Second "Live Free or Die" Test Game : Cook's Mills, 1814. Plus "Split Rail Fences", "Check Your Sources" and "The Mystery of the British 24pdr Field Gun" or "Stupidly Doubting the Word of Donald E. Graves"

Check Your Sources

So the table doesn't look much like the previous set up. I got the scenario from the book "Bad Roads and Poor Rations" by Adrian Mandzy and set the terrain using the map for Cook's Mills, but when I started to read the accounts of the action I couldn't really follow it on the table -  it just wasn't making sense. There are some good accounts on the Internet, but the best relation of the events I've come across is in Donald E Graves "And All Their Glory Past" (Fort Eerie, Plattsburgh and the Final Battles in the North).

I started looking for maps on the internet and eventually found two information boards from the battle field at https://www.veterans.gc.ca/en/remembrance/memorials/canada/battle-cooks-mills-memorial-peace-garden . The mystery was solved and the sequence of events finally made sense, so I changed the table in line with the information boards.

We started the game with the US Rifles and Voltigeurs Canadiens (I haven't got any Glengarry Light Infantry painted yet)  skirmishing at the ravine. The United Statesian infantry are encamped behind the woods by the mill (it's actually my scratch built cooperage).

To cut a long story short,  Dave deployed his infantry from the camp, marched over the bridge and swung round to meet my redcoats who came onto the table on the road by the stream in the top right of the picture below. I initially advanced to the edge of the ravine and then retired behind the rail fence to await the US attack which duly came.

But just how much cover does a rail fence give? I've considered just making them obstacles to movement in the past, but the account of Lt John Couteur of the 104th Foot, present at the action and quoted in Grave's book,  gives the answer:

"We halted for a short while, drawn up securely behind a rail fence, a capital protection, when soon the Marquis [of Tweeddale] ordered us to retire by alternate wings" - my italics.

Unfortunately my light companies were a bit too advanced and were caught by a US regiment. They ran to the rear and discomfitted the crew of the 6Pdr gun enough for them to limber up and follow. It can just about be seen by the road at the back of the picture below.

We had questioned the lack of an evade rule in the previous game, and it brought a premature end to this one, although my alter-ego of the Marquis of Tweedale would have followed historical precedent at this point. It was only a couple of days ago that I discovered an evade rule and an artillery bounce through rule on the Little Wars TV website. These will both be incorporated going forward.

Various pics of the closing position follow:

So in some ways it was a bit of a non-game, but it was a great excercise in learning the rules with a small force on each side. In addition it gave a great deal of satisfaction in ending up almost exactly like the real action as per the Information Boards mentioned above. The only real difference is that Dave didn't take a regiment up the other side of the creek.

 

On Stupidly Doubting the Word of Donald E. Graves

So according to Mr Graves, the Canadian/British force at Lundy's Lane had two 24Pdr Guns with them. This has triggered my wargamer's OCD  as to how to represent them as the only company to produce such a beast that I have found is Blue Moon and I don't need three of them.

I decided it must be mistake and consulted my copy of Franklin's "British Napoleonic Field Artillery" where I found that the Iron 5.5" Howitzer was referred to as a 24Pdr. This must be the source of the error, I reasoned, and I can represent them with a howitzer with a black barrel.

But no........

On the Napoleonseries.org website, in the War of 1812 section, Mr Graves has an article on artillery. He specifically mentions two experimental short 24Pdr guns that were meant to serve as both field and siege artillery. They turned out to be too cumbersome for the field and too light for siege work, so of course, they were shipped off to Canada instead of Spain.

I still have no idea as to how to represent them.

Second "Live Free or Die" Test Game - Cook's Mills, 1814

 The table for tomorrow night's game:-

1812 Battle - Conclusion and thoughts on the "Live Free or Die" Rules

After applying a lot of pressure on the Candadian forces with musket fire on the left of their line, the US infantry charged up the slope with the 2 grey coated regiments.

One charge (more of an advance than a charge) reached the fence, the second, led by the general, got into contact with the 1st Foot. From the previous post you may recall that the 1st were low on ammo and being led by the replacement general with no stars.

Totally against the odds (1 die for, 4 dice against), the Royals threw the US infantry back down the slope.

We decided to call it at this point, reckoning that the regulars and milita on the left of the Canadian line would hold while the right and centre withdrew.

 I need to get more figures painted for a full sixe refight of Lundy's Lane and for Sharp Practice.

The left of the US Line

Skirmishing continues between the US Rifles and the Voltigeurs Canadiens. A blue coated US regiment has lost a base and is carrying a low on ammo marker. The grey coated regiment with the general attached has been thrown back down the slop by the Royals and the 8th Foot continue to hold the built up area,

US Centre and Right

To the right of the built up area, two  US militia regiments are advancing against 2 militia and 1 regular Canadian battalion. The grey coated regiment in the centre is one casualty away from losing a second base

Left of the Canadian Line

The US Militia skirmishing from the woods are still harrying the left of the line while a couple of small battalions are attenpting to hold off the advancing US militia

Regarding the terrain for the scenario, I think it would have been better to give a disorder marker for crossing the "slope line" rather than reduce the movement. Steep slopes might even incur 2 markers.

The rule amendments seem to work quite well and we both liked the way that the 6" proximity rule made it difficult for troops to cover the final yards to contact. The low ammo / loss of fire discipline rule also worked well and introduced a pleasing amount of friction.

