Battle of Antietam 17th September 1862.

Having managed to take Harper's Ferry, General Lee was informed that his order 191 had been obtained by the Union high command. Lee quickly realised he needed to gather his scattered forces.

Daniel Harvey Hill,s Division had already held up the Union advance at Turners Gap. Now Lee, realising that his supply route could be compromised, put the army on the move  back to the Maryland border and into Virginia.

The Commander in Chief of the Union Army was George Brinton McClellan, " Little Mac" to the troops, with whom he was highly popular. As the Confederate army trudged West along the Boonsboro Tunpike, Generals Lee and Longstreet realised that they would have to turn and face the Union army or run the risk of being attacked while on the march.

Moving across a meandering waterway known  locally as Antietam Creek, Lee saw that the  local farmland with undulating ground and woodland would be an ideal location for a defensive battle. As the Confederate army took up positions East of Sharpsburg, there was an additional element of danger for Lee's Army.

 Further West beyond Sharpsburg was the Potomac River. There was only one crossing place. Should the Union Army win the day the Confederate Army would disintegrate 

trying to cross while retreating.

There was one person in the Union Army who could give the Confederates an edge in the coming battle. That was George McClellan himself. General McClellan was very cautious. He had seven Corps with which to overpower the Confederate Army but on the day, only four were used. Each Corps commander was left to conduct the battle in his own way, and none of the Union attacks were coordinated.

McClellan was great at logistics and did an excellent job of organising the Army of the Potomac but as events were to prove he could not command an army in battle.

It is of note that the men of Edwin Sumner’s Corps were new recruits and on two occasions in the heat of the battle fired into the backs of their own men. 

Regardless of the colour of the uniform, the Generals and soldiers of both sides did not realise they would be unwitting participants in one of the bloodiest battles of the war so far.....

The Union Army;

C-in-C George McClennan. ( not present).

1st Corps; 8,500 = 8.5 points x 2 = 17 points.

1 General ( Joseph Hooker ) = 1 point.

6 stands of 2nd class Line Infantry @ 2 points = 12 points.

1 stand of skirmishes @ 2 points.

2 stands of Light Horse Artillery @ 1 point = 2 points.

12th Corps; 7,500 = 7.5 points x 2 = 15 points.

1 General ( Joseph Mansfield ) = 1 point.

5 stands of 2nd class infantry @ 2 points = 10 points.

1 stand of skirmishes @ 2 points.

2 stands of Light Horse Artillery @ 1 point = 2 points.

2nd Corps; 10,500 = 10.5 points x 2 = 21 points.

1 General ( Edwin "Bull" Sumner ) = 1 point.

8 stands of 2nd class Line Infantry @ 2 points = 16 points.

2 stands of Heavy Artillery @ 2 points = 4 points.

9th Corps; 12,000 = 12 points x 2 = 24 points.

1 General ( Ambrose Burnside) = 1 point.

9 stands of 2nd class Line Infantry @ 2 points = 18 points.

1 stand of skirmishes @ 1 point.

2 stands of Heavy Artillery @ 2 points = 4 points.

The Confederate Army; 34,000 x 2= 68 points.

C-in-C Robert E. Lee (present) @ 3 points.

Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson,s Corps; 9,500 = 9.5 points x 2= 19 points.

1 General (Jackson) @ 2 points.

2 stands of Heavy Artillery @ 2 points = 4 points.

3 stands of skirmish infantry @ 1 point = 3 points.

3 stands of 2nd class Line Infantry @ 2 points = 6 points.

1 stand of 1st class Line Infantry ( Hoods Texans) @ 3 points.

James Longstreets Corps;

General Longstreet @ 2 points.

Daniel Harvey Hill,s Division.4,500= 4.5 points x 2=9 points.

1 general (Hill) @ 1 point.

3 stands of 2nd class Line Infantry @ 2 points = 6 points.

2 stands of Light Horse Artillery @ 1 point = 2 points.

David R. Jones Division. 5,000 =5 points x 2=10 points.

1 General (Jones) @ 1point.

4 stands of 2nd class Line Infantry @ 2 points = 8 points.

1 stand of Light Horse Artillery @ 1 point.

1st reinforcement;

Lafayette McLaw,s Division. 3,000=3 points x 2=6 points.

1 General (McLaws) @ 1point.

2 stands of 2nd class Line Infantry @ 2 points = 4 points.

1 stand of skirmish infantry @ 1 point.

Richard H. Anderson,s Division. 5,000 =5 points x 2 =10 points.

1 General (Anderson) @ 1point.

4 stands of 2nd class Line Infantry @ 2 points = 8 points.

1 stand of Light Horse Artillery @ 1 point.

2nd reinforcement; 

Ambrose Powell Hill,s Light Division. 4,500=4.5 points x 2=9 points.

1 General (Hill) @ 1 point.

3 stands of 2nd class Line Infantry @ 2 points = 6 points.

1 stand of skirmish infantry @ 1 point.

1 stand of Light Horse Artillery @ 1 point.

Here is a view of the battlefield.

Here is a map of the battle;

 Notes on the battle;

Solo Play;

To keep the battle within eight turns, the following sequence is recommended;

1st  Game-Turn) Only the Union 1st Corp moves this Game Turn. The Confederate Daniel Harvey Hill only moves this Game Turn.  The Union army has the initiative and fires first. All stands of both sides can fire if in range. Use the fire rules for the 2 player game.

Game-Turn 2) The Union 1st and 12 Corps moves first only in this Game Turn. Jackson and Harvey Hill's Divisions only move this Game Turn moving second. The Union army has the initiative and can fire first. All stands of both sides can fire if in range.

Game-Turn 3) As in the previous Turn, the Union 1st and 12th Corp moves first only.

Jackson and Harvey Hills Divisions only move second. The Union army has the initiative and can fire first. All stands of both sides can fire if within range.

Game-Turn 4) The Union 1st, 12th and 2nd Corps can move on this game Turn. The Confederates Jackson, Harvey Hill, Jones, Mclaw and Anderson's Divisions move second The Union army has the initiative and fires first. All stands of both sides can fire if within range.

Game-Turn 5) The same order as Game Turn 4.

Game-Turn 6) Both sides have a die rolled for them to see which side gets the initiative and moves first. All the Union army can be moved as can the Confederate army. Both sides have a die rolled for them to see which side fires first. Use the fire and combat rules for the 2 player game.

Game-Turn 7) As game-Turn 6.

Game-Turn 8) As Game-Turn 7.

This finishes the Game. The side with the lower losses in Stands is the winner.

The system used here is a bit different from the normal solo rules. This is a big battle and using the above movement sequence ensures all the Stands come into play historically.

The Two Player game.

