MT02 Southern campaign

Semi Finals Eutaw Springs 1781 Justin vs JR

Game 1

Justin Continentals 3 Banners 15 Blocks

JR British 7 Banners 38 Blocks

Game 2

Justin British 6 Banners 27 Blocks

JR Continentals 7 Banners 39 Blocks 

Justin and I played back to back games of Eutaw Springs this week, packed with weirdness and excitement.

In our first, Justin had the Continentals, who are burdened with a host of Militia in the center just begging to be shot to pieces by the opposing British regulars.  After the opening cannonade (which retreated some Redcoats) he backed the Militia off and went to work on the flanks.

I responded in kind on the flanks but lacked much in the center beyond Probe cards.  However, these Probes proved quite useful - I ended up playing five in all, activating both artillery units each time.  The artillery picked up at least one or two infantry hits every shot, and the Probe-generated combat cards helped my cause immensely. 

Though Justin was getting picked apart in the center he actually grabbed the lead in banners thanks to Williams on the Continental left.  First he sent my Light Infantry running off the map on a failed five-die rally roll, and then used Sharpshooters to pick off Marjoribanks.  My Grenadiers moved up to restore the natural order of things, killed a Continental Regular before Williams backed off.

On the British left, I pushed forward to engage the Militia milling about on the Continental back line.  Long range fire took its toll as a Militia burned down to a single block on a retreat to the board edge, but pulled off the single flag needed to save itself.  We had a similar situation in the center, with Picken and a Militia running to the edge needing to make a three-die rally check with units all around.  Justin passed it easily, averting a potential early disaster.

With the Militia relatively safe, it was a matter of grinding away at the center with repeated artillery attacks focusing on individual units.  One Continental artillery unit fled the field, and one by one Justin’s line units followed.  With the count at six banners to two in favor of the British, Justin went head-hunting to increase his count with a view to the overall semifinal score.  He killed off one more British Regular, but thanks to clutch rally rolls and some timely cards, I preserved the rest of the force.  I closed out the game by inflicting a retreat on a weakened cavalry unit, which failed its rally for my sixth banner.

Our return match was much more exciting, thanks to crazy Continental dice.  Again the opening cannonade retreated a British regular, but the forward Continental artillery unit lost a block in return.  I opened by pulling most of my Militia back with Continental Leadership, followed by Line Command which activated nearly my entire force.  My Regulars moved up and my Militia dropped further back to bake cookies and offer words of encouragement.

Justin hammered my remaining forward Militia unit with artillery, scoring multiple flags – it basically melted on the main line of resistance with no retreat path available.  He followed up with an attack on the British right – thanks to Melee Bonus his Grenadiers abused a Continental Regular unit.  The survivors unsurprisingly failed their one-die rally roll.

A Continental Line Volley then scored my first banner, killing outright the Provincial in the center of the British line.  We traded shots for a couple turns as I edged up on my right.  Justin responded with an attack against a Regular on the hill on that flank.  His attack netted zero hits while my battlebacks killed a full unit and left another with a single block.  It seemed like every Continental die roll had at least one Infantry hit if not two or three.

Playing Outflanked, I killed the Grenadier on my left and the one-block unit on my right.  I was up four banners to two but Justin came storming back.  First he killed off a Continental artillery unit and then a Regular to even the score.  He followed up with a unit of leader-led Light Infantry moving to kill off Williams and his wounded Regulars on the Continental left.  He reduced them to one block, but I responded with For King or Country, and the Lights soon fled the field.

I was up six to four, as Justin continued to attack my right flank.  His leader-led cavalry rode down a unit of Regulars before being stopped by Summer atop the hill.  He moved up his Provincials but they failed to draw blood.  Meanwhile, Williams, commanding a single block of Regulars on my left, continued to dodge shot and shell.

Summer killed off the menacing Cavalry, drawing me to within a banner of victory.  Justin evened the score with his Provincials, eliminating Summer’s Regulars.  A play of Scout added Continental Rally to my hand – Williams sweated through another hailstorm of bullets before I was able to restore him to full strength.  Feeling saucy, I sent him forward with Bayonet Attack to finish off a two-step Provincial.  I reduced it to a single block but its support kept it from retreating, and it inflicted two losses on my Regulars.  Justin replied with British Bayonet Attack, slipping two units behind Williams to cut his retreat path.  His first attack generated a hit and two flags, but I finally played the Hold the Line card I’d been holding since the opening draw.  My battleback generated two flags, and Justin’s Redcoats whiffed their five-die rally roll.

Crazy game colored by Continental dice and timely cards.  I think the Continentals need a bit of luck in this one and I had an abundance of it.  I was able to hide the bulk of my Militia and make the most of the rest of my force, and had absolutely lethal fire attacks whenever it really mattered.  Kudos to Justin for weathering it all in good humor.  He has bigger things to worry about with a new baby due to arrive next week!  Thank you Justin for a pair of fun games and good luck with the adventures to come.       

Samim and I have had a couple delays but our second game is scheduled for Monday. His British won the first game 7-5. We'll include a full writeup of both games when we're finished.

