Hammerin' Sickles
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1.0 Introduction HAMMERIN’ SICKLES: On the afternoon of July 2nd, 1863 at the Battle of Gettysburg, Union General Daniel Sickles, commanding III Corps of the Army LONGSTREET ATTACKS AT GETTYSBURG of the Potomac, made a decision that historians have vehemently debated to this day. He elected to advance his entire corps to what he deemed to be “that higher ground” around the Peach Orchard crossroads on Emmitsburg Road. By doing so, Sickles’ judgment set in motion events that would directly lead to some of the most iconic engagements of the American Civil War – the Peach Orchard, the Wheatfield, Devil’s Den, the Slaughter Pen and, of course, Little Round Top. During the subsequent vicious fighting, Sickles’ corps not only received a battlefield “hammering” from Hood’s and McLaws’ Confederate Divisions, but long after the battle ended Sickles himself had to endure a political “hammering” from various critics regarding his conduct. Nonetheless, some observers feel his actions that day in fact saved the Army of the Potomac and perhaps the Union itself. Now YOU command the valiant troops on both sides of this critical battle and determine for yourself whether this singular maneuver was one of the most brilliant, one of the most arrogant or one of the most ill-advised risks taken during the American Civil War. Hammerin’ Sickles: Longstreet Attacks at Gettysburg is a game simulating the fighting on July 2nd, 1863 during the second day of the Battle of Gettysburg and focuses on the southern portion of the battlefield. This engagement involved General Longstreet’s attack against General Sickles’ “salient”. This game is specifically designed to be a playable regimental-scale simulation of this attack that can be completed in a long evening. It allows the players the When asked why there was no memorial to him at Gettysburg, immersive experience of tactical combat without the heavy rules Daniel Sickles replied, "The entire battlefield is a memorial to Dan overhead normally found in such games, while also delivering a Sickles." comprehensive experience of limited intelligence and unexpected events. The game features the Blind Swords chit-pull system, John Brown’s Body by Stephen Vincent Benet which emphasizes the three “FOW’s” of military conflict: fog-of- So ends, this lesser battle of the first day, war, friction-of-war and fortunes-of-war. With each chit pull, starkly disputed and piecemeal won and lost players will be challenged to make tough decisions based on their By corps-commanders who carried no magic plans assessment of the situation at that moment. Unlike traditional chit- Stowed in their sleeves, but fought and held as they pull systems, the Blind Swords system ensures that no combat could. units can be counted on, or conversely, counted out. This yields an It is past. The board is staked for the greater game environment of tense action and constant surprises – an Which is to follow - The beaten Union brigades environment that will challenge each player. recoil from the cross-roads town that they tried to hold. And so recoiling, rest on a destined ground..... Who chose that ground? There are claimants enough in the books Howard thanked by Congress for choosing it 2.0 How to Win As doubtless, they would have thanked him as well had he Chosen another, once the battle was won, Players vie for control of key terrain features and attempt to inflict And there are a dozen ifs on the Southern side, as many losses on the enemy as possible in order to accumulate How, in the first day's evening, if one had known, the highest total of Victory Points by the end of the given scenario. If Lee had been there in time, if Jackson had lived, There are numerous scenarios available and each models a unique The heights that cost so much blood in the vain attempt phase of the battle. To take days later, could have been taken then. And the ifs and thanks and the rest are all true enough But we can only say, when we look at the board, "There it happened. There is the way of the land. There was fate, and there the blind swords were crossed." 3.0 Game Scale and Map Angled terrain hex. In addition, Artillery units may not issue Fire Combat from Angled hexes. 