1745 and all that

I am fortunate that on the two days when I am working from the office and have to spend a night away, I have an active group of wargamers close on hand.  Which means that on that night I can meet up with them and get a game in.  This week it was a Jacobite v Government game set in the 1745 Rebellion/Rising (depending on your point of view).

The game was put on by our host Graham (AKA Trebian of the excellent 'wargaming for grown ups blog' which I urge you to visit).  Graham is a keen researcher and writer of rules which as far as I have experienced tend to be reasonably simple but still hold a good period feel.  This game was no exception.  I hadn't played the rules before but by the end of the game I had a decent understanding of the rules mechanisms and how the tactics of the period are modeled.  As you might expect the Jacobites especially the Highlanders have a better chance in hand to hand while the Government troops prefer to stand off and use musketry.  This especially the case for regulars trained in platoon firing.

The basic model is that the two sides dice for initiative at the start of the turn with adjustments for the CinC's ability.  If the Jacobites win they must go first if the Government win they can choose to go first or second.  A flip in initiative to the Government player is deadly as it allows them to take two consecutive bounds which means two uninterpreted bounds of volley firing!  Most combats are based on the throw of a number of D6 with a 6 giving a 'hit'. This is adjusted where a unit is disordered or shaken.  Generals can also affect the dice by using one of two command decisions they have available each turn by either adding an extra dice or electing after the roll to add 1 to one dice roll.  There are other uses for these command points including attempting to rally broken troops and getting to units to charge to contact without taking a morale test first.  Its an elegant and simple method of creating command friction by reducing a general's options for action each turn.  I wish I had thought of it!

We had four players plus Graham as umpire.   Tim and I took the Jacobites with Steve and Richard taking the Government troops.  The Jacobites had 7 Highland Regiments and two infantry battalions trained in the French style ( basically volley and in with the bayonet tactics).  German George's Forces consisted of two Cavalry Squadrons, deployed one on each wing, with a centre of seven Infantry battalions deployed in two lines.  The Infantry was a mix of regulars with a couple of militia units thrown in.  Somewhere at the rear of their right was a single piece of artillery. 

As they seemed intent on standing on the defensive Tim and I had a lengthy and detailed discussion on tactics and after about two seconds decided upon a wild charge all across the board.  It seemed like the proper Highland thing to do.  We got two units into contact on the first bound breaking a battalion of regulars and pushing another back.  This was possibly the high water mark of the Jacobite cause for the day!  There were some moments of confusion on the Government side and then they decided to about face one battalion and volley into the backs of the highlanders who had pushed back their opponents and to launch both cavalry units forward. 

The highlanders shrugged off the ungentlemanly treatment of the vile back shooters and continued to push their opponents back ultimately breaking them.  The two cavalry attacks had mixed fortunes, on the Government left wing they pushed back a unit of highlanders but couldn't break them, while on the left they bounced and were forced to withdraw and spent the rest of the action covering that flank by trying to look menacing.  Meanwhile in the centre the Jacobite lines were starting to look a bit threadbare.  Victims of our own success as two highland regiments had been taken out of play pursuing defeated enemies.  Two more wild charges went forward but musketry disordered them on the way in and the resulting melees were indecisive.

Ultimately we were beaten by disciplined volley fire and a flip in initiative that allowed the Redcoats to pour fire in from point blank range for two turns without our being able to do anything but stand and take it.  I threw the two trained battalions out into line and by attaching my general to the Royal Ecoisse (I think that's how to spell it!) managed a volley and in attack.  It failed and I got my general killed.  At that point we stopped to checked breakpoints and it was found that the death of the general had tipped the doughty and valiant Jacobites to defeat.  All in under two and a half hours.  Next on offer is a game of Arte de le Guerre which I am looking forward to.