Game-Turn 1) Only the Union 1st Corp is moved this Game Turn and has the initiative. On the Confederate side only Daniel Harvey Hills Division can be moved. The normal Fire sequence takes place.

The Game is played as normal  from Game-Turn 2 onward.

The Confederate  Ambrose Powell Hills Division can only enter the game on Game-Turn 5.

However that does not stop you playing the battle out in your own style.

The Sunken Lane;

This is a Trench, and is covered by the rules for Trenches.

Nicodemus Hill.

Stands cannot be moved on or off Nicodemus Hill on the front face. The stands can only be moved via the squares adjacent to the West Wood.

Antietam Creek can only be crossed via the bridge.

Rail Fences ; These do not count as cover

Ranges of weapons;

All muskets are rifled ; 3 squares.

Artillery; most of the artillery at this battle were either Napoleons or 3inch rifled. Both  had the same range so all artillery is 4 squares.

Well, this is my interpretation of the battle. The figures are 15mm Peter Pig and Miniature Figurines. Most of the Generals are Peter Pig.

The flags are from Peter Pig. as are nearly all the buildings. The Dunker church is a Peter Pig building with a cocktail stick cross although I think the Company also has a church amongst its building range.

The split rail fence was made by MBM Scenery in 10mm.

Some of the hills were made by Brian at Essex Miniature, and some were home made especially Nicodemus Hill.

The roads, river and cornfield are of thin card.

The trees were from various manufactures.

Finally the bases are 40mm square cardboard mounting card. The round Command bases are 40mm mdf from Minibits.

 

Battle of Fontenoy: The Austrian Netherlands 1st May 1745.

Prior to this battle, the French Army had not done very well in Northern Italy. It was decided in Council that the Austrian Netherlands being on France's Northern border would be an easier target. The King of France, Louis 15th was also keen to campaign with his army so this would allow him to do so without being in harm's way much to the relief of his Generals.

The French army at this time was being led by possibly the best General of the age; Maurice of Saxony. He knew where the Allied army was likely to advance South. Therefore knowing that his troops were not at their best when going toe-to-toe with the English, he set up a killing field to channel the allied attack.

If the French army were being led by the best, the Allied Army had one of the worst. The Duke of Cumberland was the son of King George 2nd, King of Britain and Elector of Hanover. He did bring in some much needed improvements to the life of his troops, however his grasp of tactics was limited to leading his men into the heaviest enemy fire and keeping them there!

The British army at this point in time was not the finely honed force it would become under the Duke of Wellington. It was, when on the Continent, an auxiliary force to the Hanovarian Army. The Duke of Cumberland was in command of the Pragmatic Army because his social rank. The Pragmatic Army was the name given to the nation's allied to Austria, these being ; Hanover ( with Britain ), Holland,( at this time known as The United Provinces ) and Piedmont-Sardinia.

The opposition consisted of Prussia, France/Spain ( a family alliance ) along with Bavaria.

The Pragmatic Army.

The British;
16,000 foot inc Artillery and Generals.
16 points x 2 = 32 points.
4,500 horse = 4.5 points x 2 = 9 points.

C-in-C Duke of Cumberland = 1 point.
General John Ligonier = 1 point.
2 stands of Grenadier Infantry @ 4 points = 8 points.
5 stands of Line Infantry @ 3 points = 15 points.
2 stands of Scots light Infantry Skirmishers @ 2 points = 4 points.
2 stands of Light Artillery @ 1 point = 2 points.
3 stands of Dragoon Cavalry @ 3 points = 9 points.

The Hanoverian Brigade.

4,000 foot inc Artillery and Generals.
4 points x 2 = 8 points.
2,000 horse = 2 points x 2 = 4 points.

General Zastrow = 1 point.
1 stand of Light Artillery @ 1 point.
2 stands of Line Infantry @ 3 points = 6 points.
2 stands of Lìght Dragoons @ 2 points = 4 points.

The Dutch Army ( also known as the United Provinces ).

22,000 foot ìnc Artillery and Generals.
22 points x 2 = 44 points.
3,000 Horse = 3 points x 2 = 6 points.

General Karl August, Prince of Waldecķ @ 1 point.
General Constrom @ 1 point.
2 stands of Grenadier Ìnfantry @ 4 points = 8 points.
10 stands of Line Infantry @ 3points = 30 points.
4 stands of Light Artillery @ 1 point = 4 points.
3 stands of Light Dragoon Cavalry @ 2 points = 6 points.

The Austrian Netherlands Brigade.

1,500 Horse = 1.5 points x 2 = 3 points ( inc a General ).
500 foot = 0.5 points x 2 = 1 points.

General Count Lothar Konigsegg = 1point.
1 stand of  Light Dragoon Cavalry = 2 points.
1 stand of Militia Line Infantry = 1 point.

The French Army.

32,000 foot inc Artillery and Generals.
32 points x 2 = 64 points.
14,000 cavalry.
14 points x 2 = 28 points.

C-in-C General Maurice De Saxe @ 3 points.
General Vauguyon @ 1 point.
General Lutteaux @ 1 point.

3 stands of Grenadier Infantry @ 4 points = 12 points.
11 stands Line Infantry @ 3 points = 33 points.
3 stands Light Infantry Skirmishers @ 2 points = 6 points.

4 stands of Heavy Artillery @ 2 points = 8 points.

8 stands of Line Dragoon Cavalry @ 3 points = 24 points.
2 stands of Light Dragoon Cavalry @ 2 points = 4 points.

Here is a map of the battle;

Here is the armies laid out;

Notes;

● The ground in front of the British/ Hanovarians sloped up toward the French position. It did not seem to make any difference to the movement so I left it flat.

● The French troops facing the Dutch troops were positioned behind a raised track which ran between Anthoing and Fontenoy. As with the British, it didn't affect the battle in any way so, once again I left it flat.

● King Louis 15th was present at the battle but he did not take command.

● The French Artillery cannot move. If any model gets a "move-back" result from fire or combat, 2 points will be removed from the die roll of each gun model firing back during the same Game-Turn.

● The defense works are treated as trenches. Stands positioned behind them get cover from fire. In combat, both sides use the normal rules.

● The Duke of Cumberland dismounted to lead the British Infantry attack. The British player can have a dismounted version of Cumberland if desired. The model will move at infantry speed.  The Duke ignored advice from his Generals about the redoubt in the woods of Barry!.

● If any British stand has to move back as a result of Fire while the army is positioned on the board edge, the stand is removed!.

● Initial Moves;

On the British side, only the Dutch army moves on the first Game-Turn. From the second Game-Turn onward the game is played as normal.

The Solo Game;

On the British side, only the Dutch army is moved for the first two Game-Turns. From the third Game Turn onward, the British Player uses two thirds of their points for the British/ Hanovarian group first. This is because the Dutch attack was not pushed home.

