Wednesday, October 27, 2021

The Last Die Roll at Brawner's Farm

After watching Jennifer and Ivan tangle at Brawner's Farm (see Battle for Brawner's Farm) and then losing to Peter in a match-up (see Brawner's Farm - An Australian Rebel), I thought I spotted opportunities for the Federals to take on the more numerous Confederates. Luckily for me, Ivan was willing to give remote gaming and Brawner's Farm a second try.  At first I suggested I play the Federals while Ivan command the Rebels.  Since Ivan commanded the Rebels in his first game, we thought it more interesting for Ivan to take command of elements of King's Federal Division.  So that is what we did.  I took on the role of Jackson and Ewell while Ivan took command of the brigades of Doubleday and Gibbon.  I was confident that Ivan would be plotting a cunning plan for the Federals and I was not disappointed.  As before, the Federal troops are strung out along the Warrenton Turnpike when their quiet march to Groveton is interrupted by Rebel artillery fire.  At the beginning of action, counter battery fire from Stony Ridge upon Dogan's House drives off two Federal gun sections.  This is an ominous start to battle.
Initial dispositions

Let's see how the battle unfolded.

Doubleday wheels left off the turnpike as an artillery battery
 passes through his brigade.
Federal troops scurry quickly up to the fence as a battery
 follows up on the Federal left.
Jackson and two Rebel regiments approach Brawner's Farm
from the railroad cut.
Federals stake out their ground without wasting any time.
Rebel batteries begin hurrying onto the field.
Doubleday forms up below Brawner's Farm
as Jackson garrisons the crucial real estate.
Positioned behind the fence, the Federals await
the expected attacks.
Baylor and elements of his brigade cross the rail cut
 and come up to support Jackson.
Rebel batteries deploy upon the heights.
Doubleday shifts to the right.
Federal guns bring Brawner's Farm under increasingly
 intense fire as Taliaferro and Lawton arrive
 to bolster the Rebel attackers.
View from the Federal left.
Lawton arrives through the copse of trees.
The Rebel's Brawner Farm garrison grows.
Federal artillery is beginning to take a toll
 on the farm defenders.
Ewell arrives from Stony ridge in the north on the
Federal right while Taliaferro makes progress against
 Union artillery on the left.
Pressure is too much for Federal artillery
and they limber up and fall back.
Battlefield overview
Rebels catch a Federal section before it can escape.
View from Stony ridge and behind Rebels lines.
Protecting the Federal left, Union batteries give their attackers
 a taste of canister as the Rebel assault approaches.
The left end of Doubleday's line is flanked.
Rebels attack the Federal lines as Trimble attempts to turn
the Federal right and threaten the guns at Dogan's House
 (seen in the background).
By 8:00pm with darkness falling, the Federal right is being
pushed back toward the turnpike.
Brawner's Farm is firmly in Rebel hands.
If Rebels take Dogan's House, they claim victory on this day.
  Only a single section of Federal guns stands in their way. 
On the last turn with one combat to resolve, Rebels attack!  
Unfortunately for the Confederates, Federal guns repulse the
 attacking Rebels and Dogan's House remains in Federal hands.
Battle Over!  With the two objectives split, the battle is judged a draw.  Whew!

On the last turn, on the last roll of the dice, Ivan and his Federals snatched a draw from the jaws of defeat.  Having held Brawner's Farm and beginning to drive the Federals back, I figured storming Dogan's House on that last turn could bring victory.  Alas, it was not to be.  Those stubborn Federal gunners held and saved the day for the Union.

Literally, this was the last die roll at Brawner’s Farm as the table will be cleared to make way for new battles.  This was a fun and challenging contest.  Early on, I feared Federal artillery and Doubleday would turn the Rebel right while Gibbon held firm.  Ivan nearly pulled this maneuver off but the evening-long firefights weakened both combatants.  Rarely were the long range firefights decisive so as darkness closed in, Rebels attacked across the open fields.  Their brashness paid off as two of Gibbon's regiments were driven back revealing a path to Dogan's House.  All suffered heavy casualties in these attacks.  Two of Gibbon’s Federal regiments were barely clinging on at 25% effective.

Unfortunately, the late arriving troops of Ewell and Trimble had only enough time to quick march from Stony Ridge to Dogan's House and launch one hasty assault.  Federal gunners kept their cool as the Rebels attacked uphill and narrowly repulsed their assailants.

