiet, and an example turn or two would be great!

Thread: Re: A "Talk To The Hand" review (thumbs up)

kentreuber — 2008-03-07T01:05:43+00:00

Excellent. The only thing I could ask is that it would be great to have a sample turn.

Thread: A "Talk To The Hand" review (thumbs up)

Kingdaddy — 2008-03-06T23:23:39+00:00

Here's my latest video review. (Forgiveness, please, for any signs of ineptitude with the camera or video editing software. I'm still learning.)

Youtube Video

The short version: Forged In Fire is a very good "block game" treatment of the 1862 Peninsular campaign. Since it hasn't received as much attention as some of its other blockish brethren, you may not have heard why this title may be a worthy addition to your wargame collection.

In case you have any trouble playing the video from this page, here's a link to its home on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzPEdhLDUtk

Thread: Re: Don't you hate it when the subject just says "Questions"?

Niko Ruf — 2008-02-27T17:42:44+00:00

Thanks.

cartking24 wrote:
We always adjusted during battle.

Either you have better short term memory than me, or it's easier to keep track of than I thought.

Thread: Answer to Strategy problem--Stu

cartking24 — 2008-02-27T15:05:16+00:00

Stu,

It was a pleasure talking to you at Prezcon and wanted to respond asap to your question. Again, apologies for missing these.

It is correct that your opponent can use that strategy to slow you up. As he is doing this however he is surrendering Yorktown (opening up the York river to naval movement). As the Union you have several options to see.

1. After taking Yorktown conducting an amphibious landing further up the York river (what McClellan historically did).

2. Take Norfolk asap thereby opening up the James river to amphibious assault that can place you much closer to Richmond than the confederate player.

Historically the confederates did use artillery to slow the Union advance, Johnston did this at Yorktown, and Williamsburg on his slow retreat up the Peninsula. The rules do also reflect the extra cost of building artillery with the 2 buildpoint cost for artillery sp.

Also, he must place his replacement artillery with his corps commander during build. With the end run possibility of naval invasion you should be easily able to pry your opponent from that strategy.

Thanks,
Grant Wylie

Thread: Re: Don't you hate it when the subject just says "Questions"?

cartking24 — 2008-02-27T14:57:27+00:00

Answers

1. I suppose corps commanders can move during the infantry phase? The rules only talk about moving them as part of a flanking maneuver.

Yes

2. Do you reveal units in an embattled location that do not participate in the battle (supply depot, siege guns, cavalry)?

Yes

3. Can the Virginia intercept multiple sea moves on the same turn? And does moving both siege guns (or a siege gun and a corps, siege gun and the depot) to the same destination count as one move or two?

No to part one. Counts as two moves for part two.

4. Are union troops supplied in Norfolk, i.e. can you add steps on the turn after they invade?

Yes

And a procedural thing: how do you keep track of damage in battle, both for the purpose of McClellan's confidence track and to see which units can be rallied? I use tokens during battle and adjust block strengths only afterwards, which makes it easier to remember. Any other ideas?

We always adjusted during battle.

Grant Wylie

Thread: Re: Supply--Is That Right?

cartking24 — 2008-02-27T14:55:14+00:00

That is the penalty. It is easy to draw the Union into an unsupplied battle and weaken them to the point that you make them uneffective for until several turns after they get back in supply.

Being out of supply was difficult but it was not like it was fatal during the civil war. Look at Shermans march to the sea. There were times when an army would gamble on being out of supply for a strategic advantage. That is what this represents.

Thread: Don't you hate it when the subject just says "Questions"?

Niko Ruf — 2008-02-19T22:09:20+00:00

I've posted these questions in the CSW forum a few days ago, but there seems to be nobody home. Maybe somebody here can help me:

1. I suppose corps commanders can move during the infantry phase? The rules only talk about moving them as part of a flanking maneuver.

2. Do you reveal units in an embattled location that do not participate in the battle (supply depot, siege guns, cavalry)?

3. Can the Virginia intercept multiple sea moves on the same turn? And does moving both siege guns (or a siege gun and a corps, siege gun and the depot) to the same destination count as one move or two?

4. Are union troops supplied in Norfolk, i.e. can you add steps on the turn after they invade?

And a procedural thing: how do you keep track of damage in battle, both for the purpose of McClellan's confidence track and to see which units can be rallied? I use tokens during battle and adjust block strengths only afterwards, which makes it easier to remember. Any other ideas?

Thread: Re: Supply--Is That Right?

hvddrift — 2008-01-16T05:40:39+00:00

I am reading the rules now. Have you found out any more information with the supply issue?

Thread: Re: Good, solid look at the '62 Peninsula Campaign

ratbulogg — 2007-11-15T13:06:39+00:00

I made a couple attempts to contact company, not successful so I will ask here:
Please institute erratta putting a limit on the number of artillery replacements, esp for confederates! A cheesy tactic has emerged: the confeds atthe beginnig of the game take their 1 SP arty unit and use it as a roadblock. sure, it is eliminated in combat, but it getsrebuilt for the 2 buildpoints and used the next trn as a roadblock. This can go on for a while. i am no civil war buff, but I GUARANTEE that artilery was never used in this manner, and that the confederates were short of artillerey so they could not replace arty losses very easily.
thanks
stu hendrickson

Thread: Re: Good, solid look at the '62 Peninsula Campaign

stove — 2007-10-09T17:34:03+00:00

The Gettysburg Campaign is not one I'm terribly interested in, but the system with Jackson's Valley campaign would be wonderful. Looking forward to it!

