Jay's Wargaming Madness: Battle Report 2/13/2013

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Battle Report 2/13/2013 - Muskets and Tomahawks

I had a great game with Geoffrey Hummel this evening. We played on a 4'x4' table. What was excellent about this game to start was this is the first time I truly used an Indian-only force.

BRITISH FORCE (Geoffrey Hummel)

Scenario: Protection - 10% of points are used to purchase civilians. At least 1/2 of the civilians must survive the game. Roll 2D6 at the end of each turn - if the result is equal to or less than twice the number of turns completed the game ends.

Side Plot: 66 - Let us thwart their plans!: To fulfill the conditions of this side plot the opponent must not achieve theirs.

Officer (25pts) = 25pts

8 x Regular Infantry (64) = 64pts

8 x Grenadiers (88) = 88pts

6 x Rangers (54), Marksmen (6) = 60pts (started in reserve)

=297pts

Morale Card = added after 15 casualties

5 x Civilians (10) = 10pts (required by the scenario)

INDIAN FORCE (Jay White)

Scenario: Scouting Mission - divide the table into 4 equal quadrants. All 4 quadrants must be scouted (friendly models within the quadrant at the end of a turn will scout that quadrant). Once all quadrants are scouted at least 1/3 of your figures must leave your table edge (game ends immediately once that is done).

Side Plot: 45 - Emotive: Your Officer doesn't want the blood of his men to be spilled for nothing. If at the end of the game the Morale card of your side has never been played and resolved, you have fulfilled the conditions of this side plot.

Indian Sachem (20), Guerrilla (10), Hunting Rifle (2) = 32pts

6 x Indian Warriors (42), Braves (6), FIW Veterans (12) = 60pts

6 x Indian Warriors (42), Braves (6) = 48pts

= 296pts

Morale Card = added after 16 casualties

1/3 of force = 11 figures

Turn 1

Random Event: 53 - Hate and vendetta: Until the end of the turn, all units gain a +1 bonus to all their Aggressiveness rolls.

The Rangers fail to appear. The Indians move forward on all fronts and take cover where possible. The British Regulars and Grenadiers hold steady in the village and buildings. Some shots are exchanged to no great effect (poor rolling). One of the veteran brave units charge against the British Grenadiers that had just moved into the large building. Tomahawks were thrown (making a lovely display in the side of the house - no effect). The Indian recoil and lick their wounds ... but not before the Grenadiers charge out and force the Braves to recoil yet again. That additional +1 bonus to Aggressiveness rolls comes in handy ... although we both roll terrible.

At the end of turn 1 the Indians have scouted 3 out of 4 sectors.

Turn 2

Random Event: 46 - When everything else failed, pray: Each player rolls a D6. This is the number of single D6 re-rolls that players receive. Each of these re-rolls may be spent to re-roll a single D6. When the Event card 1 is played again, all unspent re-rolls are lost.

*We both rolled a 5. I ended up using all 5 re-rolls but Geoffrey lost 3 of them (unused) when the Random Event card 1 came up early in the 3rd turn.

Both Ranger units are still absent.

My second veteran Brave unit that had scouted the far side of the right-hand side of the board starts back - taking the opportunity to melee the remaining Grenadiers (after throwing tomahawks ... again to no effect ... primarily because the Indian shooting dice haven't been very hot). Both sides take casualties (single Grenadier left and single Brave) ... but the Grenadiers inflict one more casualty then the Braves ... who end up routing. Two Braves remaining from the first melee with the Grenadiers manage to mop up the last survivor with some well placed musket shots (from the protection of a nearby wood).

Additional shots are exchanged between the British Regulars in the house and the Braves moving up the stone wall. The British Regulars in the house become shaken (loose an action on their next activation) - this from getting a recoil result while in the building (as they will not leave the heavy cover).

The Braves moving up the left-hand side of the table achieve the far side sector and scout it.

At the end of the turn all sectors have been scouted. At this point the British have suffered 13 casualties while the Indians have suffered 14. Time to get 1/3rd of my force off the table to win (before I take 16 casualties).

Turn 3

Random Event: 44 - A leader is born: Randomly determine a unit. One of the figures of that unit becomes an Officer, and counts as a separate unit from now on.

*This ended up randomizing to the unit of Civilians (ha!) - so a new Civilian Leader was born ... and promptly hid in the house with the rest of the Civilians ...

One of the Ranger units shows up!

Not much to say for this turn. The Braves dropped everything and high-tailed it towards their table edge. I was able to exit 9 figures quickly (leader, 6 x Indians and 2 x Indians). I had 4 remaining Indians by the stone wall who made it back - once they exited the game ended in an Indian victory. The side plot was achieved for the Indians as the Morale card had not been resolved during the game.

A valiant defence of the village by Geoffrey ... all civilians survived ... but since I achieved by sub plot, he did not.

Pictures below ...

Initial deployments.

Getting underway ...

Without the Rangers on the board my braves
make a run to scout the far side of the table.

Braves moving up to put fire into the near building
full of British Regulars. The Braves near the table edge
need to run up and scout the far side of the table.