French and Indian War skirmish game

We are off to a great start.  12 players and three assistants are crowded around several tables depicting a forested valley in the American colonies.  On one end is a small town from which a road emerges towards the west and a frontier fort.  Amidst trees and streams are several farmsteads.  Branching off toward the south is a table containing a native village whose inhabitants are eager to bring havoc to this idyllic setting.

Many of the colonists and British were already on the table at the game's beginning.  The allied leaders were warned that raiding parties of French and Indians could appear from anywhere at any time.  The task of the red coated soldiers was to protect the town, the fort, a very strategic blockhouse in the middle of the table and the many farms that dotted the landscape.  Additionally, they were to try to destroy the native village which had become a seriousl threat to the locals.

The French and Indians, on the other hand, were to rain down terror on the valley, and set about their mission with great energy.

The first victory went to the French as they destroyed a cabin that had been built wrecklessly close to the hostile village.  Soon after that, three war parties appeared and launched an attack on the blockhouse.  This jolted the allied companies into a brisk response.  The fort was stripped of most of its defenders to go to the aid of the blockhouse, and most of the soldiers billeted in the town embarked on spreading out into the rest of the valley to defend the locals.  And then a large faction of French marines and militia appeared on the south side of the town.  The soldiers were recalled to fend off this threat.

On the second day of our conflict, more French regulars arrived at the Indian village and began to make their way toward the main table so as to storm the fort.  Some marines and Indians managed to sneak through the woods to the south of the fort where the lone company of the 28th Foot did their best to man the walls.  But the French and Indians were stunned when three companies of Rogers' Rangers disembarked from canoes and attacked the village.  Things had changed for both sides in a hurry!

By the end of our second day the French threat to the town had all but been extinguished, shot down by volleys from the disciplined British.  But in doing this, many units had been prevented from aiding their comrades to the west.  The blockhouse fell to the French as did four of the farmsteads.  Rogers' Rangers were roughly handled by the few defenders of the village and were completely dismayed by the arrival of companies of French regulars.  The attack on the fort, while menacing at first, had diminished considerably by the end of the day.

As day three begins the French have taken the lead in points, 225 to 170, but many companies are on the move and it is clear that much bitter fighting is still ahead.

The fort and the western end of the table, well defended at the beginning of the game.



The fortified town at the eastern end.



A farm about to be taken by a war  party.

Some of the players at the western end of the table.

I will conclude this report with a brief video from the very end of the day.  It is my first post of a video, and what I like most about it is the trash talking taking place in the background.  It's the best part of the game!

Camp VIP Begins

This coming Monday I'll be starting another year of my miniatures class.  I'll be offering three weeks this summer, and all three are filled.  We'll begin with a French and Indian War skirmish game using Sharp Practice.  I have dozens of units for the kids to choose from and I think it will be fun.  Week two will see us refight the Hornet's Nest at Shilo using Regimental Fire and Fury.  This will be my first time using them at the camp so I am interested to see how the kids react.  Finally, week three will be a huge Seven Years War recreation.  There will be five territories held by the different powers.  Alliances will be formed, treaties established and military objectives stated.  And then I am sure there will be deceit and betrayal; at least I am hoping so.  The French will be augmented with loads of Highlander mercenaries.  The Hanoverians will get some help from jolly old England.  The Austrians, Russians and Prussians will be powerful on their own. 

I'll be posting reports almost daily, so stay tuned.

This past Saturday, June 9, I had the last of four Saturday classes in my room at school.  13 young and eager wargamers showed up at 8:00 A.M. and battled fiercly until 12:00 that afternoon.  It was a fictional battle pitting three Union divisions agains two and a half Confederate.  The objective was a bridge in the middle of the table.  Despite being outnumbered, the Rebels went on the attack on their left and pinned down one Union division, destroying one of its brigades.  On their right, Hood's elite division did its best to tie down the other two Yankee divisions.  Law's brigade took the brunt of the punishment, but did delay Meade's and Doubleday's divisions enough for McLaws men to establish a defense.  In the end, neither side controlled the bridge, so it was a draw.  But the young generals all enjoyed the morning's encounter, it was therefore deemed a success.

