28mm MAURICE AWI CAMPAIGN GAME 1 - BATTLE OF FINGLE'S FARM

I could not get to the SESWC again this week as I have problems with my right leg that stop me driving into Edinburgh.  So I setup a 28mm AWI Maurice game with Dave Paterson in my garage.  Dave has become an enthusiast for the rules and having tried the Lite version in a test game I thought I would give the full version a go.  We setup the game as the first action in a campaign using the Succession Wars campaign system in the rules.

Here are the initial armies.  You will see that my Patriots have a considerable numerical advantage but Dave’s British have some national advantages that make them very high quality.

PATRIOT                                                            POINTS
10  TRAINED REGULAR INFANTRY               60
2  CONSCRIPT MILITIA INFANTRY                   8
2  CONSCRIPT REGULAR CAVALRY                8
2  ARTILLERY                                                          3
2 IRREG INFANTRY                                               6
National advantages
OBLIQUE ORDER                                                   6
TOTAL  91 points Army Morale 16

Main body and cavalry of the Patriot army - official portrait



British contingent - official portrait

BRITISH                                                                   POINTS
1  ELITE REGULAR INFANTRY                               8
4  TRAINED REGULAR INFANTRY                       24
3  TRAINED HESSIAN REGULAR INFANTRY     18
1  TRAINED REGULAR CAVALRY                          6
2  ARTILLERY                                                              3
1 IRREG INFANTRY                                                    3
National advantages
OBLIQUE ORDER                                                        6
LETHAL VOLLEYS                                                    12
RALLY TO THE COLOURS                                       12
TOTAL  92 points  Army Morale 11

Advanced Rules in use –Oblique Order, Light artillery, All Guns bombard, Honours of War

Patriot artillery fires the opening shots of the battle

My army was the attacker and I decided to launch the bulk of my force across the fenced fields towards the objective of Fingle’s Farm whilst my cavalry and militia marched around Dave’s left flank.  Planning that flank move was my first mistake.  My main body became engaged in a firefight with the British far too early so I never had the opportunity to commit command effort to get the flank march moving.

Front rank of Patriots being worn down by British deadly volleys

The front line 4 units of the British army  - the Grenadiers,  De Lancey's, NY Loyalists and Hessian fusiliers – supported by their artillery simply shot my attack to pieces.  My army’s morale broke having lost 7  trained units whilst the British lost not a single unit which gave them a very decisive victory.  Some valuable lessons learned from that first campaign game - concentrate an attack and beware of launching your troops on a flanking attack.

2nd line of Patriots wilting under British fire - both units broke at the next volley phase!