"Magua will kill Gray Hair" - Song of Drums & Tomahawks AAR

[mikedemana]

Hurons lurk in the woods, ready to spring an ambush on the British marching by...

To celebrate the release last week of our French & Indian War skirmish rules, Song of Drums and Tomahawks, I ran a quick scenario at a local convention this past weekend. It is particularly cool to run your event less than a football field away from the palisades of a reconstructed War of 1812 fort. World at War game day (http://www.hmgsgl.org/conventions/world-at-war/) is held in the visitor's center of Fort Meigs -- the same venue we use for our Spring convention, Drums at the Rapids (http://www.hmgsgl.org/conventions/drums/).


The British line of march, with loyal Mohawks leading the advance, followed by regulars, and then frontier militia

The scenario was based off of the ambush scene after the siege of Fort William Henry in the movie, The Last of the Mohicans. I called it, "Will Magua Kill 'Gray Hair'?" and set it up for six players. A dirt road wound between two large, forested hills. In fact, everything except the road counted as forested. There were 3 British players: a force of loyal Mohawk Indians, frontier militia, and a force of British regulars. All 3 "French" players were Indians, with one commander being designated as Magua just for a dash of color. A thrill ran through the players when Magua scalped a fallen opponent on the road, just as Col. Munro ("Gray Hair") rounded the bend in sight of him. The clash did not occur, but there was plenty of bloodshed and a number of scalps taken!


Musket shots ring out as the British column wounds between the wooded hills

The British set up on the road, with the Mohawks in the lead, the regulars in the center and the frontier militia as rear guard. The Indians set up not far from the board edges on the wooded hill slopes. The militia quickly veered off the road to guard the right flank of the British from Magua's warband, which was advancing and had fired on the Mohawks. The loyal Indians dashed forward and exchanged musket fire with a force of Huron in the woods off to the left. The remaining Indian warband advanced cautiously, and soon began sniping at the regulars. Col. Munro proved he was no coward and waved his men off the road and into the woods to fire back at the elusive Indians.


Allied Mohawk tribesmen open fire on the Hurons who have ambushed them

The British players were suffering more hits, and were being whittled down in size. The Mohawks, in particular, suffered grueling losses being shot at from both sides. They were rescued from the fire of Magua's band when the frontier militia rushed onto the flank of the Indian firing line and blazed away at them. Magua's Hurons let loose a war whoop and charged the militia. A stubborn, bloody fight ensued, with both sides taking losses.


The frontier militia veers off the road to protect the flanks of the regulars

Things began to look bleak for the British as all of their forces were below half strength. They proved stalwart on their morale checks, though -- particularly Munro's regulars. The Mohawks were down to 3 warriors, but inflicted enough losses on their Huron foes to drop them below half strength and force morale checks, as well. Even Magua's band was suffering under the frontiersmen's blows, though the militia were the first to break off and run.


Everywhere the British look, Hurons are in the woods, firing at them

When the game was called, it was certain the Indians had inflicted severe losses on the British. The British gave much better than they did historically (or in the movie, for that matter!). It was a Huron victory, but not the massacre that it looked like it would be early on.


The melee beneath the trees between Magua's warband and the frontier militia proved deadly to many a brave soul

We had two new players who tested out the rules, along with four veterans. Everyone had a good time, and I passed out a number of "calling cards" for downloading the rules. We plan on running quite a few games of SDT at Cold Wars next Spring, as well as other cons in the area.


Col. Munro, aka "Gray Hair," and his regulars proved stalwart under fire -- never flinching in the face of mounting casualties

The rules are available for download on the Ganesha Games site, here: http://www.ganeshagames.net/product_info.php?cPath=1_51&products_id=267&osCsid=v1rt4t6dmmo109prds0bkak551



Mike Demana

[sespe]

Looks great, and I'm jealous you play at Ft Meigs.  I used to sled down the slopes each winter!

[sespe]

I've been play-testing a scenario taken from the Mordheim (sp?) conversions. 

