Trouble in the colonies (AWI)

[mmcv]

Thought I'd try this one out FK style and update as I go. Trying out Sharp Practice 2 in the American War of Independence.

Coffee poured* and table set up, including the very important cattle:


The Americans are deploying from the road:




And the British are sneaking about the woods:





*I had a pot of tea at lunch lest anyone accuse me of a revolutionary bias!

[mmcv]

All forces are now on the table. The British continue to sneak through the woods:



While the Americans work their way along the road flanked by their wily frontiersmen:

[mmcv]

Fire erupts from the treeline as the British skirmishers open up on the buckskin clad frontiersmen. They dive for cover as musket balls whip harmlessly overhead. "Give 'em hell lads!" Sergeant Neville yells as the sharp crack of rifles ripple around him. The screams from the trees let them know they found a target:


Meanwhile the American advance spots a line of British crossing the stream ahead:

Sergeant Skelly points ahead, calling out to the Rhode Island Regiment behind him. "There's the enemy in their pretty red coats, we'll show them what we think of them soon enough!"

[Raider4]

And the British are sneaking about the woods:

I say! That's not the done thing, old boy.

The British way is to advance slowly in a straight line, in the open. None of this hiding behind trees nonsense.

[mmcv]

I say! That's not the done thing, old boy.

The British way is to advance slowly in a straight line, in the open. None of this hiding behind trees nonsense.

These are light infantry, a completely different breed to those stout British regulars!

[mmcv]

"Keep at 'em boys" the American Colonel Hunsdale shouts at the riflemen while trying to usher his own line troops up to the fight.


The riflemen reload their slow guns and let rip another round of shots, taking the British Corporal Renny through the shoulder and causing the British skirmishers a little consternation. Their compatriots under Corporal Banks fire a few musket balls towards the riflemen but do little more than annoy them.

Colonel Bradford of the King's Light Infantry tells his men to put a bit if vigor in their step and get up so they can lay into the rebellious rapscallions. He shouts over to Lieutenant Parson to get those Queen's Rangers on the march too.


Sergeant Skelly of Rhode Island is having none of it however and fires a volley at the advancing green coated rangers, killing one and causing a considerable amount of shock!

Meanwhile Colonel Hunsdale's pleas get his troops moving while the rest of his skirmishers hop into the pasture to get a closer look at the cows.

[mmcv]

"Move up men, form a line!" Commands Colonel Bradford in best British fashion. Just as he bears his sights at the white coats of the rebel state troops the crack of rifles rattles out from the hedges to their flank. His men cry out in alarm as they hear the whip of rifles shot skip through their ranks, though none are injured.



Meanwhile the beleaguered British skirmishers fall back into the trees.

[mmcv]

End of Chapter drawn. This is bad news for the British as all those Americans who had shot their loads and not had time to reload yet get the opportunity to do so before the British can return fire. Though at least the British Corporal Renny, having been dragged to safety by his men, recovers from his wounds. Thankfully the ball had only grazed him and he had only been stunned by a tree branch after the hit. He recovers his senses and prepares to rejoin the flight.

Sounds like a good time to make some dinner to me.

[mmcv]

On checking the rules I got deployment a little wrong. Should have had an action after deployment of each group, which would have got people moving much more. As I missed this for all deployment it didn't give one side too much of an advantage, but would have let the Americans get further up the road and the British deeper into the woods before things kicked off. Awh well.

Also realised I forgot that the British line get a free movement being light infantry, so actually they had one action left, meaning they're going to get to return fire after all once I get the dinner on.

[fsn]

Those fiendish Rebels have put a pond in the middle of the road!

The Dastards!

[mmcv]

Sufficiently reconstituted after the victuals the engagement recommences.


"Fire!" Screams Colonel Bradford just before the riflemen loose into their midst. A wall of lead roars across the field of battle into the white coated Rhode Islanders. One of their number falls while the rest find themselves shaken.

The white coated Rhode Islanders pull back to catch their wind while Colonel Hunsdale orders the Continentals into line to prepare to advance on the enemy.


Lieutenant Parsons steadies the British line by pointing out the skirmishers ahead, were Corporal Banks and his men are laying fire into the American riflemen and taking out one of their number.

[mmcv]

Those fiendish Rebels have put a pond in the middle of the road!

The Dastards!

Devils the lot of them!


Using the red and blue rounds as deployment markers, though might go with something a bit more subtle and modelled in the future...

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Looking cool 

[mmcv]

"Right!" declares Colonel Bradford, "I've had just about enough of these upstart colonials! ADVANCE!"

The British move forward while the stalwart Lieutenant Parsons continues to bolster the men's spirits. Corporal Banks takes it into his head to forgoe all this shooting nonsense and orders his men to give the enemy a taste of cold steel. They splash across the stream and close in.

[pierre the shy]

Looks very good indeed MMCV 

Those fiendish Rebels have put a pond in the middle of the road!

The Dastards!

But how can the rebels hope to maintain their roads without large potholes if they don't pay their taxes?