Fire and Fallback!

One down side to cramming too many games into an extended weekend is that I don't have time to write battle reports when the memories are fresh and I'm still excited.

This was the 3rd of 4 iterations of Holding Action, Scenario 4 from CS Grant's Programed Scenarios (the 1st AWI one, a medieval fantasy version and an 1870s Atlantica one suspended 1/2 way through, waiting for me to return.)

The American advance guards were ambushed and suffered heavily. The main body has now arrived and is forming to assault the hill.

 For this game I used the alternate dicing for initiative system which I prefer when there is a General with a plan commanding and as far as possible controling each side. I also upped the units to 12 men each for the infantry, 8 for the lights. The British had 2 Elite, 2 regular, 2 light and 2 gun. The Americans had 4 line, 4 militia, 2 guns and 2 rifle units.

The attack has been repulsed leaving the American line in considerable disarray as more troops continue to arrive. 

 I also made a small rule change. Instead of units that move only being able to return fire or to fire if charged, I let them fire after all units have moved or fired but before melee. The game rolled along nicely with some ebb and flow and some tight moments where a successful Ametican charge might easily have turned the tide.

As the Americans form for a 2nd assault, the Hessians fall back. 

 I enjoyed the game enough to start thinking about what I needed to fill out the armies. That gave me pause. I have a limited appetite for skirmishes but I would need to double the number of figures for a battle scenario and really it wouldn't  give me anything gaming wise that I couldn't get from my NQSYW collection. Since I don't have a deep interest in the AWI, the only real reason for me to keep them is for convention or local group games but  that's good enough for now. When I've managed to sell or place most of my surplus figures, then I can revisit.

Meanwhile, I'll paint up a few figures from my AWI lead molehill and restore them to their old 20 figure organization, (close enough for Charge! ), and add a PA Hessian regiment which can take part in either war.

After engaging in several brief long range musket duels the British commander takes advantage of an initiative flip double move to break contact just before reaching their maximum allowed losses.  The impartial GM awards them the victory for an appreciable delay with acceptable losses.

In the meantime, I've finally gotten back to the Square Brigadier but more on that in a few days.