With MacDuff to the Frontier BatRep

Initial dispositions

As mentioned in my last post, remote gaming has been going strong. A game last Saturday was a playtest for an upcoming convention game hosted by Ross of Battle Game of the Month blog.  Ross made a call for volunteers and I threw my hat into the ring to revisit Ross’ rules, With MacDuff to the Frontier.

The battle would be an action from the French Revolutionary Wars wherein the Allies (British and Hessian) would be defending the crossing at Belmont.  The British are drawn up at the bridge and in front of Belmont while the Hessians are positioned covering the ford.   I am put in charge of the Hessian contingent.  No disposition of enemy forces are given but the following instructions are provided:

General Freitag, The Emperor desires you to take command of the force guarding the ford over the St Croix river near Belmont.

Your immediate force consists of Col Ross's Freikorps consisting of a squadron of lancers and a company of light infantry, and a detachment of Hesse Darmstadt Jaegers.

A battalion of Hessians is on the march to reinforce you and should arrive by midmorning.

On your right there is an English force guarding the bridge but on your left, beyond the Bois Inconnu, there are no allied forces for 10 miles. At all costs the enemy must not seize the crossings at Belmont.

With that, the Allies await for the French to appear.

First, French skirmishers appear opposite the bridge near Belmont.

Followed closely by veteran infantry.  The Blancs.

Then, skirmishers and a section of guns appears on the right opposite the ford.  The French skirmishers come on quickly under support of their artillery.  Both sides begin to suffer casualties as the enemy presses on to the river.

As the French close upon both the bridge and ford, fighting intensifies with many a soldier dropping.  The French skirmishers attacking the Hessian light infantry at the ford are dispatched in a quick fashion.

But wait!  What is the commotion off to the Allied left?

The attack on the bridge and ford was a diversionary pinning action.  Much of the enemy has fallen upon the Allied flank!

The Hessians quickly redeploy to cover this new development.  The German lancers charge into the oncoming enemy to buy time while the Hessian jaegers take up a defensive position in the woods.

Outnumbered, the brave Hessians fight hard as ground is given up sparingly.  They fall back upon their reserves and reinforcements debouch from the town.  The Scot's Greys and Hessian lancers charge time and time again.  Have these horsemen bought the time needed to stabilize the situation?  Casualties are heavy as many are thrown into the tumult.  The Allied position holds.

To threaten the French guns on the left, the British file across the bridge to the opposite bank.  If Belmont cannot be held, these British infantrymen will be trapped on the wrong side of the river.  The Allies continue to fall back on Belmont and the bridge, fighting every step of the way.

The Greys charge against French infantry and are repulsed but the French have suffered as well.  The brave Greys have gained time for more Hessian infantry to come up into line and challenge their attackers.

Repulsing repeated charges from French cavalry, the Hessians stand firm.

With French guns under threat and British and German forces preparing to counterattack the now wavering French, the French commander recalls his troops.  The battle has ended with an Allied victory.  Belmont and the bridge remain in Allied hands.

That was a fun little action.  The colorful table and large figures made playing via Skype easy on the eyes.  Having to take both ford and bridge, this may be a tough task for the attacking French.  Hopefully, this playtest will offer some ideas in preparation for Saturday's Huzzah game. 

Thank you Ross and friends!