Bridge Building - AWI Scenario

On Monday night we played out a fun scenario from Osprey's 'Rebels & Patriots' wargame rules. In this game, a force of British, including some engineers, have to build a bridge across a river. The American rebels have to prevent them from doing so.

In the end, the British were successful by taking up strong positions on their side of the river to use firepower to chase away and Americans that were seeking to interfere with the work of the engineers. The Americans were hampered by weaker command and initiative throughout the game, although they did come close to thwarting the British when they mauled a unit of Grenadiers and chased away a troop of Dragoons which had crossed the river.

This scenario would work for a number of different periods as the timing mechanism by which the engineers have to build the bridge adds an element of excitement to the game.

AWI - Battle of The Clouds

At the club, a refight of the Battle of The clouds during the American War of Independence was hosted. The British seemed to have the unenviable task of dislodging the Americans from a defended ridge line. In the actual battle, fought in September 1777, there was a torrential downpour and the American cartridges were soaked and ruined by the rain. Washington was then forced to retreat, leaving the field to the British.

I didn't stay long enough to see if history was repeated or reversed, but a certain club member completely redeemed himself, after last week's despicable table-top cowardice (see 23rd January post), when he was seen admirably leading the Queen's Rangers in bravely attacking the American positions!

Battle of Freeman's Farm, Saratoga Campaign, 1777

One of the games from Monday night was a refight of Freeman's Farm. We set the troops up on the table, marched them forwards, then started chatting about old times......You know - days at the Raleigh Factory in Nottingham in the 1970s; going to university in Wales; a discussion as to why John Lennon and Paul McCartney insisted on bringing their bloody wives to work; and other important issues. Then, without achieving any result on the tabletop, we put the toys back in the boxes and went home!

Battle of Germantown, 1777, and other Monday Club Games

In this refight of Germantown, from the Philadelphia Campaign, the American rebels defeated the British quite convincingly. The mutinous colonists assaulted the Crown Forces' right flank with vigour, and sent the red coats running for their lives to the rear.

Actually, the British elite Light Infantry failed an early morale role and routed on a 'double one' die role, setting the tone for a the rest of the game. This culminated with an, albeit depleted, unit of Grenadiers failing their morale on a role of a 3 on 2d6, leaving traitorous units of Continentals to maraud through Germantown!

Meanwhile on the British right flank, the Hessians took ages to dress their lines and to move to to engage with the American militia. By the time they had, the battle was essentially over.

Keeping with the North American theme - a French Indian Wars game:

Some Napoleonics on display as well this evening, with the French storming Spanish lines: