Guns of Liberty AWI battle

I ran a AWI game using the rules Guns of Liberty by Eric Burgess. This has been my groups go to set of rules for AWI for several years and I've run them at our local Enfilade convention in Olympia, WA.  This past Saturday I ran a game at our local 1 day convention called Ambuscade. It is held at Guardian Games in downtown Portland.

I had 5 players for the game, 2 Continental commanders and 3 British. Each side had 4 brigades each of various sizes. I setup the scenario with the Continentals holding the large field in the center of the board with their militia off to their left and a reserve brigade behind the large field. 

The scenario setup was this. The Continental general knew the British was in the area but had conflicting reports about their composition and true whereabouts. They knew there was at least 2 British brigades coming straight at them but didn't know where the other 2 were going to come from once the  battle started. I also told them by turn 6 they had to start to retreat if they felt like they would loose their army.

The British were told that the Continental army was around the large field and that they had some militia holding a section of the line.  The British were instructed to take 2 brigades and hold them off board and by turn 4 they could bring them on one of the short sides of the table. They chose the Continental left.

The battle started with the British moving up the center and on their left to match the militia.  The Continentals held their ground and the reserves were left out of reach waiting to be deployed. 

Both sides traded shots causing few casualties and by turn 4 the British had moved up to charge range and then the flank columns came on marching through the woods on the Continental left.

The reserve unit marched out to meet this new threat and formed a line that anchored the large field and stretched into the woods.  The British units closed with blood lust boiling up! Melees broke out all along the Continental front with them falling back in disorder but still able to maintain a defense in depth.

By this time Turn 6 rolled around and I reminded the two Continental commanders of their need to save the army if they thought it was necessary. They did!

In the most orderly withdrawal I've ever witnessed in a war game, the Continentals by turn 8 were able to remove 50% of their force from the table and kept a nice gap between them and the closing British.  The British called the game saying they couldn't catch up to the fleeing army.

I called the game a minor victory to the Continentals since neither side really inflicted heavy damage on the other but they were able to save themselves in the end.

Overall everyone enjoyed the game and from the start everyone was engaged from the start. Below are pictures from the game. Unfortunately, the lighting in our area of the room was rather poor so some of the photos didn't turn out well.

Battle of Abigail's Farm, 1777

So tonight we ran a 10mm AWI game using Eric Burgess' rules Guns of Liberty. These have become my go to set of rules for this period.  This was a fictitious battle where the British and Hessian troops were out on a foraging party when they came across advancing Continentals.  I based the battle in the year 1777.  We had 4 players tonight with me being one of them. :-)  I was rather happy to be able to roll dice and push lead tonight.

The table layout is as follows: the road down the middle is a dirt path and clear of trees.  The only other section that isn't woods is where the little farm house and field are situated.  

The Continentals started on the North side of the table with one brigade in road column and the other 3 brigades marching through the woods. Jesse played the role of the CinC for the Continentals and I had told him that spies had told them about the British foraging in the area. The Continental forces had 3 brigades of Continental troops (3 units of 4 stands each) and brigade of militia (3 units of 4 stands).

Gabe (right side of the picture) and Andy (left side) played the British with Gabe being the CinC.  The British forces consisted of 3 brigades.  One was Hessian with 4 units with 3 stands each and the British had 2 brigades of 3 units, each with 4 stands.  There was no artillery or cavalry for this game.

The Continentals all started to move forward making their way through the woods.

The British formed up in column along the road marched quickly to establish a defensive line by the farm house.

The Rebel Scum, as Andy called them, continued to move forward.

The British and Hessians set up to receive the rebels.  The Hessian brigade took the field with the rail fence to their front protected by Foot Jaegers.

They are getting closer.

The armies closed and shots were fired. Both sides proved to accurate with their aim as numerous men fell on both sides.

The lines inch closer to again take aim and fire!

The British start to break their defensive line and move forward with cold steel.

Some close ups of the Continental troops.

The Hessians push forward and with cold steel crush the rebels and break left wing.

The right flank of the rebels takes a beating from fire and melee but manages to hold on.

The center however goes to the Continentals as the British fall back from repeated fire and a failed melee attempt.

The Hessians continue to push their advantage pushing the left flank back.

The center still holds but now the right flank starts to give way.

The overhead view from the Continental side.

