MT01 Philadelphia campaign

Round 6 Monmouth (28 June 1778)

JimDauphinais (Continentals) - 0 banners, 37 blocks lost
gotigerssc (British) - 9 banners, 6 blocks lost

British never tried to advance in the center or assault Perrine Ridge. Instead they focused on clearing out the Americans behind the hedgerows and Combs Hill. The American morale was low today as multiple units and one leader fled the field. The British guard unit with a leader attached is a formidable thing that can do serious damage in melee, which aided greatly in the sweep of the American right. Ultimately, the dice smiled on me again in this one. Thanks to Jim for a great match!

MT01 Round 6 Monmouth 6v11 Michal vs JR

Player 1: JR (British) 9 banners scored, 20 blocks lost

Player 2: Michal (Continentals) 2 banners scored, 43 blocks lost

As the British I had all the cards - four big line command or volley cards showed up when I had at least a dozen units in contiguous hexes. It was a slow attritional fight for the most part as I wore down Michal's units, until I finally closed on the ridge for the last couple of banners. Michal had almost no luck during the game - aside from a couple decent rally rolls everything went my way with the dice. Maintaining as long a line as possible gave me a lot of options for my cards and carried the day in what was already a very pro-British situation.

I'm used to playing with the help of Skype but Michal got me up to speed with the time-saving chat conventions, which were a big help.

MT01 Round 2 Brandywine British Flank Attack 6v7 Greg vs JR

Player 1: JR (British) 7 banners scored, 15 blocks lost

Player 2: Greg (Continentals) 2 banners scored, 21 blocks lost

This was a cagey match in the early going as my elites seized the Meeting House, but Greg got a boost when a full strength British Grenadier unit vaporized on a seven-dice rally roll - I guess their hearts just weren't in it!

After that, I burned turns assembling chains of units to take advantage of Line Command, Inspired Command, and Line Volley cards. The steady rain of Redcoat musketry, along with Greg's inability to roll an Infantry hit, carried the day for the Crown. Greg did mount an effective counterattack on the Continental left, with Sullivan seeing off a Guards unit for the second Continental banner of the day.

Needing just one more banner, I failed to kill a pair of one-strength units on the penultimate turn, but Hessian regulars seized three hexes of the objective hill and retained two for the win.

MM01 Germantown question re Greene

The VASSAL notes for this scenario have movement restrictions for units with or near Greene but he's not present as a commander piece. Which general does this actually refer to? I'm guessing it's an American on the Continental left but it might also be Grant for the British. Thanks!

JR

MM01 Germantown - Greene is Lafayette?

Looking at the map I assume the Lafayette in the setup should be Greene, since that's approximately where Greene was in the battle; I'm not sure the Marquis was even there.

JR

It appears to be Greene.

See

www.commandsandcolors.net/tricorne/maps/...-4-october-1777.html

Thanks, Jim - in the VASSAL setup he's shown as Lafayette. Also, thanks for the link - there's a lot more to this site than I realized!

Looks like the issue was an old VASSAL mod on my part.

MT01 Round 5 Germantown 6v10 Rob vs JR

Player 1: JR (British) 5 banners scored, 16 blocks lost

Player 2: Rob (Continentals) 4 banners scored, 18 blocks lost

This was a real nail biter. My forward Lights Retired and Rallied before the first Continental onslaught, but Wayne hit them again and they disappeared on the rally roll after taking a couple hits. Their supporting Regulars suffered a similar fate as Mad Anthony swept forward into the Chew House. Cornholio led a pair of Regulars and some Grenadiers in a counterattack, turfing out Wayne after killing one unit.

The American center fell back, but not before trading units with their British opponents. The count was 3-2 as the action turned to the British left/Continental right. Knyphausen had Hessian Lights and Grenadiers faced Armstrong's militia and supporting artillery. As I crept forward, mindful of the unfordable nature of the creek, Rob suddenly launched an attack of his own! Provincial Militia assaulting seasoned European professionals! The nerve! It turns out he had a fistful of supporting combat cards, but my Lights scampered away unscathed.

I pieced together a hand favoring my left, and advanced once more. Rob's artillery saw off my Lights, putting me one block from defeat, but the Hessian Grenadiers closed - a brutal bayonet attack inflicted three hits on Armstrong's Militia unit, and only a Hold the Line card saved them from fleeing off board. The next turn I eliminated the survivor, with Armstrong exiting the board rather than face the bonus melee. Instead, the light artillery was forced to retreat to the board edge, albeit without loss.

At four banners apiece, Rob attacked with his artillery, but I had been sitting on a First Strike card since my opening hand. My Grenadiers threw five dice and that was that.

Fun, tight scenario - the best I've played so far in terms of balance and situation.

JR

jrtracy wrote: Looks like the issue was an old VASSAL mod on my part.

yes, somehow Greene and Lafayette managed to get confused in my mind. So early version had Lafayette in the place of Greene.
one of those mysterious tricks the mind can play, and I can't fathom why.

.. who said Altheimer's?