Back to Tuxedo Junction

In our previous game the Confederates won and took the station at Tuxedo Junction from the Yankees. The scenario in WSS 108 suggested that, if the Confederates won, the scenario could be played in reverse.

This time the Confederate cavalry is patrolling and can only deploy after a chapter ends (first card = tiffin card) and the Confederates start with one group of engineers, one group of regulars and a leader in the station building. They have 4 tasks: search the station building for valuables and intel, burn down the station building, drain the water tower and disable the locomotive at the station. Setting the building on fire and disabling the locomotive is a task which can only be performed by the engineers.

While the Confederates are searching the station building, a Union force enters the table from the town.

Confederate groups move up to counter the Yankees. The group inside the station building have concluded their search and exit the building.

After their first attempt failed (due to triggering a random event), the engineers manage to set fire to the station building. Two out of four tasks completed, things are going well for the Confederates.

The Union cavalry rushes forward to protect the locomotive and water tower. Another Union formation follows on foot.

The main Yankee formation in the town is holding, but are taking casualties. 

Confederates and Yankees are both trying to get to the water tower first.

The Tiffin card is drawn first: the chapter ends. This means the burning building collapses and the Confederate cavalry card is added to the deck.

The engineers got out in time.

The Union cavalry has dismounted and is pounding the Confederates near the water tower. 

The survivors climb the water tower, but are wiped out.

One of the Confederate groups on the other side of the table has to withdraw due to excessive shock, but the Union group is also taking a beating.

 

The Union formation breaks!

The arrival of the Confederate cavalry forces the Yankees to shift their attention from the engineers to this new threat.

The engineers have moved behind the locomotive and are disabling it, completing their third task.

Massed Yankee fire now destroys the dismounted Confederate cavalry, reducing their force morale to a level where they call it quits.

The Yankees have re-taken Tuxedo Junction, but all the rifle and carbine fire around the water tower has put enough holes in it to drain it. Thus completing the fourth task for the Confederates, making it a lost victory for the Union....

 

Tuxedo Junction

Another ACW scenario, this time one from WSS magazine 108. Confederate raiders attempt to capture a railway station, held by a Union force.

One Union group occupies the railway station, the rest of the force arrives either via the village or the camp. A group of Union cavalry can enter on any point of the Union table edge.

The cards favour my opponent's Confederates, however, and his cavalry is first on the table.

More Confederates advance towards the railroad.

And they keep coming.

My Union troops finally arrive from their assigned entry points.

The Confederate cavalry have dismounted and are sniping from behind the train. My plan for the Union cavalry is to dash forward, go around the dismounted Confederates, also dismount in the woods and destroy them from behind.

A disastrous plan as it turned out.

It started quite succesful. The Union cavalry crossed the railroad and the fence in their first move.

But the Confederate dragoons quickly turn around and start inflicting casualties on the Union cavalry.

Unfortunately opportunities to fire at my Union cavalry are plentiful since the Confederate leader's card keeps appearing while the Union cavalry is slow to reach the woods.

On the other side of the table, my small group of Union infantry is facing increasing numbers of Confederates.

They buckle under the massed Confederate fire and are forced to withdraw.

Their comrades rush forward to relieve the pressure.

Meanwhile the tattered remnants of the Union cavalry have reached the woods.

In an attempt to save them from being annihilated, the Union group holding the railway station charges towards the Confederate dragoons, but fail to reach them.

The next attempt is more succesful and they engage in fisticuffs.

And lose!

The wounded Union lieutenant orders his remaining troops to fire at the Confederates.

This has the desired effect and the Confederate dragoons retreat, but they are still able to add some shock to the Union cavalry, pushing them off the table.

This is the moment when I find out that a level 3 Union leader routing can drop your force morale 3 points! With only one morale point left and two out of three units about to break while the Confederates were still at a morale level of 9, I called it a Confederate victory.

For me this was a lesson in "how not to use cavalry". Next time I'll take better care of them and I'll keep level 3 leaders far from the table edge :-)

 

Magnum PI

 

I really loved the series back in the eighties and thought it would be great to play Magnum PI games using Fistful of Lead rules.

There are two 28mm Thomas Magnum miniatures that I'm aware of: one by Crooked dice and one from the Zombicide game, but I didn't like them. After a lot of browsing I bought a pack from Artizan designs Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang range (KKBB202 - Field Agents). Two miniatures from the pack were suitable for Magnum and Rick (swapped Rick's pistol for a spare UZI from the Project Z women survivors sprue). For TC, I used a Warlord Games USMC plastic mini with a head from the Project Z survivors sprue.

I'm still looking for a suitable Higgins miniature. Preferably in desert/tropical British uniform:

Thought about using a Copplestone figure (with a head swap) but it's too big when standing next to Magnum and Rick:

Dobermanns I have (I think from Black Cat miniatures):

And of course the Ferrari (die cast Western Models WP110 Ferrari 308 GTSI):

This Academy kit provided TC's chopper:

Still searching for a suitable Higgins figure though.