MAURICE ANOTHER 28MM TEST GAME

I did not get to the SESWC again this week so I setup another 28mm AWI Maurice game in my garage this time with Colin Jack, Dave O’Brien and Mr Ray Neal.  It was all their first game of Maurice.

Patriot artillery firing the first shots - they not fire again until the last turn!

I altered the armies that I used in last week’s game to those shown below.

PATRIOT
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

BRITISH
1  ELITE REGULAR INFANTRY                                        8
5  TRAINED REGULAR INFANTRY                                24
3  TRAINED HESSIAN REGULAR INFANTRY              18
2  TRAINED REGULAR CAVALRY                                   6
2  ARTILLERY                                                                       3
1 IRREG INFANTRY                                                             3

National advantages
OBLIQUE ORDER, LETHAL VOLLEYS or RALLY TO THE COLOURS   6, 12
TOTAL  92 points  Army Morale 13

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

View from Patriot artillery as British close with the fence line

Colin supported by myself commanded the British army and having won the scouting role Colin decided that we should be the attackers.   The British should always attack he told us – what a gentleman! He also decided that the British should use Lethal Volleys.  As the attackers we added 2 extra irregular infantry units to the army.  Colin’s plan having seen the Patriot deployment was to attack on our right with the British infantry and artillery while on our left the Hessians, irregulars and cavalry would screen the Patriot right.

Patriot irregulars close up on British right flank - but quickly seen of with the bayonet

The fight on our right took a long time to make headway as the Patriots moved forward to take the cover of a fence line.  Eventually we broke the bulk of their infantry holding the fence line and occupied it.  There then followed a few moves whilst both sides reorganised by passing to draw more cards.  Colin then threw the irregulars against the Patriot right where they broke the 1st Maryland.  Following this success the British right finally crossed over the fence line and broke a further 2 Patriot infantry.  At that point the Patriot army’s morale broke having lost 7 units whilst our British morale was down to 4 points having lost 5 units.  So it proved to be a close hard fought action.

With the fence line gone the Patriot commanders consider their options - Mr Ray (L), Dave (R)

I must say that some of the players were not at all convinced with the mechanisms of Maurice.  The main problem is that once you are engaged in a major firefight then all yoru command effort goes into Rally actions to keep those troops in the fight.  I think the Patriot artillery which was deployed to the rear on a hill only fired twice in the entire game while the British artillery that we moved up with our attacking infantry caused great execution with their canister fire.  The cavalry on either side never moved throughout the game.

Next week I should be able to get back to the SESWC on Thursday nights.