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PostPosted: Sun Jun 07, 2020 1:20 pm 
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Location: Bouches-de-l’Elbe
Battle of Prairie Grove, Dec 7, 1862 (5:00a)-(Hist) Weather rules(09 Prairie Grove_H0500h_W.scn)
I played the version "09 Prairie Grove_H0500h_W.scn", this is just like the original scenario but with weather lines added to the PDT.

Points of interest:
- Victory points should set the Confederates closer to a minor defeat at start, so to force them to take ground but also to attack to make the scenario play out in a historical way. The current draw of 800 points is almost shifted into a minor victory alone by covering the victory hexes that will be left behind when Blunt moves off and in the forest south of a line between the Marr & Borden house. That shifts the Confederates to 1250. Combined with the possibility of getting some Union units off guard they very likely end up in the minor victory terrain although they have not achieved their target of destroying a considerable amount of Union troops.
One can argue if that doesn't make a major victory shifted out of reach of the Rebels, but in fact the battles was more or less a draw and in greater context a strategic failure of the Confederates as they achieved neither the destruction of Blunt's division nor Heron's forces, that is why they withdrew later. So a major victory should only be possible if the Confederates achieved at least major casualties on one of the Union divisions so that it's also a strategical victory as the Union would likely have withdrawn in such a case.
- In addition replace some of the static objectives with timed objectives. This should be done for those at the Illinois River and up the road to Fayetteville to give the Confederate a reason to advance so far. And those that are just irrelevant for the Confederates once the Union has withdrawn and joined forces, these would be at 42,142 and 32,86.
- Scenario should be shorter as the fighting died down even before the sun set, there is no need to extend the scenario deep into the night because this makes some problems. The terrain allows units to be hidden in the night so they can take VP locations on the last turns and can completely alter the outcome by such a gamey move. The many night turns turn the scenario into a hid & seek with VP exchanges that do not make any sense at all. Some would be tuned down if the above suggestions for replacing some static objectives with timed objectives, but still it would turn the end of the scenario likely into a akward thing with units racing around to take VP locations.
- Union has some missing units that are already in the OOB but not used in the scenario as they should be.
Those are:
1.2.4.4 1st Bde Train Gd
1.2.4.4.1 Col G.A. Purington
1.2.4.4.2 det/ 2nd Ohio Cav
1.2.4.4.3 A/2d Kansas Arty
1.2.4.4.4 B/2d Kansas Arty
1.2.4.4.5 9th Kans Cav/arty
This is in part why the 1st Birgade/Blunt's Division has to be reworked as some unit's are there that do not seem be have been in the OOB while others are missing(listed above). It's also problematic because some units of the 1st Brigade are supposed to stand at Rhea's Mill to cover the supply source & units there. That is the reason why the 1st Brigade is already split in 2 detachments, and it's likely that the detachment under Charles Salomon was at Rhea's Mill because under it are also the missing train guard and the sick & invalids that are already at Rhea's Mill.
Anyhow whether they are there or were left behind when Blunt moved to join the other Union troops, at least the troops under Charles Salomon should be unfixed at start to allow a proper cover of the supply line. And if that isn't considered at least placing the missing 1st Bde Train Gd units right at Rhea's Mill to cover the supplies there should be done. This is absolutely needed as it's a sad fact that players often check out the scenarios before playing and something has to be done to protect the supplies at Rhea's Mill as it's way too easy to reach and capture them. If they are captured it will strongly shift the chance of the victory to the Confederates, not only because of the points but also because of the better supply situation as it almost doubles the Confederate supplies, and supplies were a big reason why Hindman didn't press any further attacks and withdrew at night.
- Fatigue needs to be added. As the Confederates have camped near the south map edge at Morrow's farm they don't seem to deserve much fatigue, at best something like 30-40 as they seem to have started marching way before dawn. Herron's division marched a distance of about 110-120 miles in just 3.5 days(coming from Springfield), that is 2.5 times as far as Hindman(who came from Fort Smith) marched but likely in a shorter time. This forced march, even as he didn't march on the night from 6th to 7th December, must have resulted in a good portion of fatigue at least as high as in the 3 digit range. That Herron's force was in part fatigued might explain the long artillery barrage.
Overall this might also make the battle take not such a drastic course as no fresh forces meet but fatigued troops, the Union by it's forced march and the Confederates because they have to move at last in some night turns(with he new dawn time advised below) to make it before the first units of Herron are able to reach Prairie Grove and block the way to the high ground there.


Recommendations:
- VP level should start more around 500 instead of 800 points.
- Replace some static with timed objectives to foster the far advance and then retreat to the high ground that the Confederates conducted.
- Make scenario end earlier, preferably at least by sunset.
- Add missing Union 1st Bde Train Gd at Rheas's Mill to properly cover the supplies there.
- Check 1st Birgade/Blunt's for composition and placement to decide if some of it(not the 1st Bde Train Gd) is initially already are Rhea's mill.
- Add fatigue to all Confederates and to Union forces under Herron.


Weather version specific:
- Day turns should start at 6:40, that may cause problem with the 60 minutes night turns but then the start of the scenario needs to be adjusted to 1 hour before day turns start so 5:40. Night turns should start at 17:40, this may need adjustment to the scenario end as it currently has it's last turn at 23:00.
(Based on UTC-6, TZ: America/Chicago CDT)

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Lieutenant General Christian Hecht
Commander I Corps, Army of the Potomac
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"Where to stop? I don't know. At Hell, I expect."


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