REGIMENTAL FIRE AND FURY - MECHANICSVILLE

Played a game of RFF last Weds night at Steve's place. It was the Mechanicsville scenario from the RFF book, which is pretty much just a head butt Reb frontal attack against well dug in Yanks with lots of artillery. The game progressed as expected with masses of Rebs falling and very few Yank casualties. Then one of the Yank Players (Warrick) began rolling 10 each time he threw, which meant that despite inflicting withering fire on the Rebs he was out of ammo. He rolled so many 10s that eventually all his infantry and some of his guns ran out of ammo. In this scenario you cannot replace your expended ammo which meant that those now out of ammo Yank units could fire at only half strength for the rest of the game. This at least gave the Rebs on that flank a chance. Reb artillery pounded that part of the Yank line now low on ammo and a fresh Reb Brigade which arrived turn three was sent against that part of the Yank line. Eventually this fresh Reb Brigade managed to break the Yank line and capture a fortified gun position, which was one of the objectives. I am not sure how long they could have held that position as none of the other Rebs were in any condition to help them by that time. Nonetheless they got there, which would probably be more than enough to persuade Little Mac to skedaddle. My own Brigade managed to get as far as the creek before it got halted by Yank fire. My boys were pretty badly shot up and eventually the -2 for heavy causalities kicked in and that -2 for maneuver tests combined with the regiments having lost so many men meant that it was very hard to get them to do anything except hold their ground or retreat in disorder. We only got half the game played. If it had continued there was a chance that the Rebs might have hung on and won, but it was still very much up in the air with the odds favoring the Yanks. Here are some great photos of the game taken by Warrick:

The Battlefield with the Rebs in the distance, the broken ground and creek, and the Yanks dug in closest to the viewer.

Me looking across the ground at what is waiting for me and wondering how in the hell I am going to do anything to the foe, let alone survive the ordeal.

Phil, the Yank opponent opposite me looking suitably smug and contented.

The order goes out and the boys surge forward ... Yeeehahhhh! Or should it be Ohh Sheeeet!

Rebs close up against the Union right. It was on this end of the Union line that the Yanks shot off all their ammo.

Getting closer and closer to the Yanks, the ranks thinning with every step forward.

The fresh Reb brigade surges forward in the center. Steve's boys hold on for grim death in the distance. My boys have ground to a halt in the left foreground. The Yanks sit contented behind their fortifications.
Reb breakthrough! Jubilation! Yank guns skedaddle and Yank infantry recoils in disorder. Other Yank infantry turns to face the threat. Way back in the rear Lil' Mac spills his coffee, fires off a telegram to Abe demanding another 100,000 troops and is now firmly convinced he is facing half a million rebels!