The beginning of the game, Conferderates to the left.

The Rebel left, with the vital bridge to the right of the picture.

The Rebel left closer up.

This became the game's "Bloody Angle."

Just before the Confederate charge the last two turns of the game.

Most of the Union left's regiments got tangled up with Hood's men and never made it to the bridge.  Some important tactical lessons were learned.

Brock's field

My solo battle of Brock's field has come to a conclusion.  Smith's brigade pursued the fleeing Yankees to their ruin.  A hastily formed battery pasted the Tennesseans, driving them back to their starting points.  Wright was also checked in his attack on the Union right.

But the game came down to the final attack by Strahl's brigade through the woods.  His five regiments would be tangling with five regiments in blue.  The Yanks, however, had been diminished in both men and ammunition in fighting off Smith's attack, so they were at a disadvantage.

Strahl's men picked their way through the dense woods to make contact with the Union line.  A firefight ensued and the Confederates got the best of it.  Strahl's left hand brigade advanced through the tall corn of Brock's field and was able to gain the flank of the Union line.  Once that occurred, the end of the battle was in sight.  Strahl's rebels charged out of the corn and drove the Union reinforcements from the field.  Their flank turned, Palmer's division had no choice but to retreat and leave the field of battle to the men in gray.  Casualties on both sides were high, as the photos will attest.

Cruft's brigade counterattacks Smith's rebels and drives them back.  Their success, however, is shortlived.

Coming up in support of Smith is Strahl's brigade of five regiments.  They boldly approach the Union line.



Strahl's line overlaps Cruft's right, which spells doomed for the beleagured men in blue.



Cruft's men are spent and driven back.  The battle for Brock's field is over and a Confederate victory.

Battle for Brock's Field

I am refighting the battle of Chickamauga using Cozen's book for the details.  This game pits Cheatham's divison against Palmer's Yankees.  I have completed three turns and the outcome is still very much uncertain.  The men in gray got off to a good start, but have since been checked by the heroic efforts of Grose, Hazen and Crofton.  But the Confederates will be receiving an additional brigade, Strahl's to be exact, in the next few turns, and this could turn the tables dramatically.  Here are some shots at the end of turn three:

Smith's brigade attack's HAzen on the extreme right flank

Wright's brigade attacks the left flank

Wright's brigade makes good progress

Hazen's brigade stands strong against Smith's attacks

Grose's men regroup and hold back Wright's attack

Grose maneuvers his men to the flank of Smith's attack to great effect

At this point, the Union has been effective in blunting the Confederate attacks.  But in the near future an third rebel brigade will join the contest, and that could change things dramatically.

Today's Game

I ran a Seven Years War game today for 12 fourth through sixth graders. The battle pitted a large host of Austrians against a smaller, more elite group of Prussians. There were 10 brigades on the Austrian side and nine on the Prussian.
Just about all of the players were new to wargaming, let alone the rules, but we were able to get through seven turns in about three and a half hours of actual gaming. The biggest mistake was that the Austrian players didn't start with assault orders, and at least three of their desperately needed brigades sat idly by until the later stages of the game.
Despite that, there were some rousing moments. One of the new players threw double sixes while firing his cannon at some Austrian cuirassiers. The whole group gathered round to see what would happen to the brigadier. He was only slightly wounded and just missed a single turn.
Several cavalry charges were stopped in their tracks by musketry on the way in, but one notable exception saw some Prussian cuirassiers pass their moral test and mele with a line of grenadiers. The grenadiers were literally wiped out and the cuirassiers cantered back to their lines to re-group.

It was a fun morning and all the kids said they had a good time.  Next month we move to the American Revolution.  Should be fun.

Seven Years War game

Tomorrow morning I have 12 kids plus an experienced helper showing up to play a large Seven Years War game based on Hopskirch in 1758.  I'll be using every Austrian in my collection in order to outnumber my Prussians.  It is hope that quality will at least be able to give quantity a run for its money.   We'll be using the Die Kreigskunst rules.  Hopefully, the kids will pick them up quickly.  We have a four hour window to get the game in.  I'll post pictures after the game.