Game over but by the slimmest of margins!

Thanks to Ivan for an entertaining session.  By my recollection, the game lasted a little under three hours.  The time flew by quickly.  Having umpired and played a handful of Fields of Honor games now, proper tactics are beginning to formulate in my mind.  A summary of these tactics, tips, and thoughts can wait for another day. 

Next up for Fields of Honor?  A return to the AWI in a week or two's time.

On the gaming table next? Thursday sees a return to Egyptians vs Hittites in continued playtesting of Rein-Bow Warriors.  Saturday sees a local away game where Fields of Glory takes to the field for an ancients match-up.

53 comments:

  1. A fascinating game and a close run thing to just miss out on taking Dogan's house.

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    1. Having recently played this scenario, you had plenty of context and experience to help in bringing the narrative into focus. Good to see that you enjoyed this account of the battle.

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  2. Excellent battle report and a close run thing

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    1. Much appreciated, Neil! Yes, the Rebels almost got there!

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  3. Well fought, hard fought, once again a great looking game.
    I must say it, your remote reports, with the well thought captions under the clear photos are great opportunities for revisits to study the tactics used.

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    1. I appreciate your feedback on the usefulness of the battle report technique in conveying the action. Very helpful and encouraging!

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  4. It's been interesting seeing the different games play out, but I'll confess, I'm keen to see the return of chariots ;)

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    1. Well, you do not have long to wait for chariots. Those will be out on the the table in Thursday's action.

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  5. Great game Jonathan, I thought the Rebs had you after catching your artillery, but never say never!

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    1. Thanks, Ray! Those were MY Rebels catching IVAN's Federal artillery!

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  6. Great game Jonathan and thank you again for hosting. Your photos do a great job of showing how huge the Rebel horde beckons compared to the tiny Federal line! As for cunning plans, I just wanted to hug that fenceline, shoot anything grey, and run out the clock. The gunners from that last section at Dogan's are currently on their way to Washington to collect their new-fangled Medal of Honors. Thanks again!

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    1. You are welcome! That was a fun game and a hotly contested scrap. Yes, your gunners at Dogan's house desire their well-earned medals. Planning for another game (but NOT Brawner's Farm!).

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  7. Always interesting to refight unusual battles like this one where a green but well trained high morale brigade backed by a veteran battery and led by superior and experienced commander perform well above expectations against and hold an attack by a larger force of high morale veterans with a record of victory after victory.

    Interesting series of games.

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    1. For me, there is great interest in refighting historical battles. If staged properly, these refights allow me to gain a bit of insight into the conditions facing the combatants.

      Good to see you enjoyed this trio of Brawner's Farm battles. What is next, I wonder?

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  8. Down to the last die roll--and ending in a draw. Sounds to me like a good outing and a good result. The Iron Brigade and Day One of Gettysburg is one of those "evergreen" scenarios that never gets old.

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    1. Indeed! This was a fun action to refight. As a benefit I may have hooked another player into continued remote gaming???

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  9. Another very entertaining AAR Jon and good to see such a closely contested game. It's always nice when the result is still up for grabs in the final Turn.

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    1. Glad you continue enjoying these battle reports, Steve. They are not coming out too fast?

      With historical recreations, one never knows with certainty if the historical result was the most likely result. Sometimes it is. Sometimes, it is not. You roll the dice and take your chances. This time, the result was historically plausible, for sure.

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  10. Nicely done. You definitely got your moneys worth with the scenario with the multiple plays. Any amendments you would make to the scenario?

    You’re also becoming a remote gaming all star. 😀

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    1. Thank you! It take time and effort to develop a scenario. Being an economist, it makes sense to squeeze out as much value as reasonable from these inputs. Amendments? I may allow the appearance or either Patrick or Hatch's brigades for the Federal.

      Playing a lot of remote games does not make me an all-star but thanks for the vote of confidence! I have learned a lot over the last year.

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    2. He is an all star! It’s interesting playing remote; some things ( like where your line is) are obvious. Some things (like the current status of your units) are not. As it stands, this is a nice scenario; it isn’t ‘balanced’ , but both sides have their own issues. Tony mind, Federal reinforcement, from either end of the turnpike, would spoil it a bit.

