Wednesday, October 14, 2015

Command Simulation: The Battle for Bath - Roads and opening positions

After looking at possible proxy maps for Bath, I have decided to reverse my previous statement that I will not make any custom maps for this simulation. I am going to make a custom Bath map to include the ridge behind the town, Sir John's Run and the depot by the railroad and the Potomac River. It won't be exactly to scale, but I wanted to include those features that were important during the historical events around Bath in January 1862, 

I haven't started constructing the map yet, but I will use this section of a topographic map for Berkeley Springs. (Bath's post office has been officially known as Berkeley Springs since the time of the Civil War, but original name was still in popular use during Jackson's campaign of January 1862.) The topography in the TC2M map will reflect the map shown here, but there will be fewer houses and buildings. The roads marked in red will appear on the TC2M map, although some of the un-named roads will essentially be little more than trails or paths. 

The weather model for Day 7 shows that it will be clear and cold, but that there are still 2 inches of snow on the ground. This will severely and negatively affect off-road movement. Let me repeat that for the players: The presence of two inches of snow on the ground will severely and negatively affect off-road movement, particularly moving up slopes! For example: It looks like one could just go over-land from Bloomery Gap Road, over the southern part of Warm Spring Ridge to a road/path leading north to Old Town Road and a junction to the west of the Sir Johns Road junction. On a two-dimensional map, it looks like a good way to take Bath from the rear and cut off access to the depot.   This would not be an easy task - it will probably take a very long time and result in the men being exhausted and moving very slowly even when they reach the road.

Sir Johns Run and other creeks will be frozen. There will not be much penalty for crossing other than the off-road penalty for snow and ice.  Creeks aren't your problem in this one - the snow is. The Potomac will not be frozen, but swimming and bathing is not advised. 

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