CREDITS.

The figures are mostly Miniature Figurines supplemented with Peter Pig and Essex miniatures. There are also a stand of Hallmark pioneers. The coach in the bottom corner is from Essex.

The defense works are from a company called Last Man Last Bullet, and supplemented by sections from the Fire and Sword company.

The buildings are from Total Battle Miniatures.

The little supply waggon and the tent base is from Peter Pig.

All the items listed are 15mm and the interpretation of the battle is my own. The flags are hand painted by myself on masking tape.

Battle of Fraustadt; 3rd February 1706 : Western Poland.

On a cold February morning in 1706, two armies faced each other across a  frozen plain. Facing East, a combined army of Saxon and Russian troops in a prepared position.

Facing West, a much smaller but very determined army of Swedish infantry and cavalry. There were no artillery pieces amongst these formations as their General, Rehnskoild had decided on a very rapid advance.

The two armies differed in composition. The Swedish army had all the cavalry and very little infantry. The Saxons along with their Russian allies had the infantry and guns, but very few cavalry.

Why was this?. Further East, the Swedish army led by their King, Charles 12th, besieged the Russian held town of Grodno. He had most of his infantry with him. The Saxon commander King Augustus " The Strong" had taken most of his cavalry in an attempt to break the siege.

General Schulenburg, the Russo- Saxon General left Saxony to attack what he thought would be a very weak Swedish battle group. On that cold February morning he had a very rude awakening.

Rather than retreating, that weak Swedish army led by a very resolute General had decided to attack!!

This is the opposing forces;

Saxony-Russia.

10,300 Saxon Infantry and artillerymen.
2,700 Saxon Cavalry.
40 Field Guns.
5,000 Russian Infantry.

Total: 18,000 = 18 points x 3 = 54 points.

The Saxons;
8 stands of Line Muskets @ 2 points each = 16 points.
2 stands of Pikemen @ 3points each = 6 points.
4 stands of Heavy Field Guns @ 2 points each = 8 points.
4 stands of Line Cavalry @ 2 points each = 8 points.
1 General ( Schulenburg ) @ 1 point.

The Russians;
4 stands of Line Muskets @ 2 points = 8 points.
1 stand of Pikemen @ 2 points = 2 points.
1 stand of Grenadier Muskets @ 3 points.
1 General ( Goltz ) @ 1 point.

The Swedish Army;

6,000 Cavalry.
4,600 Infantry.

Total; 10,600 = 10.6 points x 3 = 32 points ( rounded up).

1 General Rehnskoild @ 2 points.
1 General Von Krassow @ 1 point.
1 General Hummerhelm @ 1 point.

6 stands of Line Muskets @ 1 point each = 6 points.
2 stands of Pikemen @ 3 points each = 6 points.
8 stands of Line Cavalry @ 2 points each = 16 points,

Here is a map of the battle;

NOTES:
With a battle such as this where there are a disparity of forces special rules have to be introduced. The circumstances themselves played a part also.

● The Swedish stands are moved first on every Game-Turn.

●The Swedish Army gets the Initiative Point every Game-Turn.

● On every Game-Turn every Stand of the Swedish Army can be moved if desired. Before the Saxon-Russian Army can move, a 12 sided die is thrown. The result of the throw is the number of stands within the Saxon-Russian army that can be moved including Command stands. The type of stand to be moved is at the discretion of the player.

This rule is used because, during the actual battle there no clear command decisions being made within the allied army.

● The only stands that cannot be moved are the Russian Guns. If a gun stand suffers a " Move Back" as a result of firing it is given a "cannot fire" marker ( or a marker of any description ) which remains in play for that Game-Turn. If the Gun Stand suffers a "Move-Back as a result of Combat, it is removed from the table altogether. ( the crew have been killed and the gun dragged out of position).

● During the Firing Phrase of every Game-Turn, the Swedish Army always fires first, with every stand that can fire. The Saxon-Russian Army has a 12 sided die thrown for it. The result will show the number of stands that can fire. Any Artillery stands that are to fire are included in that number.

● Combat is played out as normal. The Swedish horses did not have shoes fitted so a number of them fell over on the icy ground during the advance,but this did not seem to effect their attack.

Removing a Defence-work;

The front of the Russo-Saxon army was cover by sections of Chevau-de-Frise. If a Swedish infantry stand is adjacent to a section at the start of a Game-Turn with no enemy stand adjacent to the same section, the Swedish stand can try to remove it.
Roll a 6sided die. If the result is 3,4,5 or 6 the section of defence work can be removed.

Final thoughts: When I read about this battle, French Grenadiers and line infantry were mentioned as being present in the Saxon ranks but as there was no further information on the actions of these units I have not included them in the initial deployment.
The battle was fought on a 3 foot x 2 foot ( 90cm x 60cm ) table of 2 inch ( 50mm ) squares.

The Winner.
This will be the side with the lower number of stands lost at the end of eight Game- Turns.
If both sides are equal in the number of stands lost, the Winner will be the side which lost the least total of points in stands lost.

CREDITS;

The figures are a mixture of Miniature Figurines and Peter Pig. The Chavau-de-Frise sections are from Irregular Miniatures.

The flags are pieces of masking tape roughly hand painted by myself.
The buildings were painted and supplied by Total Battle Miniatures.
The trees were from Amazon and decorated with a snow paint by Tamiya and a snow kit from www. Scenics.com
The log sections were from Blotz ( I think?)
The snow field, river and roads were made from sections of thin cardboard bought from Wilkinson and The Works ( two local stores).
The backdrop and square 40mm bases were made from picture-framing cardboard supplied by The Works.
Finally. The round 40mm command bases were supplied by Minibits.

Roman Britain: Part 4 ( contin. )Battle of Segontium.

I thought I would do a battle based on the Campaign map and rules in the previous chapter. Although fictional, the Scots-Irish did raid this area quite often and, for a while actually settled there.

I diced for the scenario and the result was:  "West Coast Raid".

I diced for the number of stands for the Scots-Irish, which was 16.
1 Command stand at @ 2 points.
13 stands of warriors armed with spears and javelins @ 2 points each.
2 stands of archers @ 1 point each.

Being at Segontium, ships were required. I had the Warbands already formed up from the boats. I put the boats in but as it turned out the game finished without them being required.

I used the scenery set up mechanism in Table Top Battles. Two hills, a wood and a river were required. I then had a quick look on Google for the terrain in the area and adapted the four items in a rough approximation.

There were only the civilians at the town but the 20th were at Deva,  so, I had them hard marching in light order to get there!

The Legion is represented by 16 stands.
11 stands are Auxillia style infantry @ 2points each.
4 stands are light archers @ point each.
1 infantry Command stand @ 1 point.

