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.
UMPIRING: Michael Schneider
1. Forces.
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.
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| American and French losses. |
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| British losses. |
3. Links.
MICHAEL:
To be updated soon.
SESWC:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/631841809210352
