Fire and Fury on Tyneside!

Last Saturday I managed a pass to get down to the Tyneside Club to play some Fire and Fury. With a proposed sub-LAW game pending in March I thought it worthwhile to get some games in to get up to speed with the rules. 

Andy put together a scenario based on Antietam where him, myself and Paul took the divisions of Jones, Hill, and Ewell respectively under Jackson to hold the ground around Dunker Hill against a strong Union attack commanded by Rod, Frankie, Ben and Alex. 

I think the scenario was roughly based around Hooker’s Attack on the Fire and Fury UK website as the map was similar to the one there.

I took Hill and deployed on the hill! Paul to my right defending Roulette and Andy on my left defending the West Wood. The Union forces deployed across a broad front but two divisions concentrated on Andy and the West Woods With three brigades deployed forwards Andy was going to have a tough time against two divisions! However the attacks in the centre and to the CSA right were very slow getting going… Not so the troops heading into the West Wood! These woods were to see a LOT of fighting as Andy fought the Union to a standstill in the woods but never quite getting the dice to breakthrough and cause havoc in the Union rear. Frankie’s attack made slow progress though the fields but he eventually concentrated his guns (as did I) and we had much counter battery fire. The Union should have had the better of this (and eventually did) but my guns held their own for many turns despite having one battery destroyed and guns silenced…. Finally Ewell moved forward and engaged on the right. Against the odds he help up the Union advance very well.The battle for the West Wood raged but their flank had been turned and troops were now descending on their flanks.Finally, Union troops leave the fields and advance against Dunker Hill.This was the climax of the battle in the woods as the two CSA brigades were attacked front and rear/flank.

We had some discussion here as to whether a brigade forced to retreat (and NOT disrupted) could retire through the gap away from BOTH lots of Union troops? In the end we ruled yes. That allowed one brigade to escape. The other, already disrupted, could not.

Meanwhile, on the CSA right the battle raged on and brigades moved to the centre to defend the church and hill. The remains of the CSA artillery are threatened by a Union brigade. The attack on the centre looks finally to be getting underway.But as dusk was falling the CSA came off the hill and tried to destroy the attack before it could get underway. Andy’s troops on the left were still holding that flank against Ben. The attack in the centre was held off and Paul, on the right, had held all his objectives (the farms). As the CSA main objective was to hold the high ground I felt we had really achieved that. As night fell, the Union called of the attack. Totalling up the points it was a good CSA victory. Andy on the left had suffered quite badly but had held the flank and severly mauled two divisions. Frankie and not pressed his attack quickly enough so the high ground was held, and Alex had never got near the farms. We felt that a Day Two would see the CSA pushed off the hills, especially as their guns had suffered. But the first day definitely went to Jackson!

Andy had continually asked for support, but to get their I would have had to move off the hills and across open ground covered by the Union guns. And as the objective was to hold the hill I felt the more damage and time Andy gained would aid that. If the centre and right attacks had been pushed more vigorously I think the outcome could have been different. It was a good game and thanks to Andy for organising it.