In the past months I had an occasion – and pleasure – to play extensively Rebel Fury by Mark Herman, published via GMT Games. This is a low-to-moderate complexity wargame focusing on the campaigns of the American Civil War. This is Volume 1 in the series and focuses on four 1863 campaigns and the beginning of 1864. Of course, there will be more!
There is a lot of interesting, new mechanics here. First and foremost, each scenario has separate set of counters, and each map accommodates two battles. It is very quick to set-up, quick to play and deeply interactive. The density of counters in each scenario is low (another thumbs up!), allowing you to see and experience the big picture of the battle.
Having such great experiences, I was creating across last 3-4 months various materials helping to get into this game. I decided to combine them all here, in one article, so you can easily use it when learning – but also mastering (strategy tips!) that game. Enjoy!
1. How to Play?
First and foremost, material showing the actual rules and how to understand and implement them in the game. If you are just starting with this great title, this is the best place to begin with. However, if you are already familiar with the rules, the next materials will be something for you!
2. Playthrough – The Battle of Fredericksburg, Dec 1862
(source: Wikipedia)
The Battle of Fredericksburg was fought December 11–15, 1862, in and around Fredericksburg, Virginia, in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. The combat, between the Union Army of the Potomac commanded by Maj. Gen. Ambrose Burnside and the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia under Gen. Robert E. Lee, included futile frontal attacks by the Union army on December 13 against entrenched Confederate defenders along the Sunken Wall on the heights behind the city.
It is remembered as one of the most one-sided battles of the war, with Union casualties more than twice as heavy as those suffered by the Confederates. A visitor to the battlefield described the battle as a “butchery” to U.S. President Abraham Lincoln.
Rebel Fury allows us to reenact that engagement in a solitaire mode, taking command of Union troops and trying to better than what Gen. Burnside achieved. Will we manage? Let us see!
Detailed playthrough, with strategic considerations and scenario analysis:
3. Playthrough – The Battle of Chickamauga, Sep 1863
(source: Wikipedia)
The Battle of Chickamauga, fought on September 18–20, 1863, between the United States Army and Confederate forces in the American Civil War, marked the end of a U.S. Army offensive, the Chickamauga Campaign, in southeastern Tennessee and northwestern Georgia. It was the first major battle of the war fought in Georgia, the most significant US defeat in the Western Theater, and involved the second-highest number of casualties after the Battle of Gettysburg.
The battle was fought between the US Army Army of the Cumberland under Maj. Gen. William Rosecrans and the Confederate Army of Tennessee under Gen. Braxton Bragg, and was named for Chickamauga Creek.
Fighting began in earnest on the morning of September 19. Bragg’s men strongly assaulted but could not break the US line. The next day, Bragg resumed his assault. In late morning, Rosecrans was misinformed that he had a gap in his line. In moving units to shore up the supposed gap, Rosecrans accidentally created an actual gap directly in the path of an eight-brigade assault on a narrow front by Confederate Lt. Gen. James Longstreet, whose corps had been detached from the Army of Northern Virginia. In the resulting rout, Longstreet’s attack drove one-third of the U.S. army, including Rosecrans himself, from the field.
Rebel Fury allows us to reenact that engagement in five turns battle, with both sides having set Strategic Objectives to win. Let us see how it went!
Detailed playthrough, with strategic considerations and scenario analysis:
4. Playthrough – The Battle of Chattanooga, Nov 1863
(source: Wikipedia)
Battle of Chattanooga, (November 23–25, 1863) was a decisive engagement in the American Civil War, fought at Chattanooga on the Tennessee River. The battle contributed significantly to the overall victory for the North.
Chattanooga had strategic importance as a vital railroad junction for the Confederacy. In September 1863 a Federal army led by General William S. Rosecrans was besieged there by a Southern army commanded by General Braxton Bragg (who previously crushed Union forces at Chickamauga in Sept, 1863).
The following month General Ulysses S. Grant took over the campaign to relieve the Union troops and seize the offensive. With the help of reinforcements from General Sherman, the Federal forces defeated the Confederates in the Battles of Lookout Mountain & Missionary Ridge and lifted the siege; the result was completely decisive, ranking in importance with Vicksburg and Gettysburg the same year. The way had been opened for Sherman’s march to Atlanta and Savannah the following year.
Rebel Fury allows us to play that engagement in six turns battle, with both sides having set Strategic Objectives to win. Union will be on attack, Confederates on defense but the inevitable losses of assaulting forces might impact the overall result. Let us see how it went!
Detailed playthrough, with strategic considerations and scenario analysis:
5. Playthrough – The Battle of Wilderness, May 1864
(source: Wikipedia)
The Battle of Wilderness was fought on May 5–6, 1864, between the United States Army and Confederate forces in the American Civil War. It was the first battle of Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant’s 1864 Virginia Overland Campaign against General Robert E. Lee and the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia.
The fighting occurred in a wooded area near Locust Grove, Virginia, about 20 miles (32 km) west of Fredericksburg. Grant attempted to move quickly through the dense underbrush of the Wilderness of Spotsylvania, but Lee launched two of his corps on parallel roads to intercept him. Fighting, which ended for the evening because of darkness, was fierce but inconclusive as both sides attempted to maneuver in the dense woods.
Detailed playthrough, with strategic considerations and scenario analysis:
6. Strategy Tips – The Battle of Chancellorsville, May 1863
The above article is something special. This is the author’s, Mark Herman, analysis of the Chancellorsville 1863 scenario. That one is pretty tricky, especially for Union forces, and requires good planning – as well as some bold moves – in order to repeat General Lee master tactical plan. Enjoy that thorough look at the starting situation for that battle!
I really hope that above materials will help Dear Readers to familiarize with the Rebel Fury – great, innovative but straightforward title about the battles of American Civil War. Enjoy!
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