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    3. Ivan, you are much too kind! Good to have your endorsement of scenario as it stands. I think it more interesting this way with the onus really on Gibbon and Doubleday to recover from surprise and buy time for the army to consolidate.

      Oh, and if the status markers on table are not clear, you can always ask for clarification.

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  11. That was a close one Jonathan and the Rebels very nearly had it. I always find close contests like this the most satisfying.

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    1. This was a very satisfying game especially since it hung in the balance until the end. Ivan makes an excellent opponent especially since he is interested in refighting historical battles.

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  12. I think Ivan played this very cleverly. Hunkering down at the fence line and using his guns to protect his flanks was a great stalling effort and certainly paid off.

    Great to see three distinctly different outcomes for this scenario Jon. Very nicely done on such successful hostings!

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    1. I said Ivan was a cunning player. He settled in to play a long game and not destroy his force in the process. Very clever, indeed.

      Glad you enjoyed this Brawner's Farm trilogy of games, Dai! Thank you!

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  13. Inspirational gaming again, Jonathan! Love the terrain and troop movements - and ending in a draw is indicative of good rules and a balanced scenario.

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    1. Dean, you are most kind! I appreciate your support and encouragement. Thanks!

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  14. Nice clear pictures Jonathan. Is this the same set of rules that you use for the AWI?

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    1. Thanks! Yes, same "base" set of rules with a few modifications. No major changes, though. If you have played one, you can easily play the other. I switch back to an AWI battle next time I host remotely.

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  15. A fine trio of games most enjoyable watching them unfold.

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  16. Plenty of milage in this scenario, looking at the three games, it has been the role / effectiveness of Union artillery that seems to have particularly influenced outcome.

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    1. Plenty of mileage, for sure, but repeated trials are something I enjoy. Each game development was a little different. Overall, the approaches and strategies were quite similar. In this last game, counter battery fire seemed generally more effective than in the two prior battles. Using a D10 system, one can expect more variable results. When the Federal guns at Dogan’s lost two sections early on, we both thought that might spell disaster for the boys in blue.

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  17. Another entertaining game down on the farm,likes Norm it seemed to me that the Federal artillery was much more effective in this game and contributed considerably to the improved result,looked good too!
    Best Iain

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    1. Glad you enjoyed the battle report! Federal artillery was much more active in this battle. I am not sure they were any more effective causing damage but the Rebels were dancing to their tune.

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  18. Another fine tussle at Brawner’s! Artillery definitely played a more prominent part in this game and also managed to save the day for the Union.

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    1. Yes, another good tussle at Brawner's Farm. The Rebels came, oh so close, to taking both objectives. The Federal artillery at Dogan's saved the day for the Union.

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  19. Another entertaining game Jon. Whilst I understand Ivan's logic in wanting to command the other side in Game Three, it would have been nice to see if your cunning plans could have brought a Union victory - you may need to give this scenario another run out in the future?

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    1. Thanks! You are right. It would be fun to try my hand at commanding the Federals. Perhaps I will return to Brawner's Farm another day?

      Next series of remote battles will be recreating Brandywine.

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    2. Oh cool - that is one of my favourite AWI battles - maybe because the British did better than they usually managed in that war?!

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    3. Hopefully, the game(s) will not disappoint.

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  20. Dang. The Yankees just can't get a break, can they? Well tried, at least!

    Are you looking for players for the AWI game?

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    1. Hi Jennifer. The Yankees got a good break when the section of artillery repulsed the Rebels on the last turn. They turned what looked like a defeat into a draw.

      On the AWI game, I have four players committed to the first game but will keep you in mind if I run the battle more than once or have a cancellation. I have yet to refine the OB. If it looks like a fifth player can be easily integrated without diluting commands, I will send you an email.

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    2. Thanks! I'd be happy to join a replay.

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  21. A very entertaining account of the battle Jon well played to all 👍

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  22. What a beauty Jonathan!
    I am with you. Playing the same game more than once can be really interesting as well as edifying, especially if you change sides and/or have different players.
    Regards, James

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    1. Thanks! Those who insist on never replaying a scenario, I think, are really missing out. Glad to have your support!

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  23. Awesome! may give it a go playing this scenario/game with you early December? :o) I will call/text u soon cheers!

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    1. Thanks! This one has been cleared off and a new battle set. I am sure something will be out on table when you visit.

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