The British center gets decimated but it will have no effect on the outcome.

The left flank of the Continentals continues to fall back.

We called the game as the two flanks for the continentals became unstable and with a relatively untouched Hessian units still waiting to roll up the flank of the center units Jesse decided the battle couldn't be won.

Over all everyone had a great time.  We started the game at 5pm and were down by 730pm.  Not bad to have a game run to a fairly distinct conclusion in 2.5 hours.

Battle of Birmingham Meeting House 1777- Enfilade 2016

Our local convention, Enfilade, was this weekend and I ran my American Revolution battle during the first period on Friday the 27th.  Like my earlier play test post about this battle we used Eric Burgess' rules "Guns of Liberty" which you can find more about here: GOL.  This set of rules is fast becoming my go to set of AWI rules.  They play cleanly and within a turn or two the players are managing the game themselves.  I highly recommend them to anyone who has an interest in this period.  I had 4 players for my game which worked out very well. 

The figures are all 10mm on 1" square bases and the table size is 8' x 4'.  The scenario came from the book "An Army of Professionals 2nd edition" by Robert Haworth published by Stenhouse Game Productions.  This is great book with 8 scenarios with maps and army lists. I recommend this product as well.

Now on with the AAR for this battle.

The general pre-game setup. The British are on the far hill with the Patriots on the near hill with the woods and meeting house as their flanks. The game length is only 9 turns with each turn equaling 15 minutes of "real time". The scenario starts at 4pm.  Turns 8 and 9 are twilight and dusk.

On turn 1 the British had the restriction of only being able to move their cavalry and their light troops due to the 11 hour force march they had conducted that day. This is turn 2 with the rest of the British streaming off the hill and advancing to wipe the Patriots off the hill and hit Washington in the flank.

More British with the cavalry moving through the light woods in the hopes of going around the meeting house and flanking the Continentals.

The view of the oncoming British over the should of the Patriot commander Stirling. The Patriot cannons drew first blood while the Continental commanders performed a delaying retreat. 

As the British pushed forward the Continentals fell back forcing the British to chase them and never being able to bring their full weight of fire or melee advantage to use.

One of the Hessian units present at the battle continues to pursue the falling back Patriots.

The British light cavalry pushes through the light woods.

The British line advances hoping to catch the Continentals and let them feel their cold steel.

The meeting house in the back ground would see some bloody action soon.

The continentals using the meeting house to secure their flank as they wait and allowing the British to close and then falling back.

The lone battery inflicted causalities on the British enough to slow down some units as they regrouped and rallied.

The battle is coming to a head with the Continentals trading shots and using the stone walls to their advantage.

The Continental left falling back over the hill using the heavy woods to prevent the British from turning their flank.

General Greene arrives a little too late to do much with this battle.

The British light infantry opens fire on the retreating Patriots.

Causalities start to mount for the Patriots but they are able to hold their morale together for another turn. 

The 3rd Monmouth held their ground under withering British gun fire providing time for their friends to retreat.

The British march into the Continental musket fire and pay a heavy price.

Trading shots with the British, the Patriots inflict some damage.

The British crest the hill, firing at the retreating Patriots. Stand losses on the Patriots started to mount by turn 7 but it would be too little too late.

More British reinforcements arrive having to force march their way to the battle. 

The British make contact! The British seething with blood lust crash into the Continental line.

More contact made. The battle of the stone wall would be bloody.

The Patriots hold their ground and force the British to fall back from their failed melee.  

The battle for the meeting house was bloody as the Patriots held their own forcing the British back with heavy losses.

The Continental left didn't fair as well as the right. They took heavy losses and fell back in disorder or routed away.

The collapse of the Continental left gave the British hope but it was too late to win the day!

The above series of pictures shows the final positions at 6pm the final game turn with the British unable to break through the Continental line and sweep up Washington's flank at Brandywine!

The victorious Continental commanders! Their choice to fall back and put space between them and the British gave them the victory. Instead of standing their ground and fighting the battle out right they helped save Washington's army.

The British commanders exhausted from their force march and ensuing battle fell back for the night to rest and then retreat back to Philadelphia. 

Overall I was very pleased with the game.  Everyone enjoyed themselves and the players all enjoyed the rules.  It's time to paint more figures for this time period so I can put on larger battles!!!