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Subject: Fort Worth Gamers: gaming session 11/25/17
From: Michael Ward <mward258@gmail.com>
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Saturday, 11/25/17 2 to 6:10 PM at Y2Komics, in southwest Fort Worth, TX.

This was another of our irregularly scheduled weekend sessions. We had two gamers at one table this afternoon.

Today's game was my Battle Cry.

Scenario #4 Shiloh (April 6, 1862)
Game #1 - Michael L commanded the Confederates, while I ran the Union side. This is the only BC scenario that has a terrain objective (besides the usual points for destroying enemy units). Confederate units who make it to the Union base line are worth one VP each, while they stay there. The center of the battlefield contains a great many woods hexes.

I told Michael L he must have eaten his Wheaties today, for the card deck and dice initially *loved* him today. The effects of which began with his first card play (Sharpshooter, with only a 1/6 chance of killing one of my generals, but did). On his second turn he used an infantry unit to take a potshot at one of my infantry units on my back row at a range of 4 hexes, threw one die, and rolled a retreat flag (1/6 chance) and retreated it off the board for an second
VP. On his third turn one of his infantry units fired two dice against one of my artillery units in woods, and rolled two artillery symbols, destroying the whole unit. His attacks in three turns yielded 3 of the 6 VVs he needed to win.
While I hadn't wounded any of his units yet, much less eliminated one. Zounds!!! As to my efforts, I was yin to his yang. He drew great cards while I drew lousy one. His dice were on fire while mine were cold. Eventually his amazing luck fell from amazing to good. While mine grew from abysmal to merely tepid. Late in the game I surged forward on my right an eliminated two of his three artillery batteries. Yet most of my hits on his infantry wounded, but didn't kill. On my left he worked one of his infantry all the way forward to next my base line. When he moved it one more hex to my base line he declared victory.

Scores: Michael L / CSA 6, Michael W / USA 3. Duration: 38 minutes.


Game #2 - Same scenario after turning the board around. Well, this battle was basically the same in that Michael L's luck was again amazing while mine was horrid. He killed my Rebels in droves. I never got anywhere near his back row. I did eliminate one of his artillery batteries. As to his infantry, I wounded many, but finished off only one. I ended up losing this battle even quicker than the first one.

Scores: Michael L / USA 6, Michael W / CSA 2. Duration: 27 minutes.



Scenario #5 Gains Mill (June 27, 1862)
Game #3 - Michael L ran the Union forces, and I commanded the Rebels. The main terrain feature of this battle is the river separating the two opposing armies.
the Union side has a ridgeline of seven hills (which they begin in control of), while the Confederate side contains many woods hexes. Yet all the CSA units begin in the clear behind the woods. So in theory the Confederates begin at quite a disadvantage. Even so, I quickly moved my Rebels forward into the woods for cover, and began taking pot shots at the Yankees on the hills.

Then fortunes suddenly changed. I began drawing all the best cards, while Michael L drew crap. Also, my dice were now on fire and his were cold. What!?! How could this be he wondered aloud. Now his infantry were falling in droves. My left flank artillery battery alone must have killed three of his units. I even destroyed his lone cavalry unit late in the game when it sallied forth on my right flank. My opponent was still shaking his head in disbelief, wondering how it had been so easy to kill my units in the first two games. Yet now it was
almost impossible. I capped things off on my last turn by calling for reinforcements, gaining an artillery unit mid-board next to my forward general (A.P. Hill), and blasting one of the Yankee artillery off the Union back line.

Scores: Michael W / CSA 6, Michael L / USA 2. Duration: 32 minutes.


Game #4 - Same battle, after rotating the board. Michael L now ran the CSA side
and I the Federals. This time the good dice rolls and card draws were fairly evenly split. Yet my Union troops, sitting on those hills, ended up ruling the day. Though I did lose one general (again) to a Rebel sharpshooter.