I put 4 small items inside the town plus some stands of civilians. I also put 2 stands of civil guard to represent the town decurione and his personal retinue. As it turned out, they didn't do much at all!!

In the rules I use,  Infantry stands can move onto a wall from the outside if there is space. During the course of the battle, three stands of warriors made it over to open the gate! from the inside.

I interpreted this action as a result of a lack of garrison and the dilapidated state of the walls!

The Romans formed up to the East in line. The Roman Prefect had his men form up not knowing what he was up against. The Scots-Irish formed up to the West and South on the shoreline ready to attack the town, not knowing the Romans had arrived.

I used my own Table Top Battle Solo rules with the 2 player mechanics of Fire and Combat.

I fought this battle over 8 turns. For most of the battle the Scots-Irish had the upper hand and the Romans were being beaten. Three stands of Scots-Irish made it into town and rounding up townspeople and loot.

It looked like the Scots-Irish were going to get away. Right on the eighth turn disaster struck!. The Scots-Irish Chieftain was struck down!

The Casualties were about even but losing the Chieftain lost the battle for the Scots-Irish.

The battle finished with the remainder of the Warband heading for the boats. Some of the Warband were caught exiting the town, therefore the prisoners and loot were recovered. There was one relieved Prefect at the end of it all!.

As always the table is 3 feet x 2 feet ( 90cm x 60cm). The squares are 2" ( 50mm ). The boats and fort are scratchbuilt from cardboard and foamboard. 

The figures are Hat Industries Roman Auxilliaries and Goths. The Roman archers are Newline Design 1/72 scale metal figures.

The Civilians are from Ceaser Miniatures and come from their boxes of Roman Supply Train.

The spears are from North Star Miniatures ( 28mm javelins). The buildings are from either Peter Pig or Hovels.

The square stands are picture framing cardboard 40mm x 40mm. The round stands are 40mm, from Minibits. The wood area bases are from S and A Scenics and the trees are various manufacturers.

Roman Britain Part 4 : A Campaign.

The following is some rough campaign ideas for fighting battles in Roman Britain during the 4th century ( 301AD to 400AD).

A single stand of figures is roughly equal to 100 men.

The  Infantry Unit;

The Unit represents a Cohort of Roman troops or a Numerus of Federated tribesmen.
The unit is represented by 4 stands of figures.
They do not have to be armed all the same, so you can mix n' match the stands.

The Infantry Warband;

These are of 4 stands. Again they don't have to be armed all the same.

The Ala Petriana;

This Roman cavalry unit is of 8 stands. They do not have to be armed all the same. This unit does not have to operate together and so, could be split into smaller groups of stands

Warband cavalry;

Not available in great numbers and limited to the Picts and the Scots Irish;
Each of these Nations would each have one group of 4 stands.

War chariots;
A bit controversial this one. The Scots-Irish were also known as the Del Riatta or
" people of the chariot". Wether that refers to another time, I don't know, but because the Scots-Irish had settlements on the West Coast of Caledonia (what
is now Scotland )they might have been used so, I have one group of 4 stands.

Command Stands;

Within my own rules I just have a command stand for the whole group of stands comprising one army, however if you have command stands for each group then go with that.

Note: The stands within each unit do not have to move together. They can be moved independently of each other. However the choice is your own.

The scenarios;

Below are listed four groups of towns that can be attacked by specific tribal groups depending on their location. Besides some of the names is the letter (N) denoting a Numerus being present. A Numerus is a Cohort of Federated troops with some training but carrying their own weapons.

In the first three scenarios listed, a 12 sided ( or two D6) die is required. This number decides which town the Warband has appeared at.

Dicing for size of forces;

The Roman player may already have a Numerus present in the town. If any others are within one move distance on the map ( between one town and the next is one move distance ) these other units may take part.

The Warband player throws a D6 for the number of stands they have;
For Land Battles;
1 or 2:  8 stands.
3 or 4: 16 stands.
5 or 6: 24 stands.

If the Warbands are landing by boat;
1 or 2: 8 stands.
3 or 4:12 stands.
5 or 6: 16 stands.

Each marked town on the map represents the town and the area around it so this may decide the type of battle to be fought. If outnumbered two to one or more, the weaker army or group can have defenseworks like a town stockade or marching camp.

If numbers are three-to-two, the weaker side will pick which edge to fight from after the stronger side has rolled for scenery ( say three pieces).

The Legion;

If a full Legion takes the field  ( which was rare ), 16 stands will be required.  Again these stands don't have to be armed all the same. One command stand will represent the Prefect or whoever you nominate as senior commander. In my previous blog I said that Legions would be 2000 men. However the 16 stands would give you 1,600 men which is probably closer to the norm!

The Petriana Horse,

If the full Ala takes the field this will be represented by 8 stands. Again, they don't have to be armed all the same. Once again this will give you 800 men rather than 1000 which ,again would probably be closer to actual numbers.

I'm being a bit loose on organisation of figure types for a reason. At this time various units were being moved all over the place and to the continent. There was also continual warfare. The supplies of weapons, armour and food must have been disrupted a fair bit. I'm sure some units had a less than organised appearance.

The Scenarios:

Throw a D6 to decide which scenario you wish to follow:

Score 1: Picts and Scots-Irish; Northern Incursions.

Roll a D12 ( or 2 D6 ) to see which town the Warband starts from;

1 to 3 : Luguvalium ( N).
4 to 6 : Brocarum ( N ).
7 to 9 : Brementenacium ( N).
10 to 12 : Verbeia.

Score 2; Scots-Irish West Coast raid.

Roll a D12 ( or two D6 ).

Deva : 20th Legion ( 2,000 men ).
1 or 2: Segontium.
3 or 4 : Isca.
5 or 6 : Glevum ( N ).
7 or 8 : Lindinus ( N ).
9 or 10 : Corinium Doburiorum ( N ).
11 or 12 : Isca Dumnoniorum ( N).

Score 3 or 4 ;  Fankish or Frisian Pirates. The Picts ; East Coast.

Throw a D12 ( or 2 D6 );

1 or 2 : Bannovallum.
3 or 4 : Ventacenorum.
5 or 6 : Combatovium ( N) ☆
7 or 8 : Lindum ( N).
9 or 10 : Durobrivae, 3rd Cohort, 2nd Augusta. ☆
11 or 12 : Durovigutum ( N ). ☆
Rutupiae : 1st and 2nd  Cohort, 2nd Augusta. ☆

Note: Those town marked thus; ☆ , must be taken first then Londinium can be claimed. Londinium becomes a permanent Saxon base.

Score 5 or 6 : Rebellion!.

Throw a D6. If a "4 " is thrown for example, the first four towns on the list revolt and have to be defeated by regular troops. Any Warbands in the area will join the troops in revolt.

