As I've explained before, after each battle, I do some upkeep for the various units and commanders that were involved. I keep track by using playing cards from an old ACW card game, and add some post-it note to write down the changed characteristics.
First of all, each commander that took part in the battle is rolled for on a table of additional abilities, mishaps, or possibly death.
Union:
- On the right flank, Irvin McDowell was in command, and gains a +1 bonus for movement order.
- The left flank was commanded by Robert C. Schenk, but he doesn't seem to have picked up additional experience.
Confederacy:
- The right flank was under the command of Jubal A. Early, and he also doesn't gain additional experience.
- The flank that attacked the hill was led by Philip St. George Cock, and he gets a bonus when commanding infantry.
For each side, a unit can be recommended for an additional ability.
- I decided that for the Confederacy, the 2nd Old Dominion Dragoons would receive a bonus, since the took the lead in the cavalry action on the left flank near the hill. The 2nd Old Dominion Dragoons had the "increased unit strength" ability before, but all abilities are lost when a unit is routed., which happened during the Battle of Freeburg (and hence they were reborn as the 2nd of their series :-)). I rolled on the unit advancement table, and funnily enough, they receive the same "increased unit strength" ability again.
- For the Union, the 2nd Old Forest Fusiliers drove off the Confederate cavalry twice, came back, even countercharged, and were boosted by a random events card. They now also receive the "increased strength" bonus.
As for routed units, they increase their "number". It fits nicely with the ACW theme, and thus we have:
- 4th Virginia Volunteers
- 2nd Bayou Bourbon Brigade
- 2nd Buffalo Trace Brigade
- 3rd Rebel Oak Infantry
and ...
- 2nd Wild Turkey Volunteers
- 2nd Knob Creek Cavalry
- 2nd Chivas Regal Cavalry
Below you see the updated cards. Sometimes I simply add some marks to the post-it note, but if it becomes too much of a mess, I simply use a new one.
The stars on the officer's cards indicate how many battle they fought in.
The unit histories are a great touch Phil.
ReplyDeleteThe Virginia Volunteers are an unlucky unit 😁 Four routs from five games.
Yes, it adds some character. Of course, there's also the "emotional" angle as my gaming group can recall the specific game in which a unit was routed (or got an advancement).
DeleteFor each army I have a deck of cards: 12 infantry, 6 cavalry, 4 artillery. When I set out a battle, I simply draw cards at random (per type) for the neded units, so sometimes a unit doesn't show up for some time, sometimes it features several battles in a row.
It's a low key system for having some unit continuity and a simple narrative arc, without descending into the rabbit hole of a full campaign system.
I have a complete set of the Dixie card game as well as a lot of spares and the follow up game whose name escapes me for the time being.
DeleteI'm not sure how rare or common Dixie cards are these days.
Jim
Shiloh is the second game.
DeleteJim,
DeleteI also bought the Dixie game when it came out, and have a bunch of loose cards (which I now use in my miniature games as shown), but also have a "collector's box" with the full set.
But I haven't played that game in years. I always held onto the cards though, because I thought they would come in handy sometime.
I also have the collector's box (full set) for the Waterloo game.
I keep the game box subtly hidden where I hope my 9 year old grandson will 'find' it one day.
Delete