Thread: Re: Good, solid look at the '62 Peninsula Campaign

cartking24 — 2007-10-05T00:05:36+00:00

Dan,

Thank you very much for the kind write up. We also feel it is one of our best designs and look forward to following it with Jacksons Valley Campaign and the Gettysburg Campaign.

Thank you,
Grant Wylie

Thread: Good, solid look at the '62 Peninsula Campaign

stove — 2007-10-03T19:48:35+00:00

Forged in Fire is a recent release from Worthington Games. It covers the American Civil War campaign of 1862, in which Union General McClellan attempted to fight his way up the Virginia Peninsula to the doors of Richmond. The game is played over 26 or so turns, with the units being represented by Columbia-games style “blocks.” The game features a number of smaller scenarios along with a larger campaign game covering McClellan’s attack from Fort Monroe towards the gates of Richmond.

Ynnen’s review (located here: http://www.boardgamegeek.com/thread/112987) does an excellent job of reviewing the game mechanics and describing gameplay. This review will focus on the game as history lesson and simulation.

The Peninsula Campaign of 1862 is a difficult one to recreate. The Union had significant material advantages, from their navy which could land them anywhere (within reason and the Virginia’s forbearance) to their larger army and siege train. The downside was McClellan – a cautious commander whose intelligence reports told him he was outnumbered 2:1. The difficulty in the campaign is giving the player the same choices and advantages possessed by the Union, without simply allowing the Union player to steamroll over the Confederates. Forged in Fire does an excellent job of this.

The Union player is given a number of historical choices at the start of the game. In order to progress up the Peninsula, he must secure supply points on either the James or the York river. In turn, those can be gained by capturing Norfolk (which could take a few turns with the Virginia about) or Yorktown, which can be difficult to take even with overwhelming forces. The Union’s ace is their siege guns, which make dealing damage possible without a pitched battle.

The Union player is thus given the same options McClellan was, with much the same potential result. A careful, methodical advance to Yorktown with siege guns in tow will be undoubtedly successful, but at the cost of a good deal of time. Norfolk’s fall is almost certainly assured as well but at a potential loss of time and casualties. Once those have fallen, the Confederates will probably begin withdrawing up towards Richmond to prevent being cut off from the rear. The Union player at this point is given similar choices to McClellan – attack blindly into the Richmond defenses or bring up the guns to batter the defenses in. The player must weigh carefully the potential losses of any move, all while keeping an eye on the “clock.”

McClellan “confidence” points are a wonderful touch. They function, at times, as a happy amalgamation of army morale, political will/support and the general’s confidence in the campaign. While outnumbered, if the Confederates successfully take the offensive they may pull out a win, which lines up with history nicely.

The Confederates, in addition to trying for a successful attack or two, must play for time as Johnson did. Given that the fall of their various strongholds is almost certainly assured and sticking around to be hit by siege guns is a losing proposition, they’re given the options Johnson had historically. Their “dummy” counters help them organize surprise attacks (a la Gaines Mill) and generally keep the Union guessing about where they’re strongest. They must, at some point, take offensive action in the game, as failing to do so will result in heavy losses from the (presumably positioned) Union siege guns.

This all results in a game that does a fairly decent job of illustrating the problems of the campaign, without forcing the player into foolish (historical) actions for the sake of balance or “history.” I look forward to further games similar to this one from Worthington Games.

Thread: Supply--Is That Right?

dumpty — 2007-07-12T23:59:57+00:00

I just played my first two games of FORGED IN FIRE last weekend and I'm not sure I've got the supply rules correct.

On the first turn of the campaign game, the Union took Norfolk, simultaneously opening up the James River and destroying the Confederate navy (I guess the South needs to start the entire Longstreet corps at Norfolk to slow this down).

On turn 2, the Union started making amphibious landings as far down the James as they could, but let themselves fall out of supply as they did so. As far as we could determine, being out of supply means you cannot replace 2 strength points a turn. Is that it?

As we played it, that just wasn't a very significant downside and the Union pressed on, completely disregarding supply issues. I'd like to see a stronger penalty, say a 1 step reduction in battle, for being out of supply.

Thread: Re: Some questions after first game

Eldard — 2007-06-29T13:44:28+00:00

Jaels wrote:
My point was more about the distinction between "sinked" and "destroyed", as the two don't necessarily mean the same thing: the Union would gain a lot more confidence by sinking the Virginia in a battle than having it be scuttled by Confederate forces somewhere in the James River (which is what happened historically).

The Union Navy might gain more confidence for having sunk an ironclad, but from McClellan's perspective, I think his confidence is increased by not having to worry about CSS Virginia interdicting his water-borne transport and supply. To the Union Army, it's irrelevent whether the ironclad was sunk or scuttled. Perhaps the rules could've been clearer had they used the word destroyed, but I think that was clearly the intent.

Jaels wrote:
It would indeed have been catastrophic, if only because the Confederates would have been able to interdict the entrance of the James and York Rivers from the fort.

In the game, not having consequences to losing Fort Monroe let the Union player bypass Yorktown by landing in a James River port and then empty Fort Monroe, possibly splitting the Confederate Army in two. While such a move was a possibility in the real campaign (and indeed prompted the Confederate to abandon Yorktown instead of risking to be cut off from retreat), the Union would still have left a good garrison in Fort Monroe .

