Last weekend Game # 4, the battle of Winchester was fought …I was not there, it was fought at the club. I believe at the end of it the survivors of 3 Confederate Brigades had retired over a river and 6 or 7 Union Brigades were coming for them. Best not mention it again!

So yesterday we fought game #5 of the Campaign in the Garage for control of Front Royal.

The map for the game is within the Yellow zone. The Union have 2 large brigades(15 regiments) 3 large batteries in emplacements to the East of South Fork. They are deployed from just north of North Fork joining the river to the woods south of Front Royal.

Three Confederate brigades arrive from Strasburg(13 regiments, 3 batteries by train and advance from south of the North Fork. On Turn 4, 2 more brigades(each of 4 regiments and a battery) arrive in the south from Luray. The The 2nd Virginia Cavalry arrived on turn 1.

Set up is below. Players are Robert and Alan on left(Union), Russ in center(Umpire) and the 2 Confederate players on the right, Steve and Rob. The Game is 8 turns long.

Center of battlelines.

Large batteries in emplacements are quite devastating!

The only cavalry at the battle was the 2nd Virginia who set off around the Union left flank. They succeeded in drawing off Union Regiments!

Rear Union battery, the infantry unit beside it has turned to prepare for the cavalry arriving.

The Union battery in the center had a charmed life. It passed 4 or 5 break tests during the battle while continuing to inflict considerable damage each turn.

Rob’s brigades took hits all game, shook them off and kept firing!

The combined firepower of 3 batteries could not silence that Union battery. They are 6 pounder guns so were out ranged but hung in there.

These gallant ladz took 3 hits from a battery…needed 6’s to avoid casualties….made of stern stuff!

Turn 4 and I finally get to arrive on a Battlefield in the campaign! The Church is a 20mm I commissioned Alan to print for me.

Down the other end Steve and Robert continue to trade fire.

And that darn battery is still holding on!

The Union left where Alan has moved his second line onto the woods to cover the arrivals from the South.

The second brigade arrived which I invited Russ to take command of and join in.

The Cavalry were destroyed….but they pulled Union regiments out of position…Robert was very keen to place these dead horses…..

Hmmmmm… 2 Union brigades apparently are arriving down the road from Middletown…how many brigades do the Union have!

My brigade is pining Union while Russ attempts to get around the ridge to their rear. Running out of turns!

Steve has reacted to the new arrivals by pulling back his brigade…he was winning the fire so a frustrating moment.

Center of lines….a number of units have taken heavy damage….

Lunch break…it was Steve’s Birthday so he bought a long a luvly cake! We found some candles for him to blow out.

The last 2 turns flew by…as often happens once in action I forget to take photos….doh.

So below… Russ managed to get his artillery onto table and helped to destroy the Union battery. I shot up a Union regiment who retired allowing me to charge flank of another in last turn…..then hit it in the front with another…they lost the combat but stayed! Another Union regiment in south end of ridge was flank charged by Russ and lost the combat…and a follow me by the brigade commander carried another regiment into the rear of a Union regiment who had retired from woods. Then another failed a break test so in all 3 Union regiments popped…another retired whipped from shooting and the battery popped. What a great last couple of turns!!!

So the Union left flank is now gone, we have 2 Fresh brigades ready to roll up the Union lines as Darkness Falls.

Advancing Union brigade down Middletown road. A rife bttn of Louisiana Tigers is skirmishing in the woods.

And the award for Unit of the day goes too that Union Artillery battery on that hill!

Well that was great fun…….and was nice to finally roll some dice in the campaign. We will leave it to the Umpire to determine if there is a day 2 to this battle.

The Whisky of the week this week is the Ardbeg 8 ‘For Discussion’.

Review found is:

Ardbeg 8 Year Old “For Discussion” (originally an Ardbeg Committee Release) is an intensely smoky, cask-strength Islay single malt. Matured in ex-sherry casks and bottled at 50.8% ABV without chill-filtration, it offers a bolder, more savoury, and traditional profile compared to the distillery’s standard 10-year-old.

Ardbeg are an acquired taste as they are powerful tasting drops that are like drinking cigars. I found this one extremely easy to sip while watching F1 last night by the fire. Its definitely a winter drink! Recommended.

Until next time.. Terry out.