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Wednesday, December 9, 2020

Action at Oak Tree Forge

‘Old Molly’ captured by the Americans
Photo courtesy Wargames in the Dungeon
After two, one-off actions to get the mechanisms of Rebels and Patriots in-hand and to get me accustomed to gaming via Zoom, Matt suggested that we tackle a three-game mini-campaign.  I said, "yes", of course!  

The first action in this proposed tri-part series recounts the action at Oak Ridge Forge. To quickly set the scene, two enemy forces are converging on the forge at Oak Tree to take "Old Molly." The big gun is an old siege piece left at the forge for repair.  The colonists could certainly use the firepower the old gun offers and the British certainly do not want her falling into enemy hands.  I commanded the American forces under the able leadership of Major Jessop Callahan while Matt took the reins to guide the British forces under Major Archibald Watts.

Map of the battlefield (shown below) clearly shows "Old Molly" abandoned near the crossroads.  The entire British column arrives randomly at either blue 1/2/3, or 4/5/6.  The colonial units, on the other hand, each arrive randomly at either red 1/2, 3/4. or 5/6.  There likely will be not much coordination for the Americans early on.

For a more detailed background on the action and for Matt's battle report (with better game photos!), please visit, 'Old Molly' Part 1.  

Action at Oak Tree Forge
Photo courtesy 
Wargames in the Dungeon
My battle report is viewed from the Zoom-cam.  Photo descriptions embedded within each photo.  White arrows show movement.  Red arrows show fire.  Yellow arrows show retreats.  With formalities out of the way, on to the action!












Despite a near calamitous American friendly fire mishap threatening to put the entire American force to flight, Archibald called off the operation to secure the gun and disengaged his battered force.  Major Callahan gained 'old Molly' and a victory for his efforts.  I am sure we will meet again.

The action was sharp and played quickly for as many turns as we completed.  I lost count but guess we must have played at least 16 turns.  Matt has gaming via Zoom down flawlessly and was able to move and adjudicate both sides without hesitation.

Great fun and thank you Matt!  Until we meet again.

66 comments:

  1. Such a splendid table, looks great!

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  2. Great to hear that this Zoom thing is working out for you both. An excellent AAR as usual and combined with Matt's post, you get a very good ifea of how the action unfolded.

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    1. Zoom is working out splendidly. The success of these games falls squarely on Matt’s shoulders. He makes the game effortless for the remote participant and carries the contest out without a hitch. This really is quite an enjoyable experience and one of the highlights from being plunged into pandemic lockdown.

      Did you notice any discrepancies between the two battle accounts or was our retelling somewhat consistent?

      Glad to see you enjoyed the battle report!

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  3. Thanks Jonathan, a lovely looking game and your ‘in photo’ commentary really helps the read.

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    1. You’re welcome! Matt gets full credit for the fab look of the game.

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  4. Excellent post, Jonathan. IIRC, R and R played really fast and always gave us an exciting game, of the 3 games I've played!!! More please!

    Also the picture quality looks good, took. I've been thinking about virtual participation games of late but readily admit I dont know the first thing about how to go about it!

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    1. Thanks, Steve! With 6-8 units per side and Matt at the helm, play is brisk. We completed this contest in about three hours and the action was non stop.

      If I had the right setup, I would be tempted to give hosting a remote game a go.

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  5. Sounds like that went well. We've experimented with some DBA, and that worked with an overhead cam, but we've not tried something as ambitious as this. Nicely done.

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    1. The game went very well. Matt is comfortable in front of the camera and the game plays as if I was in Matt’s gaming dungeon.

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  6. Nice looking game, might have to try a zoom game myself at some point. I am now two thirds of the way through the AWI atlas and so far I do wonder why we lost. Maybe the answer is in the next forty maps :)

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    1. As I have mentioned many times before, Matt sets a beautiful just as do you.

      The answer may be in the next 40 maps but I think you lost interest and did not maintain the motivation that the colonists held. Once begun, there really was no turning back.

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    2. Hungry for Rick Atkinsons second volume on the war.

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    3. Having a below parr Royal navy for about the only time in the 18th century and having France and Spain weigh in probably helped too!
      Best Iain

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  7. Great looking game and a nice scenario!

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  8. Super action Jonathan.
    That tabletop also looks fantastic.

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    1. Quite fun! Matt's gaming set ups are impressive, no doubt. I have been lucky to play on such a fab layout even if remotely.

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  9. Great looking game-that table looks 4x4? Very nicely laid out. I look forward to the next installment.

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    1. It is a fine table, indeed! I think it is 4x4. Matt can confirm dimensions. I look forward to the next installment too but the scenario calls for my rebels to be ambushed.

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  10. Great way to continue gaming - with nice visuals too!

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  11. Thanks Jonathan a very thorough write up interesting to see your camera view, is the picture during the game sharper than the photos ? I wonder if I could improve on that ? One of the technical problems is the way I have the iPad set up means it is using the reverse camera which allows me to see you and makes the experience more personal if I turned it around you might get a better view ? I will test this out as an option. I note I am wearing a Christmas jumper ! As for the outcome the Rebels may have ‘old Molly’ but they don’t have the sartorial elegance of Archibald.😀 looking forward to the ambush !

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    1. Thank you, for the game! It was great fun again.