Semi Finals
Game 1
Rob (Continentals) 5 banners, 27 blocks lost
Samim (British) 7 banners, 22 blocks lost

The Continentals began by moving regulars up on both flanks to support the militia in the center. While this opened up some retreat paths for the militia that theoretically gave them a chance to survive, that hope dissipated when the British responded with two successive line volleys that vaporized all four militia units and killed Pickens, given them a 5-0 lead just a few card plays into the game. For the Continentals, it was already time to focus on losing by as little as possible.

Williams got a little revenge by leading a charge on the American left that killed the Grenadier unit. He survived the ensuing counter charge in decent shape and took advantage of Liberty or Death to kill another British regular on the next card. At this point the British ran out of cards to activate in that section, leaving them critically exposed. Still, their comrades in the center kept up a good supporting fire and eliminated the American light cav, putting the score at 6-2. Williams and his regular tried to chase off a Provincial but whiffed on the dice. The nearby British Light Infantry activated next and had 4 dice to score 1 hit on the regular which would have ended the game, but it too failed. The next American card was Outflanked which finally got some units on the right into action and killed a British cav. Williams and his 1-block regulars succeeded on their second attempt at the Provincials. The British, having had enough of him, sent a Provincial and a Regular in to finish him off, but Williams wasn't done yet. Thanks to Whites of their Eyes, he scored three hits on the Provincial and got another banner before the Regular finally finished him off, giving the Brits the 7-5 win.

Game 2
Rob (British) 7 banners, 27 blocks lost
Samim (British) 4 banners, 22 blocks lost

Similar to the first game, the Continental Militia did not budge on the opening card, but rather stayed put while the regular moved up to support them. The British initially moved up on the left and right while staying put in the center. The Americans used a line command to form a solid front, then began whittling away the British line. They got a fair number of hits, but weren't able to retreat anyone. The British responded with a line volley that scored the first two banners of the game, routing a Militia and a Regular. Both sides were content to sit and shoot at range for a while, but the British sent the Grenadiers and Light Infantry into melee coupled with an Elite Battle Bonus card. It wasn't enough as the Americans played Whites of their Eyes to get in the first lick at the Light Infantry which sent them routing off the board. The Grenadiers scored two hits on the Militia but no flags, and eventually retreated back to friendly lines with no banners to show for it.

The ensuing American line volley got a few more hits and retreats that disrupted the British line, and at this point it looked like they might have momentum on their side. The British were able to fill the gaps, though, and re-established their line at 3 hex range from the Americans. A British line volley paired with a Regulars Battle Bonus netted two kills thanks to some luck when an American Regular failed a 5d rally check. At this point the score was 3-2 Brits. The Americans responded with Advance in the Center that took one British Regular down to 1 block. Just as in the first game, the British got back to back Line Volleys that ended up swinging the advantage to their side. This second line volley didn't result in any banners, but it did take a Regular and a Militia down to 1 and 2 blocks, respectively.

Having seen most of the action in the center up to this point, play finally shifted to the American right when the Continentals used At the Quick Step to move within 2 hexes of the opposing Brits. Their fire was ineffective, though. The next British card proved to be the turning point as some hot dice eliminated a Regular and killed Sumner, putting the score at 5-2. The Americans were now getting desperate and facing a solid Redcoat line that stretched into all three sections. What better time to play For King or Country? The American artillery zeroed in on a Regular and eliminated it (score now 5-3). On the other side, Campbell led a solo charge into the center of the British line that got two hits on Cruger's Regular while taking one hit in return. The British next played Bayonet Attack, looking to close out the game. Stewart rushed out to kill a Regular with one block remaining and did so. Cruger and a Provincial moved up to Campbell's wounded Regular, but the Americans played First Strike which took Cruger's Regular down to one block. Together they landed only one hit on Campbell. The British were now in danger of losing the two game series, since the score of the first game meant that they could only afford to lose one more unit even in a win. Indeed, they very nearly blew it as the Americans activated three units in the center which killed a Provincial (score 6-4) and had 3 dice to get 1 hit on Cruger's Regular. It was fortunate for the British that they escaped this card play alive. Making the most of this opportunity, they finished off the Americans on their next card and got away with a 7-5 victory.

Many thanks to Samim for two good games. The second one in particular was very tense and could easily have seen him advance to the finals with some better dice at the end.

Final, Stono Ferry 1779

Round 1

Rob, British, 1 banner scored, 18 blocks lost
JR, Continentals, 5 banners scored, 7 blocks lost

Round 2

Rob, Continentals, 5 banners scored, 18 blocks lost
JR, British, 3 banners scored, 21 blocks lost

Rob and I faced off in Stono Ferry, a Kickstarter scenario, with the Continentals on the attack with a horde of Militia stiffened by Regulars, against an outnumbered British force of Regulars, Highlanders, and Provincials defending a fence-and-redoubt line.  Both sides have Artillery (three Continental batteries to two British) but the Continentals have a substantial 4:1 leadership advantage (apparently the British should have two but the scenario setup only includes one).  The numbers are heavily in favor of the Continentals, but in addition to their fixed defenses the British right is screened by a large marsh.  However, they have an impassable river just two hexes to their rear for an artificial board-edge effect, an important feature in both games. 

