Introduction

Line of sight has always been a problematic issue with tactical games, and certainly, Great Battles of the American Civil War games are no different. Everyone has different spatial reasoning skills, and as Richard Berg said more than once, there is no rule that all will understand – whether simple or complicated.

Add to that the latest edition of GBACW rules and Into the Woods’ special cases, and the result is that LOS is often as mysterious in the game as it was to the actual participants in the battle.

Although the primary change to the 2019 LOS rules was a liberalization of blocking terrain, wooded terrain remains the same or more restrictive in the series rules. With 90% of the Shiloh battlefield covered by woods and with the standard LOS rules, much, if not most, of the historical lines of sight would not exist.  However, the woods of Shiloh were typical of much Civil War wooded terrain.  Most of the undergrowth was eaten and cleared by roaming livestock. The fence lines around many farms and fields were built not to keep farm animals in but to keep the communal animals out of crops.  In addition, early April in this area of Tennessee was at the beginning of the “budding” season, and 1862 had seen a cool and rainy early spring. These conditions make for histories of infantry lines firing at 100+ yards in wooded areas, stories of artillery fire at great distances, and sighting battle flags over 1000 yards away if on high ground.

Into the Woods addresses these issues with four specific rules. The first is the easiest; Woods are only one level higher than the terrain they occupy.  The woods of Shiloh were indeed taller than this, but typically, woods become less dense the higher you go – especially at this time of year. The second rule that addresses this is more problematic – you can “see” through one wooded hex into a second hex.  It takes two or more Woods or Field Boundary hexes to block small arms fire. While not a new rule, e.g., SPI’s Pea Ridge, some playtesters had difficulty visualizing the LOS. The third rule allows artillery to fire through as many as 10 Woods hexes with special negative modifiers. Lastly, we modified the Series Rule for Woods Canopy [10.24] to allow units to fire through the canopy. Fire through a Woods Canopy hexside is considered the same as firing through a wooded hex.

The following examples will help players visualize the terrain and Lines of Sight that Into the Woods’ map portrays. Die Roll modifications in the examples are based on terrain and LOS only; individual unit weapons range modifications are not considered.

Firing Over a Lower Wooded/Boundary Hex

The 8^th Illinois is firing on the 2^nd Arkansas across field boundary hex x and clear hex y.  Hexes x and y are one level below both units. The Field Boundary x is considered the same as a Woods hex for LOS, but there is no potential blockage as the hex is a level lower and Woods are only one level high.

Because the 2^nd Arkansas is in a Field Boundary hex, the fire has a -1 DRM.

There would be no negative DRM for terrain if the firing were reversed, as the 8^th Illinois is in a clear Field hex.

The 24^th Indiana and the 2nd Confederate are having a long-range firefight. Both are on the same elevation, and all intervening Woods hexes are lower, so no blockage.

The 2^nd Confederate is firing over a lower Field Boundary hex, but there is no Canopy as the rebels are in a Clear hex.

The 24^th Indiana is in a Woods hex with the fire coming through an adjacent lower Woods hex creating a Canopy with a -1 DRM to the fire. However, the Federals were already receiving a -1 DRM from being fired on in a Woods hex. The two DRMs are not cumulative.

When the 24^th Indiana returns fire at the rebels, there would be a -1 DRM firing through the adjacent Woods Canopy.

Firing Through Woods or Field Boundary Hexes

The following examples show differing unit placement around a field and how it affects LOS. Shaded areas show the field of fire.

In this example, the 4^th Kentucky is in a Woods hex firing through the adjacent Field Boundary hexes. The unit may fire through one Woods/Boundary hex allowing fire to the opposite edge of Review Field on all hexes marked as a. 

Fire further into the woods is not permitted as it would be firing through more than one Woods, Canopy, or Boundary hex. Fire into hex x is blocked by the Field Boundary in 3503.

Here the 13^th Tennessee is one hex further into the woods than the previous example. It may fire through one Woods hex into the closest Boundary hexes of Review Field (“b” hexes) but no further, as the Boundary hexes count as Woods for LOS.

Firing Through Woods or Field Boundary Hexes, cont.

In the graphic below, the 2^nd Tennessee is on the Field Boundary bordering Review Field. It may fire at any units in c hexes (or closer). In each case, the unit is firing across an open field through a Woods Canopy hex and into a target in the woods, and it can fire no further.

If the 2^nd Tennessee were in Hex 3604 with the same facing it would be firing no further than it did from Hex 3505.