Scores: Michael W / USA 6, Michael L / CSA 4. Duration: 47 minutes. We went through 45 of the 60 cards in the deck. So a relatively long battle, as many don't even use 30 cards.



Scenario #6 Brawner's Farm <part of Second Bull Run> (August 28, 1862)
Game #5 - The terrain consisted of four scattered building hexes, six scattered
woods, and two hills. Most of it (except the hills) on the periphery. So not much cover where it mattered. Michael L commanded the Confederates, while I ran
the Union side. The Rebels began with both their artillery batteries on the two hills. So I did my best to avoid drawing close to them in the center. Instead, I attacked on the flanks. This was a close run battle, with dice rolls
and card draws about even. Consequently the scores were about the same. I lost
both my artillery units, while I maimed the Rebel cavalry. All other losses were infantry.

Scores: Michael L / CSA 6, Michael W / USA 5. Duration: 32 minutes.


Game #6 - The same battle, after turning the board around. Now I had the Union troops and my opponent the Rebels. Interestingly the outcome was almost the same, even down to cavalry and artillery losses, yet at a faster pace.

Scores: Michael W / CSA 6, Michael L / USA 5. Duration: 20 minutes.



Scenario # 7 Antietam (Sept. 17, 1862)
Game #7 - Significant terrain: the sunken road mid-board (three hexes with excellent cover for the Rebels), Antietam Creek, where the Union must push four
units over one narrow bridge to enter the fray, and the wheat field (three hexes of good cover).

Michael L ran the Federals, while I commanded the Confederates. I soon got two units into the wheat field, and two units into the Sunken Road. Plus, I decimated the Yankees who had the temerity to cross Burnside Bridge. Yet I soon
ran out of right flank cards. Then the Federals who had crossed the bridge ran
amok. Plus, I lost General Longstreet to a Yankee sharpshooter. The battle was
finally decided in the center, as Stonewall Jackson, attached to one of my Rebel infantry units in the Sunken Road, whacked two Yankee infantry at long range, retreating them off the board.

Scores: Michael W / CSA 6, Michael L / USA 4. Duration: 26 minutes.


Game #8 - Same scenario after turning the board around. Now Michael L lead the Rebel forces, while I commanded the Yankees. In this scenario the Union is hamstrung with a poor commanding general. Hence they only get three cards to the Confederate's five. Even so, I began with all three of my cards on the left
flank. and two of them were quite good. I played first and plopped down Forced
March and surprised my opponent my racing across Burnside Bridge with two units. Both attacked, and the two CSA infantry guarding the bridge were damaged
and forced to fall back. On my second turn I followed up with a card that activated all my left flank units. More of my Yankees crossed the bridge and assaulted the Rebels beyond. On my third turn I again played a left flank card and did more damage near the bridge. Unfortunately I was now drawing no left flank cards. So my units across the bridge began to me worn away by Rebel counter-attacks, to which I could do little. In fact, I don't think I drew another left flank card until the game was almost over.

Meanwhile, Michael L now had two infantry units in the sunken Road, both with attached generals (Jackson & Longstreet). And they were dishing out the hurt big time! My units in the center were decimated; three of four eventually being
eliminated or retreated off the board via long range potshots. I did at least whack the Rebel cavalry on my left flank when it raided my lines. Now that three card hand was becoming the death of me. Eventually my forces crumbled.


Scores: Michael L / CSA 6, Michael W / USA 4. Duration: 20 minutes.



In summary, we each won four of the eight games played. Michael L captured 39 flags, while Michael W captured 38. So pert near a tie score-wise. Michael L quite enjoyed Battle Cry.


See BoardgameGeek http://www.boardgamegeek.com/ for more information on the games mentioned above. And if you're in the area on a Tuesday night feel
free to join us for a game.

--
Michael Ward
Fort Worth Gamers
And check out our MeetUp page http://www.meetup.com/FortWorthGamers/ .
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