The dice gave me the Continentals in the first round, and I immediately broke out into hives at the prospect of attacking with Militia.  However, my opening hand gave me some good options.  I pressed forward with Line Command, bringing Militia into range on my right and using Call Forward Reserves to get my third Artillery unit on the line and into action.  This left me with 80% of my force in a continuous single formation.   

Rob surprised me by responding with Out Flanked, pushing Highlanders forward on the right and Regulars on the left, leaving the protection of his fortifications.  I suspected he had Bayonet Charge lurking in his hand and was looking to chase off my citizen soldiers.  My farmboys had other ideas, however, as a Line Volley killed two Regular units on the British left, with their leader drowning in the Stono, while the Highlanders hiked up their skirts and hopped back into their redoubt on the British right. 

Rob again pushed the Highlanders forward, but I used Light Infantry Skirmish to dash up and send them packing on a failed Rally roll, before scampering back to my line.  This enraged the second Highlander unit, which surged forward, making contact with my Continentals thanks to the Bayonet Attack Rob had been saving. The Scots killed a weakened Militia and then made a Bonus Attack against a full strength unit.  Boosted by Infantry Melee Bonus, Rob threw five dice, scoring a sabre and a flag – the Militia squeaked through their two-dice Rally check to remain in the game. 

I then used Assault Center to put these Highlanders out of my misery.  A Militia unit opened up from the baseline, but missed – Rob replied with Return Fire but fortunately failed to score a flag.  A Regular unit then engaged, but Rob had still more tricks up his sleeve, beating me to the punch with Ambush, sending me packing.  An Artillery shot clipped two Highlander steps, but scored no flags.  Finally a leader-led Militia unit scored three flags – the Highlanders fell back and then fled the field on a failed Rally roll.   

That was a very fast game, but closer than it looked – those Highlanders killed one unit but had a very real chance of eliminating four.  Good Rally rolls saved my bacon and put me in a good position for the second game.  


Our approach to the second round was quite different – I was determined to remain within my comfy defenses, and Rob didn’t trust his Militia anywhere near the action.  He pulled most back and left the heavy lifting to his Lights and Regulars, with support from the Artillery.  He scored first blood, pushing a Regular from the fence line to melt on the banks of the Stono.  I evened the score with For King or Country, killing a Regular but missing its accompanying leader.   

Rob pressed on his left, but couldn’t land a blow.  My own Artillery killed its counterpart in the center, as I took a brief banner lead, which I extended when a full strength Continental Regular failed a five-dice Rally roll.  That was my high water mark, however, as the Continentals’ dander was up and they surged forward with Bayonet Attack.  Stretch Armstrong led the way with a rampaging Light unit, chasing off the Highlanders on my right.  The Regulars on that flank charged through the swamp without a worry and engaged my line, killing an Artillery unit and weakening my remaining Highlanders. 

I managed to reduce a Continental Cavalry unit to a single step, but Summer was in position to roll up my line from my right.  For King or Country killed off my Highlanders, so I gambled with Bayonet Attack, hoping to pick off two weakened Regulars.  I came up short, and Rob’s battle-back eliminated a unit of Provincials to seal a Continental win. 

So, two Continental victories but I took the match thanks to an edge in banners.  This is a very asymmetric scenario, that plays closer than our results indicate.  With a five-banner victory threshold, anything can happen and a couple big rolls can break it open either way.  I had the edge in cards across both games, with something useful always available.  Rob had particular trouble in the second game, with a couple dry spells as he searched for something to do with meager options.  However, once good cards finally showed up he finished me off with righteous fury.  Fun finale, and a great tournament overall. I really enjoyed playing Rob and I like the overall structure.  Thanks again, Mark, for organizing.   

Congrats JR

my bad on the leaders.. will fix that up for new version.
I've been sporadically working on adding Warriors into the module, and I'm actually waiting for the FIW scenarios to do the scenario setups.
boardgamegeek.com/thread/browse/boardgam...e=Nezran&sort=recent

I'm thinking next tournament we can give those scenarios a go.

No worries, Mark - the utility of the prepared scenarios far outstrips the occasional oversight. The missing leader didn't matter for us since we were playing the 'home and away' format.  

Dave Goldman, the organizer of the Chicago ASL Open, heroically did VASL setups for all the scenarios for this year's virtual event. Again, a couple errors, but overall it was a massive time-saver that everyone appreciated. Same goes here - thanks for getting them all into the module.

I was a little surprised that we ended up with two American victories after seeing the setup for this scenario. You wouldn't think that a bunch of militia facing entrenched regulars and Highlanders would be a recipe for success! The absence of time pressure does give the American the opportunity to maneuver and bring up some of his better units, though.

In the first game I was initially planning to sit tight as the British and trade shots at range, but I drew bayonet charge and infantry melee right off the bat which seemed to dictate otherwise. I tried to get into position to launch the bayonet charge, but JR did a good job of blasting my units that ventured out from behind the fences and earthworks. The second game was actually more interesting, even though the overall result was decided pretty early on as soon as I lost my second unit.

Congrats to JR and thank you again Mark for running this!