005/006 - Perryville v.2 Meeting Engagement
More About This Scenario
Perryville Meeting Engagement scenario 005/006 is a lot like Scenario 009/010 - both are Meeting Engagements utilizing the Perryville map. But this scenario does stand apart from the other scenario in a number of ways.
-
It has fewer total men on the battlefield - part of the Union army is absent as is the Confederate Army of Kentucky.
-
It more than doubles the Union advantage in artillery (8% more in Scenario 009/010 as opposed to 20% more in this scenario.
-
It almost completely removes any Union cavalry from the battle and limits them to just Buell's headquarters guards.
Why play this one over Scenario 009/010? Because this one has fewer men and offers a wholly different set of challenges which you must overcome to achieve victory. While the two are similar they are unique enough to where each can stand alone on its own as a satisfying and fun scenario.
Let’s dive into the numbers a bit here and examine the scenario in more depth.
Analyzing the Numbers
Wow. The Confederate infantry is really very solid in this scenario! With an overall quality rating of 4.56 they are a full point better than their Federal counterparts! They also have a few more regiments and an extra brigade. The Federals do have more men and larger regiments though. They also have about 6,000 more total infantrymen.
The Confederate dominance in quality is on full display here. They have 29 high quality units as opposed to just 5 for the Federals.
The Federals do enjoy superior long-range rifles at Perryville. By sticking to wooded terrain or by fighting only close-up to the enemy you can negate this advantage of theirs.
With only two small Federal cavalry units in this battle, there is nothing to worry about.
Your biggest problem will be your usage of your own cavalry. With such a lopsided advantage, you might easily fall into the trap of becoming overly aggressive and running your cavalry into a trap they can't escape from. The subsequent loss in victory points will be extreme.
Just because you have an advantage it doesn't mean you can turn your brain off and ride around like it's a carnival. More on this in the final conclusion at the end of this report.
The Federals have 29 additional guns on the battlefield and over 45% more artillery ammunition. This makes their artillery arm a very dangerous force on this battlefield which must be taken into consideration. They also outnumber us in total movable batteries and have twice as many batteries with 4 or more guns.
Muskets vs. Rifles
Both armies have units armed with Muskets and Rifles. Knowing which weapon is preferable in any situation will benefit you as you fight the Yankees.
Muskets have a Firepower of 4 at a Range of 1, and just a Firepower of 1 at a Range of 2. These weapons are meant to be used at close range. Never engage at a Range greater than 1 because the Firepower will not make the result worth it in the end. Get right up against your opponent and pour it into them. Units armed with Muskets are ideal for wooded areas.
Rifles have a Firepower of 4 at a Range of 1, and 3 at a Range of 2, and 2 at a Range of 3. Beyond that they are not worth firing. These units are ideal for any situation on the battlefield. If your opponent is armed with Muskets (which is likelier here at First Bull Run than it is anywhere else), then you may strike them first and from farther away by utilizing your units armed with Rifles.
Did You Know?
Patrick Cleburne was wounded at the Battle of Richmond (Kentucky) on August 30, 1862. He was shot in the cheek and lost a few teeth. He (somehow) recovered in time to rejoin the army before the Battle of Perryville.
Leaders
The Federal army is poorly led in this battle. With bums like Buell, McCook, and Crittenden leading their major components. Even on the divisional and brigade levels there are few standout commanders.
For the Confederates, we really can't talk all that much with Bragg and Polk on the field of battle. But we do have some quality leaders like Hardee, Buckner, Cleburne, and Stewart on the field.
We have a significant enough advantage in Command and Leadership for it to be counted among the advantages for our army in this battle.
Supplies
The Federals are undersupplied in this scenario which could work as an advantage in a prolonged infantryman's battle. With so many additional cavalry units, capturing one of the four Federal wagons should be a priority.
The Scenario Setup
The battlefield of Perryville is a perfect square at 84 hexes by 84 hexes (7,056 hexes). This small map size means that you could march across the map, either north to south or east to west, in just seven turns (assuming you had a perfectly straight road). This will force the action upon the players within the first few turns as you both jockey for positioning.
The Confederates arrive from three map locations in the east. The Federals arrive from three locations from the southwest and the north. These are all marked on the map below. The two sides are fully on the board by turn seven.
The Confederate cavalry arrives at the head of both Polk's and Buckner's columns. Therefore, they will be able to quickly rush to the west and engage or delay the Federals before they get very far across the board.
Below is a very detailed outline of the reinforcements and numbers of the two armies.
Numerous things can be learned by studying the chart above.
1) The Federals have a small numerical advantage throughout the scenario. But hardly much to worry about.
2) The Federals arrive a little quicker but, again, nothing to really worry about.
3) Both armies are fully on the field by turn 8.
Note:
If you want to disturb your opponent while playing this scenario, simply note the time and use this sheet for reference. Then subtract their casualties from the numbers above and tell them EXACTLY how many men they have on the field. Be sure to subtract 25 men for every cannon destroyed. This will surely puzzle them and may give you a bit of a psychological edge.
Personal Conclusion
No Advantage
The Confederates have every advantage here except for artillery. They have superior infantry, better quality, dominating cavalry, more supplies, better leaders, and an easier setup. So why don't I declare them to have an advantage in this scenario? Because the Department of Records results indicates that we have lost this scenario more than we have won it. How is that possible?
The Big Question
Alright then, if the Confederates have all the advantages, then why have they lost more often than they have won at Perryville 005/006?
Take a look to the right at the starting Victory Dialog Box. As you can see the Federals begin with a Minor Victory. The Confederates need 600 points to push it to a victory status. That is no small number in such a "small scale" scenario.
What does 600 points really mean in terms of losses?
1,500 Infantrymen = 600 Points
750 Cavalrymen = 600 Points
24 Cannons = 600 Points
To reach 600 points will take some seriously one-sided fighting. And because you can cross out killing enemy cavalrymen as any real source of victory points, you are left trying to outkill their infantry more than 2 to 1 and/or wiping out a good chunk of their artillery without losing much of your own. Good luck. You need to work to earn this victory!
The Federals have an easier time gaining victories here as all they need to do is inflict relatively even losses on the Confederates and hold on to their minor victory status.
Tactical Tips
1) Divide and Conquer.
Your two large cavalry brigades arrive very early in the scenario. If you rush to the west along multiple roads, trails, and through fields, utilizing numerous passageways, you can confuse, stall, and stop the Yankees from merging their two large columns. Then once they are both stopped and swatting at your cavalrymen trying to clear a path towards each other, fall completely upon one column or the other and crush them with all your infantry and artillery. Divide and Conquer.
2) McCook or Crittenden?
Do you concentrate on attacking the northern column under McCook or the southern column under Crittenden? It's kind of a coin flip. Check out the tables below:
Crittenden
-
Smaller Force
-
Outside Buell's Command Radius
-
More Guns
-
Less infantry, but slightly higher quality
-
More muskets, fewer rifles
McCook
-
Larger Force
-
In Buell's Command Radius
-
Fewer Guns
-
More infantry, but slightly lower quality
-
800 "E" Rated men
I think you have to choose whichever column you feel more comfortable against. Do you mind attacking artillery? Or would you rather take your chances against more infantry?
3) Don't Waste Cavalrymen!
Cavalry losses are worth twice as much as infantry losses. Every cavalryman you lose forces you to have to kill two of their infantrymen just to make up for it! And that's just breaking even. To begin to make up points you need to kill three infantrymen for every cavalryman lost. Use your cavalry, yes, but do not waste them in prolonged skirmishes or in useless affairs. Minimize their losses.
Final Thoughts
It's easy to see the pros and cons of playing this scenario. While the stats look pretty slanted towards the Confederates, the victory conditions place the Confederates in a tougher position to achieve a victory. The Confederates must attack here in order to gain the necessary points to gain a victory - the Federals just need to hold on. So be aggressive and let your superior infantry wear them down. Keep their columns from linking up by utilizing your cavalry all over the map to stop them from moving around easily. Once you get them stopped and divided, attack with all you have against one column. Hopefully, it will be enough to gain you the points you need to achieve your victory!