Score 1: Virconium (N ).
Score 2 : Vectinis.
Score 3 : Portus Dubris; 4th Cohort,  2nd Augusta.
Score 4 : Portus Aderni ( N ).
Score 5 : Gabrantovicorum ( N ).
Score 6 : Arbeia ( N ).

MOVEMENT ON THE MAP.

● Players each throw a D6. The higher scoring player moves first. The second Player  moves next. After this, players take it in turns to move. Once both players have moved, fought battles etc, that concludes one Campaign Turn.

● A whole group will be in one square. When two opposed groups move into a square, a battle is fought.

● A group can be moved one square across country or two squares on a road.

● If ships are used they will move three squares on the map. They can move to any part of the shoreline but troops can only move away from the boats on the following turn.

● If a group moves into a town square with no opposition they can sack the town which is worth 5 points.

● A group needs 20 points for a successful raid. They also need to get back across the border or away in their boats. Each stand can " carry" 5 points with them, though if they fight, they must stash a marker on the table representing 5 points of loot.

Ships:

I know that not everybody has ships in their collection. A flat cardboard tray will suffice. It has to be big enough to hold one stand.

The Romans have access to a Navy of 12 ships. 4 are based at Rutupiae. 4 are based at Portus Aderni. 4 are based at Arbeia. The Roman player cannot replace these ships.

These ships were called Picati. They could hold 100 men. They were painted a blue-gray colour. The Roman crewmen also had blue-Gray tunics

 At the end of the 8th Campaign turn, the Warband player can sail 4 ships from either, Hibernia, Caledonia or Himlingoje ( Denmark ).

The ship's move three squares on the map.

Well, that's it for the moment. Hopefully the above will give you some ideas about a campaign. It's deliberately vague in places so that you can bring your own mechanisms in to play.

As the man said:  Ficta voluptatis causa sint proxima veris
( Fictions meant to please should approximate the truth ).

Roman Britain part 3: The Opposition.

As explained previously the Roman Army of Britain in the 4th Century suffered repeated raids from tribes on the periphery of Britannia.

The Picts:

This group of people lived North of Hadrians Wall  The Picts lived in the Central and Eastern part of  what is now Scotland. The Romans called the area Caledonia. At one stage the Romans tried to bring this area under their  control.

To do this the Antonine Wall was built, North of Hadrians Wall. This wall was made of turf. It was not held for long as the Romans realised that holding the territory was not gaining any advantage. Eventually, Hadrians Wall marked the Northern  boundary of Roman Britain.

As the Roman garrisons on the Wall were reduced the Picts saw their chance to launch raids into Roman territory.

The warriors themselves went into battle semi-naked, their bodies being tattooed in a blue dye.
Only the Chiefs wore any sort of armour if at all. More usually just a helmet. All the warriors carried a shield either square or round.

Only the Chiefs carried swords. The warriors carried a mix of javelins with either spears or axes. Some also carried long spears thus when they assumed a basic close order formation, the long spears would extend out over the front rank.

Some of the men may have been armed with crossbows and short bows..
The Picts used horses or ponies probably ridden by the nobles and their hearth troops.

The raiding parties could range from maybe 50 or 60 men up to 4,000 warriors for a serious attack. As previously stated, the Picts were also capable of mounting seaborne raids as well, using small ships carrying 50/60 men.

The Scots-Irish or "Scotti".

These people lived on the East Coast of Ireland ( known to the Romans as Hibernia ) and the West Coast of Scotland ( Caledonia).
 The warriors raided the coast of Wales, Devon and Cornwall. Wales was called Britannica Secunda. Devon and Cornwall together were known as Dumnonia which became part of the Roman Province of Britannica Superior.

The Scots-Irish were very much like the Picts with the same mix of weapons. The Scots-Irish were also known as the Del Riatta, " the people of the Chariot ".  I don't know if they were actually using chariots in this era. However in recent times some metal parts of chariot harness have been found in the North-East of England. Therefore personally I've gone in favour of a bit of colour and added some to my collection!.

These would be light chariots which in my own rules have a chance to avoid combat.
The Scots-Irish also had ships capable of carrying 50/100 men.

Both the Picts and the Scots-Irish were not enemies who were easy to beat, especially when allied to the terrain they operated in, which was a tangle of hills, valleys and forests.

Like the Picts, pitched battles were a rarity with guerrilla tactics being the norm. Warbands could be 30 to 50 individuals up to about 3 or 4,000 strong for a serious attack.

By about the 8th century ( I think?) both nations had amalgamated in Caledonia to become the Scots.

The Saxons ,Angles and Jutes.

These people were the ones who exercised the most influence over Roman Britain and its future history especially in England.

During the time of the Roman Empire these three nations shared the territory of Denmark, which if I understand correctly was called Himlingoje at this time.

By the 4th century there were groups of these people already living in this country. They had been bought in by the Roman army and settled here as Federated troops.

Update 25th August 2010
As stated in a previous article, any Angles, Saxons or Jutes in Britannia prior to 450AD would have been living within the military posts
They may have bought their families in with them or married into the local British population.

Most of the warriors were armed with shields and a long knife with a single edge called a seax. Throwing weapons were javelin and spears. Those warriors who were really poor carried a bow.

The Chieftains, apart from having swords and shields could also have had body armour.
On the continent, the Saxons lived in close proximity to the Frank's, so, there is a chance that the Saxons had horse-handling skills. They could also have used the throwing axe ( the fransisca ) and the spiculum ( a metal javelin akin to a pilum ).

Those warriors recruited into the Army would be armed with Roman equipment.

Like the Picts and Scots-Irish, the Angles, Saxons and Jutes were also capable seafarers.

These Germanic people were capable and loyal troops until the money ran out. There is a history of embezzlement in this and subsequent eras of the Late Empire.
Some Roman officers were retaining money that was supposed to go to the men.
There was also "dead mans pay" where Officers drew money for more men than they actually had!.

This was one of the reasons why, when someone like Maximus came along and looked after the troops they in turn would promote the General in his quest for Imperial power.


Frankish and Frisian Pirates.

As previously stated the "Saxon" raiders could have been Franks or Frisians. As they spoke a Germanic dialect the Britons could have just labelled them "Saxon" as the Romans did.

The Franks and Frisian when they came in as raiders sometimes allied themselves with the Picts. It would not be unusual to have Romano-Saxon troops fighting  these other tribesmen.

By the end of the 4th  century the situation in Britannia continued to get worse but luckily the Civil Administration continued to operate albeit in a ramshackle state!

There is a possibility that the Christian Decuriones ( the rich, land-owning Civil administrators ) paid some of the troops to protect their area and property, giving the rise to private armies. This was happening within other parts of the Empire.

