MacDuff shakes himself off and does battle.

Twice!!

The scenario I chose to play this weekend was number 4 from Programmed Scenarios. It wasn't actually because I just played and lost a Memoir44 version at Ron's on Wednesday, but because I wanted some sort of holding game but not one I have fielded a lot and I'm not sure I've ever hosted this one myself. Actually there are quite a few of the Programmed Scenarios that I'm not very familiar with. Something to look forward to over the next year I think.

I felt a bit lost as I set up the AWI  game on Friday though and it showed. I chose the wrong rules options and made some poor choices on converting the scenario forces to what troops I have. The resulting game was OK, barely not not satisfying. Rather than fret about it right away, I cleared the table and set up the planned Gathering of Hosts game (which I played most happily yesterday) and let my brain work on the problem in background mode. Today's forecast sun turned to rain and I had had time to consider things so I reset the table and played again with different rules options and a different Order of Battle. To my great relief the result was a fun, engaging game that whisked along to a nail biter ending. But that's for later. I'll just say a few words about the rules and the choices  I made and  append the Quick Reference Sheet to this post although it is also available as a download .

Game 1: 8 man companies of Continentals deploy and advance against the Hessians. 

When I wrote the original rules they were designed for companies grouped into battalions for bigger games. In some ways it worked and in some ways it was always a pain since sometime this group was a unit and sometimes this larger group was a unit and it easily got confusing. Eventually I found that life was easier and the game played better if game units were game units and I started using 8 man companies for petit guerre scenarios and 16 to 20 man battalions for larger actions. I have been reading up a bit on the AWI in Nova Scotia over the last year and while there are some interesting little engagements they are all very (Very) small. With that in mind I decided to use 8 man units and a nominal scale of 1:5. I also decided to use the deck of cards sequencing which was really designed for those ambush in the forest type of games, not for a straight forward assault. The resulting game didn't flow well, especially when playing both sides, the units were too small and fragile and the card deck was too small. In short the game was just OK, barely.

Somehow I had managed to forget that our War of Acadian Independence was based on the completely non-serious premise that Congress had sent the troops that invaded Quebec in 1775 and 1776 to Nova Scotia instead leading to campaigns involving several thousand troops on either side. So today, I reset the board with 12 man battalions and played using the initiative system. The result was a very traditional OS feel game which kept me on the edge the whole way through. Whew!

In truth the current (final?? maybe??) version has as much Rattle of Dice and Hearts of Tin in it as it does MacDuff but MacDuff has seniority and the intent on the sort of game is the same so I'm sticking with him! I'm 90% sure that these are the rules that the boys in havelocks will be marching to when their time comes.  

Tomorrow the 2nd game.

I think this might be the end of the game. Might have been a draw as in enemy delayed at too high a cost or maybe it was a victory. Oh well.

_____________________________

WITH MACDUFF TO THE FRONTIER
AWI Quick Reference  20 June 2015
(typing edited 24 May 2016)

SEQUENCE of PLAY. Roll for initiative each turn, winner chooses to go 1st or 2nd with all units. Once all units on both sides have acted resolve any end of move shooting then resolve all melees.
Alt sequence. If agreed players may use a deck of cards instead of rolling for initiative. Assign red to 1 side black to the other. When a player’s colour is drawn he may activate 1 commander or unit. This is especially relevant for small skirmishes or games set at night, in fog, forest. In multiplayer games allow each player on a side to activate 1 unit. Once all units on both sides have acted resolve any end of move shooting then resolve all melees.

COMMAND CONTROL.(optional)  If a unit is not within 12” and line of sight of its commander when activated roll 1d needing 4 or better to move.  +1 Elite, -1 Militia

MOVEMENT.  Player must declare move before rolling. A unit may advance at full speed or retire full speed backs to the enemy. It may also move backwards or sideways at 1/2 speed. Wheels are made on a stationary pivot.

Charges. Enemy must be visible to front before moving. A unit is pinned if contacted by a charge except that cavalry which has not yet moved may counter charge and skirmishers that have not yet moved may retreat.

UNIT	BASIC MOVE	SPECIAL
Regular Infantry	6+d6”	+d6 if beginning or ending in column
Irregular Infantry	3d6"
Cavalry, Commanders	6+ d6" x 2
Artillery	1d6”+6” if limbered	+d6 on road
Wagons, Heavy Artillery	d6”	+d6” on road
Boats	12+2d6”	-1d6 against or across current +1d6 with current

Terrain:  Roads negate terrain. Visibility in woods etc 3”.
Broken Ground. Irregulars and skirmishers move full, formed reg infantry, cav ½ move.
Difficult Ground. Irregular and skirmishers and infantry columns ½ move

SHOOTING.  Once per turn. Shoot instead of move or at end of turn.
2 ranks if formed inf o/w 1. Arc 45 either side.Roll 1d6/2 inf or 1 gunner

Effect:  5 or 6 = hit.   1/2 dice long range,  +1 to die if sharpshooter or regular 1st fire or if shooting at column of flank.
-1 if inferior.  Troops in cover and skirmishers suffer ½ hits. Round ½ up if partial cover, round down in full cover.

WEAPON	RANGE     CLOSE/LONG
Musket	6”/12”
Rifles	12”/24"
Light gun	12”/36”
Foot artillery	12”/48”

MELEE: 1d6 /2 infantry or gunners or 1 cavalry. Count 2 ranks in line. 1 rank if others or if attacked in flank or rear.

Effect. Each modified score of 5 or 6 inflicts 1 hit on the target.

• Troop Quality +1 If Elite or Shock Troops, -1 if Militia or not equipped for melee.
• Charging. +1 if charging without having fired this turn or if pursuing
• Obstructed :  -1 if attacking an obstacle or uphill

Result. Unit taking more than inflicted test morale.

MORALE.  Unit lost melee or lost 25% from shooting must roll 1 die:
+1 Commander joined, +1 Elite, -1 Militia or irregular. -2 Below 1/2

4,5,6 Steady. if lost melee fall back in good order, if disordered, rally.
1,2,3 Retreat full move in disorder facing enemy.
0 Rout.
DISORDER. Count ½ when shooting and in melee, may only shoot as a reaction. They must spend a move halted to recover.

RALLY MEN! A Commander may move up to 12” to join a unit which has lost a casualty to shooting or which is in melee. He must stay with the unit till the en of the turn. Roll 1 die 1 d6 4,5,6 =1 hit cancelled, 1 = Cdr ko.
FOLLOW ME! A commander may join a unit and add 1d6" of movement but must stay with the unit till the end of the turn.