Battle of Bald Wood

After the Rejects returned from Cavalier in Tonbridge on Sunday we went back to Posties for a quick afternoon skirmish game. Initially it was just going to be two of us but last minute recruits brought our numbers up to four. Hats off to Postie who coped with these last minute changes and managed to put on an excellent little game that tested our skills and entertain us in equal measure. 

Setting the Scene

The battle was a fictional skirmish encounter set in 1750 somewhere near the Great Lakes on the border of what is now the USA and Canada. The British are trying to build a road and a small group of militia, light infantry and rangers have been attached to protect the workers. Meanwhile a strong raiding party of French Coureur De Bois, Militia and Indians advance through the woods towards the unsuspecting road builders.

Order of Battle
British
  10 Lt Infantry and Rangers + Leader
  8 Militia + Leader
  8 Civilian Workers + Cart!

French
  10 Coureur De Bois + Leader
  10 French Militia + Leader
  10 Indians + Leader

The Action

Initial setup. The British are building a road and have a small encampment protected by lt Infantry and Rangers. The French and Indians are approaching from the foreground. Here the British commanders (Ian and Ray) share a joke with Postie. 

The road builders...just before they break for tea. 

My Coureur De Bois advance through the woods to within musketry range of the leading British sentries.

Once on the edge of the woods they begin to fire on the sentries, readying for a headlong charge across the open ground in front of them. This was dangerous ground but it had to be crossed.

Meanwhile British Militia advance up the road towards the first sounds of gunfire

The French Militia and Indians (commanded by Richard and his son) advance quickly across the open ground, surprising the British with their speed. The English flee back to a stronger position, fearing for the safety of their scalps!

The English form a line if defence behind some hard cover but the first of many Indians reaches a British straggler and with a whoop leaps into melee!

Richard moved more Indians up to the front while the militia start for form a firing line on the edge of the forest. Meanwhile the Coureur De Bois advance - in the foreground - through a hail of musket balls which kills the only rifleman the English have. The Brits are looking very worried now... this seems to be something of a one sided fight. 

The British Militia start to feed into the fighting line while the workers go back to camp for a 'brew'. 

Now its time for some payback and the British rangers and light Infantry facing the Coureur De Bois unleash a deadly accurate hail of gunfire, killing three Frenchmen in one turn. This forces a moral test and in my true dice rolling style I not only fail the test, I fail it badly.

Having failed my Moral test by a large margin my Coureur De Bois must now retreat at full movement for four turns (4 !!!) before they come back under control, and it will take at least another four to bring them back into the fight. They are effectively out of the game. 

Ray trying (and failing) not to look smug after my disastrous moral test. Git.
I went and put the kettle on. 

The British now move some of their light infantry from the 'safe flank' over to the fight against the Indians. The hand to hand fighting here was brutal with both sides loosing lots of men. Meanwhile the French Militia have lined up on the edge of the wood and pour fire on the British defences with little success.

Both side exchanged fire but eventually the losses in Melee meant the French Indians broke and the British were able to claim a victory. 

Analysis

Sigh. On the whole my dice were not too bad, and I claimed a couple of kills on my side of the battle. But when it came to the Morale roll I fluffed it bad. Having said that I do think four turns of retreating is a bit harsh! Aside form this I would say it was a great game. The rules are pretty simple and the game play was fast. We played for about two and a half to three hours which filled the afternoon quite nicely. Well done to Postie for yet again setting up a great game with yet more miniatures I haven't seen before (he really is a megalomaniac).