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 Post subject: OVERLAND NOTES
PostPosted: Wed Jan 15, 2014 10:43 am 
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These notes pertain mainly to the big Overland scenario, but some points may apply to other games and scenarios. I offer the notes with trepidation, because I expect a flurry of replies saying that I am dead wrong about this, that, and the other thing. If they apply, if you see where you can improve your game, please take them to heart. If you disagree, then continue as you are, and you need not bother to tell me. :)
1. Cavalry is less "expensive" in Overland, being 12 points instead of 20, but that is no reason that it should be expended in combat more suitable to the infantry. There is a tendency for cavalry used (rightly) in advance of a column to stick around (wrongly) and get decimated when contact is made, instead of being withdrawn to fight another day.
2. You know that old disagreement between the historical purists and the gamers? There is a third faction, those of us who like to see the games played based on military principles. After about thirty years of real military service it sort of became a habit with me.
a. Brigades should be fought as brigades, with organic regiments adjacent. People think that as long as they are within command radius that it is all right to have them spattered across the front, interspersed with other brigades and divisions. This is incorrect. You get a "plus 1" if regiments are adjacent to others of their own brigade.
b. There is a tendency to stack units of different brigades, and fight them that way, and it is thought to be OK as long as they are in command range. This, too, is incorrect. You suffer a "minus 1" if units fighting together in the same hex are from different brigades.
3. I added subordinate leaders to cut down on all those "anonymous" dudes that end up all over the place. At some time during the campaign they each ended up in command of the brigade. They should stay with their brigades, not be scattered across the backfield. Judiciously placed, they will cut down on routs, and rally troops quicker. Above all, they should not be used as scouts, or in ways to prevent isolation by themselves.
4. At all times, on the line, on the march, brigades should be together. Taking a moment, each turn, to get all units together, will make a difference, if not in outcome, then at least in the satisfaction that you took the time to do things right. Using the "highlight organization" and "brigade colors," it should be very easy to do. It also simplifies things when you need to march 30,000 men down a road and can do it with one keystroke.

Following is a suggested SOP, (Standard Operating Procedure) which I continue to work on, to help move things along.

Overland scenario
Marching
Standard Operating Procedure
The purpose of this SOP is to simplify march movement to enable using the column movement shortcut, whereby an entire column of the same organization, up to the entire army, can be moved with holding "alt" down while clicking on the leading unit and then the destination. Use of this SOP will enable a commander to be confident that his army will be ready for any encounter on the march. It also reflects the methods which commanders had to use without radio, when the speed of a message to a subordinate unit was about ten miles per hour.
Speaking of that, I have made a variant of the scenario which includes couriers for carrying messages in real time, and also staff officers which can lead a column just like the commander.
1. Route march
a. Routine route march is 10 hexes/Turn.
b. March rate for units which have gaps in their column is 8 hexes for the vanguard, 10-12 hexes for trailing units for the purpose of closing the interval.
c. The use of the 8 hex speed leaves four movement points, enough to form line if necessary.
d. Brigades march as units.
e. Divisions march as units.
2. Order of march is combat brigades, followed by attached artillery, followed by supply wagons. When speed is essential, wagons are left behind to move as their own march unit, and should always have an escort unless safely behind the lines.
(In all scenarios, the heavy artillery battalion (infantry) attached to each artillery brigade, is not a front line combat unit, but rather for guarding artillery and supply. In the "monster" scenario there are no replacements for these battalions if they take 50% losses.)
3. Commanders should be at, or near, the front of their units. You can't push a string; you have to pull it.
4. Stacking of units on the march is discouraged, unless used to clear units from an entry hex.
5. Standard procedure for outposting roads intersected by the march column.
a. A forward regiment of a brigade will turn off on the side road, 1-2 hexes, and remain, in column formation, until relieved by the next brigade, and fall in at the rear of its brigade, always attempting to keep all regiments of a brigade together.
b. During halts of the column the outposting unit will form line with skirmishers.

