MT01 Philadelphia campaign

the updated module with various scenario fixes is available here
www.vassalengine.org/mediawiki/images/e/e0/Tricorne.1.33.vmod

MT01 Round 4 Brandywine Greene's Rear Guard 6v9 Jim vs JR

Player 1: JR (British) 7 banners scored, 8 blocks lost

Player 2: Jim (Continentals) 6 banners scored, 25 blocks lost

This was a barn-burner! A line command advanced my British right, with the Continentals doing light housekeeping in return. The British then played Steal A March to bring up the center and the right-flank laggards, but Jim replied with Counterattack, pulling back his vulnerable units.

I moved forward to maintain contact but Jim's boys didn't like the looks of Hessian and British steel. He played At the Quickstep, exiting three units, and quickly followed with another. I assumed controlled of the exit hex but Jim just needed three more banners.

Jim kept a unit of Continentals on his left my right to avoid the 'section abandoned' banner penalty, and they proved useful by hammering Grant's Regular escort. They killed off the unit but Grant survived to flee to safety.

The fight came down to the center, with Greene himself leading the defense as the Crown closed from three directions. Impetuous Highlanders paid the price after giving some gunners a taste of the claymore. Jim now needed only one more banner, but all my units were full strength. I needed two, but was fighting at range. For King and Country activated five Continentals, but Jim failed to score any hits and I skated through my one rally roll. I played Inspired Command in return. My Regulars engaged Greene and his Rifle escort, who Retired and Rallied. Well, they Retired anyway - they failed the Rally roll, and Greene shortly followed them off the map for a British victory.

Good, tough match - really enjoyed it!

MT01 Round 3 Brandywine Knyphausen's Attack 6v9 Joe vs JR

Player 1: JR (British) 7 banners scored, 6 blocks lost

Player 2: Joe (Continentals) 6 banners scored, 26 blocks lost

Another fun, tight match. Well, fun for me, anyway, because I had all the cards, but Joe made the most of what he got and nearly pulled off a win despite the luck of the draw.

Joe used the opening cannonade to retire two of his light batteries, one of which had the insolence to pick off a piece of my heavies. After that, my British opened with Inspired Leadership in the center, to get Knyphausen and friends moving over the Brandywine. A flurry of Brown Bess fire summoned four Infantry hits in seven dice, seeing off a full unit of Continentals.

Joe continued to fall back on the exit, but I had the cards to keep pace. I played Steal a March to bring my center and right into contact, following with a Line Command to hammer the Rebel front line. I didn't score any banners but the Continentals were taking hits everywhere and his Militia were vulnerable.

Continental musketry sent a unit of Redcoats packing as they failed a five-dice rally roll, but British pressure was building. I'd suffered several hits myself but a timely Rally card and a great roll recovered four British Infantry steps and added a step to a Light arty unit on the verge of elimination.

Stirn assumed personal command of my newly-rejuvenated Highlanders and went on a right flank rampage. Armstrong and Wayne held him off as best they could while their compatriots continued to slip away.

Joe exited another two units, and with control of the hills he was now at six banners, as was I, thanks to holding a building hex. Sensing an opportunity to put me away, Wayne led a pair of Continental Regulars forward against my bloodied Highlanders, still commanded by Stirn. I played Ambush and inflicted two flags on a Regular pinned against the board edge, but Joe replied with Hold the Line. However, despite the benefit of leadership and Inspired Command, Joe's troops could only manage one hit and no flags, and Stirn escaped unscathed.

I wrapped up the affair with Scout, ordering Knyphausen to direct a unit of Redcoat Regulars against a one-step Militia unit on the board edge. I threw four dice with the help of Infantry Ranged Bonus, scoring the hit I needed for my seventh banner.

Joe played a great, focused game. He had a solid exit-oriented plan from the get-go, with the artillery leading the way (he managed to exit two of his three batteries). However, I had ridiculous cards, allowing me to create and then maintain relentless pressure on the right flank the entire game. I always had command options where I needed them, supplemented with very useful combat cards. Despite all that, Joe had a good shot at a win right at the wire. Very enjoyable scenario.

