Black Powder: A very different game...

This time, Michael suggested a game using the Black Powder rules, and what followed surpassed our wildest expectations.

SCENARIO: Michael Schneider
UMPIRING: Michael Schneider

SCENERY: Michael Schneider, Bartek Żynda, SESWC

FIGURES & MODELS: Michael Schneider

1. Forces.

UNITED KINGDOM

(Mike, Peter, Tim)

1st Brigade

CinC (8)

1 x Grendiers

1 x Line

1 x Gun (1 ammo)

2nd Brigade

Brigadier (8)

1 x Light

1 x Line

3rd Brigade

Brigadier (8)

2 x Line

1 x Skirmishers

COLONISTS

(Bartek, David, Michael)

1st Brigade

CinC (8)

2 x Continentals

1 x Gun (5 Ammo)

2nd Brigade

Brigadier (8)

2 x Continentals

1 x Skirmishers

3rd Brigade

Brigadier (8)

4 x Militia

2. The game.

The task seemed straightforward. Somewhere along the northern front, two groups of troops were moving in search of supplies—mainly gunpowder. Both sides were closing in on a village where we thought we might find some. A band of Hessian deserters was holed up there. They might cause some trouble while we searched, but I didn’t expect any serious problems from them. Our plan was simple: David would take two houses on one side of the street, and I would secure the remaining two on the other. The militia would cover us. Once we had the supplies, we were to withdraw. That was the plan... The British seemed to have a similar plan: Tim and Peter would explore the village, while Mike would move around it and attack David.

David was the first to enter the village, seizing the first two buildings, and that's when things started to get complicated. It turned out the Hessians were not only deserters but also zombies! Moments later, a Headless Horseman burst out of the forest at Peter! I was honestly stunned. I halted my units, ordered the Militia to stay clear of the village, and assumed a defensive position. Meanwhile, the zombies' main force turned on the British. After some brief skirmishes between Americans and British, we decided to disengage and focus on fighting the zombies and the Horseman instead.

A chaotic battle broke out, but the human forces soon gained the upper hand. David cleared two houses of zombies, and Tim cleared one. Then Tim headed for another special house, where, after wiping out the zombies inside, he discovered both gunpowder and a map marking the location of The Headless Horseman’s head.

In that moment, it was clear that victory was tipping in the British favour. Tim ordered Mike to find the head and take control of the Rider, which saved Peter from total destruction. Although they were unable to kill the Rider, his unit survived the entire battle against the monstrous creature.

I decided to at least seize the gunpowder, and maybe even the map. I led an assault on Tim’s building with my troops and even managed to get inside, but then a series of unexpected events unfolded. All the zombies turned on me, and the gunpowder somehow teleported to the British cannon. There was nothing I could do about it.

In the end, the Headless Horseman—now under British control—would attack me on the next turn, so I’d have to flee. I can’t help wondering what the American command would say if I actually managed to report back from a battle like that. They’d probably have me strapped into a straitjacket...

3. Links.

SESWC:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/631841809210352

FLICKR:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/asienieboje/albums/72177720334633505/

After a game, Mike created that song:

https://suno.com/s/xgPrD75iM4ERf4Xv

Rebels & Patriots: Andy's Hill 1782.

This time, we played a fairly large game using the Rebels & Patriots rules. Michael utilised nearly his entire collection for this clash, while Mike assisted him in adapting the scenario to fit the game’s rules. I supported Michael by sharing my knowledge of the rules. A total of seven players participated in the game.

SCENARIO: Michael Schneider
UMPIRING: Michael Schneider

SCENERY: Angus Konstam, Michael Schneider, SESWC

FIGURES & MODELS: Michael Schneider

1. Forces.

BRITISH

(Ben, Gordon, Mike)

Hessian Brigade

1 x Regular Infantry (Veteran)

2 x Regular Infantry

1 x Light Infantry

1 x Skirmishers

1 x Light Cavalry

1 x Medium Gun

British Brigade

1 x Regular Infantry (Veteran)

2 x Regular Infantry

1 x Light Infantry

1 x Skirmishers

1 x Light Cavalry

1 x Medium Gun

AMERICANS & FRENCH

(Andy, Bartek, Jimmie, Michael)

1st Continental Brigade

3 x Regular Infantry

2 x Regular Infantry (Poor)

1 x Skirmishers

1 x Medium Gun

2nd Continental Brigade

3 x Regular Infantry

2 x Regular Infantry (Poor)

1 x Skirmishers

1 x Medium Gun

1st Militia Brigade

3 x Regular Infantry (Poor)

2nd Militia Brigade

3 x Regular Infantry (Poor)

French Brigade

2 x Regular Infantry (Veteran)

1 x Light Gun

1 x Light Cavalry

2. The Game.

The game began on the tabletop with the First Continental Brigade, which occupied a large hill at the centre of the battlefield. Andy was in command. Two British brigades entered the action from opposite corners: the First Hessian Brigade, led by Mike, and the Second Brigade, consisting of British troops, commanded by Ben (who was playing with us for the first time) and Gordon. The remaining players stayed off the table for the time being.

