AWI Smaller scale game

This weeks 28mm AWI game that I arranged at the SESWC was a quick game that I threw together to show the Black Powder Rules to Mike a new member of the SESWC. Mike has been busy building up smart looking British and Patriot armies.



Ragged Continentals fire the first volley.....

The Setup
The game was fought across a 6ft by 4ft table. Given the smaller table we used the 66% movement and range version of the rules.  The terrain on the table was assumed to be wooded except for two areas of open ground flanking the road which ran across the centre of the table.  We played the alternate turn sequence that has proved so successful.

Mike Provided a British regular brigade and a continental brigade of 3 units and a light gun each whilst I provided a brigade of Loyalists and a brigade of Patriot militia each of 2 units and small unit of riflemen. I made all the commanders 8s for this game. Mike commanded the Patriots whilst I commanded the British.
　
How the game played
We played it as a straight battle with both sides ready and deployed to fight. The British army deployed the regulars on the right of the road and the Loyalists on the left of the road. The Regulars were facing the Patriot militia whilst the Continentals faced the loyalists.
I advanced the loyalists to cover the fence at the edge of the open ground whilst planning to quickly drive in the militia with my regulars then to envelop the Continentals.
Unfortunately my command rolls for the regulars were very poor and they failed to move for 3 turns- the militia were not much better as having advanced once they then blundered and retired 2 moves.

Royal Yorkers answer the Patriot fire......

On my left the 3 units of Continentals advanced and engaged the Queens Rangers and New York Royals. One of the Continental units moved into the open ground so that all 3 of their units could mass their fire against the Rangers. This left their flank exposed to enfilading fire from my light gun and the Royal New Yorkers hit them with close range volleys. Their factors before rolling their break test was -8 which is a new record - unsurprisingly they broke and fled.  The Royal New Yorkers were then engaged by the Patriot gun and 2 turns later they also broke and fled.

Regulars fire a volley then vault the fence breaking the militia

On the right my command dice improved and I broke one militia unit with a well timed charge - the other unit and the rifles were driven back by the British advance and the second militia unit retired shaken of the table. That ended the game as at that point the patriots had lost 3 units and the British only one.

Near end game on my left - just before the Royal Yorkers broke...

It was a good game. It could have all been over in 30 minutes but it took us just over 2 hours to play. The game was characterised by amazingly good saving throws by both sides in the early part of the game.