Creating a mini campaign - Early stages.

After thoroughly enjoying the play through of the Crooked Valley Campaign from Charles Grant's Programmed Wargames, I have begun work on a new campaign. Taking the original map from the same book, I have made my own representation of it, changed a few things and added a little colour. My cartography or drawing skills are pretty poor, but the map should do the job.

It is still a mini-campaign, but unlike Crooked Valley, this one is not linear. I imagine this to be a peninsular in Southern Virginia, I have created fictional names for towns, rivers, hills etc, and if the scale is roughly four miles for each square, then the whole map is about fifty miles by forty, gave or take. Each square can then be divided in two, either horizontally or vertically, the actual table size would then represent four miles wide by two miles deep.

A closer look at the top half of the map. There are only two routes into the peninsular, along the coast either side of Choke Heights. Lower and secondary levels are accessible by all arms, but will cause a movement penalty. The upper level can only be reached by skirmishers.

The patches of green represent significant, but not impenetrable forest, other woods, farms, streams etc, are not shown, but will be present on any table that is set up. This gives me a little leeway and also prevents the map becoming too busy. In the lower left corner squares K1 to N1, represent part of the main coast of Virginia, the distance between Wickham M1 and  Easington N3 is about six or seven miles, a swift dash for a brig or cutter. There really should be at least one railway line running into the area, but as I have no track, on this occasion I have left that out.

I have borrowed the troops from the OOB for Fair Oaks in 1862, part of the actual Peninsula Campaign waged by the Union in an attempt to capture Richmond. The fictitious peninsular in this game will have Hill's Division tasked with the defending it. They also have an extra flying cavalry brigade attached.

The invading Union force will be the VI Corps of William B. Franklin. It consists of two divisions.

So I now have my map, as well as the forces that will be involved, others may be drawn into the peninsular, but we shall see. I can always draw on other forces listed on the OOB if required.
As this is a solo affair, I want to keep the paperwork to a minimum, I intend to keep the mechanics as simple as possible. Weather will of course be a factor, as will civilian hostility to the invaders. I see militia or similar, possibly causing havoc to the Union supply chain as they move down the peninsular.

I now have to work on programmed moves for both sides, taking away my god like powers on who moves where and when. The telegraph will be in operation, until cut by either side, it will then be a case of messages being sent by riders, no instant communications, they may be killed, captured or simply get lost enroute.

More work to do, but an enjoyable way to spend an evening with a glass of beer of course.