American Civil War Game Club (ACWGC)

In a number of games one or more of the enemy's units have not routed to their rear and ended up behind my main line. If they disappear from view they can recover and then emerge and attack supply and artillery from the rear. There are usually only a few but they can cause trouble out of all proportion to their number unless significant resources (sometimes an entire brigade or more) are devoted to hunting them down. In battles where there many wooded hexes it is sometimes still not possible to find and destroy these renegade units.

Although it is well within the game parameters and not in conflict with any Club rule it is certainly not realistic as such units in reality were primarily concerned with returning to their own lines rather than scurrying around and attacking artillery and supply [aided by the benefits provided by a birds-eye view of the battlefield that the game provides].

Has anyone developed a workable house rule to cover this situation?

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Paul Swanson
Lieutenant-General
First Division
First Corps
Army of Northern Virginia

that is a good question and one i have never really thought about and has happened to me, and i have done the same.... hmmmm. Maybe a house rule should be applied but what would it be? if your forces are between that unit and its home forces, can it defend itself? to rejoin its home force, it would have to move thru enemy lines, or does it have to continue to the edge of the map and sit there? tough question..

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B. Gen. W. Stewart
4/2 ANV

An excellent question! How about something like they cannot make any offensive maneuver until they are no longer detached. Their effectiveness as observers is another issue. Maybe they should be required to move towards their own lines at maximum movement.

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Lt. Gen. Steve Sober, ACWGC
UA Cabinet Secretary
1/4/V AotP

I'm a little surprised that this issue has not been addressed before now as a house rule.

I'll draft something up (probably along the lines suggested by MG Sober) and post it here for comments and to identify any flaws in it.

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Paul Swanson
Lieutenant-General
First Division
First Corps
Army of Northern Virginia

The house rule that I have always followed is this:

Small units (fewer than 100 strength) and all skirmishers found behind enemy lines should seek shelter in covered terrain and stay there until a path to their own lines is open. Formed units of greater strength are allowed to wreck havoc if able to do so.

Generally, though, units isolated behind enemy lines should 1) move in the direction of friendly forces if they can; 2) move to and remain in covered terrain; 3) not be used as "eyes" for the army they are separated from. Of course, the engine will enable players to see from such routed and isolated units but they should not be moved to some high hill and used as spotters.

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BG Ken 'Muddy' Jones
1st Brigade/3rd Division/XV Corps/Army of Tennessee
USA

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Paul Swanson
Lieutenant-General
First Division
First Corps
Army of Northern Virginia