003 Freeman’s Farm (19 September 1777)

Historical Background
The British campaign plan was...

003 Freeman’s Farm (19 September 1777)

went from 4-2 up as the Continentals to 4-5 from 1 two die attack as Learned's unit, then Learned, then another unit fled the battle

An easy 7-3 British win with the Brits playing Line Volley after Line Command after Line Volley to decimate the American line and finish it with the bayonet.

A 7-5 British comeback win after the American general Poor led a regiment of regulars in a series of bayonet charges that smashed the British centre. The grenadiers fell beating back Learned's advance but the British light infantry wiped the floor with American Militia. The British Provincial infantry supported by their generals held the centre and right while the Hessians and General Philips' command won the day.

This is a very well balanced scenario that gives both sides a chance of victory.

Another play and another 7-5 British win. The initial British bayonet charge took out 3 American centre regiments and it looked an American disaster was in the offing. But a steady stream of shooting casualties brought the result back to 5-5 and the British centre was thinning. The British general played the Steal a March card to put the grenadiers, 2 Provincial and a regular regiment with generals in support in the face of the surviving American left wing regiments and these were crushed in the following turn. Learned's command was largely bogged down att eh rear so support was thin on the ground.

A 7-3 American win where everything just went well for the Americans. Getting Learned's command moved up early seemed to be the key here using At The Quick Step early on in the battle to seize Coulter Farm. The grenadiers dealt out damage to multiple units but routed none until they themselves were destroyed. The British lights broke and ran on their first retreat as did 2 other British regular regiments whilst the Americans rallied again and again. The American's successful playing of the Rally card scored 5 reinforcements out of 5 dice to bring 2 units back to full strength, including Arnold's regiment and the light infantry who shot the British artillery to pieces. One of those games where good cards and good dice all came together for the Americans whilst a British bayonet charge left 2 out of the 3 chargers routed in the turn. Give me a lucky general!

Played this against a new player last night, and despite my best efforts on his behalf, I was 6-0 up.

Then after killing a lone ART block I advance Benedict Arnold and a 3 strength Regular to battle again. I mean what could really go wrong?

Hit nothing, and the battle back was two flags.

Ignored 1, retreated 1 hex and rolled a 4d Rally.. failed

Leader swept away, 2d .. failed

adjacent full strength Rifle unit, 5d rally... failed

adjacent full strength Regular with another leader, 6d rally.... failed

Leader swept away, 2d rally.. passed, but if he failed I was into the ranks of the depleted units behind!

I calculate this as a 0.101% chance of rolling 17d without a flag, or 1 in 999.

having stripped away my best units, he could then Bayonet charge my depleted units, and I was very soon facing 6-6, and was lucky to get a 7-6 win...

How weird it is...
My friend Guillaume changed the dice that he was playing with because of a tenacious bad luck...
You have to make a virgin sacrifice to Shaânouar, the supreme god of bad luck and make penitence too.
In fact, in the next battle, we play, the bad luck stayed...
I don't see another solution...

Hawkmoon wrote:

I don't see another solution...

smash a few offending dice with a hammer as a lesson to the others