THE EMPIRE STRIKES OUT

 This weeks Wednesday's we played a learning game of Sword and Spear Ancients and Medieval rules. This matched the Imperial Romans against the Celts. The rules threw a lot of new concepts at the group, and it took a bit of time for us to catch on. First is the Activation Systems that uses player specific colored dice randomly drawn in batches. In our case this was 11 dice at a time with 36 dice available. The side that gets the most dice in a draw has the initiative during the phase and goes first. Dice are then rolled and assigned to individual units to activate. Dice rolls too low to work, typically 1s and 2s are discard and 6s give a benefit to movement, or to combat, with the option being up to the player at the time of use. Units are then moved from lowest value up, so 3s, followed by 4, etc., initiative players first. Combat, be it shooting or close combat is resolved immediately. A unit in close combat without an activation die forfeits its activation options and receives an undrawn die from the bag to note this. There are plenty of details I left out, but this was a real key to game play. 

The second concept was all combat is using opposing die rolls. You create a die pool from your base combat ability, any movement and terrain effects, and any skills that the unit's possess. These are rolled and match up in descending order. Any unequal dice are match to a virtual 2 that can cause no damage to the opponent but can prevent damage to the shortfall side. An equal roll is no effect. A higher roll causes a check to see if it caused damage, this is typically a 4+ save, A roll that is double or better automatically causes damage. There are a number of skills that can modify dice rolls and effects, but this is the basics. 

Once we got the hang of how all this worked the game moved along at a fairly quick pace. The final outcome was a draw, and everyone seemed to have a good time. I am sure these rules will be played again in the near future. I was rather involved in the learning process, so I nearly forgot to take pictures. Here are the few I did take. 

The Game in Action About Mid Battle. Celts on the Left, Romans on the Right. The Blue Dice You See are the Activation Dice for that Contingent of Romans. 

My Celtic Cavalry Pouring in on the Roman Rear. Entering the Table was as Far as I got Before Real-World Issues Required me to Leave. 

LIVING FREE - THE BATTEL OF NEWPORT RHODE ISLAND 1778

This Wednesday we played the battle of Newport 1778 using the Live Free or Die rules. This is a wonderfully simple game of the American War of Independence from Little Wars TV folks and based on the Andy Callan's Loose Files and American Scramble back from 1987 Wargames Illustrated #1. If you have not seen them the rules are only four pages long but offer an amazing amount of decision making. 

The American Continentals were making a joint attack with their new allies the French on the main British naval base at Newport Rhode Island. The French intended to land four thousand troops from their navy, but when the British Fleet arrived, they sailed away. Without these troops the Americans did not have sufficient strength to continue the siege, so needed to withdraw. The battle pits the American Continentals rear guard against a combined force of British and Hessian troops attacking them to cut off the retreat. The British goal is to control both hills, while the Americans goal is to prevent this until games end on turn ten. The British are aided by both reinforcements and a naval bombardment that lasts for a few turns about midway in the game. 

The First Assault on the American Left Occurred Early in the Game with Two Line Units of British Regulars. On Both Flanks American Continentals are Pouring Fire into the British Support Troops. 

While on the Other Side of the Battlefield American Forces on the Right Flank Hold the Key Hill. British Fire has Been Effective at Pushing the Continentals Back. 

Back on the Left American Forces Have Been Pushed Back Around the Bridge, but not Before Routing the British Light Infantry and Taking Serious Toll of the British That had Been Assaulting Them. British Reinforcements can be Seen Approaching in Column.  

On the Right Flank the Americans have Counterattacked to Retake the Hill. Their Center has Been Very Weakened with only a Two Stand Unit Holding On. 

Americans and British both Begin to Pour Fire into Their Opponents. The British have Launched Another Bayonet Charge into the Tiny American Unit Holding the Center.

Returning to the Left the Americans Continue to use Firepower to Hold the British at Bay. General Glover is now Taking a Personal Hand at Rallying his Boys. He will Spend the Rest of the Day Going from One Crisses Point to the Next. 

The British have Launched Another Costly Bayonet Charge. While Successful at Driving the Americans Back Their Support Unit has Routed. Rumors That the Americans Have Stocked the Stream with Parana Fish are Being Ignored. The Hessians on the Right are not of the Same Stern Stuff as Their British Allies. 

Through Firepower and Audacity, the Americans on the Right Have Again Driven the British Back Off the Hill. 

On the Left Late in the Day the Americans Begin a Slow Withdraw. To Keep the British in Check here the Forth Massachusetts has Crossed the Steam and Begins to Laydown Fire into the British Flanks. 

On the Right the British have Advanced with Fresh Troops to Again try to Capture the Hill Away from the Staunch American Defenders. 

Continuing to Withdraw on the Left the Americans Rout more British and Hessian Forces. General Sullivan has Come Forward to Rally more of the Massachusetts Boys. Again, the British Prepare to Launch Another Bayonet Charge in an Attempt to Win the Day. 

Once Again the British have Nearly Taken the Right Flank Hill. It is not Without Cost as Yet Another Hessian unit is Routed. 

At Days End the American Redoubt on the Hill is not Under Threat. The British have given it Their All, but Where Never able to Successfully Budge the Tenacious American Defender on the Left. 

On the Right What remains of the Hessians is Only Able to Contest Control of the Hill. They are in no Fit State to Continue the Attack with Most Units Either Near Destruction, or Routing Away. 

The final outcome was a minor American victory. Rumor has it that the British had suffered a three to one casualty rate. 

The game was a very back and forth affair. The Americans were under constant British bayonet charges on the left for which they had no real counter. Heavily outnumbered they survived only by continually making their morale checks. The British here were equally hampered by poor dice. On the right both sides had their share of dynamic success and failure. As these were not the main armies for either side there were plenty of questionable troops. This proved more interesting than dealing with high-quality British Light and Grenadier forces. Overall, everyone had a great, if frustrating time. 

PACIFIC SURFACE ACTION WITH FLETCHER

Dutch Fleet Moving into Combat Range.

This Wednesday we participated in a playtest of a set of home rules with a working title of Fletcher. The designer took some very complicated systems and reduced them to quick and easy to use. This included ship status printed on the bases, ranging sticks that accounted for most modifiers, a damage system that was narrative as opposed to mechanical. This later part is best thought of as Free Kriegsspiel. With nearly forty ships on the field commanded by only seven players we achieved over ten turns of action with plenty of results. Overall, as a group we had a good time, 

Near Midgame and the US Cruisers have been Getting a Serious Pounding. Two are on Fire and One of These will Sink. Their Destroyers have Launched a Solid Group of Torpedoes into the Oncoming Japanese.

The Japanese have not Gotten Away Unscathed. The Lead Cruiser Has Taken Some Serious Damage and They Have Already Lost a Number of Destroyers, Including One to Their Own Fleets Torpedoes. 

Dutch gunnery was highly effective accounting for three Japanese destroyers sunk and three others seriously damaged. The Japanese were fully focused on the US Fleet and never fired a shot at the Dutch. Overall, the two sides each seemed to give as much as they got. A really good time and very interesting rules. I look forward to playing them again.