005/006 - Rocky Face Ridge Meeting
Why Should You Play This Scenario?
This meeting engagement battle offers both sides much more flexibility of movement than does the Historical Rocky Face Ridge battle (Scenario 001). With both sides moving for a collision around Buzzard Roost, the game will become one of maneuver as the Confederates will be hard-pressed to hold off the numerically superior Federal forces indefinitely.
This is a challenging battle which will test your abilities to think strategically and tactically against a larger and more powerful Federal army.
The Federal infantry in this battle is nothing to laugh at. They have a respectable overall quality, lots of regiments, and their brigades dwarf ours in size.
Did you know?
3,309 of the 5,546 Confederate "A" regiments are located in Cleburne's Division. The rest are mostly to be found in the Orphan Brigade of Bate's Division.
Infantry Summary
With an advantage of over 18,000 men of decent quality, I have to give the edge to the Federals here. While Johnston's veterans make up a fine army, the Federals have an overwhelming force gathered here.
Advantage
Did you know?
Both sides have full batteries on the map as opposed to sections.
Artillery Summary
The Yankee artillery here is a serious threat. With only 14 Confederate batteries to utilize, you need to protect each one. The Federals have only five more batteries but 33 more pieces altogether.
Advantage
Both sides should have enough ammo to get them through the battle without a problem.
No Advantage
I must give the edge to the Confederates though as they are statistically "better" in this scenario.
Advantage
Setup
The Confederates begin the battle fully on the map. This allows them a slight "head start" when moving for Buzzard Roost and Mill Creek Gap. The Federals arrive over the first few hours of the game and will likely be heading directly for Mill Creek Gap. You can almost expect a division or more of Thomas's Army of the Cumberland to move south for Dug Gap as well. Schofield may also send men on a long march towards Waring in the east to get around your flank.
The numerous options here, for both sides, make this a cat and mouse game around the mountains. With 46 turns in the game, there is enough time for the Federals to attempt a maneuver or two you might not see coming.
Setup Summary
Both sides are moving in mass towards the inevitable collision somewhere around Mill Creek Gap or Buzzard Roost. Rocky Face Ridge acts a natural barrier which shields both armies from one another as they move throughout the beginning of the game. Overall, things are pretty even here with neither side having much of an advantage over the other.
No Advantage
This is about as equal of a contest as you will find. Both sides have their strengths and weaknesses. For the Confederates, it will feel like we have more weaknesses than the Federals do. But, really, isn't that the way it's supposed to be?
To win this battle as the Confederates you simply need to hold on and keep the casualties relatively even. The Federals need to gain 700 points to earn a victory. With only a few decent sized objectives on the map (Buzzard Roost and Dalton) they will have to earn their points by destroying parts of your army. Their artillery will be your chief problem as their guns are better and more numerous than our own. Utilizing terrain and hexside modifiers will help you greatly in this department.
Three Tips
1) Watch your flanks!
If you were the Yankees, would you put your entire force on a single road? No. So don't expect them to do so either. Move men to either defend or observe Dug Gap and Waring. Give yourself plenty of time to react to any flanking maneuvers. Being caught off-guard could be a disaster.
2) Don't Waste Your Shots.
The area around Buzzard Roost is very hilly. The Federals, assuming they get through Mill Creek Gap, will likely start putting their artillery on the high ground west of that area. Remember, firing from the high ground does not make your guns more effective. But it does make enemy guns LESS effective when they fire uphill upon them. Stick to targets on the same, or less, elevation as your own units. Don't waste ammunition or artillery shells firing on targets at higher elevations.
3) Use the terrain.
This is a very amusing map. Lots of mountains, gaps, and hills to utilize. Take advantage of the land here to help your defenses.
Final Thoughts
This is a solid meeting engagement battle with enough of a challenge for both sides to make it an interesting choice all around.