007 Monmouth (28 June 1778)

Greg O (Continental) 9 banners 14 blocks lost

mirkobruner (British) 2 banners 34 blocks lost

The initial British cannonade routed a full strength American regular from the hedge line, but that was, as it turned out, the high point of the battle for the British. The British pushed forward on the left, causing casualties with some effective fire, but the Americans rallied their losses and stood firm as the British called forward the Guards and on the next play they Stole a march and were suddenly right in the face of the Americans. The Americans stood firm, recovering another loss and they shouted out "Liberty or Death" knowing they needed to cause some losses to fend off the British horde. They did inflict some losses, but not as many as they hoped. The British then attacked but an American first strike blunted one attack with Brit losses and the Continental artillery stood firm without losses and hammered the British Regular from it's position on the heights.

The American's responded with with their own attacks on the left and left a Brit leader supporting a wounded Grenadier and Light Artillery unit against a strong American presence. The Americans broke the British left and eliminated a leader there with a lucky ranged shot with 2 sabers on 2 dice.

The British pushed ahead with the center and right flanks, routing a Rifle who decided to retire in the face of the Highlanders but couldn't stop running once they started. The American held a strong line along the ridge, including 2 Light Artillery which bombarded the approaching British and a few rounds of fire later, the British retired from the field.

Round 7 - Battle of Monmouth (007)

Renaud (British), 9 VPS, 37 blocks lost
Rob (Continentals), 7 VPS, 36 blocks lost
(Note: blocks that were recovered due to card play were not counted as lost; the Continentals did recover a few more than the British)

The opening cannonade by the British did not accomplish anything, but the British cannons would certainly speak again many times in the center during the rest of the game, assisted by Line Volley or (Once) Bombard. The Continentals for the most part chose to yield the protective terrain in the center-left and pulled back to the hills, especially after Lee and his unit were eliminated, so there never really was melee combat in the center. Most of the action took place on the wings. My Highlanders, perhaps foolishly charged forward, as they’re prone to do in my hands :-0, supported by a Light Infantry unit. Initial success was followed by one hit sustained and a failed rally roll... Bye bye, my Scottish lads. The Light Infantry was left hanging and eventually succumbed. In fact, the best Continental Success was achieved by Lafayette and his mix of troops on the Continental left flank, with the British opposition ultimately reduced to Grey and his full unit of Regulars... success until Lafayette also was eliminated, which seemed to cut into the Continental enthusiasm. On the British left flank, Grenadiers, Regulars and the Guards attacked, sometimes recklessly, but ultimately making progress against Greene and his boys. While the Continentals earlier in the game had had a poor Rally roll resulting in a full-strength unit of Regulars vanishing, they got luckier with a one-strength unit passing its Rally test. Eventually a British bayonet charge — almost — settled it. Two Continental units were destroyed by the Guards on the British left and the Grenadiers on the right, but the attack by the Regulars failed as the Continental guns unloaded when they saw the white of British eyes, but survived their Rally roll. The Brits were one VP from victory while the Continentals were 2 away, but full-strength British grenadiers were in the thick of it on the British right. The Continentals pounded on the occasion, but... the Grenadiers Ambushed them, rolled 4 dice, and their attackers were eliminated, yielding the last VP. Fun game that was never decided until the very end. We played from 20:30 until 12:45!

Round 2 - Battle of Brandywine (British Flank Attack) (103)

Renaud (British) 7 VPs, 14 blocks lost
Charles (Continentals), 4 VPs, 29 blocks lost

Somehow my entry of the game doesn’t appear to have saved. It’s been a while, so I’m now short on the story details... The Continentals fought bravely, but the Crown overcame!

Charles Cab has withdrawn from the tournament..

Oh. Guess I am done then, I have played with anybody but him Good Luck everyone.

so by my calculations, even scoring full points for forfeit, the British semi-finalists are JR and Justin.
There is one significant match between Joe and John to determine the semi-finalists amongst the Continentals.

Germantown (MM01)

Renaud (British): 5 VP, 8 blocks lost
Jim D (Continentals): 1 VP, 20 blocks lost

With their opening fire, the Continentals did limited damage to my forward Light unit. Rather than pulling them and my Regulars to safer terrain, I took advantage of two Ranged Combat cards to attack with them, and that netted two VPs for the Crown. They eventually moved back, harried by the Continentals, and the Lights were eliminated, but the Regulars took and never released possession of Chew Mansion, despite repeated attacks. The relief force of two units of Regulars (one under Cornwallis) and one of Grenadier pushed back the Continentals with one more loss. But the Rebels came back again, with Greene’s militia joining the action. Unfortunately for them, the British delivered a blistering volley and set one unit of Militia to flight, delivering the 5th and last VP.