. . . "OK, maybe you don't have to love it" . . .
Init roll: None! No one notices that no init roll occurs (just saw that as I'm writing this). Perhaps this makes up for our lost extended march roll earlier. Ed, hungrily eyeing the naked B Corps arty unit across the creek, decides to go for the VPs and takes the initiative (no one says a thing).
Activate Crittenden/Wood; transfer Rosecrans and Crittenden to Wood(5cv): 1d6+1 > 5; prepared attack versus B Corps arty(1cv).
Combat: (U/C): 2,1. Results: Union = a; Confederate = 1DR (eliminate arty). Three more VPs for Ed and a swing back into the lead. Wood advances: “That pins Stewart pretty nicely” - Ed.
Init roll: 3,6 (Confederate).
General depression ensues. Options appear limited following our collective goof. Ed obviously thinks he has put us into a hole and we believe him. “Last ditch attack against Wood” is the first option made. Eventually, the fine wargame minds that make up our august group come to their senses and think of better options (though none are very good). We could attack Minty with Preston at high drms (but the cavalry can retreat away from the attack). We can attack the 123IL/72IN cavalry with Forrest/Scott since he cannot retreat away from cavalry. And, finally, attack Minty with Forrest/Scott. Unlike the attack vs 123IL/72IN, causing a retreat on Minty would cause a retreat loss (retreat through ZOCs with no road connecting the hexes). However, no attack looks good for combat drms so our comments reflect the negativity:
- this attack needs to work . . . “otherwise we've been had and we all need to kowtow to Ed for a year”.
- “Whatever we do, this will probably be our last gasp”.
Our move: activate Forrest with Scott (2cv): 2d6+3 > 10. Goes to f4 so rolls for extended march '1' - OK. Moves to 3229 and launches a normal (4 mvt. pts.) attack on Minty (3cv).
Combat roll: (U/C): 1,3. Results: U = Dr; C = Da. We do not advance. Minty loses a strength point on his retreat so we gain 2 VPs and regain the lead once more. Euphoria again. Ed makes the comment: “Wow! Now look who's dependent on the positive combat dice???”. Ed moves his defeated cavalry to Rossville, improving its defense.
Init roll: 3,3 (Union).
Activate Wood for a one hex move across the bridge to 3631.
Init roll: 1,4 (Confederate).
We look at using Preston's last fatigue to move to 3330, threatening an attack vs the 123IL/72IN. The cavalry would likely retreat allowing Preston to move to 3230. This would clear the way for Stewart to make an attempt to reach Rossville and block McCook sliding there. However, we do not see an advantage that outweighs the final use of Preston using up his threat and potential. We PASS, knowing that Ed will do something particularly evil that will require Preston's abilities.
Union move: activate Wood: 1d6+1 > 7. Extended march roll (going to f3) '4', OK. Since Ed rolls for movement points, he must have been thinking of further mischief but, in the end, he shifts Wood just one hex to join his Corps at Viniard Farm (hex 3531).
Init roll: 3,4 (Confederate). After two days of absolutely no discussion, we PASS again. Either we were all worn down, wanted Ed to end the suspense or did not care any longer. Ed is up and we all know the end is near.
. . . "Another morning's hopes dashed" . . .
But we had hopes that the coming assault would go our way; we had optimized the drms as much as possible; odds for a favorable outcome were on our side. Ed announces: “I'll be going for a big assault from Crittenden then”. I reply “Finally . . . the suspense has almost been hurtful. . . assault away and let the Dice Gods be appeased”.
Activate Crittenden with Van Cleve and Palmer (going to f4 each) to assault Walker (still enjoying Widow Glenn's attractions). His command roll '3'. OK.
Combat roll: U/C: 2,1. Results: U = Fa; C = 1Dr. One more lead swing – back to Ed. My morning coffee turns bitter again. I can't believe that board members wanted to give this replay up earlier thinking we had an unbeatable situation. We retreat Walker to 3333, effectively out of the battle. Ed advances Palmer where he immediately turns his charms towards the good Widow.
Init roll: 1,2 (Confederate).
Back to the drawing board; this thing is not over yet! We still have Stewart and Preston with a single fatigue left on each. We decide to move Stewart first. By moving to 3532, we increase our flank drms against Palmer. If we roll well enough, Stewart might be able to attack on this initiative. With a poorer roll, we might still be able to increase our flank drms for a later attack by Preston.
Our move: activate Stewart 1d6+1 > 5. Goes to f3: ext. march roll '2'. OK. Five movement points just does not quite do it. We can only reach hex 3632 which does us no good. We have to force march which will give us at least two more movement points and possibly up to five though we will likely lose manpower (and therefore combat value). Roll high, attack; roll low, move adjacent and hope for the next initiative. Force march roll '2'. Gain two mvt. pts. And lose one strength point (no VP change). We move adjacent to Palmer (hex 3532). We really want the next initiative. We are three VP on the wrong side of a win so we need something big to regain those VPs.
Init roll: 5,1 (Union) - (of course). The tension continues. With his last infantry division fatigue, Ed decides to assault Stewart with Critenden and Wood though a low-probability attack. He can afford a loss of two VPs due to a strength point loss and may decrease the chance of a Confederate success in an attack against Palmer by retreating Stewart and thus decreasing our flanking drm. Of course, this takes us by surprise again, thinking that his move would be to slide McCook over one hex to decrease those flank drms (“We'll see if I end up regretting that . . .”).
Activate Crittenden for an assault by Wood against Stewart. Command roll '5'. OK.
Combat roll (U/C): 2,3. Results: U = 1D; C = F. Loss of 2 VPs so Ed leads now by a single VP.
Init roll: 2,6 (Confederate). Ed notes the situation succinctly: “And CSA init with 1 unit left with 1 fatigue left. Whatya going to do with Preston? Will he be the hero or the goat???”
Everyone seems to want hex 3431, Widow Glenn's Farm. The widow thinks that she's the goal but maybe it's the property after all. It all comes down to this last initiative and move. We debate this last move more than we have in weeks. Two options exist. First, charging down the road into the yawning gun tubes of Palmer's arty and second, a run to Rossville. Every drm and movement roll possibility is discussed and “Justin, . . . the peanut gallery has spoken all its going to - the collective brain trust seems emptied of further ideas. . . “.
Our move: activate Buckner with Preston. Charge those guns! 1D6+2 > 6. He fails his extended march roll with a six but that makes no difference.
Combat roll: (here, Justin drags out the suspense by rolling one die at a time).
Union roll = 1 !
Confederate roll = 2 !!
Results: U = 2DR; C = Ea. Decisive – a swing of 3 VPs to the Confederates.
And Ed concedes at this point. We congratulate Justin for his die rolls. We gracefully all say thanks for the game. And the Widow Glenn decides that gallant General Preston is the best-looking of all her recent suiters.
This game exhibited all the hallmarks for which this system is known; a well-balanced scenario played with dramatic swings in fortune. Rare is the game where the decision comes down to the last die roll. It also served notice to any player who thinks that their side has no chance left – as Ed so well demonstrated – don't give up prematurely.