A total of 27 players participated in the 2023 Battle Cry tournament. We tried a new format this year in which a complete match (2 games with players switching sides) would be played in each round. This was very well received, as it eliminated the need for bidding. In addition, all competitors played in an expeditious manner, so no matches needed to be adjudicated for slow play. For this, the GMs are thankful.
Before going any further, I’d like to thank all the participants for their sportsmanship and fair play. I also am grateful for my assistant GMs, Jon Manley and Pete Stein, whose advice and assistance are invaluable both before and during the tournament.
Nineteen players participated in the Mulligan round; with the odd number, 2023 champion David Schneider was given a bye to Round 2.
Fourteen players participated in Round 1.
The first-round scenario was McDowell. The statistics for the mulligan and first round are combined in the following summary. Ten players advanced in sweeps, and the other six matches were split. Overall, the Union won 14 games, and the Confederacy won 18 games.
Fourteen players advanced to Round 2, and the scenario for this round was Chickamauga. Only two of the matches were splits, with the Union sweeping both of those (total Union wins: 9; total Confederacy wins 5).
Seven players advanced to the Quarterfinal, which used the Falling Waters scenario. The remaining players included last year’s champion David Schneider, Joe Harrison, Jon Manley, Matthew Miller (whose brother Chris agreed to be the eliminator in this round and the next), Geoff Heintzelman, William Kendrick, and Ed Kendrick.
David Schneider swept Joe Harrison 5-1 and 5-2, and Matthew Miller won both against William Kendrick by a 5-3 score. Jon Manley lost to the eliminator, Chris Miller: 5-4 as the Union, but only 2-5 as the Confederacy. Geoff Heintzelman managed to get by Ed Kendrick 4-5 as the Union but 5-2 as the Confederacy. Thus, the Union and the Confederacy both had 4 wins in this round.
Amazingly, David Schneider had not lost a game to this point, so as the top seed he faced off against the eliminator. Geoff Heintzelman and Matthew Miller were paired up in the other Semifinal.
The Semifinal scenario was Cedar Mountain. In Game 1 of the first Semifinal between Matthew and Geoff, most of the struggle was in the center section of the battlefield. The Union (Geoff) took a quick lead after killing Gen Early and an artillery unit with two infantry units. A Confederate infantry unit then took a brave stand on the hill and fought off all Union attempts to take the ground. As the Union cavalry was getting ready to charge, the Confederates killed a Union general and took the game 6-5.
In the second game, the battle was on the flanks. The Confederates (Geoff) had good orders and Union attacks resulted in many flags, thus allowing the Confederates to regroup and counterattack. In this one, the Confederacy triumphed 6-3, allowing Geoff to advance to the Final with the 11-9 win.
The epic match of the tournament occurred in the other Semifinal. David Schneider on the first game as the Union 6-5. A crack shot by the sharpshooter got him to 5-4, and then a brave charge netted the 6th banner for the Union.
In the second game, the Confederates (David Schneider) took a quick 3-1 lead after eliminating the Union artillery in the center, and it looked like David was cruising into the Final. David got two more banners to get to 5-1, but then the Confederated played 2-2-2 to get two medals. The Union countered with bombard, which was completely ineffective. The Confederates (Chris Miller as the eliminator) then played 2 Leadership cards and a fight back to win 6-5. Thus, this match came down to figures, and defending champion David lost by only 1 figure in the tiebreaker.
Both Semifinal were split, with the Union and the Confederacy each winning 2 games.
Based on David’s loss to the eliminator, the Final was not necessary and Geoff Heintzelman is crowned the WBC 2024 Champion winning his first Battle Cry Title
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Dave Metzger leading Union to victory. |
Confederates marching toward the Union lines. |
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Top 2 laurelists GM Geoff Heintzelman and David Schneider. |
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Geoff Heintzelman [3rd Year] |
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