ATTACK AND DEFENSE BASICS

- or: How to survive as the USA in the early hours

A crucial skill that must be learned by anyone trying to master THE GUNS OF GETTYSBURG, is how to
plan and execute an attack, and how to conduct a proper defense. Other users have contributed
excellent tutorials on the attack procedure, so I won’t go into that in detail. In this article, I’d like to
look at the factors which determine who wins an attack, and how you should set it up in order to
achieve the desired result. I have a background playing NAPOLEON’S TRIUMPH, so it took me a while
to understand the differences in battle tactics. This article will hopefully be helpful to other NT
veterans, but also provide insight to players unfamiliar with Bowen Simmons’ earlier designs, and this
game in particular.

Terrain
In this context, terrain applies to the attack and defense positions. There are three kinds of terrain
modifiers in GoG: ridges, obstructions, and steep hills. Ridges have an impact mainly on artillery,
which I will deal with later. Consider a basic situation where a single, full-strength (strength=2) unit
attacks a single, full-strength enemy unit. No artillery is used, and no other units are nearby. How
does the terrain influence the outcome of this kind of battle?

Open terrain (no modifiers)

Let us first look at the situation in open terrain, meaning terrain without any modifiers. If the CSA
attacks, the initial result is 2-2=0, but the CSA has a +1 bonus when attacking, resulting in a final
result of 1, meaning the CSA wins. If the USA attacks, the final result is 0, no bonuses or modifiers
apply, and the defender wins, which in this case is the CSA.

Result: The CSA always wins!

Modifiers: Obstructions and steep hills
A steep hill facing the attacker from the defense position, means 1 is subtracted from the final result.
An obstruction on both sides of the defense position does the same, and has the added effect that
artillery can not be used in an attack against such a position (indeed, even if there is an obstruction
only on the side facing the attacker). These modifiers are cumulative, so if there is both a double
obstruction and a steep hill facing the attacker, the initial result is modified by -2. Both these
modifiers favor the defender, and removes the advantage the CSA has when attacking.

Result: The defender always wins!

Now, when the basic properties of a one-on-one attack are clear, it is time to look at the other means
available for producing a different outcome: flanking and artillery.

Flanking
If the defender has set up other units in positions adjacent to the defense position (the one being
attacked), the attacker runs the risk of being outflanked, and suffers a -1 penalty for each of the
adjacent positions (right and left) occupied by enemy units (subject to special conditions treated in
chapter 13, section 8 in the rules).

To avoid being outflanked, and maybe even outflank the defender, the attacker may launch a group
attack, using more than one unit in the attack. If he uses two units to attack one position, he is safe
from being outflanked himself (at that position). He may also attack two adjacent positions, even an
empty position adjacent to the enemy-occupied position. The defender can not avoid outflanking by
having two (or three) units in the defense position. He must have units occupying adjacent positions.
If one is eliminated by an enemy attack before close combat in the remaining position, an outflanking
can occur, adding 1 to the final result (advantage: attacker).
If Heth attacks either of Hancock’s units, he is outflanked on one side, and the flanking penalty
cancels the CSA’s attack bonus. The result is 0, and the USA wins as the defender. If Hancock launches
a group attack with both his units against Heth and the empty position to Heth’s right, Heth is
outflanked. The result is 1, and the USA wins.

Thus; much of the game is about establishing defense lines (mainly for the USA to block the CSA’s
advance and protect the objectives), and for the CSA to come in position to launch group attacks
against the edges of the USA’s defense line. Another possibility for the CSA is to try to break through
in the middle of the USA’s defense line. With flanks covered, and in open terrain, this should
succeed. Unless there is artillery involved.

Artillery
The strengths of the infantry and cavalry units are either 1 or 2. Excluding the special rules
concerning the Iron Brigade, it might appear to be relatively easy to calculate beforehand the
outcome of battles in GoG. Enter artillery, the single great unknown. Artillery can play a decisive role
in confrontations, but the artillery’s arrival on the battlefield is randomized, and many criteria must
be fulfilled before artillery can be employed by attacker or defender. So here lies most of the
uncertainty – and suspense – concerning the outcome of battles. (Thus the name of the game.)

