SEPTEMBER GAME NIGHT

 

The buzz in the room as things get underway during the September Game Night.

Our club recently (well, a bit over two weeks ago...) held its September Game Night. A blast of extreme weather came through the region and caused a few folks to not hazard the trip, so attendance was a bit down.  Even with the lower turnout, there were still a few guests in the mix and enough players to support all three games (our club standard is to have three games to choose from on each game night).  This particular game night had an unplanned theme, Civil Wars in America, with two ACW games (one naval and one land), and an AWI game. 

George ran an ACW Ironclads game using Bob Cordery's Portable Naval Wargame system.  The game ran smoothly and they were able to reset it and run it twice.

Charlie ran a robust Regimental Fire and Fury game (a club favorite): with plenty of troops and shooting to get stuck into!

AJ ran AWI game based on the Battle of Freeman's Farm using his innovative Electronic Brigadier  system. For those not familiar with it, I would encourage you to follow the link to AJ's Electronic Brigadier Youtube channel. This is where I plopped myself down, so a brief game report follows...

The situation: British on the right, Americans on the left. The game was originally designed for six players, but we had four at the table, so AJ adjusted by pulling two of the commands. Each player had a brigade, each shown with a box (red for British, Blue for Americans). Randy (top left) and I took up the American cause and Kevin (top right) and Earl , took up the British. Kevin commanded a mostly British force while Earl pushed Hessians. The British objective (in yellow) was to both clear a corridor and establish a unit on the hill. The Americans had to block them from doing so. Given the challenge, the Crown's forces were of higher quality with a slight advantage in numbers. 

(Left) The starting view from behind Randy's brigade on the American left: Morgan's Rifles and Dearborn's lights deployed followed by two battalions of militia and a light artillery section marching up. (Right) The starting view from behind my brigade on the American right: all marching in column: three continental battalions (of mid to low quality) and one battalion of militia. 

Opposite me would be the British Left: Earl's Hessian brigade, seen at start.

I sent my best unit (the 2nd New Hampshire) on a march across the front of Earl's fast approaching Hessians in order to harry Kevin's advance against Randy on our left, where we were under the most direct threat.  They took some lumps from fire as they went past, but arrived in good order. To delay Earl, I sent one of my NY continentals to the right to pull attention in that direction, and defended in depth in front of the his Hessian main thrust, putting my militia out front and my other NY continentals holding a position in some light woods behind them. With the 2nd NH engaged in the center, I would be both outnumbered and outclassed by Earl's Hessians--not enough to defeat them, but the idea was it would be enough to hold on. 

Things get under way... 

...and the Americans, Randy and I (in black shirt), watch the British/Hessian steamroller advance straight at us (Earl not being hindered in the least by my best evil eye). 

The 2nd New Hampshire would lock horns with the 34th Foot, exchanging fire toe to toe, for the bulk of the game. Eventually, the 2nd NH would retire but rally back behind the NY continentals. 

Randy's position on the American left: Kevin's British are pushing hard, and the American line is stretched one deep to cover the zone and block the British end run. 

Mid battle, and the entire American line is engaged, with the British/Hessians pushing hard. A hard pounding!

...End game.  Randy looks on with a sense of relief (shared by me, out of the picture), as the attrition finally catches up with the British/Hessians and several of their units fall back in disorder. The American line, battered and wavering at times, held in the end.  A good game, indeed, and a near run thing! Another excellent game delivered by AJ and his Electronic Brigadier system!

An integral part of any game night, visiting with friends around the table afterwards: and looking forward to more games to come!

Excelsior!