Okay, I see your point. I think the argument for emptying Fort Monroe is counter-balanced -- at least somewhat --- by the rule that requires retreating amphibious units to return to Monroe. If Monroe is in Confederate hands, the Uniopn units would effectively be surrounded and eliminated.

But I understand your point. They should've put some sort of Automatic Confederate Victory Condition for the capture of Fort Monroe.

BTW, if you have never seen it, Fort Monroe is an active US Army post and the original walls and moat system remain in tact. The Casemate Museum is dedicated to the history of the fort and the old system of US coastal and harbor defenses, and is open to all visitors. It's well worth investing several hours to see.

Thread: Re: Some questions after first game

Jaels — 2007-06-29T12:46:19+00:00

Eldard wrote:
Jaels wrote:
- If you lose the battle for Norfolk, the CSS Virginia is eliminated. Does this give +1 Confidence to McClellan for sinking the Virginia?

Yes. Normally, the CCS Virginia must be elminated in naval combat before the Federal (Union) units can land amphibiously at Norfolk, its home port. But in the event that Confederate units voluntarily vacate Norfolk, and the CSS Virginia does not deploy to interdict the Federal (Union) amphibious force, CSS Virginia would be destroyed upon the capture of Norfolk, and the Feds (Union) would be credited with sinking her.

My point was more about the distinction between "sinked" and "destroyed", as the two don't necessarily mean the same thing: the Union would gain a lot more confidence by sinking the Virginia in a battle than having it be scuttled by Confederate forces somewhere in the James River (which is what happened historically).

It is possible for the Union to land amphibiously in Norfolk without the Virginia being sunk previously, if it decides to retreat in the naval interception prior to destruction. This happened in our game: the Virginia suffered three hits in the first round of naval interception. As defeat was almost certain, I retreated the Virginia in the hope that the Norfolk defenders would prevail and I would be able to repair the ship in following turns. The Norfolk battle was lost, and therefore the Virginia was scuttled somewhere. Hence the original question.

Eldard wrote:
Jaels wrote:
- Are units in Norfolk in supply (i.e. eligible to receive replacements)? They are not in road/rail range of Richmond, White House and Yorktown.

Confederate units are implicitly in supply overland from Richmond. We know of this connection because Confederate units in Norfolk may voluntarily, or as retreat resulting from combat, move from Norfolk directly to Richmond (or to Longstreet's Corps HQs) even though the Confederates do not have an amphibious capability. They explicitly cannot move overland from Richmond or Longstreet's Corps HQs to Norfolk, though.

Historically, the Confederates in Norfolk would've probably drawn supply from the city itself, and from CSA resources at Petersburg to the west and/or North Carolina immediatlely to the south.

Federal (Union) units in Norfolk can be assumed to be supplied by sea (Norfolk being a major port), but the point is moot, because Federal (Union) units in Norfolk don't have to be in supply; once the Confederates have vacated Norfolk voluntarily or as result of retreat in combat, they can not return. Federal (Union) units may not move from Norfolk to Richmond.

I agree with the logic. I simply don't like assuming things in wargames.

Eldard wrote:
Jaels wrote:
- Does losing Fort Monroe have any effect on McClellan's Confidence or naval movement?

It's curious that such an event is not on the scoring table, but I think it can be presumed that the loss of Fort Monroe for the Federals (Union) would've been catastrophic; afterall, Fort Monroe never fell into Confederate hands throughout the four years of war. I would make a house rule that should the Confederates capture Fort Monroe and hold it for two consecutive turns, the Federal player automatically loses the game. In actuality, a Federal (Union) player who loses Fort Monroe is probably too weakened to either retake it or any other objectives anyway.

It would indeed have been catastrophic, if only because the Confederates would have been able to interdict the entrance of the James and York Rivers from the fort.

In the game, not having consequences to losing Fort Monroe let the Union player bypass Yorktown by landing in a James River port and then empty Fort Monroe, possibly splitting the Confederate Army in two. While such a move was a possibility in the real campaign (and indeed prompted the Confederate to abandon Yorktown instead of risking to be cut off from retreat), the Union would still have left a good garrison in Fort Monroe .

Thanks for the answers!

JL

Thread: Re: Some questions after first game

Eldard — 2007-06-28T18:21:05+00:00

Jaels wrote:
- If you lose the battle for Norfolk, the CSS Virginia is eliminated. Does this give +1 Confidence to McClellan for sinking the Virginia?

Yes. Normally, the CCS Virginia must be elminated in naval combat before the Federal (Union) units can land amphibiously at Norfolk, its home port. But in the event that Confederate units voluntarily vacate Norfolk, and the CSS Virginia does not deploy to interdict the Federal (Union) amphibious force, CSS Virginia would be destroyed upon the capture of Norfolk, and the Feds (Union) would be credited with sinking her.

Jaels wrote:
- Are units in Norfolk in supply (i.e. eligible to receive replacements)? They are not in road/rail range of Richmond, White House and Yorktown.

Confederate units are implicitly in supply overland from Richmond. We know of this connection because Confederate units in Norfolk may voluntarily, or as retreat resulting from combat, move from Norfolk directly to Richmond (or to Longstreet's Corps HQs) even though the Confederates do not have an amphibious capability. They explicitly cannot move overland from Richmond or Longstreet's Corps HQs to Norfolk, though.

