Ward, or Scenario Eight, Strategy

[born2see]

I thought I'd add my two cents worth. What I did based on advice from another thread was get the SS up there as quick as possible and completely abandon the right because in my case the Rebs came from the left for all intents and purposes. Then I just hung on, like LP says. I was able to win handily with that strategy.

LP: Has that map changed? I reloaded my saved games and I seem to remember there were big boulders at the DD which are gone but I could be wrong. Stress of combat and all that... :huh:

[con20or]

That came up in a different post on devils den which I saw when looking for advice, they had their object detail settings set to low (or not to high anyway).

[born2see]

con20or wrote:

That came up in a different post on devils den which I saw when looking for advice, they had their object detail settings set to low (or not to high anyway).

Thanks. I think I remember changing that and never bothered to set it back. Makes the DD look a lot more defensible for sure.

[Grognard Pierre]

A really enjoyable scenario which I managed to win after a few goes.

Once the Confederates are at the base of Devils Den in numbers then it is over, they are just going to roll up, melee and overwhelm you. The scenario is one hour and at some stage you are going to lose Devils Den, so you somehow need to maximise the time that you are in control - for the VP's.
Take the fight to the enemy to delay and distract him as much as possible.

General Ward and one regiment need to stay on the top of Devils Den to keep the VP counter going, so I use that as a sort of an R&R spot. If a regiment gets battered about and tired (or worse) then I send them "back to base" to the top of Devils Den, and release the fresh regiment waiting there.

Summon the 2nd Sharpshooters and the 3rd Maine as soon as possible. The 1st US Sharpshooters can keep the enemy distracted with long range shooting, forcing the enemy to deploy and then falling back along the valley between Devils Den and Big Round Top.

I moved all my regiments (except one) forwards off Devils Den to contest the next ridge. I had a hell of a fight around the farmhouse there. Making a stand forces the enemy to deploy and if they have one regiment out front doing most of their work then you can hammer it with local superiority (for a time). When things get too hot and the flanking threatens, then it's time to fall back to the stone walls, the fence and into the forest - and eventually up to Devils Den itself.

Of course this did not work out perfectly, when a regiment with shaky morale is asked to pull back it can very well break into a rout. If you let the Rebs get too close then they will catch you in melee which you will probably lose. Sometimes a unit will decide it wants to charge the enemy (even under TC). I had all the regiments under TC and was moving, reacting and patching as best I could. The massive enemy numbers did take the Devils Den but late enough for it to still count as my "victory".

I am going to have another crack at it, great scenario.

[Jack ONeill]

Yes, this has always been a favorite of mine. A desperate fight against long odds, with a slim margin of victory. Always good.

Jack B)

[Grognard Pierre]

Oh, awesome, I ran the scenario again and held onto the Devils Den the entire time. Fighting forward delayed and distracted the Confederates and meanwhile friendly forces arrived on both my flanks. The entire focus of the battle shifted to a line from the southern slopes of Big Round Top across to the wheat field. The Confederates did not get anywhere near the Little Round Top, and they smashed themselves at Devils Den.
Oh, what a sight when one by one the enemy units started breaking and running. Glorious.

[Jack ONeill]