Here is a brief outline of how artillery is employed. First, the defender may use up to 2 artillery
tokens per position bordering on the attack paths. Next, the attacker must use at least 1 token per
unit attacking an enemy-occupied position. (He does not have to spend a token for units attacking
empty positions.) He may use any number of tokens per attack position with a bombardment target.
Tokens are revealed, and up to 3 strength points per attack position are added up to inflict damage
on the defender. Defending artillery is taken out before hits are applied to defending infantry units.
Note: defending units are not reduced at this point; hits are counted during close combat.

Remaining defense artillery can then fire on attacking infantry units. Again, strength points are added
up to 3 per position, and used to inflict hits on the attacking units, which are reduced immediately;
before close combat.
Artillery used in different terrain types
In open terrain, or when steep hills are involved, attack and defense artillery count at face value. In
obstructed terrain (an obstruction in front of either the attack position or bombardment target
position), artillery can not be used at all (but the attacker must still spend one artillery token per unit
attacking an enemy-occupied position).

Defense positioned on a ridge has a significant advantage, however. (Units attacking from positions
on a ridge has no similar advantage.) The ridge symbols can effectively double defending artillery’s
strength, as well as extend its range.

Here is an example in open terrain:

Heth attacks, and fires first. The combined artillery strength is 3, and he knocks out one of Hancock’s
batteries. Hancock’s remaining artillery strength is now 2, which is not enough to inflict hits on Heth’s
advancing infantry.

With artillery out of the way, Heth wins, regardless of the attack path:

 Each of Heth’s units attacks one of Hancock’s: Heth wins at each position because of the
CSA’s attack bonus. No flanking occurs.
 Both of Heth’s units attack either one of Hancock’s: Heth wins. The second unit cancels the
flank threat from Hancock’s other unit.

In this area, Heth cannot attack the empty positions to either side of Hancock’s units. The ridge
symbols prevent them from being legal targets.

If Hancock is the attacker, he fires first, at a combined strength of 4, knocking out one of Heth’s
batteries. The other one is not strong enough to inflict hits on Hancock’s infantry. The result is 0, and
Heth wins as the defender.

The same situation on two parallel ridges:

Again, Heth’s combined artillery strength is 3. (The ridge symbols are of no help to the attacker.) One
of Hancock’s batteries (Heth’s choice) is knocked out. But his remaining artillery strength is now 4, as
the ridge symbols effectively double the face value of the artillery token. He chooses which unit to
target, and inflicts one hit.

If Hancock is the attacker, he has a combined strength of 4, which he uses to eliminate Heth’s 2-
strength artillery. The remaining 1-strength artillery doubles its strength to 2, but this is still not
enough to inflict hits on Hancock.

In this area, the attacker has the option of conducting a group attack against one of the defending
units and an empty position adjacent to the defending unit. Heth’s leftmost unit is protected from
flank threats by obstructed terrain. In the other three possible situations, flank threats will cancel
each other out, and we are, in principle, back to the very first example, and the CSA wins.

In this situation, there is only one possible way for Hancock to win a battle. That is if he is the
defender, and Heth attacks both an occupied and an unoccupied position, and Hancock’s artillery
manages to reduce the strength of the unit which attacks the occupied position.

Summing up
The CSA has an advantage in most battles between forces of equal strengths. In the early hours of
the game, all units are at full strength, and the CSA normally wants to attack and advance. The USA
must try to avoid battle until it can achieve a significant advantage or majority in either:

1. Terrain; by occupying defense positions which are obstructed or steep hills

2. Units, by forming defense lines long enough to present flank threats to the enemy
3. Artillery, preferably defending from a ridge

As well as any combination of these. The possibilities are endless.