Kentucky in the Civil War: Speed Bump or Trap Play?

Rebel Raiders Strategy Question #1:

Kentucky in the Civil War:  Speed Bump or Trap Play?

At the WBC (World Boardgaming Championships) convention in Lancaster last week, I got into an interesting discussion about the role of Kentucky, most notably Louisville, in Rebel Raiders on the High Seas (as well as in other Civil War games and in history).   It began with this comment from my friend Evan:

“Why would any Rebel player in their right mind NOT invade Kentucky on turn one?”

In Rebel Raiders as in many Civil War games the South goes first.  That means it can get into Kentucky and take Louisville before the North, presenting the Union with a fait d’accompli.   In Rebel Raiders the South takes it by simply placing in Louisville one of the two batteries they can build in a turn.  The South then rolls two dice, and loses the difference in Victory Points.

Evan put forth the notion that this is a no-brainer move.  It is an “in-your-face” challenge to the Union to take this initially neutral city, and it blocks the Ohio – which means any Union warships built in Cincinnati cannot join the Union fleet on the Mississippi unless and until Louisville is taken.  In addition, he pointed out, it protects Nashville.

“What Rebel player in his right mind doesn’t take Louisville on turn one?” He reiterated.  I answered: “me.”

While Evan is not WRONG, I see Louisville not as a speed bump but as a trap play. 

First, the Union never has to take Louisville back from the South – not to win, not even to attack Nashville – which can be assaulted by hitting Forts Henry and Donelson out of Cairo.  So that means the battery may never fire a shot, and that he Victory Points lost will never be recovered.

Second, if the South does not take Louisville, the North might just be tempted to grab it – and that uses up one of their attacks (although in 1861 their attack odds are poor, they can still get lucky in a fight in an undefended port or fort space).  It also means the North has to roll two dice, and give the South the difference in the roll as Victory Points.  The maximum difference is only FIVE – but that is enough to build a Blockade Runner or Gunboat for the South.  It is as much as five Blockade Runners can bring home in a turn from going to any ports other than the two big European ones.

Third, the battery that is used to take Louisville for the South is better used anywhere else:  at Nashville or Forts Henry and Donelson, for example, or at Island No. 10 or Memphis – and that is just in that same theater of operations.  In addition, compensating for the Victory Points expended to take Louisville, as noted above, means extra work for the Blockade Runners – or, if the difference between the dice is the full Five, it means it cost the South a ship it could have built – either a gunboat for defense or a Runner to make points.

The Yankee Case: Louisville is an easy victory and a jumping off point.

There are, of course, those who see Louisville in a different light.  A Union Louisville does open up Cincinnati as an extra shipyard to build up the Mississippi Squadron more quickly.  It does threaten Nashville from the land side – which means the South has to worry about Tennessee being invaded from another direction, and if Nashville falls the North can immediately strike either Memphis or Chattanooga before the South can react (assuming the North took Nashville on its first attack of the two it gets each turn, or that the Union purchased or has cards that give it additional attacks).

Bottom Line:  Both Sides are Right

As in many games (and many wars) both sides make a good argument for why Louisville is or is not important.  Next time you play Rebel Raiders, which way will you jump?

(Photo below shows a Union Louisville - top center, yellow square with round blue marker with white star - and a Union controlled Island No. 10, with a fleet at Cairo.)

The Ships of Rebel Raiders - The Gunboats

Rebel Raiders on the High Seas is a strategic game of the Civil War which focuses on the role of the navies on the rivers, along the coasts and on the oceans.  While most ships are represented by generic counters for Ironclads, Blockade Runners, Gunboats, Screw Sloops and, of course Raiders, there are cards and corresponding counters for many individual vessels.  This series presents those cards and offers a glimpse into the history of these storied ships.

Part II – The Gunboats: USS Tyler

USS Tyler (USN Card 18).  A “timberclad” gunboat, the former river merchant ship from Cincinnati became one of the most famous ships in the Western Flotilla.  She participated in the bombardment of Forts Henry and Donelson, provided key gunfire support at Shiloh, fought at Island No. 10 and dueled with the ironclad CSS Arkansas.  USS Tyler survived that fight to take part in operations at Vicksburg and up the Yazoo and White Rivers into Arksansas.  Her last service was a mission of mercy, as she helped save the crew of the SS Sultana north of Memphis at the end of April 1865.

