The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down
by Matthew Hartley

Introduction

The Civil War is over, Lee has surrendered at Appomatox and the South lays postrate before the victorious North. Yet there are still those who refuse to except defeat, the Hold Outs who continue to fight a guerilla war against the North.

One such group is led by Major Hugh Glyn working out of the Louisiana swamps. Recently, the Hold Outs "liberated" Dixie, one of the astounding creatures captured in a survey of the swamps before the wars outbreak. Dixie had been trained and was paraded around the South during the war as a recruitment device. Attracting much attention, Dixie became a celebrity both at home and aboard, a potent symbol of the Deep South.

As dusk draws in, and with the Federals in hot pursuit, Glyn is trying to escape with Dixie and achieve a significant propaganda coup.

The Forces:

The Confederate States of America (CSA): One Adventurer base (Major Hugh Glyn), Three Stalwart bases (The Hold Outs), A Trained Brontosaurus (Dixie).

The United States of America (USA): Four Cavalry (US troopers), Six Rabble (US infantry), One Light Artillery (6 pdr cannon).

Notes and Rules:

The play area is 120cm by 60cm. A river should run down the middle of the area. The river is fordable only by cavalry bases or by Dixie , both at a cost of 1 AP and no other movement that turn. There is a bridge crossing the river in its northernmost quarter. The rest of the play area should be covered with a mixture of marshes (half movement) and forests (half movement, and may not be shot through. Bases can only fight other bases within 2cm in forests). The gap between the marshes and the forests are trails which allow normal movement.

Due to the darkness, all ranged weapon shots are limited to 6cm.

Given the size of the US force, they roll 1d6 + 1 per turn for AP.

The CS forces enter the table at the eastern edge, and must exit Dixie from the western edge in order to win.

The US can appear anywhere along the southern map edge and must kill Dixie to win.

The CSA start first.

Ed Note: Tusk is a light hearted set of Mammoth and Dinosaur hunting rules produced by Irregular Miniatures Ltd and was reviewed in Ragnarok 17 (its first supplement Tusk II - The Wrath of Kong was reviewed in Ragnarok 23). For further details regarding price and availability send an SSAE to Irregular Minaitures Ltd, 3 Apollo Street, Heslington Road, York, Y01 5AP.