Historically, the Confederates in Norfolk would've probably drawn supply from the city itself, and from CSA resources at Petersburg to the west and/or North Carolina immediatlely to the south.

Federal (Union) units in Norfolk can be assumed to be supplied by sea (Norfolk being a major port), but the point is moot, because Federal (Union) units in Norfolk don't have to be in supply; once the Confederates have vacated Norfolk voluntarily or as result of retreat in combat, they can not return. Federal (Union) units may not move from Norfolk to Richmond.

Jaels wrote:
- When you select a Corps Commander to move (with all his corps units in command range), do you have to reveal the Commander to prove it is the right unit, or do you simply leave it to trust?

- When you calculate supply, do you have to reveal where is the Supply Depot/Train, or do you simply leave it to trust?

This is up to the players, I think. We always reveal the units to show the move was legal.

Jaels wrote:
- Can the Supply Train move amphibiously? If so, how many command points will this require? Can it do such a move by itself, or must it be attached to a Corps?

That's an interesting question, that I think gets answered in two parts in the rules.

Under Rule 3.1 Movement, #8 Supply Trains states that Supply Trains may be activated and moved by any active corps to which it is attached and within the corps range." Later, in Rule 10.3 Movement, the cost for amphibiously moving a corps and any attached units is 2 CAP. So, it would seem that the answer to your question is yes, Supply Trains may be moved amphibiously, but only if it is attached to a corps.

Jaels wrote:
- Does losing Fort Monroe have any effect on McClellan's Confidence or naval movement?

It's curious that such an event is not on the scoring table, but I think it can be presumed that the loss of Fort Monroe for the Federals (Union) would've been catastrophic; afterall, Fort Monroe never fell into Confederate hands throughout the four years of war. I would make a house rule that should the Confederates capture Fort Monroe and hold it for two consecutive turns, the Federal player automatically loses the game. In actuality, a Federal (Union) player who loses Fort Monroe is probably too weakened to either retake it or any other objectives anyway.

Thread: Some questions after first game

Jaels — 2007-06-28T13:00:12+00:00

Finally got around to try Forged in Fire this week, and our first game raised some questions for which we couldn't find answers in the rules.

- When you select a Corps Commander to move (with all his corps units in command range), do you have to reveal the Commander to prove it is the right unit, or do you simply leave it to trust?

- When you calculate supply, do you have to reveal where is the Supply Depot/Train, or do you simply leave it to trust?

- If you lose the battle for Norfolk, the CSS Virginia is eliminated. Does this give +1 Confidence to McClellan for sinking the Virginia?

- Are units in Norfolk in supply (i.e. eligible to receive replacements)? They are not in road/rail range of Richmond, White House and Yorktown.

- In a battle, are Corps Commander allowed to move between sectors without conducting a flanking maneuver? When does this happens, at the same time as the infantry?

- Can the Supply Train move amphibiously? If so, how many command points will this require? Can it do such a move by itself, or must it be attached to a Corps?

- Does losing Fort Monroe have any effect on McClellan's Confidence or naval movement?

Thanks,

JL

Thread: Re: Win a copy of Forged in Fire from Worthington Games....

kingcujoI — 2007-05-02T23:39:19+00:00

Forgot to put this here but the winner was first announced via geeklist here....

http://www.boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/21204

Congrats to Aaron Bell for his winning entry. He receives a free copy of Forged in Fire.

We had a lot of entries, and all were great. Thank you to everyone that participated. We will be doing a contest a month for the foreseeable future. So stay tuned.

Thanks,

Matt

Thread: Re: Win a copy of Forged in Fire from Worthington Games....

kingcujoI — 2007-04-17T17:38:24+00:00

Contest ends tonight at 11:59 PM. So far we have had some great responses but you still have time!

Thread: Win a copy of Forged in Fire from Worthington Games....

kingcujoI — 2007-04-03T14:34:49+00:00

Hey Folks,

We are hosting a contest via our blog where readers have a chance to win a copy of Forged in Fire, in addition to getting their contest entries published....details below..

FORGED IN FIRE CONTEST:

The Civil War was all about the leaders. The bright (and sometimes not so bright) personalities that determined the fate of a divided nation with their wits and wills. Who is your favorite leader unit/character/piece in boardgaming? Is it Stonewall Jackson from "Stonewall Jackson's Way"? Is it Rommel from one of the many North Africa Games? Could it be Joan of Arc? Who is your favorite and why? Tell me in ONE PARAGRAPH. The answer can be related to the history of the person or the way the unit/piece/character works in the game. I will be very lenient on the interpretation of the term "leader" as long as you really tell me why he/she/or it is your favorite. Entries from all types of board/tabletop/text/miniature/ladies badminton gaming are welcome.

Do this by no 11:59 pm on April 17th and send it to one of two places!
1. If you read my blog via post on boardgamegeek you can send it to my geekmail. (kingcujoI) But please note that this contest is NOT presented by BoardGameGeek.com and is privately hosted by this blog and Worthington Games.
2. The Worthington Games email at wg@worthingtongames.com

Please put FORGED CONTEST in the subject header and your paragraph in the body of the email. No attachments.

The winner will be chosen by the Worthington Games team and will be announced April 24th. We will also publish the best entries on the blog and create a geeklist via the leaders/games mentioned.

I have often noticed that boardgamers are an amazingly intelligent demographic. I am sure these answers will be exciting.

Thanks!

