Solo Piquet Tutorial Part 3: The Battle of Cross Keys

This is obviously Part 3 of my Solo Piquet Tutorial.

SKIRMISH STANDS

In Hallowed Ground, we also have to roll to determine how many skirmish stands will be present on the battlefield.  I rolled high for both sides, so the Union will get 3 skirmish stands and the Confederates will get 2 skirmish stands.  At this game scale, skirmish stands are assigned to particular regiments and they give Skirmish Superiority (a bonus to shooting) if your opponent doesn't have a skirmish stand.

OPTIONAL RULES

Part of the fun in Piquet is all of the options that are available for your games.  I will be playing with the following rules that are optional for Hallowed Ground:

• Unformed - Units can become unformed due to general confusion or combat.  This can be fixed with an Officer Check card or during a Move card used to reorder the ranks.
• Reserve Move - The Difficult Terrain Move card can also be used as a Move card as long as the moving unit is never moves closer than 12" away from the enemy.
• Morale Challenge - Only the side that loses a Morale Challenge pays the morale chip.
• Risk to Officers - Based on the combat action of the subordinate units.  Checked on Officer Check card.
• Counterbattery fire - Makes it more difficult for artillery to fire on other artillery.
• New Out of Command rules - The most current rules for Out of Command.

THE BATTLE

The battle represents Fremont's half of a two-pronged attack on Jackson's army.  Poor Fremont ran into Trimble, an irascible, grizzled warrior who handed him his lunch.  Ewell's Division is assigned to hold off Fremont while Jackson destroys Shield's Union force.  The Union gets 5 VP for controlling each 1 foot wide length in the center of the south table edge.  Basically the road exit and the area around the creek.

The Confederates have to keep the Union from winning.  They also get 5 VP's for each section of the east side of the central hill they control.  This would mean they have to cross the eastern branch of the creek and climb the hill.

Stahel's Union brigade is leading the attack.  It has 4 Regular regiments and an Elite regiment.  It is supported by an artillery battery.  The front 2 regiments are in extended line and the skirmish stands are deployed.  The 2nd line consists of 3 regiments in attack column formation.   Its mission is to secure a bridgehead across the creek.

Trimble's brigade is defending.  It has 1 elite regiment (15AL) and 3 regular regiments.  The 15th Alabama is defending the creek in extended line with skirmishers attached.  The other 3 regiments are in skirmish formation defending the wood line.

15th Alabama grimly stares across the creek.

The woods are all Class III woods.  Units must stop when they contact woods and they become out of command.  They can only enter and move through woods on a Difficult Terrain Move card.  They move half speed.

The creek is Class II.  Units stop when they contact it.  Half move to cross it.

Hills are Class II.  Units stop when they contact the hill.  Normal movement thereafter.

NEXT, Part 4.  Let's start fighting!