Anyway, in the Campaign Scenario with its length and huge cast of characters, if you do not constantly police up your stray units you will end up with a patchwork of units, with no way to plan effectively or use your army coherently.

And finally, it has been just a year since I joined the club, and I want to express my appreciation to all the gentlemen who have made me feel at home. Thanks very much!

John Ferry
Overland co-designer
15 Jan 2014


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 Post subject: Re: OVERLAND NOTES
PostPosted: Wed Jan 15, 2014 11:53 am 
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Joined: Thu Sep 12, 2013 2:38 pm
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Location: Little Rock, AR
Great Post John! Overland looks like a very well thought out product. I have been wanting to buy it and I think I will today. Thanks for explaining some of the underlying rules in the game. And I have been in the club about 4 months now. I'm very happy I did.

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Lt. Col Joe R. Matthews
6th Brigade/3/III
Army of Northern VA


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 Post subject: Re: OVERLAND NOTES
PostPosted: Wed Jan 15, 2014 4:27 pm 
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Location: Ferdinand Indiana
Thank you sir for this kind of information! It is so interesting to see how it can be done. I appreciate you taking the time to share such things, thanks again!

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Lt. Gen. R. Sickbert
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Army of the Potomac

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 Post subject: Re: OVERLAND NOTES
PostPosted: Sun Jan 19, 2014 11:42 am 
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I agree with your playing by military principles, John; but trying to keep my brigades together in the Wilderness is extremely challenging -- especially when my regiments lose confidence and run off like a scattered flock of turkeys. LOL.

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BG Ken 'Muddy' Jones
1st Brigade/3rd Division/XV Corps/Army of Tennessee
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 04, 2014 10:27 am 
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I send this out for the benefit of those brave souls who are tackling the Grand Scenario, 1390 turn scenario from hell:
:idea:
I have started working on an event schedule which will accompany the Campaign Scenario notes next update. It shows all events in chronological format, as well as instructions for disposing of surplus units and leaders. So far most events are for Confederate players.
We won't see the update for a while, so anyone interested should send a courier to the Blue Dog and I will send you a copy via email. I am interested in any questions or problems you may encounter with the scenario.
hisbluedog@yahoo.com
J

John Ferry
Overland co-designer


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 Post subject: Re: OVERLAND NOTES
PostPosted: Wed Feb 05, 2014 9:05 am 
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Joined: Thu Sep 12, 2013 2:38 pm
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Location: Little Rock, AR
Just curious, but how many days does 1390 turns convert to?

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6th Brigade/3/III
Army of Northern VA


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 Post subject: Re: OVERLAND NOTES
PostPosted: Wed Feb 05, 2014 10:56 am 
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With half-hour daytime turns and one-hour nighttime turns, daylight is 34 turns (17 hours) and night is 7 turns or seven hours, total for a day is therefore 41 turns. The scenario goes a couple days past the historical date of the Cold Harbor assault, June 3rd, and is just shy of 34 days.
J

John Ferry
Overland Co-designer


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 Post subject: Re: OVERLAND NOTES
PostPosted: Wed Feb 05, 2014 2:49 pm 
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Location: metro Chicago, IL, USA
@Anybody who has actually attempted to play this monster, how far along are/were you, how many turns have you played?

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 Post subject: Re: OVERLAND NOTES
PostPosted: Wed Feb 05, 2014 7:38 pm 
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Don Vandergriff and I played it out about 250 turns. Currently, we are 93 turns into it in an MP game.
I've thought about finding a last turn from the game with Don and continuing it with somebody.
J


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 Post subject: Re: OVERLAND NOTES
PostPosted: Thu Feb 06, 2014 2:39 pm 
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Gen Leon Korotko and I are in turn 62, 3:30 in the afternoon on day 2. Some skirmishing but that is it. My Rebs have him nearly surrounded!


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 Post subject: Re: OVERLAND NOTES
PostPosted: Thu Feb 06, 2014 6:51 pm 
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Thank you for the information. It makes for a better game for me if I follow the military principles as depicted in history.

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3rd Bde/2nd Div/Vth Corps
Army of the Potomac


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