Up nice and early having packed up the car the night before, I set off to Legionary 17. The roads were clear so it took me 6 minutes to get to the show. How lucky am I.
In the past I have raved about how good the facilities are at the venue for gamers and traders, well this time I remembered to take a photo.
How many shows can you unload next to your table?
I had booked a 12 x 6 table. I started to lay out the terrain and place the figures.
The Plot.
The game was to be set around August 1814 when both sides were sitting around a table in Ghent brokering a peace deal. The Americans not wishing to have to give up any of their country following a reversal of fortune and the British trying to reinforce their position. To give them a better bargaining chip a force has been dispatched to seize the Washington DC. The scouts tell them the road is open apart from a few militia. The British ever confident set off.
The Americans have been tracking this force and have guessed what the British are up to. So to stop them they rush all available troops to the area. This means that to initially stop the British there are some militia infantry, Cavalry and a gun.
Here you can see the Amera Plastics river.
Looking up the table from the British view point
Across the British Lines. In the distance you may just spot some supporting gunboats. These were classed as heavy artillery but took a turn to reload. They could also not move as they were at anchor due to the current.
In the centre you may be able to spot the royal marine rocket team. These were the stars of the game and anybody who was watching when they fired, all commented on the process we use to see where they land!!!!
The game started with the militia units having taken up position behind the fences, just shy of the river. Just on the British side of the river waiting in the woods were 3 units of Indians. In our games Indians can deploy up to halfway across the table if in a tree line otherwise normal deployment rules apply.
The British fired their rocket – they decided to roll 7 sets of dice. A D6 for direction and a D10 for distance. The first two dice rolls looked good then a few wild rolls saw the rocket head towards the British units on the right flank. The final three dice rolls somehow correct the direction and landed the rocket within an inch of the original target. Must get Nathan to pick next week’s lottery ticket. The Freed Color units did not like this with one becoming shaken.
Not a great photo but you may just spot the Freed Color militia , the shaken unit has a white counter.
Rocket crew fire again. this time nearly taking out one of their own gunboats!
Heavy Militia gun opens fire
British are in the fields!
The British advance continued and American reinforcements start to arrive. The American militia had a heavy cannon mounted on the hill by the church and so they started to fire. The first shot hit the advancing 1st Royal Marines.
Both sides traded shots and the militia taking the worst of it started to fall back. American regulars advancing up the left flank enter the woods to chase out the Indians. It takes 4 line and a unit of rifles to finally clear them out.
The remaining militia attempt to hold the ford!
American regulars advance into the woods!
Having advanced across the river they catch the Indians in a crossfire
Royal Marines advancing on the river, in the rear ranks are the 5th west indies regiment with the two Swiss Regiments Du Meuron and De Watteville in the middle (great flags).
View from the British end
View from the American end
The American advance down the left flank was not to continue as they were faced with the Canadian brigade and a rocket aiming at the American Right flank landed in the woods and 4 units had to test morale (Enemy units under flight path of a rocket have to test).
Canadian Brigade including Voltigeurs
Another rocket just misses the advancing British!
7th New York Militia and the Glengarry Lights trading shots when another rockets lands and frightens the horses making them shaken and a sound volley from the Glengarry finish them off.
The British push back the American Left and take the river but the lead units have taken a little too many casualties to pursue the retiring, not retreating Americans.
A great game was had by all. It was especially great to get such positive feedback from the visitors and especially some new gamers asking about the figures, rules and terrain.
Figures- Old Glory, Knuckleduster,Foundry,Victrix, Elite, Britannia and Perry.
Buildings – Large house -Sarissa, small home and Church – Renedra
Trees – Mostly hand made(please see blog) and K&M.
Haystacks – Homemade
Fencing and Walls – Ebay
River – Amera Plastics. I think this is great value product
Hopefully you will get to see some better pictures as the photographer from Wargames Illustrated was on hand to take a few which I hope will be in the magazine soon.
A big thank you to “A Brush Too Far” painting service who helped me out with a number of units towards the end. Thank you Jono and Mary.
RULES – King George Commands and We Obey – see blog.
The Think Tank 