So all in all, providing you are playing with someone "on the same wavelength" these are a surprisingly good set of rules. They are very basic, but with a few amendments worked really well for this action. I think we have now "complicated" the rules for 1812 as much as we would want to.

They can be obtained from Little Wars TV and proceeds go to the American Battlefields Trust.

"Live Free or Die" Test Game Part 2 (Hoist By One's Own Petard)

 There now 5 additional rule amendments:

1. Firing at skirmishers in woods - Roll an additional D6 of a different colour when firing (cover dice). If the cover dice comes up 4,5, or 6, a 6 hits as usual, if it comes up 1,2, or 3, a double 6 is required. This is adapted from the Spotting Dice in Dave Brown's "O Group" rules.

2. Volley fire - for each double 1 thrown a "firing disorder" marker is placed on the unit representing loss of fire discipline and/or dwindling ammunition. No further volley fire is permitted until these have all been rallied off which may be done by selecting all or part of them for removal during the General's Action phase or the Dressing The Ranks phase. Firing Disorder markers do not count towards casualty removal.

3. Charge - A General adds  a number of dice equal to his star rating  to a  unit to which he is  attached when dicing for the charge movement. The highest 2 dice can then be chosen. The unit's rating factor is then deducted from the final score (whether or not there is an attached general) and this is the amount of movement available. Note that this may result in a unit recoiling if it is of poorer quality! Terrain deductions apply to the move as normal.

4. No volley fire to or from a built up area.

5. Class 1 and 2 units suffer no disruption penalties for formation changes in good ground.

What could possibly go wrong?

One more rule that will be added is that Indian troops count as one morale grade higher when in cover.

The position at the end of move 8:

Seen from the US side, skirmishing between the US Rifles and the Voltigeurs Canadiens continues on the left  flank. The small line unit in blue has lost a base and suffered a firing disruption, and General Brown is rallying disorder from one of the grey (note the correct spelling!) coated regiments. The second grey coated regiment has pressed forward to the base of the ridge to exploit the withdrawal of a regular British battalion. To their right two militia battalions in line are pressing forwards, whilst further forward on the right flank the militia skirmishers in the woods are still effectively harassing the Canadian militia battalion on the road.

From the British  / Canadian position:

So having congratulated yourself on coming up with a brilliant rule to reflect loss of fire discipline and or dwindling ammunition, you throw four 1s when issuing volley fire. The Royal Scots receive 2 Firing Disorder Markers in the same turn that General Riall is severly wounded and carried from the field to be replaced by an officer with a reduced command rating and zero stars.

To be continued...........

Trying out "Live Free or Die" - First 6 Moves

 

I've had some reservations about using these rules. They are very simple, being only four pages long, but from the games shown on the Littlewars TV YouTube videos, they seem to move quite quickly.

This test game moves the rules forward from the AWI to 1812 and pits one US Regular and one US militia brigade against a similar British/Canadian force. The Americans are driving up the Niagara peninsula and have to drive the opposition off the hill to their front.

The photos are from the end of move 6.  Dave (The Northumbrian Wargamer) is leading the forces of evil and I've got His Majesty's loyal British North American forces.

Both sides started with their regular brigades on the table, then diced at the end of each move to see if their militia brigades arrived the next turn - the US militia arrived a couple of turns before the Canadians

So far the Americans have driven one British regular battalion back behind the house on the hill, and one of their militia battalions has advanced through the woods on their right and is delaying the deployment of the Canadian Militia.

I'm quite impressed so far with how the rules work. We've made the following three additions so far:

1. There is a ZOC of 6” around all units (musket range) which cannot be entered by an enemy without declaring a charge.

2.  Units reduced to 1 Stand become skirmishers.

3. Brigade Morale Test: If a brigade loses a unit, it must take a morale test at the end of the relevant firing or melee phase at an average of the brigade’s ratings rounded down. One dice is lost for each unit lost from the brigade during the game, with a minimum of 1 dice being thrown.

There are some more amendments by a David Tuck of the rules' Facebook group which I'll probably try some time in the future. He also created the command cards shown on the orbats below.

Test Game Order Of Battle

  General Sir Phineas Riall                                    1 Leader

1^st Brigade

2 Line Infantry Battalions                                     2^nd Class                                                        5 Bases

1 Line Infantry Battalion                                       2^nd Class                                                        3 Bases

Canadian Voltigeurs                                              2^nd Class           Skirmish                               3 Bases

 

Militia Brigade

2 Militia Battalions                                               3^rd Class                                                         3 Bases

  

 Major Jacob Brown                                              1 Leader

1^st Brigade

2 Line Infantry Battalions                                     2^nd Class                                                        5 Bases

1 Line Infantry Battalion                                       2^nd Class                                                        3 Bases

Rifle Regiment                                                      2^nd Class           Skirmish, Rifles                   3 Bases

 

2^nd Brigade

1Militia Battalion                                                      3^rd Class                                                    3 Bases

1 Militia Battalion                                                     3^rd Class             May Skirmish                3 Bases

1 Militia Battalion                                                     3^rd Class                                                    4 Bases

Trying Out Little Wars TV's "Live Free or Die" rules for 1812

 Table set up for tomorrow night's game loosely based on Lundy's Lane. I've played it through solo to get the hang of the rules and added a few amendments for brigade morale, zones of control and preventing units reduced to one stand fighting to the end. We'll see how it goes.

Yet More Romans

Auxilia from Ebay, with 3 command figures added.