Alternative Chacabuco Scenario for Liberators HOTT

The Alternative Chacabuco scenario is from the Liberators Supplement by John Fletcher (Fletcher, 2006). These are my notes for playing the scenario with the Liberators HOTT rules.

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

  • Use the map in the published scenario.
  • The table, when converted to HOTT scale, is 3′ x 2′.
  • The small hill is gentle and the two larger hills are steep.
  • The fields and vineyard all count as rough ground.
  • The farm is a “Stronghold” in HOTT terms.
Chacabuco-361 deployment
Chacabuco-361 deployment

Pre-game preparation

None


Royalist Player (Defending)

Deploys first and takes second turn.

Objective

Defeat the Patriots and hold the Chacabuco farm.

Forces Available

Royalist Order of Battle

  • Mariscal Marco del Pont
  • 6 x Infantry @ 2
  • 6 x Cavalry @ 2
  • 3 x Artillery @ 4
  • 1 x Stronghold = Chacabuco Farm.
  • AP = 36; Break point = 18

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.

Patriot Order of Battle

  • General Jose San Martin
  • O’Higgins Division
    • 2 x Infantry @ 2 AP
    • 2 x Cavalry @ 2 AP
    • 1 x Hero (Colonel of the Horse Grenadiers1) @ 4 AP
    • 1 x Hero (General O’Higgins2) @ 4 AP
  • Soler’s Division
    • 4 x Infantry @ 2 AP
    • 2 x Cavalry @ 2 AP
    • 2 x Artillery @ 4 AP
  • AP = 36; Break point = 18

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

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

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

  • Better artillery
  • Infantry column
  • Infantry square
  • Attachable Generals – if you need them

Note: there are no “mobs/hordes” in this scenario so you don’t need the house rule “Dead hordes are dead”.


Notes

  • I have halved the amount of Royalist artillery in the interests of making a more balanced scenario.

References

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

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