The Battle at Highland Mills with less Black Powder

Rumours were going around at the beginning of Winter 1776, First Gen Washington has beaten and Killed Gen. Howe at The battle at Newark and now General in command of the British troops had withdrawn his troops from the North and landed at Perth Amboy! That seem to be enough for a certain Gen. Lee (played by Jim) to attack the remaining British Brigade before the settlement Highland Mills near West Point. Campbell rolled badly and had to stay 10 turns before he was allowed to with draw. So he decided to play two cards - "Fortified position" giving him approx 12" wall and "Low on ammo" every enemy unit ceases firing after one shot on a 1in6 for the remainder of the battle.

The British deployed first all behind the wall near the table edge ready for exit. Jim darted with his troops as fast as he could and his dire command structure would give (he rolled badly for two commander giving him two brigadiers with a 7 on Staff Rating!

Then Campbell dashed towards two Militias with his best unit and typical (special rule) British bayonett attack  and broke them on first contact! Sadly for Jim he lost also his player character General Lee was  a casualty. Still more Militia advanced Guns started two fire and out went the last powder! No gun and some waivering Militias right in front of the British Line without any ammo!

In the meantime Campbell found or better licked blood of his bajonetts blades and attacked more of the rebels and while still being constantly shaken and attacked he never failed 3 consecutive break tests!

 It was past turn 10 and Campbell could go home with his 3 regiments still intact but Jims position seemed almost ridiculously bad ... he decided to stay.

But then advanced Jim after a lifetime of blunders and failed commands his Continentals forward and a fire fight broke out! He attacked with the 3rd New Yorker the stubborn British Line and finally broke them off the field! then he attacked the wall and broke first the last British line off the field and then destroyed the Ansbacher " Hessian" Mercenaries -  Gen. von Mirbach one of the fallen as well.

The road to the south is closed now for the winter for  British supplies ... a prospect that Gen. Grant won‘t like as he now must move or starve ...

Gen. Washington made a stand at Newark and decided not to retreat! While Gen. Greene seemes to collect troops in the hinterland! If anything is sure the next moves of the British army could make it or break it ... Will there be a second Battle at Newark?

The initial British well fortified position

Farmers Ol‘ Schneiders industrial melting oven

The dashing redcoats advance who would have thought!

and fight off Militias and kill the Commander Lee

More Rebels swarm the field

Hold the line!

The Militias attack

but to no avail

Other Militias press forward!

The professionals behind the fortifications - what could possibly go wrong? 

Slow is the Rebel advance!

The Gun starts firing at the Red line

Meanwhile the other Crown regimen waves off break test after break test!

until the NewYorker Regt. arrive ..

Glistening Bayonets in the sun ...

Turn 10 arrives ... but they fight on!

But then the backlash the first retreat!

Then the New Yorker sent the Redcoats to running for their lives

The last to stay on the field are as ever the "Hessians" ... and yes not for long ..

The Battle at Highland Mills an American victory!

The set up!

Beutepanzer in Musselburgh – Two Fat Lardie Day

We had the joy to present a game of "Muddy CoC" on the Two Fat Lardie game weekend in Musselburgh near Edinburgh today. I played the Germans with Jim, and Angus and another Jim (on old SESWC club defectant) who played the French. Two platoons each side with 2 d6 support points are trying to get to a centre stranded "Beutepanzer" Mark IV. An engineer has to get there and on a roll on 5-6 in a 6 he can restart the engine. Another objective was to destroy the other morale.

Jim and me were opting for an extra Medium machine gun a flame thrower and a granatenwerfer.
I basically rolled abysmal and sent section after section into the meatgrinder, just to get to the centre staged Beutepanzer. To my surprise Jim, the old one, didn't roll very well on his fire dice for his MMG or grenade rifles. Thats what saved me in the end, my troops got shot under  my feet away but my engineer got in the damn tank and after two fails started the bloody engine!!! 6 inches, if you are under constant fire, can be damn far away. But in the end, I would say, you can't come between a Schneider (me in this case) and his Beutepanzer! It just ain't gonna happen. After all, we had more casualties, but our morale was still fine, band with the panzer in our hands , it was a straight victory!

The second game was a Napoleonic one, where I was gang pressed into fighting in the Grand Armee against the Habsburgs. The rules where OK, but as I never studied them enough, I pretty much played on automaton and failed spectacularly, as I charged and rolled a double 1(!!!) and the opponent rolled a double 6!!! We were finally beaten by Austrians, yes my dear friends it cannot get any worse!

One battle you win the other you loose - Fortuna is a not a lady!

Still a very enjoyable experience!!!

The un-varnished (re-touched) truth on display for your entertainment:

The defectant Jim and Angus

and the other Jim 

Testing the tides towards 1918

Another dabbling into the realms of Through the Mud and the Blood and Chain of Command ...

Tomorrow will be another day ....

The starting point ...