"Get the Message Through"
Hawkeye, Chingachgook, Uncas and 2 frontiersmen vs:
Magua, 2 elite braves, and 5 braves.
(approx 350 pts per side)

Hawkeyes group has to advance up a river valley to deliver a message about a beleaguered town.  Magua's band has to stop them.  Hawkeye's band will not take morale checks, the message must get through. The Hawkeye player secretly designates 2 figures as the messenger and alternate.  One of them has to make it off the board on the other side.  Magua's band gets to use the hidden deployment rules.

The scenario is very well-balanced, we have taken turns playing each side and are still neck-and-neck.

[Galloping Major]

Nice report 



www.gallopingmajorwargames.com

[mikedemana]

Hawkeyes group has to advance up a river valley to deliver a message about a beleaguered town.

Sounds awesome! I like the idea of the Huron player not knowing who are the messengers. If you write up a battle report, I'd love to read it (and link it on our First Command Wargames website).

Thanks for the comments!

Mike Demana
www.firstcommandwargames.com

[sespe]

What are the red pom-poms for?  Scalpers?

[Marine0846]

Great looking game.
Looks like all the players enjoyed themselves.

[nervisfr]

great game.

we want more 

i'm still painting in waiting to be raidy to play with SDT.

[mikedemana]

What are the red pom-poms for?  Scalpers?

Yes, exactly! Great guess. I am currently making up pairs smaller scenic items to use. For example, a small, blood-spattered rock can be placed on the base of the figure who has to scalp his fallen enemy, and its matching piece at the spot where the enemy fell. You can also use dropped tomahawks, bushes, powder horns, cartridge pouches, etc.

I will post some pics of them once I get them complete...

Mike Demana
www.firstcommandwargames.com

[Goshawk]

Great stuff. I thoroughly enjoyed my recent play if SDT and look forward to more.

[mikedemana]

Thanks! Feel free to post an AAR -- I love reading bout other's games!

Mike Demana
www.firstcommandwargames.com

[Marine0846]

Hi Mike,
I just went back and reread "Magua will kill Gray Hair."
Would you be so kind to out line how you had 3 British and 3 Indian commands move in your game?
I am planning a multi player game. Would like to know how you played it.
Thanks, Randy

[mikedemana]

Would you be so kind to out line how you had 3 British and 3 Indian commands move in your game?
I am planning a multi player game. Would like to know how you played it.

Hi Randy,

This is really the outer limits, in my opinion, of the "Song of..." rules engine. I had 3 players with small commands -- 7 figures each (if I remember correctly). The Brits deployed first, each command deploying within a Medium distance of a spot I designated on the road. The Indians deployed within a Medium of spots I designated on the edges of the battlefield (the wooded hills, etc., like in the ambush scene in the movie!).

Next:
• Each side designates a "Player 1," "Player 2," and "Player 3" -- that will be the move order.
• The CnC's (Magua and Col. Munro) dice for initiative. The winning player chooses whether he will be "Side A" or "Side B."
• Side A, Player 1 moves. Then Side B, Player 1. Then Side A, Player 2, and so on. I call this the "ping pong" method, as whose turn it is ping-pongs back and forth across the board.
• You DO NOT reroll for initiative or re-designate 1/2/3 -- they stay that way for the game.

Although this method ends up having a bit more waiting for the players for their turn, it is about as big of a game as I feel is doable in the rules, without going to my "Ohio Frontier Aflame" method.

Does that make sense?

Mike Demana
www.firstcommandwargames.com

[sespe]

I've only run 4-player games, but I use the 'random draw' method.  Each player has a chit (card, poker chip, whatever) and they are drawn 1 by 1.  Turn is over when all are drawn.  The only caveat is that the last player who went in a turn cannot be the first one drawn next turn (if he is, just throw it back in).  This way you are not quite sure when you are going to go, but you will never have back-to-back activations.

[Marine0846]

Mike,
Thanks for the reply.
Reading the rules I had an idea you might be playing it that way.

sespe,
Thanks for your replay.
I had be thinking along that line.
Chits would work, like the idea that a player can not go last in one turn
and go first the next.

Thank you to both of you for the feed back.