The figures are mostly from Hat miniatures. The Scots-Irish chariots are Hat Miniatures Gaulish Chariots.  The chariot figures have different heads and shields. The Pictish Army is mix of Hat Saxons, Hat Gothic Cavalry, and Red Box Pict Infantry. The Saxons are a mix of Hat Goth Infantry and Miliart German Tribesmen.

 The Roman heavy cavalry are a mix of Roman, Sassanian and Parthian Heavy cavalry with changed heads. Some of the horses are Ceaser miniatures. The spears and lances are 28mm from North Star. All the Roman infantry are from Hat Late Roman Auxilliaries. The fortifications are scratchbuilt as are the boats. The stand are 40mm square picture framing cardboard. The round bases are 40mm mdf from Minibits.

Roman Britain part 2; The Roman Army in the 4th Century

I am no historian, and this article is my own interpretation of events during this turbulent era.

As previously stated, units of the Roman Army were gradually withdrawn from Britain to fight on the Continent. As the  domestic situation deteriorated, the ruling pro-Roman elite decided to leave the towns and make for their fortified villas in the country.

Although most of the fighting troops had been withdrawn, it's seems that some were left to put up a defense against the gangs of bandits and deserters, the Warbands of Scots-Irish,( the Del-Riata) and Picts along with bands of Franks and Frisians.

Addendum July 8th 2020:

 As mentioned in a previous article my own belief is that the "Saxon" raiders could have been Frankish or Frisian Pirates.
The Franks and Saxons detested each other. There were Saxon Federated troops already in Britannia at this time. I have read that, there is very little archeological evidence of Saxon settlement in Britannia during this period, and prior to 450AD. Therefore I’m assuming that any Saxons, Angles or Jutes were posted within Roman military forts.

The Forces Involved.

This is a bit of a tough one. There is  information available on regular units for this era but not actual numbers, so this is my best guess.

Cavalry;
There was only one formation that stayed in Britain. This was the Ala Petriana. It was based near Carlisle ( Luguvalium on the map ) at a fort on Hadrians Wall ( Uxelodunum ).

There was also a fort at Verbeia ( Ilkley) which contained a cataphract cavalry unit. This could have been  a unit detached from the main Petriana Ala.

The original formation was 1000 men but by the time of the 4th century that number could have been half or less. My own estimate is 300 to 500 men, tending toward the lower figure. I also think this unit would probably have ended up at Eboricum ( York). There may have been other Cavalry formations but they were only stationed in Britannia for a short while.

When the unit first came to Britain they may have been composed of armoured cavalry. As time went on the armour may have become lighter in order to become more mobile. Also, in campaigning it may have been the experience that less armour was required against lighter armed opponents.

In regard to weapons, it seems that the cavalrymen were well trained in the use of the lance, spears, javelin and bow. Therefore any cavalry you have in your collection will fit the bill.

The Prefect of the Ala was the Senior Prefect within the Roman Army in Britain. Some of the cavalry unit may have been taken to Gaul but it is not known wether this transfer took place if at all

The Heavy Infantry.

In the early days of the Empire there were six Legions based in Britain and involved in campaigns against the tribes. These were;
2nd Legion Augusta,
2nd Legion Adiutrix,
6th Legion Victrix,
9th Legion Hispana,
14th Legion Gemini,
20th Legion Valeria.

Three of these Legions ( or sub-units of these formations ) were still in Britain during the 4th  century;

The 2nd Augusta. Based at Rutupiae. ( Richborough ).
The 6th Victrix.  Based at Eboricum. ( York )
The 20th Valeria. Based at Deva, (Chester ) with some units at Camuludunum. ( Slack near Huddersfield ).

Originally of 4/5000 men these unit numbers would have been changed under the Diocletion reforms. The original number was reduced to 2000 men per Legion. This number could have been weakened more by Imperial claimants taking troops back to Gaul.

The Auxilliaries;

Originally drawn from all over the Empire and coming in with the Legions, up to 30,000 Auxiliary  infantry served in Britain. These were organised into Cohorts of 500 infantrymen and armed with bows, slings, javelin and spears. Most of these infantry were also withdrawn leaving roughly 7000 men still manning their posts.

Citizen Qualification:

This was a major influence on the organisation of the Roman Army. In 212AD all Freemen within the Empire became Citizens. The difference between Legionary and Auxilliary disappeared and every man was a " Peditatus"or Infantryman. The Cavalrymen were always known as Equites.

The Later Army.

The Army was now divided in half. One half was the Field Army ( the Commitatenses ) which engaged in mobile operations. The other half was the Limitanii. These were used as static units to defend the borders.

There has been a debate over the years about the quality and armament of these border troops, but recent thinking has decided that these men were just as well trained as the field troops.

Some of the Limitanii may well have been experienced veterans retired from the Field Army.

These men also had access to the equipment when required. On most occasions they went up against lightly armed raiders with at most a shield. Therefore, a shield and helmet were all that was needed. Body armour (mail or leather ) was available if more serious fighting was intended. The large heavy shield was dispensed with in favour of a smaller round or oval shield more suited for dispersed fighting in woodland.

Therefore all the Infantrymen of the 2nd, 6th and 20th would have been Limitanii style infantry. Their main weapon is still the famous Pilum, the weighted heavy javelin used by all Roman Infantry since the early days of the Republic. However this weapon was now gradually being replaced with the Verutum ( a spear that could be thrown or used in close combat ), and the Spiculum, an all-metal javelin similar to the pilum.

There was also the Plumbata or martiobarbouli This was a small weighted dart, 4 of which were clipped behind the shield.

The Peditus were also trained in the use of bows and slings. Therefore your Cohort could have four stands all armed differently.

Troop totals;

Taking into account the above numbers, the reforms and Rebellions I estimate 13,000 infantry and  1000 cavalry. I think the Cavalry would have been  kept at full strength as long as possible. Without good quality remounts being available the Ala would have slowly lost its strength.

Note: Between 367AD and 372AD, Count Theodosius The Elder was made Comes Britannarium and sent to Britannia by the Emperor Valentinian with a force of 4 units. Not a great deal is known of the exact composition, but it was either Cohorts or Ala or a mix of both Cavalry and Infantry. As both types were of approximately 500 men, that would make this force about 2000 strong.

At one point Magnus, during 383 to 390, while still attempting to take the Purple, was forced to send back a Legion plus cavalry to Britannia. This force was led by the Comes Gallium with the name of Vallio. Although successful he was assassinated so that he could not threaten Maximus.

At this time the Penine and Welsh forts were abandoned, with the 20th Legion being withdrawn from Glevum. There is a possibility that Eboricum became more prominent as a central base for the Romano British forces.


Troop command.

