Kell Island Technical Discussion. 5/5

Kell Island was the opening engagement of the First Rosmark-Maritime Alliance War, a war whose outbreak was triggered by the 10 Year Readers' Commemeration Poll.

The capture of the island allowed the Alliance to land their army on the mainland and consolidate their position before the King's army could complete its passage over the Hye Mountains.

The armies would soon clash again at the River Boinne.

The King's Carabiniers halt on a small rise to observe the enemy before deciding what to do. (5-6 Be Bold: charge and try to drive the first units back into the see while a farmer carries the news, 1-4 Be Cautious: send a rider back, observe and threaten the enemy hoping to draw off forces from the main attack )

Orders of Battle for Kell Island

Maritime Alliance Forces 
General  Milligan
1 Sq Black Horse (nicknamed for their facings not their horses)
1 Sq Fitzjames Horse
1 Unit Marines (Light Infantry)
1 Unit of Grenadiers (Gallant)
3 Units of Infantry
1 Unit of Nordmark Infantry (Bluecoats) (Slow)

Rosmark Forces
General Thadiweh

1 Sq King Michael Carabiniers
2 Units of Infantry
1 Unit Native Scouts (Skirmishers)
1 Unit Fisher Folk  Skirmishers, Gallant, Poor shots)
1 Unit Farmton Militia (Skirmishers, Timid, Good shots)
Garrison. 1 battery with 4 gunners able to fire 1 gun fixed towards town and/or 1 heavy gun fixed towards the sea), plus 6 infantry, may not leave the fort.)

The native scouts rushed across the pass through the high ground. The entire hill is bad going but the 2nd and 3rd contours are impassible to all but light infantry.

This was my 7th game using AGW (no duds yet), my 3rd go at playing solo and my 1st attempt at using them for a CS Grant Scenario.

A straight translation of units worked well as did the victory conditions but I still haven't mastered an accurate translation of the game turn limit with this or any othf ruleset.

I had hoped that counting Jokers might work but in the heat of the game I forgot to count! (I think I was nearing 20 Jokers which was about right but that was flukey) As for the rule about ferrying units ashore, I just moved the boats on the passenger unit's card. Two moves each way plus a turn to embark or to dismount in disorder.

Luckily the number of turns didn't matter this time either since I decided that an army reduced  to 1/2 strength would retreat or concede. Essentially I counted the number of units on each side as sort of 'army morale' and reduced it by 1 for a unit which lost 50% and another one if it was destroyed or routed (ran away etc).

In this case the attackers had 8 units and only had 2 reduced to 1/2 and none destroyed or routed though several were close to 1/2. The defenders started with 7 units (but only 2 infantry) and ended with 4 effectively destroyed and  2 more below 1/2. Only the weak garrison unit which was confined to the fort was still at full strength

The Marine Light Infantry found sharpshooters behind cover to be too tough a nut to crack.

I wanted to use some of the special attributes but to do so in a persistent way for the length of the campaign at least. Years of WRG Ancients has left me with a dislike for counting points so I went for the net zero pts approach: a negative for every positive.

For the attackers I made the Grenadiers Gallant and the blue coated Not Hessians Slow. For the defenders I gave each militia light infantry unit one positive and one negative attribute.

The farmers were marksmen which they used to excellent effect to the dismay of the attackers but they were also brittle and fled the field when charged, regusing to rally.

The fishermen also stuck with classic image and were classed as poor shots but were gallant as they were keen to brawl. In retrospect this was a bad choice since 6 skirmishers were probably never going to charge anyone.

Anyway it added a bit more flavour without complication or supertroops.

A look at the battle as the tide of victory suddenly turned relentlessly as unit after unit of  Rosmark troops suddenly collapsed. 

The card decks were easy to manage, possibly due to 10 years of solo play but I never had any problem deciding how to use the cards to best advantage for either side. The Jokers were getting a bit problematic since 5 times the 2nd Joker appeared in the first third of the deck and twice the Joker reappeared when dealing the new Hold cards! However, eventually they calmed down. The damage had been done though.

The attackers had a hand full of Court cards and used them as well as their General to make use of groups of units and some Aces to speed through the deck hurrying up reinforcements and then got a second Joker starting things over and replenishing their hand in time to do it again. The defenders chose that moment to roll a 1 on a 1/3 morale test on one of their infantry units!

In very short order the game switched from 'Advantage Defenders' to 'Hopeless' as the low morale proved to be no fluke.

Well this has been long enough and more so I'll finish by saying that the more I play, the more the cards become a means to execute a sound plan efficiently and less a source of random opportunity.

Elements of the game reminded me in a good way of MacDuff but more sophisticated, more effective, and basically better designed.  A "Keeper" as it were.