The Timberclad Takes on the Ironclad

In July 1862 the USS Tyler along with USS Queen of the West  and USS Carondelet (represented in Rebel Raiders by USN Card 38 and USN Card 15, respectively)  went hunting for the Confederate ironclad ram, CSS Arkansas.   Unfortunately, on July 15 they found her.  The USS Carondelet, being an ironclad, led the way – only to be disabled by the Confederate warship.  USS Queen of the West, a sidewheel gunboat also known as “Ellet’s Ram” was also knocked out of the action, leaving the timber-reinforced gunboat USS Tyler to duel with the iron monster all on her own.  The battle became a running fight down the Yazoo, as the USS Tyler sought and finally reached the protection of the Union fleet at the confluence of the Yazoo and Mississippi.  CSS Arkansas then broke off the action, and steamed on to Vicksburg, where she was welcomed with flags flying.

Rebel Raiders Replay  (Turn  5)

Designer Mark McLaughlin as CSA; Naval Historian Brandon Musler as USA

When we left off last time, the Union had gained its first big victories, taking the port of St. Augustine and the fort space at Island No. 10…

Turn 5 – August 1862…Blockade Runner Captains Rethinking Career Choices…

Six Blockade Runners are caught in the Union net! Four of them loaded!  The Francis Bonneau card   comes out again, giving the South a much needed free Blockade Runner.  Even with Bonneau, only 8 VP of cargo make it through.  A desperate attempt to clear out the Blockade Station at Norfolk in a one-on-one gunboat sortie fails, and the Blockade Runner in the port has to take its chances getting out – and is promptly intercepted by the Union.

At least now the growing fleet of Raiders is taking a toll – sweeping up 10 VP for the South. 

Batteries are placed in Memphis and Nashville in response to the Union push down the River to Island No. 10.   The new Ironclad appears in Memphis, along with a Gunboat.  Three Blockade Runners and a Raider are built, and 20 VP is spent to place a Battery in Savannah. 

The Rebel spy A Rose by Any Other Name (Card 82) allows Mark a sneak peak at two cards from the Union hand, and Mark chooses to discard the Engine Breakdown  (Card 47) which can immobilize Rebel Ironclads, as this could seriously hamper his defense of Memphis, which now has two Ironclads and two Gunboats with its Batteries.  

...Be Vewy, Vewy Quiet, Wewe Hunting Webel Waiders...eh eh eh eh eh

The Union, its blockade now solid on the Atlantic Coast and with gunboats filtering around into the Gulf ports as well, decides it has such as surfeit of Screw Sloops that it can afford to go hunting Raiders.    Brandon has been sending out single sloops to search for and sit beside Raiders (this later tactic means the South can not just sit in one spot and raid-raid-raid, as it would be subject to increasingly better searches, but must move and thus give up at least one of those raid attempts).   Now he is send out stacks to hunt them…no luck at first, but the “happy time” for Raiders is drawing to its end.

Rather than take on the massive force at Memphis, Brandon sends his river fleet to Henry & Donelson, where he destroys the battery but TWICE fails the attack rolls, leaving it in Rebel hands.  (See Illustration Below).

 Brandon builds two more Ironclads, a Gunboat and two Screw Sloops.

To be continued…..

A Game in Progress....

Many thanks to Marco Arnaudo of Bloomington, Indiana for posting these pictures of a game in progress on his Facebook page.  These are from last night; today he is playing the 1862 scenario, which he just remarked: "is a great way to use a day off!"

Here are shots of the Rebels trying to run the Atlantic blockade, where the Union has placed gunboats in the Blockade Stations and screw sloops in the coastal sea zones, and of the situation around Memphis, Island No. 10 and Forts Henry & Donelson.

Note the Union has taken Louisville and Nashville and Chattanooga are as yet without batteries to aid in their defense, as the Confederate has instead concentrated his forces on holding Memphis, the northern key to the Mississippi.

The Union also appears to have made progress, seizing New Berne and driving inland to Goldsboro (although if they have indeed taken it the Confederate Battery marker there should be removed).  With Longstreet deployed to Richmond, however, the Union will need some strong cards to drive north and take the Confederate capital from the southern approach.