During this era the Provinces were subdivided to reduce any Provincial Governers chances of gathering a large army. Next,command of army units were taken out of the hands of local Governors and retained within the Army. There were two Senior Commands in Britannia ;

The Dux Brittanarium; He commanded units in the North and East
The Comes Litoris Saxonici; The Count of the Saxon Shore. He commanded the units stationed in the South and South-East of the country.( The Romans may have used the word “ Saxon “ as a broad description for any Germanic tribes, therefore Frisian and Frankish pirates being “ Saxon” hence The Saxon Shore.)

The Dux Brittanarium was the Senior of the two. There are two that are known of;

Fullofaudes. He met his end during the Great Barbarian Conspiracy.
His replacement, Dulcitius carried on the command.

How long these two men were in charge during the 4th century is not known.

The Count of the Saxon Shore; one was Nectaridus. He was also killed during the Conspiracy but his replacement is unknown. When Theodosius the Elder  came to Britannia he may have taken over command.

The troops themselves were organised into 500 man Cohorts led by a Prefect or Tribune. The word “ Cohort" was gradually changing to “ Numerus”.

Suggested scale of troops;

Using the Table Top Battles system;

1,000 cavalry = 1 point x 2 = 1 stand of cavalry @ 2 points.

13,000 infantry = 13 points x 2 = 26 points =

 4 armoured infantry @ 3 points = 12 points.

4 stands of unarmoured infantry @ 2 points each = 8 points.

4 stands of unarmoured archers @ 1 point each = 4 points.

2 Command stands @ 1 point each = 2 points.

Total = 28 points.
The infantry composition can be changed by withdrawing the armoured infantry for lighter armed troops. The cavalry can be upgraded to 3points if you withdraw 1 General. The Cavalry always remains at one stand.

Alternatively; A stand is equal to roughly 25 to 75 men; with four stands equalling a unit. A 1 point stand equals 25 men. A 2 point stand equals 50 men. A 3 point stand equals 75 men.

As you can see by the photos the 4 stand unit is the one I am using ( the practical reason being, that you get a lot of plastic in a box!!) but I still use a mix of individual stands in an “ ad hoc” arrangement if required. The 3 point stand is the “ heaviest” available in Britannia in this Era.

That's the end of this chapter. The figures are 20mm Hat figures with some Newline designs 20mm metal. The map was hand drawn by myself with info gleaned from The Ordinance Survey map of Roman Britain.

Roman Britain ; Part 1, The 4th century. 301AD to 400AD.

This was a time of great change right across Europe. The Roman Empire was slowly collapsing from the inside as various claimants both Roman and non Roman fought for the Emperors throne both in the East and West.

Having two Emperors, one in each half of the Empire did not halt the Roman Empire,s enthusiasm for Civil War.

In order to make up the drain on manpower each Roman leader was forced by lack of financial resources to recruit tribesmen into the army.

During the Republic and the early years of the Empire, the state always recruited auxiliary troops from the races they either conquered,or cowed into cooperating with them. These non-Roman troops were kept apart from the Regular Army.

Now however times had changed and these former auxiliaries were now fully integrated into the system. Wether they liked it or not Roman Officers had no choice!.

The former tribal leaders of these Foederatii or federated troops were made Prefects and their Warbands became Cohorts. They were then posted to areas within the Empire away from their original homeland.

For example, in 370AD a Saxon chieftain by the name of Fruomarius was made a Tribune and he, along with a "Numerus "( Cohort) of his men were posted to Britain.

Britannia had been suffering tribal raids for some time. As Imperial contenders tussled for Power, the Army had to operate despite troop shortages. The situation had not improved during 365/ 371 AD, in the Great Barbarian Conspiracy.

 It seems the Roman Secret Service ( the Arcana) failed in collecting information on the preparations made by the various opposing Nations. The Western Frontier suddenly came under attack from the East, the North and South all at once.

The Germanic Allemani, Franks and Saxons, were plundering Gaul and Raetia.
The Sarmatians and Quadii were attacking Pannonia.

Picts,  Frankish pirates, Frisians, Scotti and Attacotti ( also known as the Del Riatta? ) were raiding South of Hadrians Wall. These tribesmen were coming over or through the Wall where it was thinly held. When not attacking the Wall they would sail down the East or West Coast and outflank the Wall completely.

The Asturianii of Tripolis and Berbers were raiding colonies on the North African coast. At one stage the Romans could not retaliate because of the lack of pack camels.

The Goths were raiding Pannonia, and the Persians Armenia.

Roman troops in Britannia had not been paid, therefore they deserted and formed bands of looters sometimes even joining with the tribesmen.

In 368AD Theodosius came to Britannia to correct the situation.Marching from London he sent out companies of soldiers lightly armed to break up the mobs of mutineers and bandits along with marauding tribesmen.

After about a year of campaigning Theodosius managed to restore order. Mutineers were executed and tribal raiders were killed or driven off. Hadrians Wall was regarrisoned.

The 6th Legion upgraded their fort at Eboricum. ( modern day York ).

In 383AD the acting Commander of the British Army, Magnus Maximus was proclaimed Emperor by the troops. Maximus took a fair number of troops from the North of England and headed to Gaul for a showdown with the current Western Emperor Gratian.

In the subsequent battles Maximus was killed. Many of his soldiers did not want to return to Britain and so they settled on the West coast of Gaul. The area was called Brettania which was also known as Amorica (modern day Brittany ).

In 398AD the Western Roman Magister Militum ( Army Commander in Chief ) Stilicho, came with an army to Britain. He waged a campaign against the Picts and the Scotti setting out from the fortification of Hadrians Wall.

His force was said to be nine Units of Commitatenses ( these were regular field army troops maybe 18,000 men ). By about 350 AD, the old Legions  had been split in half ,each part being known as a " Junior" or " Senior" formation.

 In the Eastern part of the Empire some of the old Legions may have still retained their original formation. The new formations were about 2000 men strong, and were all one type of Infantry. Cavalry formations were also of 2000 men and again were all the same troop type.

This was ok for the bigger battles, but increasingly  warfare was being fought by smaller formations within the Empire itself:  A) because of the lack of resources, and B) Roman troops could not be everywhere to counter the tribal incursions. It was not unusual for regular troops to face " barbarian" troops dressed and armed in the same fashion!.

Most military formations were either Infantry Cohorts ( Numerus) or Cavalry Ala ( Banda ), led by a Tribune or a Prefect. These formations were about 300 to 500 men in total.It seems that as time went on , if you had 300 men in your formation you were doing well,.

Larger battle groups were made up of a number of cohorts or Ala or a mix of both. Usually it was a case of making do with what was available.

