An Irish Reject on tour Part 2: AWI 1756 "Fort Lee" Batrep......

.......with the Rejects! 

Whilst over in Kent attending Salute 2016, meeting mates and rekindling my love of easily accessible fast food, Postie put on an evening game for me and some available Rejects (even cooked me dinner before the game).

The game was a small skirmish between British and French forces, the French raiding and the British retreating to protect their citizens and Fort Lee! The rules are very simple where the D20 is king. Roll high or die!

Order of Battle
British
British Colonel (CiC - John)
   44th Line (16 Figures)
   60th Line (Royal American) (20 Figures)
   80th Light Infantry (12 Figures)
Special Character (Indian)
Civilians (30 Figures - Some armed with Rifles)

French
French Colonel (CiC -Me!)
   Bearn Line (20 Figures)
   Campagnes Franch de la Marine (12 Figures)
   Trans Rivienes Militia (12 Figures)
Indian Chief
Special Character (Indian)
   Indian Warband (12 Figures)
   Indian Warband (12 Figures)

The initial set up........

Postie has all his ducks in a row........

Fort Lee, otherwise to be known as kindling.......

The blacksmith shoeing the commanders horse, speedy exit may be required......

We had hidden movement markers.............

What lurks beneath.........

Lovely scenery and vignettes everywhere.......

Warm hands...........

The citizens unaware of the danger.........

More damn markers.........

And we begin with the attack on the bridge, the only point of crossing........

The initial volley clears the bridge and the British backbone.......

The now unguarded bridge..........

The British (Rays arm) run towards the Fort.........

Surjit who had an Indian warband under his command (was given no extra troops due to acting like a little girl with them), Lee "Cake Eater"Hadley and Postie contractual (in blood) shot.......

John who taught he was in command, Ray who acted like he was in command and the gentleman with a hint of the pyromaniac about him Richard........

When you fire and want to reload you get a little marker........

Militia and Indians crossing.........

Some of the cards reveal their units........

The Bearn Line Regiment........

Compagnies Franche de la Marine........

Richard trying to set fire to the building..........

The bridge is becoming a bit of a log jam......

Traffic is backing up...........

Never got a cake myself........

One that Lee didn't get.........

Shameful, that's his third.........

Ray is still retreating.........

Richards pyromania is coming along nicely........

The French advance more and more, no British in sight......

These two ended up playing ring a ring a rosie, Surjit didn't even scalp anybody..........

The British finally make a fight of it......

Ray giving his troops the finger..........

The smoke of gunpowder, the fog of war.......

Up close and personal..........

Richards been at it with the torches again and such a nice chap too.......

A good game with friends, a victory to the French, 45-17 I believe, it was all that burning and scalping and of course the French tactical leadership!

Good to see everyone again, have a game and a couple of nights later a chinese and a few beers!

Coming back through customs was a bit of a nightmare, set off metal detector and had my bag contents perused by a gentleman who wanted to know what the little bits of metal were? I felt violated and not in a good way!

If Facebook existed during The American Revolution?

28mm American War of Independence Game but.....

....is it ever too hot to game? Last Saturday in Gravesend was like a volcano had been discovered under Posties Wargames shed, it was like a reservoir in the underwear hot, my crackers were baking!

So 6 of the Rejects turned up last Saturday for this game of the AWI featuring quality British troops asleep in their tents with naval support and damn tired Americans who had marched through the night to trap the British (this meant the American units had to roll a D6 every time they moved or fired and on a 1 they lost a quarter in movement or a dice in shooting!) but did I mention it was hot!

Lurker: Ray, you're too close!
Ray: I'm trying to get near the fan!
Lurker: You're dripping on me!
Ray: I'm taking my shoes off, the kids have the paddling pool out next door!
Lurker: Ray, come in and throw your dice and get out of the paddling pool for fecks sake, I'm not moving your troops...it's too hot!
Lurker:......and put your top back on as well!

Anyway back to the game, The American War of Independence or The American Revolutionary War (1775-1783) started as a war between Great Britain and the new United States of America, but would expand to a global war between Britain on one side and the United States, France and Spain (some say the Netherlands as well) on the other. The main result was an American victory, with mixed results for the other powers, more here.

The scenario was the British were sleeping in their tents near a port and the Americans had marched through the night to catch them on the hop, we got close with a dice roll but not close enough and one of the American brigades was all militia quality!

Ray, myself and John were the Americans and Surjit and Dave were the British and their Brunswicker allies....

Rules used were Age of Reason and turns were card driven....

Did I mention it was hot!

Battle of View-Point 18th August 1777

Initial table set up.......

The British tents with sleeping troops represented outside, Postie used card to represent the tents...

My brigade with a dice roll has made it to the edge of the woods without being detected....

Ray and John's brigades await the order.....

Contractual Postie shot, his brain fried, well it's the only reason for some of his decisions...

The British redoubt with their main guns facing the sea and not allowed to be moved either but the crew were another thing....

Yet more sleeping British.....

Can you smell bacon?

The port town and ship with cannons!!!!!

The British commander thanking his American host for his hospitality, I had hoped to capture the bugger but he hoofed it....

9 dead with one broadside!!!!!!

....and we're off!

..the American owner thinks about legging it!

Look at the size of this Hessian unit, 24 figures to a standard 16 of most of the Americans.....

The Brunswicker grenaider unit is a little smaller....

This wagon was loaded with explosive by the British and only required a 4, 5 or 6 on a dice roll, it never happened for them....shame!

Some plotting and questions spotted or otherwise known as shenanigans!

The British advance.....

.....from their point of view!

Ray considering another trip to the paddling pool......

I approach the British lines but these fences cause disorder marker for just crossing....

American brigade arrives as reinforcements....

The wagon is assaulted to clear it?

Two routing units were eventually saved but things are tough at the front.....

So the militia sneak around the back of the town.....

The town was a major objective and we threw a lot at it.....

....even from the rear!

The game at the end, a sweaty draw!

We were forced (Americans) to do an army withdrawal check due to severe casualties, which we passed and if the game went on longer I believe we would have won, the British are too strong in defence (and attack) and only some lucky dice rolls kept us in it but did I say it was hot!