Here the 8^th Illinois and the 6^th Kentucky are in a firefight.  Both are in Field Boundary hexes, with the LOS running along the hexside between Field Boundary hex x and Woods hex y. Per the Series Rules, the LOS is blocked if either hex on the mutual hexside blocks. For our example, each hex has the same effect on LOS. Both x and y hexes provide a Canopy for the Union and Confederate units. Small arms fire is blocked by two Canopy or woods hexes. However, a single hex can count only once for Woods or Canopy for a specific LOS. Both units may fire with a -1 DRM. If the units were on the same level as x and y, the fire would be through one Woods hex with a DRM of -1

Fire Through a Field and Field Boundary Shared Hexside

In the Series Rules, when firing down a hexside between two hexes, the line of sight is affected if either hex affects the line of sight.

In ITW, this is modified for Field Boundary hexsides that border Field (clear) hexes. For LOS, that will be considered an unmodified shot.

In this situation, the 2^nd Arkansas is firing on the 8^th Illinois. The LOS is clear because it runs along the hexside between a Field and Field Boundary hexside.  2^nd Arkansas does not incur a -1 DRM for fire. While the LOS would be considered clear for the 8^th Illinois’ return fire, it would incur a -1 DRM because the 2nd Arkansas is in a Field Boundary hex.

Fire through Woods or Woods Canopy

In this example, we have the 14^th Missouri Sharpshooters on high ground above Review Field. As the Federals are in a Woods hex firing through an adjacent Field Boundary, any fire at a unit in Review Field would receive a -1 DRM for firing through a Canopy hex.

For small arms fire, any possible fires would stop at the hexes marked with y, as fires at hexes marked with z would be firing through two Woods/Boundary hexes. If firing at Hex x, LOF would be blocked by the Canopies that both firing and target hexes have.

If Waterhouse’s artillery occupied the position, it would have a LOF to hex x with Restricted LOS Fire. Restricted LOS Fire is also possible in any of the hexes marked z and beyond as artillery using Restricted LOS Fire can ignore Woods hexes for LOS. Hex x would block any fire through it, as it is the same height as Waterhouse’s position.

Restricted LOS Fire Example

Here we have two Federal batteries and one Confederate artillery unit facing off across Shiloh Creek. Waterhouse and Cobb are on the same terrain level. Laing’s battery is a level higher than Cobb. Both Waterhouse and Cobb could both fire and receive fire through the Canopies provided by lower hexes X and Y.

Fire from each artillery unit against the other would be modified as follows:

• -1 for firing through or into Woods, and
• -1 for Restricted LOS Fire at four hexes.

Total fire modification would be -2.

If Laing was firing at Cobb, its fire would be modified as follows:

• -1 for firing through or into Woods or Canopies, and
• -2 for Extended Fire at 5-6 hexes, and
• +1 for firing at a lower level.

Total fire modification would be -2.

In the 2^nd example, Cobb could not return fire. Restricted LOS fire cannot target higher hexes.

Restricted LOS Fire Example, cont.

Here Polk wants to fire with its intended target 8^th Illinois. While Polk is capable of Restricted LOS fire through the adjacent lower hexside, Restricted LOS fire is blocked after the first Wooded hex of the same base height as the firing unit. Hex x blocks.

In addition, Restricted LOS fire is only allowed at four or more hexes, so if 8^th Illinois was in hex x, it could not be shot by Polk as both the firing hex and target hex would have Canopies (that are counted as Woods).  Two Woods hexes block small arms or artillery fire at three or fewer hexes.

Restricted LOS fire would be allowed ifPolk was firing at the 2^nd Iowa.

Firing over Gullies or Ridges

The 13^th Tennessee and 24^th Indiana can both see and fire on each other. Units can see through one Woods/Boundary hex. Both units are either in Woods or a Field Boundary and receive the -1 DRM for receiving fire. The creek hexside next to the 24^th Indiana is also a Gully, but Gullies never block LOS.

In this example of Ridges, the 13^th Tennessee and 2^nd Iowa are adjacent to the Ridge and each other. They may see and each other and fire. The 5^th Tennessee and Thielemann cannot fire at each other because Thielemann can only see over the Ridge to the adjacent hex and 5^th Tennessee cannot see over a non-adjacent Ridge hex.