-Matt

Thread: Re: Questions from our first game

kingcujoI — 2007-03-16T01:50:57+00:00

Stuart,

Sorry for the delay we wanted to go over this a bit before we put out the answers.

1. No. Units from one unfought battle cannot reinforce a battle being fought. In theory you could pin one unit with 12. But to be honest with the way movement in the game works in general you aren't going to be doing this too often, besides even if you hold off a large force for one turn the pinned attacker would have a chance to respond next turn.

Philosophically you want to keep your corps as tight as possible and deal as much damage as possible when in combat.

2. No the attacker cannot then do a voluntary retreat if the defender decides to retreat. The remaining player however does get to finish out the rallying and reinforcing phases of their turn if they so wish.

4. Defender places reinforcements first. They are placed standing up (fog of war) and then placed face up at the beginning of the next combat round.

5. Units are placed after each successful roll. Logistics and generals (Jackson) failing to show up at the proper time played a huge part in campaign.

Great questions. We think these keep the spirit of the rules and our intentions for the game intact. Thanks Stuart!

Thread: Questions from our first game

Navoril — 2007-03-09T17:34:31+00:00

As the Union I had invaded West Point on the York River and was attempting to maneuver/fight my way out. CSA forces were split in two equal forces, one at Talley and one at New Kent CH (two adjacent points).
These questions came up as we tried work our way through the sequence of play.

Question #1 Can blocks from one unfought battle reinforce a battle being fought? The rules don't say you can't. Is there some sort of "pinning" feature that we didn't find in the rules? i.e. if the answer to the above is "Yes" could you then send all the units of an unfought battle to the current battle, thus meaning there wouldn't be a 2nd battle? If the answer to the first part is "No", then does one block attacking 12 mean that no blocks from the 12 could reinforce an adjacent battle?

Question #2 If the Defender does a voluntary retreat, can the attacker also do a voluntary retreat?

Question #3 If the answer to #2 is yes, can you retreat some, but not all of your units? Does this affect the McClellan confidence?

Question #4 Who places reinforcements on the battle board first? Are they placed face up immediately?

Question #5 As units are brought into the battle are they placed after each successful roll, or can you wait to see who all shows up before deciding who goes where?

Thanks,
Stuart

Thread: First Game

Navoril — 2007-03-09T15:39:09+00:00

Sat down last night with my good gaming buddy Bill to play our first game of Forged in Fire. Had bought the game at Prezcon from the very helpful Worthington folks. Both Bill and I are experienced block gamers and enjoy the Civil War very much. In the 20+ years of gaming against each other, Bill and I have developed a system that works for us. I buy the game, he stickers the blocks (or clips the corners), reads the rules, and then teaches me how to play. Works for both of us.

Stuart as the Union, Bill as CSA.

Turn One: CSA moves out of Norfolk, moves out of Richmond. Two Union Corps (with the independents) march along the southern road, one Corps marches north towards Yorktown (but does not engage).

Turn Two: CSA continues to move Richmond garrison towards Ft. Magruder. Two Union Corps attack the Fort. Battle at Ft. Magruder: Union Artillery (I loved my artillery all game long) pounds confederates, CSA reinforces from Yorktown, Union artillery takes toll on confederates, Bill tried to hold on to get all the blocks out of Yorktown, but a lone Confederate artillery refuses to move, Bill finally pulls out leaving the Confederate artillery sitting by itself in Yorktown.

Turn Three: Confederates keep moving down the neck. US detaches one of the Corps from Fort Magruder to go and clean up Yorktown (mistake!); with only one block the Confederate artillery fires once and dies with nowhere to retreat. I attempt to drop a Corps on Norfolk. CSS Virginia intercepts and only takes one point of damage, invasion fails.

Turn Four: Confederates arrive in overwhelming force back at Fort Magruder with one corps pulled to take Yorktown, I quickly withdraw. Dog gone it, I had paid blood for the Fort, should have engaged Yorktown with the other Corps!. Union attempts second invasion of Norfolk, this time I roll 4 hits during round two, sinking the Virginia.

Turn Five: CSA detaches one Corps to march back up the neck. Union amphibiously invades West Point.

Turn Six: First turn weather isn't clear (mud). CSA detaches another Corps to react to invasion. Union marches to White House and drops another corps on West Point.

Turns Seven-ten: CSA continues to pull out from Fort Magruder, Union drops more Corps on West Point including supply depot and siege guns.

Turn Eleven: Big battle at Talley as the Union jumps on still battered CSA units from Ft. Magruder.

Turn Twelve: CSA counterattacks jumping on lone Union Corps. Union maneuvers to get back in supply.

Last Turn. CSA attempts to jump on 1/2 of Union army, but cavalry screen stops movement. USA fires off two siege guns at exposed CSA army (7 hits!), and moves in for huge battle. Both sides desperately reinforce, fight, reinforce and fight some more. Confederates finally withdraw looking to stand behind the Chickahominy.

Conclusion. A fun game with different mechanics from most block games. Left it set up and will play again next week. Had a couple of questions which I will post shortly. Was definitely worth the money to buy the game. Really enjoyed the reinforcement aspects. I think it does an excellent job of showing how hard it was for the Union to move amphibiously. I totally had him flanked, but by the time I got my supply and strength in place, I was once again facing the entire CSA army. Maybe McClellan wasn't such a ineffective leader after all...hmmm...maybe need to rethink that! It was interesting that in our game it seemed that every time you attacked you exposed yourself to a counterattack. Confidence was a ping pong ball going up and down constantly!
I did feel that the game needed either an index or a Table of Contents (Bill disgreed, thought the rules short enough not to need them, but remember I don't read rules) And a few things seemed unclear to us, but that's why I'm about to post some questions! These comments didn't detract from our overall enjoyment of the game.

