Alternative Chacabuco – A Liberators HoTT Mass Battle Scenario

I already have a Alternative Chacabuco Scenario for Liberators HOTT, based on the Alternative Chacabuco scenario from the Liberators Supplement by John Fletcher (Fletcher, 2006). But that is for a typically small HoTT game and today I wanted to play a big game of Liberators HOTT. A “Mass Battle” in HoTT terms. More elements. More figures. More players. More fun.

Mission

Setting: Chacabuco Farm, Chile; 13 Feb 1817

This scenario poses a What-if. The premise is that after crossing the Andes from Argentina, the patriot army advances more cautiously giving the royalists time to bring up reinforcements from Santiago.


Map/Terrain

  • The table, when converted to Mass Battle HOTT scale for big bases, is 6′ x 4′.
  • The small hill is gentle.
  • Tahuilaca and Los Tauretes, the two larger hills, are steep, count as bad going, and are impassable to cannon.
  • The fields and vineyard all count as bad going.
  • The farm is a “Stronghold” in HOTT terms or a BUA i.e. more bad going.
Table - Alternative Chacabuco - Liberators HoTT - Massed Battle
Table – Alternative Chacabuco – Liberators HoTT – Massed Battle

Pre-game preparation

Decide if Chacabuco Farm is a Stronghold or Built Up Area (BAU).


Royalist Player (Defending)

Deploys first and takes second turn.

Objective

Defeat the Patriots and hold the Chacabuco farm.

Forces Available

The Royalists have Maroto’s Division, which was facing the Argentine army as it came over the Andes. This division is based on his order of battle at the historical Chacabuco. As a what-if, Alternative Chacabuco assumes Mariscal Marco del Pont marshalled troops in Santiago to reinforce Maroto. These are combined into the Santiago Division.

Royalist Order of Battle

  • Santiago Division
    • Attachable General: Mariscal Marco del Pont (the Army General)
    • 3 x Infantry / Shooters @ 2
    • 7 x Cavalry / Riders @ 2
    • 4 x Artillery @ 4
  • Maroto’s Division
    • Attachable General: Rafael Maroto
    • 5 x Infantry / Shooters @ 2
    • 2 x Cavalry / Riders @ 2
    • 1 x Artillery @ 4
  • 1 x Stronghold = Chacabuco Farm (unless it is a BUA)
  • AP = 54; Break point = 27

Deployment

Deploys first behind the red line on the map.

Reinforcements

None.


Patriot Player (Attacking)

Deploys second and takes first turn.

Objective

Defeat the Royalists and/or capture the Chacabuco farm.

Forces Available

The Patriots have two divisions: O’Higgins’ Division and Soler’s Division. These are the troops that fought at the historical Chacabuco.

Patriot Order of Battle

  • O’Higgins Division
    • 1 x Hero General (General O’Higgins2) @ 4 AP
    • 1 x Hero (Colonel of the Horse Grenadiers1) @ 4 AP
    • 4 x Infantry / Shooters @ 2 AP
    • 4 x Cavalry / Riders @ 2 AP
  • Soler’s Division
    • Attachable General: General Jose San Martin (the Army General)
    • 6 x Infantry / Shooters @ 2 AP
    • 3 x Cavalry / Riders @ 2 AP
    • 3 x Artillery @ 4 AP
  • AP = 54; Break point = 27

Notes:
(1) The Argentine Horse Grenadiers were the best cavalry in the War in the South. Because Liberators HOTT doesn’t distinguish on troop quality this warrants making one stand, nominally the Colonel, a Hero. This represents the superior quality of that unit over the Royalist cavalry.
(2) O’Higgins was inspirational and led a variety of hard charges in his career, hence his Hero status.

Deployment

Deploys second. The divisions must deploy in their respective deployment zones. San Martin can deploy in either division.

Reinforcements

None.


Victory Conditions

Normal HOTT victory, i.e. destroy 1/2 of the enemy army to break it.

Scenario Special Rules

If using more than 2 players than use the “Mass Battles” optional rule in HoTT (p. 27-28). The short version is:

  • Each command rolls a PIP die separately.
  • Commands stay on table even if they lose their general and/or lose half its AP
  • A command becomes demoralised when either (1) it loses half its AP or (2) it loses its General and its next PIP score is lower than the number of AP it has lost
  • Commands suffer the +1 PIP cost “if the troops own general is lost”
  • A demoralised command can only use PIPs to (1) move a single element, (2) hold a single element in place (optional 180° turn), or (3) hold a group in place without turning. No other group moves area allowed.
  • Any stands in a demoralised command that do not have PIPs allocated, do an initial recoil, and are then removed (and then count as lost for victory purposes).
  • Stands in a Demoralised command deduct -1 in combat (shooting and melee)
  • Victory is award based on losses for the whole army, not for each command

Use my Liberators HOTT Rules including “Straight HOTT” and these recommended house rules:

  • Better artillery: +4 Combat Factor up to 500p; +2 Combat Factor up to 1,500p; shoot every bound, both own and enemy, except when move; 4 AP
  • Infantry column: 2 or more stands in column; 300p when moving in column, otherwise 200p; and in this game we game them +1 in melee
  • Infantry square: two stands back to back; shoot normally; +1 when in close combat with cavalry; are destroyed if either is forced to recoil or is destroyed
  • Dead hordes are dead
  • Attachable Generals – if you need them: Round bases; status indicators not fighting elements; move 500p and can detach/attach; attached units get +1 in combat;

In addition the following rules apply to this scenario.

Figure to Men Ratio and Order of Battle

I have changed the figure to man ratio to match the ground scale (1″ = 50 paces for small bases; 1″ = 25 paces for Big Bases). The figure to man ratio is now:

  • Shooters / infantry (250 men per element)
  • Riders / cavalry (100 men per element)
  • Hordes / mob / ill-trained and/or ill-equipped levy whether mounted or on foot (250 men per element)
  • Artillery for artillery (2 cannon)

At the reduced scale of this scenario the units are now infantry or cavalry wings (half battalions), and gun sections (2-3 guns).

I’ve revised the order of battle to reflect these changes.


Notes

Chacabuco Farm can either be a HoTT style Stronghold or it came be Built up Area (BUA). Your choice. A HOTT BUA is more straight forward.


References

Fletcher, J. (2006). Liberators! Supplement 1: The War in the South. Grenadier Productions.

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