The British began to attack the colonists' positions on the hill when, unexpectedly, a French brigade appeared on the scene. As a result, the British had to allocate some of their forces to address this new challenge. Gordon approached me while Andy continued to hold his ground on the hill, trying to fend off Ben and Mike, who were pressing hard against him.

Gordon, with his relatively small forces, advanced towards the French. The first to engage were the dragoons. The British managed to force the Colonial forces to retreat, but this manoeuvre positioned them directly in front of the French infantry. The French opened fire, supported by artillery, which destroyed the British unit. The same fate befell the skirmishers who were supporting them. This left the British flank exposed. However, these developments were just the beginning of the surprises that awaited the soldiers of the United Kingdom.

The pressure from Mike and Ben continued to mount, causing Andy to seem as though he was retreating. However, this was part of a Colonial strategy to lure the British into a trap. Once the British reached the hill, three new American brigades appeared on the battlefield. One brigade, led by Jimmy, and two militia brigades, led by Michael, joined the fight. Jimmy provided support to Andy from the left, taking on the majority of the fighting against Mike's advancing Hessian forces. Meanwhile, Michael supported the French attack.

It was now a matter of eliminating as many enemy troops as possible. The British and Hessian forces began to retreat in the face of the clear numerical superiority of the enemy. Soon, their troops were pushed off the hill, but they managed to conduct a fairly organised withdrawal. Ultimately, the Colonials, alongside the French, inflicted greater losses on the British, leading to their victory.

The game turned out to be very successful; however, there was one issue regarding the movement ranges and speed. In large-scale games, it's essential to adjust these values to ensure that gameplay progresses more swiftly into the combat and shooting phases, minimising the time spent on initial manoeuvres, particularly during the first or second turns.

American and French losses.

British losses.

3. Links.

MICHAEL:

To be updated soon.

SESWC:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/631841809210352

Harlem Heights. 16.09.1776.

Here is a report from a recent game played at our club (SESWC Edinburgh): The Battle of Harlem Heights, which took place on September 16, 1776, during the American War of Independence. The scenario was prepared by Michael. We played using Black Powder rules, incorporating some of our House rules, such as an inverted turn sequence (initiative, shooting, orders, melee, reinforcements) and fatigue movement (100% for the first move, 50% for the second, and 25% for the third).

SCENARIO: Michael Schneider
UMPIRING: Michael Schneider

SCENERY: Michael Schneider, Bartek Żynda, SESWC

FIGURES & MODELS: Michael Schneider

1. Forces.

UNITED KINGDOM

(Alasdair, Bartek)

On table:

Major-General Alexander Leslie (8)

1 x British Light Infantry (Large)

Reinforcements:

Turn 3:

Lieutenant-Colonel Alexander Stirling (8)

1 x British Line Infantry (Large)

1 x 6pdr Gun

Turn 6:

Colonel Carl von Donop (8)

1 x Hessian Grenadiers

2 x Jaeger Companies (small, skirmish)

Turn 8:

Major-General Charles, Earl Cornwallis (9, CinC)

1 x British Line Infantry

Turn 10:

Major-General Sir John Vaughn (8)

2 x British Grenadiers

COLONISTS

(David, Mark, Tim)

On table:

Brigadier Gen. John Nixon (8, CinC)

1 x Militia

Reinforcements:

Turn 1:

5 x Continental Infantry

Turn 3:

Lieut. Col. Thomas Knolton (8)

1 x Rangers (small, skirmishers)

1 x Riflemen (small, skirmishers)

Turn 4:

3 x Militia

1 x 6pdr Gun

Turn 5:

Brigadier General Paul Sargent (8)

2 x Militia

2. The game.

The game began with a British Light Infantry unit under my command and a militia unit led by Tim. We had the advantage at the start, so I opened fire on the militia and launched an attack. After a brief hand-to-hand fight, the militia unit was destroyed. I then returned to my starting position and observed as the Continental troops entered the battlefield. Meanwhile, Tim took a more challenging route through the wetlands, which slowed down his movement. Alasdair later joined my forces with his brigade, and we formed the first line of defence. We planned to retreat under enemy pressure, secretly hoping to survive until the main forces arrived. As the colonists' pressure intensified, we had to retreat while constantly fighting back, using accurate fire and successful charges, resulting in the colonists losing another unit.

David and Mark joined the fight. Mark attacked from the front, while David flanked us. Fortunately, our reinforcements arrived and saved our flank. Despite continued pressure from the Colonists, I survived and destroyed another unit. We halted their advance at a small river when our main forces appeared. We were then able to retreat safely behind our lines. The Colonists didn't dare to attack our main forces, and the battle ended in a British victory.

During this battle, only the Colonists suffered losses: 2 x Militia and 1 x  Continentals.

3. Links.

MICHAEL:

https://meneken.blogspot.com/2024/05/haarlem-heights-16th-september-1776-awi.html

SESWC:

To be updated soon...

FLICKR:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/asienieboje/albums/72177720317122465