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BobRoberts — 2007-02-21T20:57:53+00:00

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BobRoberts — 2007-02-21T20:56:49+00:00

A close up of the game components

Thread: Questions and Answers

cartking24 — 2006-06-25T18:18:51+00:00

1. What happens to Corps Commanders alone in location when enemy infantry/artillery enter? Do they simply retreat one location?

Answer: Yes, they may retreat one connected location, this could place them out of command control of some of their units. They may have to retreat any number of times based on enemy movement.

2. Can cavalry use rail movement? If so, is it the standard ½ movement point per location moved by rail?

Answer: Yes

3. When determining supply, does the rail bonus only apply when tracing to the supply depot? Do the two additional locations granted due to rail bonus need to be the at one end or the other of the supply line or anywhere along the six locations?

Answer: Anywhere along the location. Just as in rail movement.It may move on, then off, and then on again.

4. Can a unit that uses rail movement for part of its movement still enter a battle if its last location moved is done by road?

Answer: No, you could only use the rail as a road (no bonus) during a turn you plan to enter into combat. If at any point during movement you use a rail bonus then you may not enter into combat.

5. When reducing the number of dice rolled in battle due to terrain, can the number of dice rolled be reduced to zero? For example, a two strength unit attacking a fortress.

Answer: Yes, we did it that way on purpose. Attacking entrenchments were hard enough (Cold Harbor, Petersburg) but attacking fortifications was very tough. You would need your higher morale units to conduct an assault.

6. Once cavalry has scouted a location and then returns to its original location, can it then accompany other infantry/artillery units in attacking that location?

Answer: Yes, but again they would not be involved in the actual battle. You could place them to the side. The advancing into the combat would only be allowed if they have sufficienct movement remaining to move.

7. When placing reinforcements, does the act of placing them always count as a movement pointed expended? For example, placing Union I Corps at Hanover C.H. or Holmes division being placed in Richmond or in the same location as Smith’s Corps. The rules only explicitly state that Jackson’s Corps is required to expend a movement point.

Answer: Yes

8. Does bringing on Confederate reinforcements require CAP expenditure?

Answer: Yes, and remember, they may move their full movement allowance on turns they enter barring a special scenario rule preventing movement.

9. When you have cavalry units positioned to screen enemy units and your roll is successful, where is the enemy unit stopped? Are they blocked before they enter the cavalry unit's space? Or do they enter that space but cannot move past it? The rules state that the space is blocked, but that enemy units can move into it -- which seems contradictory. Is their movement for the turn ended, or can they continue moving in another direction?

Answer: The enemy unit stops in the location that the cavalry unit currently occupies. The may not move past that space. Their movement for the turn is ended.

10. What happens if all the units with a corps commander are defeated in battle? Are they removed, as well? Do they retreat? Since they don't have a Strength value like other units, are they brought back in as reinforcements/replacements or are they permanently eliminated? If they do reappear - what are the restrictions? Only at a supply center, or with another corps commander?

Answer: If all of a commanders units are eliminated then if other units are still in the location, they may move with those units. During replacements, if the corps commander is in supply then he may start rebuilding his corps. If they were alone in a location and their units are all eliminated they may be placed in the nearest supply center and start rebuilding their corps from there during replacement phase if they so desire.

11. When tracking SP inflicted in battle for Confidence purposes, do you reduce the SP damage inflicted based on rally checks made by corps commanders? If over the course of a battle, the enemy inflicted a total of 12 SP in hits, but you rallied 4 SP in recovery, is the actual damage done 12 SP or 8 SP?

Answer: It would be the 8 SP.

12. When do you determine units being in range/adjacent to their corps commander when checking to see if they are eligible to support/reinforce a battle? Could the corps commander move in to reinforce, thereby allowing all units adjacent to the battle position (and now his new position) to then be eligible to enter?

Answer: Yes, it reflects more a several day battle than just one day of battle in this case. The corps commander could reinforce which would put him within command range of his other units.

13. Can a corps commander only "support" a single infantry unit to gain the flanking fire bonus? If additional infantry move to the flank, and the corps commander had already succeeded with his first leader check, would he need to make a new check for each additional infantry joining him?

Answer: The rules states ONE infantry unit accompanied by a leader may make the flank attempt. Other units could move out there but they would not be able to conduct the flank attempt which lets them move and fire in the same phase as well as fire on the enemy flank.

14. The CSS Virginia recovers 1 replacement step free per turn, regardless of other factors, but can the Confederate player choose to spend a portion of his 2 additional replacement steps on the CSS Virginia?

Answer: No

15. In the Campaign Scenario, the Confederacy Setup rules indicate that in Richmond, the player gets Smith's Corps minus Holmes. When does Holmes enter play. Can he be purchased with replacement steps as a standard unit currently not in the game?

Answer: Holmes enters play when Lee arrives. Holmes enters with Smith's corps or in Richmond.

16. When is confidence adjusted? For confidence gained/lost during battle, does it take place as soon as the condition occurs, or after the entire battle is resolved? Are individual bonuses assigned separately, or only the "net gain" of confidence from a conflict.

For example, if the Union forced the Confederate player to retreat in a battle in which both sides suffered 10 SP in damage, does the Union first gain all its bonuses, then subtract the penalties or just apply the net?

This seems important as some events and Victory Conditions say "at any time" with regard to the Confidence Track position, while others specifically state at the end of the round.

Answer: It would be the net from a battle.

17. One more that I had- when a cav unit scouts an enemy force, it then returns to the location it moved there from and may continue with any unexpended movement points. Does this return movement from the enemy force to the location it got there from use up a point of movement?

Answer: No, the movement back from whence it came does not count against its MP.

Thanks,
Grant Wylie
Mike Wylie
Matt Burchfield

Worthington Games

Thread: Re: Questions from our first sessions...

cartking24 — 2006-06-25T18:11:43+00:00

Cavalry Screening

When you have cavalry units positioned to screen enemy units and your roll is successful, where is the enemy unit stopped? Are they blocked before they enter the cavalry unit's space? Or do they enter that space but cannot move past it? The rules state that the space is blocked, but that enemy units can move into it -- which seems contradictory. Is their movement for the turn ended, or can they continue moving in another direction?

The enemy unit stops in the location that the cavalry unit currently occupies. The may not move past that space. Their movement for the turn is ended.

Corps Commanders in Battle

What happens if all the units with a corps commander are defeated in battle? Are they removed, as well? Do they retreat? Since they don't have a Strength value like other units, are they brought back in as reinforcements/replacements or are they permanently eliminated? If they do reappear - what are the restrictions? Only at a supply center, or with another corps commander?

If all of a commanders units are eliminated then if other units are still in the location, they may move with those units. During replacements, if the corps commander is in supply then he may start rebuilding his corps. If they were alone in a location and their units are all eliminated they may be placed in the nearest supply center and start rebuilding their corps from there during replacement phase if they so desire.

Confidence from SP In Battle

When tracking SP inflicted in battle for Confidence purposes, do you reduce the SP damage inflicted based on rally checks made by corps commanders? If over the course of a battle, the enemy inflicted a total of 12 SP in hits, but you rallied 4 SP in recovery, is the actual damage done 12 SP or 8 SP?

It would be the 8 SP.

Reinforcements

When do you determine units being in range/adjacent to their corps commander when checking to see if they are eligible to support/reinforce a battle? Could the corps commander move in to reinforce, thereby allowing all units adjacent to the battle position (and now his new position) to then be eligible to enter?

Yes, it reflects more a several day battle than just one day of battle in this case. The corps commander could reinforce which would put him within command range of his other units.

Flank Clarification

Can a corps commander only "support" a single infantry unit to gain the flanking fire bonus? If additional infantry move to the flank, and the corps commander had already succeeded with his first leader check, would he need to make a new check for each additional infantry joining him?

The rules states ONE infantry unit accompanied by a leader may make the flank attempt. Other units could move out there but they would not be able to conduct the flank attempt which lets them move and fire in the same phase as well as fire on the enemy flank.

Replacements

The CSS Virginia recovers 1 replacement step free per turn, regardless of other factors, but can the Confederate player choose to spend a portion of his 2 additional replacement steps on the CSS Virginia?

No

Campaign Clarification

In the Campaign Scenario, the Confederacy Setup rules indicate that in Richmond, the player gets Smith's Corps minus Holmes. When does Holmes enter play. Can he be purchased with replacement steps as a standard unit currently not in the game?

:Holmes enters play when Lee arrives. Holmes enters with Smith's corps or in Richmond.

Adjusting Confidence

When is confidence adjusted? For confidence gained/lost during battle, does it take place as soon as the condition occurs, or after the entire battle is resolved? Are individual bonuses assigned separately, or only the "net gain" of confidence from a conflict.

For example, if the Union forced the Confederate player to retreat in a battle in which both sides suffered 10 SP in damage, does the Union first gain all its bonuses, then subtract the penalties or just apply the net?

This seems important as some events and Victory Conditions say "at any time" with regard to the Confidence Track position, while others specifically state at the end of the round.

It would be the net from a battle.

Thanks for the questions,

Grant Wylie

Worthinton Games

Thread: Re: Questions from our first sessions...

cartking24 — 2006-06-25T17:53:53+00:00

No, the movement back from whence it came does not count against its MP.

Thread: More rules questions

krompot — 2006-06-21T14:16:57+00:00

1. What happens to Corps Commanders alone in location when enemy infantry/artillery enter? Do they simply retreat one location?

2. Can cavalry use rail movement? If so, is it the standard ½ movement point per location moved by rail?

3. When determining supply, does the rail bonus only apply when tracing to the supply depot? Do the two additional locations granted due to rail bonus have to be the at one end or the other of the supply line or anywhere along the six locations?

4. Can a unit that uses rail movement for part of its movement still enter a battle if its last location moved is done by road?

5. When reducing the number of dice rolled in battle due to terrain, can the number of dice rolled be reduced to zero? For example, a two strength unit attacking a fortress.

6. Once cavalry has scouted a location and then returns to its original location, can it then accompany other infantry/artillery units in attacking that location?

7. When placing reinforcements, does the act of placing them always count as a movement pointed expended? For example, placing Union I Corps at Hanover C.H. or Holmes division being placed in Richmond or in the same location as Smith’s Corps. The rules only explicitly state that Jackson’s Corps is required to expend a movement point.

