S10 The Important Bridge – A Tilly’s Very Bad Day Scenario

This Tilly’s Very Bad Day scenario is based on Scenario 10: The Important Bridge from “Scenarios for all Ages” by Charles Grant and Stuart Asquith. It is a small game on a small table with small armies (in numbers of units).

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Mission

Setting: Either Thirty Years War or English Civil War.

The advance forces of both the Red Army and Blue Army are attempting to capture a strategically important bridge, and deny it to the opposing side. Neither side has the ability to demolish the bridge.

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Map/Terrain

The map is:

Key features are:

• A small table of 30 TUM x 30 TUM (this is 4′ x 4′ with my 80 wide bases)
• Shallow small table lines for those who want a more smaller battlefield – these are the thin green dotted lines – use as the base edges
• Flank lines – these are the grey dotted lines – used for deployment
• A centrally placed west-east stream; this feature is fordable in the flank zones but impassable in the centre zone (except at the bridge)
• A north-south road, with a bridge over the stream
• Three hills (1 x Medium 4 TUM x 6 TUM; 2 x Large 6 TUM x 8 TUM)
• Three woods (Small 3 TUM x 4 TUM; Small 4 TUM; Medium 4 TUM x 6 TUM)
• A small village (3 TUM x 4 TUM)
• Deployment zone for Blue Centre command (16 TUM x 5 TUM)
• Entry point for Red Centre command (16 TUM)
• Entry points for Red Flank and Blue Flank commands; both are 4 TUM stretching north of the river bank

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Pre-game preparation

Game set-up (Phase 1) is a bit different. The steps are:

• Step 1.1. Agree game size – Small Game
• Step 1.2. Recruit army – Defined by scenario
• Step 1.3. Determine attacker – Normal
• Step 1.4. Place Terrain – Defined by scenario
• Step 1.5. Scouting – None
• Step 1.6. Deployment – Scenario specific
• Step 1.7. Bombardment – None

Step 1.5. Scouting

No scouting.

Step 1.6. Deployment

Only Blue Centre deploys on table. Flank commands arrive on Game Turn 1. Red Centre arrives on Game Turn 1 on a small table and Game Turn 3 on the small shallow table.

Step 1.7. Bombardment

No bombardment because only Blue Centre is on table.

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Blue Player

Objective

Seize the bridge and deny it to the enemy.

Forces Available

Deployment

The Blue Centre deploys within the Blue Centre deployment zone second (the blue dotted box). [On a Small Shallow Table they start off table and arrive on Game Turn 1.]

Cannon deploy limbered.

Reinforcements

The Blue Flank command arrives at the Blue Flank entry point on Game Turn 1. They move in from the edge of the table during movement.

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Red Player

Objective

Seize the bridge and deny it to the enemy.

Forces Available

Deployment

No troops deploy on table.

Reinforcements

The Red Centre command arrives at the Red Centre entry point on Game Turn 1. They move in from the edge of the table during movement. [On a Small Shallow table they arrive on Game Turn 3.]

The Red Flank command arrives at the Red Flank entry point on Game Turn 1. They move in from the edge of the table during movement.

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Victory Conditions

The game lasts 10 Game Turns.

At the end of 10 Game Turns the side in sole possession of the bridge wins. This means having at least one unit within 6 TUM of the bridge and having no enemy units within 6 TUM of the bridge.

Normal victory conditions also apply. A side immediately loses when, in the Army Morale step, they have reached their army break point (lost at least ⅓ of the original Units).

The game is a draw if the time limit expires (10 Game Turns), neither army has broken, and neither army is in sole possession of the bridge.

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Scenario Special Rules

None

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Notes

Nominal unit size: 1000 for Pike+Shot, Shot, and Rabble; 500 for Horse, Dragoons and Light Horse; 8 guns for Cannon.

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Where to get Tilly’s Very Bad Day

Tilly’s Very Bad Day is available for Download (PDF).

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References

Grant, C. S., and Asquith, S. A. (1996). “Scenarios for all Ages”. CSG Publications.