Kell Island: Lost and Won 4/5

The fierce defence put up by the militia and Scouts came as a shock to the Alliance troops. The Marine Light Infantry was cut to pieces but stubbornly held on and soon the second and third waves were ashore.

A long range firefight soon broke out between the opposing regulars with the Rosmark Provincials taking a steady trickle of hits while seemingly firing over their enemy's heads.

Across the island by the village, the fire of sharpshooters caused the Nordmark Bluecoats to waver then suddenly break for the boats, heedless of their officers desperate attempt to rally them. The Marines bravely spread out to cover the gap.

It began to look like the defenders might be able to drive back this invasion but suddenly 1st Battalion of the Provincials found the enemy fire too hot. They wavered for a moment then broke to the rear forcing the 2nd Battalion to fall back to avoid being flanked.

As the last infantry battalion and the first cavalry squadron landed, the Alliance infantry advanced on their tormentors and began to answer their aimed fire with point blank volleys and soon the remaining scouts were fleeing back into the hills while the farmers fell back to defend their own fields.

With the whole invasion force present and advancing, it began to look bleak but so far no important ground had been lost, the Bluecoats had rallied  and the remaining defenders had good cover.  There was still hope for a good outcome.

A line of Maritime redcoats steadily advanced on Fishington, firing as they came. Despite the cover, more Bluecoats fell but they stood their ground.

On the farside of the island the Maritime infantry cleared the villagers from their fields at the point of the bayonet while the cavalry advanced with swords drawn. With a sharp "Huzzah!" they charged and moments later the Carabiniers had been scattered to the wind and the village was taken with hardly any losses. The road forward was open!

As the Redcoats closed in on the surviving Provincials, the Furland Trading Company Governor took stock of the situation. Of his seven original units, all that was left was the Company's garrison and the half strength Provincial Regiment. He knew when to cut his losses. He ordered the commander of the King's troops to cease fire and sent forward a white flag requesting a parley to discuss terms.

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Next post, orders of battle and a bit of discussion about A Gentleman's Wargame, the rules which were used to regulate this battle and what the next step in this minicampaign might be.

Kell Island: The Redcoats Have Landed! 3/5

It was midday before the Alliance fleet anchored off the coast and boats began ferrying troops ashore. With five battalions of infantry, two squadrons of cavalry and a detachment of Marine Light Infantry to ferry ashore, it was going to take a while. Hopefully the enemy was not watchful.

The first boatloads hit the beach. 

The invaders hopes were dashed when a cavalry patrol topped a low rise to the South before the boats had even reached the ships to embark the second wave. Still, there were enough troops ashore to hold off the cavalry until the next wave landed.  

A messenger galloped back (trust me, you should have seen his die rolls!) with the news while the local militia mustered and the cavalry fell back, ready to intervene if the village was attacked..

Being already on alert, the garrison was soon on the march, heading straight to the enemy landing spot by the shortest route while sending the Scouts across the rugged pass through the hills to harass the invaders and support the Farmington militia. If the village could hold and the garrison launch its attack before the enemy grew too strong there was hope of a good outcome.

The Bluecoats marched out leaving the Company troops to hold the fort.

To be continued.

Kell Island: Ready For Action. 2/5

News has arrived that a Maritime Alliance Fleet has been spotted. With the news and reinforcements came an officer of Engineers who took one look at the ramshackle earthworks and went up one side of the Captain in charge of the garrison, and down the other then set the men to work.

The Engineer accompanied by the FTC Governor inspects the new redoubt while the garrison falls in.

Three days later a better  bastion had been built  whose guns could cover both the harbour and the bridge as well allowing infantry to enfilade any assault on two faces of the fort.

Plans were under away to begin a similar bastion on the far corner of the fort when a fisherman from the village brought word that sails had been spotted approaching the pass.

The Commandant ordered the garrison to stand to.

Native Scouts from the mainland react as drummers in the fort start to beat the Long Roll.

Muster for Kell Island Garrison.
King Michael Carabiniers 1 Sq. (6)
Provincial Regiment 2 Btn (12@)
Royal Rosmark Artillery 1 Co. (4)
Furland Trading Company Garrison. 1 Co. (6)
Native Scouts. 1 Co (6)
Island Militia. 2 Co (6@)

All Quiet on Kell Island 1/5

As war loomed, King Michael of Rosmark ordered the Governor of Furland to place a strong garrison  on Kell Island and to mount a battery to control traffic through the Strait.

A battery of 24 pounders stands to for gun drill,

The island has a largely rocky coast but there are three beaches suitable for an amphibious assault. One of these is under the guns of the fort but the other two are on the far side. Each day, a cavalry patrol makes a circuit of the island to look out for invaders and poachers alike.

The morning patrol leaves the fort. Will they go East or West?