Below you will find a fantastic strategy article from Mark Herman originally published on The Boardgames Chronicle blog. Enjoy! -Rachel

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Let me invite you to a great strategy article by Mark Herman for his Rebel Fury game. The main topic and focus area is the battle of Chancellorsville in 1863 – the so called Robert E. Lee’s “perfect battle”. The Confederates are standing in front of immensely difficult task, being flanked by multiple Union forces. What should be done in such case?

Let us see how the game depicts that conflict. Enjoy!

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Operational Turning Movement

Broadly the Union wants to get as many of their forces from off map across the river to turn Lee’s left flank. The Union should strive to eliminate the two exposed CSA detachments and Anderson a (located and stacked with Hooker HQ at Chancellorsville). This intentionally should give the Union a 2 VP lead that incentivizes the CSA to become offensively oriented. (Fig. 1)

I will organize the turning movement from a left flank and main effort perspective. For the left flank we have the Union Vth, IInd (Hartwood Church), and IIIrd Corps (Union Camps). The main effort is the Union XIth and XIIth Corps entering from the Northwest (hex 2600). (Fig. 2)

Vth Corps: This is the highest quality Corps in the Army of the Potomac, with two of its Divisions entering from the North corner of the map. Getting them across the river and into action on the left flank allows this Corps to coordinate its actions with the Union IInd Corps located at Hartwood Church. The Vth Corps can get across the river and use battle formation to advance along the river, not clear if building a pontoon bridge creates much benefit other than to speed the third Vth Corps division at Germanna Ford onto the map quicker in later turns. (Fig. 3)

XIth Corps and XIIth Corps need to attack and flank the CSA cavalry detachment. I usually use the three divisions of the XIth Corps to attack the detachment giving me two opportunities to execute an attack in echelon (important and standard Civil War tactic) whereby you attack with three units starting from the outside, giving you the opportunity to execute two supported attacks against the same unit. I use the XIIth Corps to move around the Cavalry and advance on Chancellorsville in battle formation, forcing Anderson c back or engage if they stand. (Fig. 4)

Cavalry Division: I usually send this unit to the right to cover the turning movements right flank.

Fredericksburg Lines

Sedgewick is an important element in the Union strategy, but in the opening they should focus on eliminating the CSA detachment to score another VP and open the road to the CSA right flank whose entrenchments do not cover the river. At some point the CSA either has to freeze their forces on the Fredericksburg line or take the risks that Lee took to pull Rodes and McLaws off of the line and send them toward Chancellorsville. (Fig. 5)

Lee’s Reaction

The main opening CSA moves are to get the two CSA divisions of Colston and Hill as far toward Chancellorsville as possible. This can be done in approximately 24 moves first using Jackson’s HQ and then shifting over to Lee when they will have to stop at the edge of his command range. It is important for the CSA to be efficient about the moves on this first turn to limit how far the Union forces can move toward Fredericksburg. Anderson needs to slow down the Union advance and to avoid the +10 pass DRM penalty end in a Union ZOC in Defensible terrain. (Fig. 6)

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Well, that is of course just the beginning of the battle. The actual proper execution of abovementioned maneuvers will decide whether Lee will manage to repeat its historical success or maybe Union will find a way to win that engagement. Still to be seen!