"One Hour Wargames" - Scenario 12 - "An Unfortunate Oversight" - Game

At last a few moments to put finger to keyboard and document what has to be one of the closest games that DG have yet had with the scenario's from the One Hour Wargames book - it really did go all the way to the very wire....


So as per the last post, setup was entirely random using the Force composition will be random using the table which was based originally on the one in the book ie. with the period specific proviso's/addendum's

Die Roll	Infantry	Artillery	Light  Infantry	Cavalry	Indians
1	4	0	1	0	1
2	4	0	1	1	0
3	4	1	0	1	0
4	5	0	0	0	1
5	5	0	1	0	0
6	5	0	0	1	0

DG threw a 5 and opted to be the American attacker - I threw a 1 and was the British/Hessian defender..  for the first time in years and years therefore, we would be deploying native American allies!


After a quick run through of the scenario and winning conditions, I deployed only to look up and find DG had as well (following)

Deployment - me to the left, DG to the right..

Not surprisingly DG had done exactly what I (and I expect most) wargamers would have done, and had heavily loaded his right flank by the ford while leaving a single regiment to pin anything (willing to be pinned) by the bridge...  I on the other hand had put my Lights (Rogers Ranger's this evening), and the Indians on the hill as a kind of mobile reserve, had put two regiments of regulars facing the ford, with one regiment watching the bridge and the final two held back to go either way....

Move 2 or 3 (following) and DG's columns are hurtling across the bridge.. his Lights by the way (green flag, blue canton) have an interesting history [clicky] (one of the pleasures of Blogger is being able to record this nonsense! ). I am manoeuvring to cover my options but have bought the Regiment north of the encampment forward to replace the one held back who are now side by side with the Erbprinz..  the Indians continue to sharpen their tomahawks

About move 3'ish..

Three or four moves later and things have moved on apace (picture following)..

• Left of picture - DG's Lights have been thrown back following an assault up the hill on the Rangers and in a subsequent morale check they failed and have routed - at this point my Indians picked up their tomahawks and scalping knives and hurtled off after them, catching the up in this move and destroying them
• In the distance, the Erbprinz are about to take on the column coming across the ford whilst nervously looking over their shoulders at the two American regiments DG has there..
• behind the tree to the right of the Erbprinz (and so hidden) two other regiments are exchanging musketry..
• Right of picture - I have freed up the regiment watching the bridge - it serves no purpose being there as the bridge is not the objective - they are making best progress to assist on the hill - as are the held back reserves (in the foreground).. who are no longer held back..

About move 7'ish..

Three or four moves later (following) and it's all beginning to go a bit pear shaped for the British/Hessians/me...

• In the distance you can see that the Erbrinz were successful (column is the one they attacked) but were indeed caught in the end and have routed from the field
• foreground - the Rangers have succumbed to musketry and routed - to their left and partially obscured is Erbprinz's flank guard regiment who have also succumbed in the same way but not before removing one of DG's regiments

At this point DG has four regiments of regulars (albeit two of them routing/retreating) and I have three of regulars (albeit one routing) and the Rangers (also routing) and the Indians - but I was still quietly confidant....

Move 11'ish?

Two or three moves later (following) and it's beginning to unravel - but we're within spitting distance of the game end..  DG has recovered his regiments - regathered, and is now sending them up the hill from both ends (divide and rule)..  I am busy trying to reorganise/reface so as to face the danger, which is why the Jaeger's (by the red coated officer figure) are facing the wrong way, and I have my Rangers and Indians trying to block the advance of regular formed troops.... idiot... 

Move 13'ish

...and in the very last turn (following) it's all over, and DG has the day..  my forces are streaming away in disarray in the foreground leaving only the one regiment on the hill, and we both agreed that didn't meet the winning criteria so DG was awarded the victory...

Move 15 - End of Game

Post match analysis:

• Hot and sultry evening in the loftwaffe so refreshments on this occasion was Adnams excellent  "Ghost Ship" cooled sufficiently to refresh whilst still retaining it's lovely flavour (grapefruit citrus bitterness - Citra hops I think)
  
• We agreed that we need to modify the rules to better reflect open order troops firing - they're a harder target already, but we also wanted to reflect that in unit terms there would be less of them than a close order unit; -1 on the dice will do it.

Cheers John! I think he would have enjoyed this one - we certainly did...