gettysburg; badges of courage [Updated October 2004]

	2004 WBC Report    2005 Status: pending December Membership Century Vote
Patrick Mirk, FL 2004 Champion 2nd: Robert Lightburn, VA 3rd: Matt Calkins, VA 4th: Tim Hall, VT 5th: Ted Drozd, IL 6th: James Miller, VA	Event History 2004    Patrick Mirk     20 Offsite links: AREA Ratings	Laurels Rank Name From Last Total  1. Patrick Mirk MD 04 20  2. Robert Lightburn MD 04 12  3. Matt Calkins VA 04   8  4. Tim Hall VT 04   6  5. Ted Drozd IL 04   4  6.  James Miller VA 04   2
Blocks of Courage ... GETTYSBURG: Badges of Courage was a new game, published three months before WBC/2004 and thus drew a fair number of players wishing to take it out for a first spin. Entrants: 20 Scenario: Day 1. Each entrant played two games, one game as CSA and one game as the USA. The two entrants with the highest total of Victory Points over both games advanced to a final round. The two preliminary rounds were hotly contested. Of the 15 games played (five losers on the first round chose not to play in the second round), six resulted in CSA victories, five in a USA victory, and four were ties. It effectively required two victories to reach the final round. Advancing to the final round were Patrick Mirk of Florida (20VPs) and Robert Lightburn of Virginia (14VPs), both capable players with a slight edge going to Patrick for the highest VPs in this tourney and past success at other block games. Matt Calkins also had two victories, but with a total of 11VPs, he finished third. Choice of sides for the final game was determined by bidding Victory Points for the CSA. Patrick won a coin toss and bid 0, Robert bid 1, Patrick bid 2, and Robert passed. Thus Patrick played the CSA but needed +2 points for a victory, meaning 9 VPs to win. To avoid a tie in the championship game, the scoring was set at: CSA Victory 9VPs or more; otherwise the USA wins. The final game was a classic. Robert (USA) defended well early on, and launched a great counterattack on Seminary Ridge that severely stretched the CSA line. But as always, such an attack must inflict a mortal wound or the USA finds itself severely compromised by the arrival of Ewell on their right flank. The CSA somehow avoided collapse on Seminary Ridge and proceeded to hammer the USA right. The Union now executed a reasonably good fighting retreat, pursued by the CSA. The CSA occupied an undefended Culps Hill and then, on the very last turn of the scenario (8pm) stormed Cemetery Hill which they won. The game ended with the CSA holding eight terrain points (Seminary Ridge, Gettysburg, Benner Hill, Culps Hill, and Cemetery Hill. They also had eliminated eight USA units, while losing four, for a net score of +4. Hence the CSA total was 8+4 = 12 VPs. Both commanders played extremely well and pledged to be back next year for a rematch.
GM      Tom Dalgliesh  [1st Year] POB 3457, Blaine, WA 98231     tom@columbiagames.com   NA