      The photos are screenshots from my iPad so the quality you see in these photos is pretty much the quality I see. For playing, this quality is good enough. It would be neat if we could figure out how to zoom in on a unit or a piece of the action so that I could see your beautiful troops. As you can see from my photos, I never really could see what was going on behind that massive oak tree.

      I am looking forward to the next game too but not so much to being ambushed. This ought to be fun. I have visions of being attacked on the march, without time or space to properly deploy, and being cut down where I stand. Anything better than that and I will be pleasantly surprised. I must remember to use Jessop's +2 Rally in this next game. I'm gonna need it!

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    2. That’s the spirit....cut down where you stand !. I will test out the camera options, some of the functionality is lost by using the free system !

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    3. The manner in which the camera is operating is perfectly suitable. Besides, I don't want to deprive you of seeing my mug on your screen!

      My thoughts keep returning to the ambush scene in Last of the Mohicans. This could be ugly...

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    4. At least you won’t be surprised if the British employ some local natives and perhaps some disgruntled American militia as well !

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    5. I would not be surprised. My unfortunate militia taking three hits from friendly fire on the last turn was a pitiful sight. Thank God, my whole force did not collapse on seeing that incident.

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  12. Looks great, I need to do some of this with my buddies.

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    1. Give it a try, Paul! It is fun and almost like being there.

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  13. That's looking very nice and interesting. I especially love the terrain. I once thought about to purchase the rules but PML served for 18th century well enough for me.

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    1. Hi Andrè! Yes, Matt's games are truly masterpieces to behold. It is a real pleasure fighting over such beautiful terrain with handsome troops. What is PML?

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    2. That's Pikemen's Lament. The rules are by the same author and you just need to change small details (no problem for somebody like you and me) and you can use them for nearly every period. I just don't need new scenarios as I can write some myself and therefore to buy all those versions (although I can see, that it's nice for the author to get money for the same idea again and again...) of the original rules (Lion's rampant) doesn't make sense to me.

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  14. A great-looking game, and it seemed quite fast-flowing from the series of pictures. Do you find it difficult to master and then keep track of the different rule sets Jonathan? There are so many sets I have I'd like to introduce to my gaming group, but I suspect it will take two to three proper games before we master them and I am very wary at falling down at the first hurdle and not getting to game two.

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    1. Lawrence, the game flowed beautifully. Of course, Matt was there to keep it all rolling along smoothly.

      Over the last month, I have been using four new rulesets to me. "Rebels and Patriots" seems straightforward enough and Matt is helping me get up to speed. Most of R&P is making sense to me.

      Switching between rules can be difficult but made easier with a good GM who knows the rules well. Besides R&P, the other rules are all played with the author leading the game. That helps a lot. One set, "To Ur is Human", has been published but the other two are in development stages. The Spanish Civil War game played yesterday has the rules in flux with changes from one week to the next.

      All in all, I am keeping up! Sometimes, just barely...

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  15. Looks really nice and a fine right up! I may need to try this sometime.

    Christopher

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  16. Great looking game Jonathan. Thank gawd for Zoom!

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    1. Thanks go to Matt! Thank God for Zoom, for sure! Have you been gaming via Zoom?

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  17. Outstanding terrain and figures and a most excellent game!

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    1. It was an excellent game, for sure! Thanks for stopping in, Mark.

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  18. Superb gaming table and game! Must try gaming via zoom over the Christmas break.

    Cheers, Ross

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    1. Do try remote gaming, Ross. I am really enjoying it and have been playing a lot.

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  19. Interesting and very nicely done; as others have said here, must give remote gaming a go!

    Cheers,

    David.

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    1. David, given the current state of the world, remote gaming is all some of us have!

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  20. Great work by Matt and your good self Jonathan - a nice little scenario but I am getting a bit depressed by the constant stream of American victories on every AWI game I see recently! Maybe Matt can pull one back in the ambush game.....

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    1. Thank you, Keith! What? Your sympathies do not lay with the oppressed, freedom-fighting underdogs of the 18th Century? My expectations for surviving scenario 2 are not high...

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  21. Nice to read the write up on your blog as well as Matt's! Glad it's all working out well!
    Best Iain

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    1. Thanks, Iain! Were our retellings of the action consistent or did each offer a "unique" perspective?

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    2. I think you both agreed on the details, just with slightly different emphasis, so interesting and worth reading both posts! I look forward to you being ambushed!
      Best Iain

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    3. Perhaps I am misreading but I think you meant to say that you look forward to seeing me escaping with prize in tow having battled against a tremendous disadvantage and overcoming a seemingly impossible situation. Is that what you meant? I’m sure it was...

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    4. Well,I didn't say I was looking forward to you being cut down where you stand, so I guess you could interpret it as that!
      Best Iain

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  22. Looks a fun game Jon. Congratulations on the victory!

    I’ve just had a look at Matt’s post. Fabulous quality! Has captured how I think of rural New England.

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    1. Thank you! Matt sure sets a fine table, doesn't he?

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  23. An enjoyable AAR Jonathan...
    The game sounded like a lot of fun...
    Matt certainly sets a lovely table...

    All the best. Aly

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    1. Thanks, Aly! The game was fun and Matt sets a very fine table.

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  24. Looks like fun, Jon. I have another Zoom WotR game tomorrow.

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    1. It was! I had a Skype WotR game yesterday. Great fun! Will you be providing an after action report?

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