On the rivers , Naval units known as " Riparenses" patrolled the major waterways in an effort to break up raiding Warbands, either before they crossed the border or as they made their way back encumbered with loot and slaves. The Roman vessels were painted blue/grey and held about 50 men.

The Rhine and the Danube marked the border of the Western Empire. In 367 AD and for two years after, the Rhine flooded making it difficult to campaign in the area.

Events on the Continent continued to slowly disintegrate as Germanic tribes pushed Westward. Senior Germanic Chieftains obtained Praetorian status in the Army as Roman Emperors and Generals were forced to negotiate. Lack of troop numbers meant that sometimes matters could not be settled by main force.

 These Tribal recruits were given training but stilled retained some of their own customs. The Roman Army was becoming less " Italian" and more " Germanic". Even the Eagle Standards were being replaced with the Draco, a metal dragons head on a staff with material attached shaped like a Windsock. Such was the situation as Britain headed into the 5th century and more problems on the horizon.


Addendum added 8th July 2020:

Having read more about the 3rd and 4th  century I am more inclined to believe that the " Saxon" raiders mentioned in the histories are Frankish or Frisian pirates. The reason for this is that there were already Saxon Federated troops  within the Roman army, some being posted to Britannia. The Franks and Saxons detested each other and, at this time the Saxons had not yet migrated to the West coast of Europe. The word "Saxon" may have been used by the Romans to describe all Germans.


The figures in the illustrations are Hat Industries with some Newline Designs. The ship's crew are Emhar Viking crew. The spears and javelins are from North Star. Some of the shields are from Magister Militum.

 The boats are scratch built, along with the fort and the ballista. I think the buildings are Hovels and Peter Pig. The tree area bases and road sections are S and A Scenics. The trees are various manufacturers.

The wagons, mules and civilians, are from Ceaser Miniatures Roman Supply Train boxes.

Battle of South Mountain; Maryland September 14th 1862

This battle came about as General Lee closed in on Harper's Ferry. He wanted to use the location as a base for further operations in Union held territory.

General Lee issued his General Order 191 detailing his plans to capture this Union base. Unfortunately a copy of this order was obtained by the Union Army.

The exact circumstances surrounding this incident have never been fully discovered, nonetheless, this opportunity to attack the Confederate army while it was dispersed was not to be missed.

The Union General Ambrose Burnside realised that he had the key to stopping Lee,s manoeuvres.

As the Union 1st and 9th Corps closed in, General Lee was informed of that his orders had been intercepted so made his dispositions accordingly.

Lee and his Generals realised that any Union forces would have to come through the passes of the Blue Ridge Mountains, specifically, Turner Gap and Fox,s Gap.

Confederate General Daniel Harvey Hill,s Division was the nearest formation to the passes and so he was given the task of defending them so that the rest of the army could concentrate on Harper's Ferry.

On inspecting the ground General Hill realised the enormity of the task he had been given. In order to cover the passes he had to spread out his Division quite thinly to cover the ground North to South along the crest of the mountain.

Daniel Harvey Hill,s Confederate Division.
5 Brigades : 7,000 = 7 points x 2= 14 points.

General Daniel Harvey Hill @ 1 point.
General George Anderson @ 1 point.

10 stands of Line Infantry @ 1 point = 10 points. ( these can move as Skirmishers).
2 stands of Light Artillery @ 1 point = 2 points.

I gave the infantry stands a value of 1 point as Hill's Division had to spread out to cover a lot of ground making the formations a bit weak.

During the battle Longstreets Division
did some hard marching in order to support
Hill. The Brigades from Longstreets Division
that made it came in piecemeal to Hills
position ;

11,000 = 11 points x 2 = 22 points.

4 stands of Line Infantry @ 3 points each = 12 points.
3 stands of Line Infantry @ 2 points each = 6 points.
2 stands of Light Artillery @ 1 point = 2 points.

The Union Army.
Ambrose Burnside.
28,000 = 28 points x 2= 56 points.

General Alfred Pleasontons
Cavalry Corps.
3 stands of Cavalry @ 2 points = 6 pts.
( represented dismounted @ 1 point each).

Left Wing ; 9th Corp.
General Jesse L. Reno. @ 1 point.
General Jacob D. Cox @ 1 point.

9 stands of Line Infantry @ 2 points = 18 points.
2 stands of Light Artillery @ 1 point = 2 points.

General Pleasontons cavalry was sent in first
in skirmish order.

Reno,s Corps then moved forward on the left,
but the attack slowed and became fragmented
because of the broken terrain.

General Burnside eventually came up to
the battlefield and gave Hooker the orders to
attack the left flank of the Confederate position
to support Reno.

Right Wing ; 1st Corp.
General Joseph Hooker @ 1 point.

6 stands of Line Infantry @ 3 points = 18 points.
3 stands of Line Infantry @ 2 points = 6 points.
3 stands of Light Horse Artillery @ 1 point = 3 points.

Here is the map;

At the top of the map are the Confederate reinforcements.
From the start of the third Game-Turn and at the start of the Confederate  moving phase, a 6 sided die is thrown for each stand. On a roll of a 5 or 6 that stand can be moved forward into the Confederate battle line.

This is done on every Confederate movement
phase.

For the Union Army;

On the 1st Game Turn only Pleasontons
cavalry can move.

On the 2nd Game Turn, Pleasontons
cavalry and 9th  Corp.

On the 3rd Game Turn, all the Union
army can move.

All the Artillery have a range of 4 squares
due to the terrain limiting the gunners view.

Here is the table laid up ready for battle;

The view is from behind the Confederate position.
I have truncated the battlefield a bit i.e.,
Boonsboro is closer than it should be.

The Confederate reinforcements are those
stands behind the hills at the bottom of the picture.

There were some farms amongst the broken
terrain on South Mountain. The Confederate troops of Hill,s  Division took up position behind some stone walls so these are represented on the table. Shooting at a target behind these deduct 2 points from a firing die.

All muskets are 3 squares range.
Cavalry carbine are 2 squares.

 Brigades from Longstreets Division and the
Union 1st Corp did not come into the field until later in the day. I thought it would make for an easier set up if all the stands required were present on the board.

This engagement can be fought with the respective movements as detailed, or as a straight forward battle.

The battle is 8 GameTurns. The Union army
wins if they can  cause more casualties
to the Confederate army and/or drive them
off the ridge.

The Confederates win if they still hold the ridge in superior numbers of stands to that of the Union army at the end of the 8th Game Turn..

General Reno lost his life in this battle as did a number of Brigade commanders on both sides.

As before the table is 3 feet x 2 feet ( 90cm x  60cm ) and my own interpretation of events.

The figures are 15mm Peter Pig and Miniature Figurines. The flags are from Peter pig.
The Hills are from Essex Miniatures some years back. Trees from various sources. I think the walls were from Tiger Terrain.