Game Four Saturday Evening
We had 8 players for the last game of the day, so we added another group of British Rangers and another of Natives; 4 players on each side. Two of the players were repeats from earlier games - they wanted another go! I was a little tired and starting to lose my voice, so asked Jamie to take over some of the photography duties so I could focus on the game.
The British and Colonial strategy was different in this game. They came on in force on the edge closest to the canoes, determined to make the fight about the Chief and Native casualties rather than burning the village. The Natives were up for the fight!
The British and Colonials were first to the canoes. . . then asked if they could burn them! Why not, I thought? We improvised a rule; setting and stoking 3 fire markers (as opposed to 6 for a house) would destroy a canoe. With glee the raiders set upon the canoes!
The next few turns the Natives go on a rampage, firing shots at close range and then charging into hand-to-hand with hatchets and clubs. The Native shooting was deadly accurate, the melees even more so.
When it was over the Natives won a very lop-sided victory. . . but the British Light Infantry finally survived a game by using the cover of a log and refusing melee!
You may have noticed the missing hand on the Sergeant in the photo above. An unfortunate plummet from the edge of the table caused the injury, but he's lived to fight another day!
We got four good games, all very different and all played with spirit and good sportsmanship. I think Jamie did a nice job with the camera, and I sure appreciated his help loading the game into the truck afterward, too.
Now to finish the scenario work for the game for Wiley Wargame Weekend. . . next weekend! You do have your ticket, don't you?! Hope to see you there.
Game Three Saturday Afternoon
The British and Colonials entered the long table edges closer to the canoes and quickly made the tree lines to start firing on the Natives as they left the cover of the houses. One warrior scaled the tower to get a look around and was Shaken by a shot from the woods, then failed his Rally test on his next turn and fled the field!
The Rangers moved in quickly to fire the village and the Native response was up close and personal. Shooting started at close range with the Natives getting the worst of the early exchanges.
Then Special Event #1 occurred. . . a light rain began to fall. The Rangers were stoking the fires they started, but the rain slowed progress and even made it a little more difficult to start fires. It wasn't a hard rain but it was damned inconvenient. . .
Native casualties were mounting, but a couple of warriors made it to the canoes, just about the time (3 turns later; Special Event #2) that everyone discovered their powder had become too wet to spark. There would be no more shooting the rest of the game!
A literal hatchet-fest ensued. While the British tried valiantly to start more fires, the Natives rushed the hated enemy to hinder their efforts and add more points to their trophy poles.Special Event #3 was a heavy smoke that settled upon the village, decreasing visibility, which only added insult to injury since combat was all at arms' length anyway. The warrior in the foreground below was shot three times before a hatchet blow ended his attempt to crawl into the bushes and escape!
When time was called the British had burned down three of the village houses and killed more Natives than they lost. It was the best British performance so far. When we totaled up the points we found the British had lost by eleven points. . . ten of which were scored when those two warriors exited via the canoes - one was the Chief!
Native victory, but what a contest! And yes, the British Light Infantry got mauled again.
Stay tuned for Part Four, the final battle!
Game One Friday Night
Dawn. . . the British enter the field from three different edges to surround the village. The British Rangers fire into a longhouse from the cover of the woods' edge, signaling the start of the attack. The Natives begin to emerge form their houses o confront their attackers.
The Light Infantry bore the brunt of the Native fury - they were directly between the village and the canoes.
The rest of the Brits and Colonials provided covering fire for the overwhelmed Light Infantry and halfheartedly stoked some fires, but in the end the Light Infantry died to a man and the Chief made it to the canoes.
Native win!
Talking to the players after the game we decided I may not have made the importance of the canoes and point structures as clear as I could have, so rectified that in the ensuing games.
Game Two Saturday Morning
Back to the Lee's Summit High School gym bright and early (9am) for Game Two. It starts with the same British opening moves but the Natives are out of their houses en masse right away.
The Natives make it into the cover of the woods quickly, where, once again, the Light Infantry find themselves at the point of the enemy spear. Meanwhile, the Rangers make a more concerted effort to burn the village.
Two of the village houses were successfully torched, but the raiders couldn't keep the Natives from loading up the canoes and paddling their Chief to safety. Again, the British Light Infantry were killed to a man.
Native Win!
Stay tuned for Part Three. "Special Events" did not play large roles in the first two games; that would change in Game Three!
