Wargaming in 54mm (Skirmishers)

Skirmishers in this game represent an individual soldiers. Normally they would deploy on company level or larger in two ranks in extended order so that two could load while the other two fired. Their main objective in this situation is to take out the opponent’s officers.

The Red Jack activates every Confederate skirmisher on the board. For the sake of brevity, I have confined the explanation in one part of the field.

To show how far a skirmisher may move, I have labeled the original piece with and “S” and the deployed piece with a “T.” Skirmishers, like sharpshooters, may move/fire or fire/move. Terrain deductions do not apply to skirmishers, therefore the piece labeled “T” has advanced a full 19 inches into a plowed field.

Since he is firing a rifle, he uses the standard measuring stick to aim at the colonel behind the Federal line. He incurs no deduction for the fence because he is firing over it. He rolls a D10 to see if he has a chance of hitting the officer and a D6 to see how bad the injury is. 

In this case he needed a “7” or lower. He rolled a “3” and finished the officer with a “4” on the D6. When the officer is removed, the player will place a blue marker on the regiment indicating there is no officer present, which keeps it from moving. It may fire but at a deduction of ½ of a D6 roll. It has no deduction if charged and has to defend in hand-to-hand.

The two Union skirmishers may now turn and fire upon their Rebel counterpart. They each get a deduction of 1 on the measuring stick because they are firing uphill. They do not get a deduction for reacting because they are trained to act upon a response without orders. The one on the right needed a “3”. One the left, he needed a “4.” Being on target, they both roll a D6 and came up with a combined number of “4,” which removed the Reb from the board.

Along the road to the left of the cornfield, Skirmisher “R” has moved upon the flank of the zouaves in the road.

He has decided to take a crack on the zouaves’ colonel. He needed a ”6” or lower to hit the fellow and rolled a “2.” The “4” on the D6 took the colonel out.  Being on horseback has its disadvantages.

The lieutenant colonel fired back with his revolver. The maximum range is 6 inches. The Confederate is standing at the “5” mark. The Federal officer rolled a “5” on the D10 and on the D6 a “4” thereby removing the Reb from his flank.

Skirmisher “U” has moved out of the cornfield to take down the mounted Union colonel in front of his former position.

Needing a “6,” he missed, as the “0” indicates otherwise he would have eliminated the colonel.

Skirmisher “V” went after the dismounted lieutenant colonel of that same regiment.

He rolled a “3” and wounded the officer severely with a “3” on the D6.

On the far right of the cornfield, skirmisher “B” has traveled behind the line to get a clean shot on a dismounted officer behind the Union regiment.

Because he fired through a line, he got a deduction of 1 which translated into a “3” or lower to the officer. His D10 came up as a “7.”  He missed.

The next part will describe hand-to-hand combat in detail. I am also inserting an addendum to hitting officers when under regimental or artillery fire.

Thank you for reading this. I welcome constructive comments and questions. Until the next time, I thank you for reading this.