3.1 Game Scale: Each map hex is approximately 150 yards across. Infantry and cavalry units represent regiments and artillery units f. Slope Hexsides: These hexsides represent a discernible one- represent individual batteries. One Strength Point equals about 50 Level change in elevation from one hex to the adjacent hex men or a single canon. Each Game Turn represents roughly 20 (ex: #/). One of the hexes bordering the relevant Slope hexside minutes of elapsed time. is on a higher Level than the adjacent hex. Moving/Attacking from the lower Level hex through a Slope hexside to a higher 3.2 Map Features: Various types of terrain are depicted on the Level hex is deemed going “Upslope” and vice-versa is going game map. Certain types require further explanation regarding “Downslope”. Note that some hexsides change Level elevation their effects on game play. but do not have a Slope hexside (these are very gentle slopes). Slope hexsides have movement and combat affects when the a. Terrain Levels: Every hex is at one particular Level. A hex’s relevant unit is going Upslope. Level is important for Line of Sight purposes (12.1a). Hexes are color-shaded to indicate their height, with the darkest green g. Steep Slope Hexsides: These hexsides are the same as Slope hexsides except that they represent a discernible two-Level being the lowest elevation up to yellow as the highest. There change in elevation from one hex to the adjacent hex (ex: #/). are ten Levels, listed from lowest to highest (with example Also, Steep Slope hexsides have movement effects going both hexes): 1 (#); 2 (#); 3 (#); 4 (#); 5 (#); 6 (#); 7 (#); 8 (#); 9 (#); 10 Upslope and Downslope but combat affects only when going (#) Upslope. b. Terrain Features: A hex is only considered to contain a certain terrain feature if the terrain’s graphic occupies or traverses at least half of the hex. For example, hex # is a Clear hex (not a Woods hex). Another example is hex , which is a Clear hex (not a Cornfield hex). Hex # is Clear with a Road going through it. 4.0 Unit Counters, Markers and Chits 4.1 Unit Counters represent the fighting troops of each side. The c. Water Terrain: There are three types of Water hexes and gray-colored units are the Confederate player’s forces (also called hexsides in the game. A Dry Stream hex (ex: #2603) is a hex “Rebels” in this game) and the blue-colored units are the Union with a blue Stream graphic within it and has no effect in the player’s forces. On top of each counter is the unit’s Brigade game in any manner (these are included for historical and affiliation (highlighted in its distinctive coloring). The Unit’s geographical accuracy only). A Flowing Stream hexside has regimental name is shown in the middle of the counter. Other unit the Stream graphic running along a hexside (ex: #2903/3003) information is listed in the following order on the bottom of the and incurs a movement penalty when crossed (there is no counter (from left to right): combat effect). A Pond hexside has a very thick Stream graphic along the hexside (ex: #3014/3113) and is impassable. FRESH INFANTRY BATTLEWORN INFANTRY No units may move across the hexside in any manner and no Close Combat can be conducted across the hexside. Units on Unit ID (Brigade / Division) Unit ID (Brigade / Division) opposite sides of the Pond hexside are still considered to be Regiment Name Regiment Name adjacent to each other for all purposes. d. Roads: There are two types of Road hexes: Lanes and Pikes. Units traveling from one Lane/Pike hex to an adjacent Lane/Pike hex with a connecting “Road” graphic pay only 1 Movement Point, regardless of the other terrain in the hex or the hexside crossed. There are three Pikes in the game - Emmitsburg Road, Taneytown Road and Wheatfield Road. Units moving along these Pike hexes may use the March Column movement rate (13.5a) and thus pay only ½ SPs + Weapon Cohesion Rating SPs + Weapon Cohesion Rating Movement Point per hex when under Maneuver Orders or using a Brigade Reserve Move Event Chit. e. Angled Terrain: Hexes that contain an Angled terrain graphic (ex: #) are severely steep and difficult to traverse (in all directions). Units must pay a movement penalty to enter an 2 Hammerin’ Sickles: Longstreet Attacks at Gettysburg Hermann Luttmann and GMT Games 2015. Version 0.11 FRESH ARTILLERY BATTLEWORN ARTILLERY the unit’s ability to fight and survive. A unit’s CR can be modified by Morale Hits (15.6) and other factors but can never go below 0. A unit’s BW-side values are formulated as follows: a unit will take 50% casualties, reflected in reducing the units SP value accordingly. However, a unit is required to take a minimum reduction of three SP (in order to minimize the anomaly that occurs with smaller units taking fewer casualties when 50% is deducted). If the unit is too small to take a full three SP loss, the unit is reduced to an SP of “C” and the remainder of the SP loss not Note that there is no Movement Allowance listed on the counter as taken is deducted from the unit’s CR. with other games – a unit’s Movement Allowance is determined by its Brigade Order selection (11.0).