Fire on the Mountain
Battle of South Mountain
September 14, 1862
by John Poniske
Fire on the Mountain is a simulation of the Battle of South Mountain and concentrates on the action around Turner's Gap and Fox's Gap. It will emphasize the difficulty of mountainous terrain and the seesaw nature of a battle into which reinforcements continue to trickle and officer casualties effect combat operations. The game uses simple mechanics to simulate movement, artillery, cavalry, leaders, and difficult terrain, with a unique combat system that allows the game to move quickly while still simulating the tense nature of the battle. The game will be produced with double-wide counters (5/8" x 1 1/4") and oversized hexes to accomodate them.
The History: During Robert E. Lee's first invasion of the North, Lee learned of a threatening Federal advance East of Hagerstown, Maryland. Because Stonewall Jackson was besieging Harper' Ferry, he instructed Daniel Harvey Hill to hold the South Mountain passes in the rugged Blue Ridge, just East of Boonsboro. It was essential to delay McClellan's progress so Jackson would have time to take Harper's Ferry and reunite his scattered divisions before the Army of the Potomac caught him unprepared.
Despite strong defensive features the numerically superior Federal forces should have overwhelmed the rebels but the inaction of Pleasonton and Burnside squandered their advantage. In the end Lee's defense of the South Mountain passes cost him 2800 casualties as opposed to the Federal losses of 2300 and lead directly to the fearful slaughter at Antietem.
ConsimWorld Discussion Folder
Here is a link to the CSW discussion folder where you can ask the designer questions, see what others are saying, and get progress updates on the release of the game.