Comprehensive Examples of LOS

Here we have the 3^rd Tennessee cavalry (Forrest) in a Field Boundary hex of Spain’s Field. Assume the unit has the proper facing for fire and range into the hexes below (clear LOS is lettered in green, blocked LOS in red):

• Hex-a         Fire is allowed. The intervening hex is a Field Boundary, and the terrain level does not block.  (If the optional Crest rule from the Series Rules was being used, the LOS would be blocked.)

• Hex-b         Fire is blocked. While the unit could fire through either a Boundary or Woods hex, the Boundary hex is higher than the firer or target. When firing down a hex spine, if either hex would block, the fire is blocked.

• Hex-c          Fire is allowed. The intervening hex is Woods, and the terrain level does not block.

• Hex-d         Fire is blocked. The base terrain of the Woods hex adjacent to the spine is higher than the average height of the two hexes and halfway is considered closer when dealing with a non-Gradual Slope (hexside between 4519 and hex d). The Sloping Woods hex blocks as it is halfway and is higher than the average of the firer and target. Additionally, the Shadow exception prevents fire [SR 10.24, Exception 2.a]. The gully along the hex spine does not affect LOS.

• Hex-e          Fire is blocked. The Sloping Woods hex blocks fire, as the added level from the Sloping Woods makes the intervening hex higher than the average and hexside 4520/4621 is considered a non-gradual slope.

• Hex-f          Fire is allowed. The potential blocking terrain is lower than both firer and target.

• Hex-g         Fire is allowed. Fire is allowed through one Woods hex. Gullies do not block.

• Hex-h         Fire is blocked. The LOS is traced along the spine of a Field Boundary in a Sloping hex. Field Boundaries are treated like Woods and therefore, the hex blocks the fire.

• Hex-i          Fire is blocked. As above, fire through Sloping Woods (Boundary) hex.

• Hex-j          Fire is blocked. The Sloping hex adjacent to the spine is blocking. (If the Sloping hex had just been Field Boundary, the LOS would have been completely clear – hexside between Field Boundary and Field is considered clear.)

• Hex-k         Fire is allowed. The Field hex does not block. The terrain level does not block.

• Hex-l          Fire is blocked. The intervening hexes adjacent to the spine are both higher than the firer or target, and either would block.

Comprehensive Examples of LOS, Cont.

The graphic above depicts the 4^th Kentucky’s Line of Sight for fire.  Each hex in the LOS is denoted with a graphic symbol.   Clear LOS hexes with no modifiers have a green capital Y; clear LOS that are modified by hex terrain are noted with a green -1; blocked LOS hexes are marked with a red x.   

The Lines of Sight are explained below.

All of the hexes marked with a Y have no obstacles to a clear LOS. Neither Camps nor Orchards have any effect on LOS.  Hexes 3624 and 3522 have no modifier because the 4^th Kentucky’s LOS into the hexes runs along the hexside between a Field hex (3625) and a Field Boundary hex (3724). This is considered a clear LOS in ITW. All the hexes to the north (up) of 3624 and 3522 have a -1 DRM for fire because the LOS goes through the Field Boundary hex 3724.

The Camp hex due north of the 4^th Kentucky (3724) has a -1 DRM for fire because it is a Field Boundary hex.  A unit in the next hex north (3723) would have a -1 DRM if fired upon for either being in a Field Boundary or receiving fire through a Field Boundary (they are not cumulative). The red * asterisk is to remind players who use the optional crest rule that the LOS would be blocked using that rule.  Any hexes further north are blocked because no fire can go through more than one Woods, Canopy, or Field Boundary.

The two Boundary hexes (3322,3323) have a -1 DRM for fire. The Woods hex (3223) northwest of 3323 is blocked because it is on lower terrain than the firing unit. If it was the same level as 3323 and the firing unit, it could be fired on with a -1 DRM (fire can go through one Woods hex).

Conclusion

Many GBACW players have over the years expressed the wish for more examples in the series rulebook or in the battle books, or even a separate document devoted to such examples.  Those wishes are easily understood.  The only obstacle to their fulfillment is the work involved, which would compete with new game design and development.

There’s another alternative, however:  readily accessible articles presenting examples by topic.  That is what has been attempted here.  As many of the examples apply the series LOS rules in addition to those unique to Into the Woods, it is hoped that this article will go some way toward satisfying a recognized need.

My thanks to Bill Byrne for his help with and editing of this article.

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Previous Into the Woods Article: “Go in Where the Fight is the Thickest”: The Sherman-McClernand Counterattack — A Narrative AAR for Into the Woods, Scenario 6, by William Byrne