8. Does bringing on Confederate reinforcements require CAP expenditure?

Thread: Re: Questions from our first sessions...

krompot — 2006-06-20T19:58:10+00:00

I am pretty sure that the CSS Virginia can only receive the one free replacement step a turn and not any additional replacement steps. The replacement rules state that the two points can be spent on infantry, cavalry, or artillery.

Replacements

The CSS Virginia recovers 1 replacement step free per turn, regardless of other factors, but can the Confederate player choose to spend a portion of his 2 additional replacement steps on the CSS Virginia?

Thread: Re: Questions from our first sessions...

prizziap — 2006-06-08T20:47:08+00:00

One more that I had- when a cav unit scouts an enemy force, it then returns to the location it moved there from and may continue with any unexpended movement points. Does this return movement from the enemy force to the location it got there from use up a point of movement?

Thread: Questions from our first sessions...

ynnen — 2006-06-08T19:04:32+00:00

Here are some gameplay questions that came up during our first few plays of Forged in Fire which were not adequately addressed in the rules, or at least we couldn't track the answers down.

Cavalry Screening

When you have cavalry units positioned to screen enemy units and your roll is successful, where is the enemy unit stopped? Are they blocked before they enter the cavalry unit's space? Or do they enter that space but cannot move past it? The rules state that the space is blocked, but that enemy units can move into it -- which seems contradictory. Is their movement for the turn ended, or can they continue moving in another direction?

Corps Commanders in Battle

What happens if all the units with a corps commander are defeated in battle? Are they removed, as well? Do they retreat? Since they don't have a Strength value like other units, are they brought back in as reinforcements/replacements or are they permanently eliminated? If they do reappear - what are the restrictions? Only at a supply center, or with another corps commander?

Confidence from SP In Battle

When tracking SP inflicted in battle for Confidence purposes, do you reduce the SP damage inflicted based on rally checks made by corps commanders? If over the course of a battle, the enemy inflicted a total of 12 SP in hits, but you rallied 4 SP in recovery, is the actual damage done 12 SP or 8 SP?

Reinforcements

When do you determine units being in range/adjacent to their corps commander when checking to see if they are eligible to support/reinforce a battle? Could the corps commander move in to reinforce, thereby allowing all units adjacent to the battle position (and now his new position) to then be eligible to enter?

Flank Clarification

Can a corps commander only "support" a single infantry unit to gain the flanking fire bonus? If additional infantry move to the flank, and the corps commander had already succeeded with his first leader check, would he need to make a new check for each additional infantry joining him?

Replacements

The CSS Virginia recovers 1 replacement step free per turn, regardless of other factors, but can the Confederate player choose to spend a portion of his 2 additional replacement steps on the CSS Virginia?

Campaign Clarification

In the Campaign Scenario, the Confederacy Setup rules indicate that in Richmond, the player gets Smith's Corps minus Holmes. When does Holmes enter play. Can he be purchased with replacement steps as a standard unit currently not in the game?

Adjusting Confidence

When is confidence adjusted? For confidence gained/lost during battle, does it take place as soon as the condition occurs, or after the entire battle is resolved? Are individual bonuses assigned separately, or only the "net gain" of confidence from a conflict.

For example, if the Union forced the Confederate player to retreat in a battle in which both sides suffered 10 SP in damage, does the Union first gain all its bonuses, then subtract the penalties or just apply the net?

This seems important as some events and Victory Conditions say "at any time" with regard to the Confidence Track position, while others specifically state at the end of the round.

Thread: Re: A Blaze of Idiocy, Followed by a Blaze of Glory

ynnen — 2006-06-08T18:12:01+00:00

That's one of those fuzzy questions the rules do not adequately address. I've compiled a list of questions we had from our game and will be posting them soon. Hopefully a source from Worthington Games will be able to answer them, as the FiF threads over on ConsimWorld are fairly spartan.

Thread: Re: A Blaze of Idiocy, Followed by a Blaze of Glory

prizziap — 2006-06-08T16:50:39+00:00

Another question I had after reading the rules- is it possible to destroy or capture Corps Commanders? If so, how? If not, what happens to a Corps Commander in battle if all the forces on his side are wiped out? Does he just retreat?

Thread: Re: A Blaze of Idiocy, Followed by a Blaze of Glory

ynnen — 2006-06-08T12:57:42+00:00

prizziap wrote:
Just read the rules last night. Was this the campaign game you played or one of the scenarios?

We ended up playing the full-blown campaign game. Had I (as the Confederacy) not made a few overly-aggressive early moves, or had luck been a bit more balanced, I think the Confederacy could have played a much more successful conservative game of "rolling retreats" as it slowly backed up toward Richmond, if Yorktown falls. That would have made for a closer game, and probably added 30-45 more minutes to the play time.

It actually seemd a bit easier to setup and understand the campaign (in terms of the special rules and conditions, such as when Lee could enter, etc) than some of the individual scenarios. Although I'd like to try McClellan's Gamble or Seven Pines next (one of the other scenarios included).

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ScottH — 2006-03-09T21:40:23+00:00

What comes in the box.

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Ogma — 2006-01-27T21:46:32+00:00

Game Map

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Ogma — 2006-01-27T21:46:30+00:00

Box Art

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Ogma — 2006-01-27T21:46:25+00:00

Game Piece Labels

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kingcujoI — 2006-01-13T07:42:45+00:00

Playtest Pictures