F&IW AAR 'Bibbly's Best Bitter' Part II posted

[Dr DeAth]

To lift the garrison's flagging spirits following the ignominious burning of one of their local block houses, Major Richard Fitzherwel and his brother officers at Fort Kindling have decided to celebrate the King's birthday with a sumptuous banquet.  They have ordered extra supplies from Boston to replace those lost to the French, including meats, cheese and fine wines for the officer's mess and salted beef for their men. The delivery also includes a large barrel of Bertram Bibbly's Best Bitter, from the renown Bibbly's Brewery in Boston.

Arrangements have been made for the local militia to escort the supplies to Fort Kindling, and a party of Rangers has been dispatched to meet the column as it approaches.


The Game
Rules used were Muskets and Tomahawks, figures - mostly Galloping Major and Redoubt from Malamute and my collections.  Fort is from Grand Manner.

Layout of the table: 6'x4'  The column advances northward along the road with Mohawk scouts to one side. The British are in the fort and their cards will not be added to the turn deck until the alarm is raised of firing starts.  The central woods between the two roads is dense, those on the sides are light.   the British deploy first, with the French dicing for each unit to see which long edge it sets up on - in this case there was one on the left edge and three on the right.

The British win if they can deliver the two wagons to the fort, the French win if they can prevent it.



The British Forces

The column consisted of 3 units of militia (8 figs each) and officer and two carts, all of which moved on the militia cards.



A single unit of Mohawk indians (6 figs) were attached to the column and were under the command of the militia officer



The Rangers (6 figs) were attached to Major Fitzherwel and started just inside the central wood at the fort end, waiting for the column



The British Garrison (12 figure unit of Regulars) and an Officer - Major Fitzherwel started inside the fort.

The Major is seen here inspecting the garrison



The Beer Wagon and Supplies



The French Forces

The 'Companie de Marines' (10 figs) deploy in ambush in the woods on the western edge of the table, this was the side that the British column had decided to travel down to reach the fort



Canadian Milice and Hurons

The French commander Henri La Longue Baguette deployed in the woods on the eastern edge of the table along with his Milice (1 unit of and indian allies (2 units of 6).



Part II covering the action will be along shortly.

[Malamute]

Viva la France!  Vive la Baguette!

[Galloping Major]

Wonderful stuff 




www.gallopingmajorwargames.com

[rumacara]

Lovelly.

[elysium64]

Looking forward to this.

[Hobbyone]

Splendid 

[theoldschool]

A right belter.

[Ramirez Noname]

Looking forward to this.

+1; nice scene setting, looking forward to Part 2.

RMZ

[Dr DeAth]

Part Deux

The game opened with the Huron's opening fire on the rear of the column, inflicting a casualty on the rear most militia unit and making it run for the cover of the woods.





The French Marines opened fire next on the rest of the column, but their shooting was ragged and failed to have any real effect



The militia in the column returned fire on the Marines, only inflicting a single casualty but it was enough to put them to flight!







With the Marines put to flight, the threat to the column from the western woods was removed and the militia and wagons continued their steady progress towards Fort Kindling




Seeing the end of the column disappearing behind the woods in the centre, Henri La Longue Baguette urges the Milice and Hurons out of the Eastern woods towards the centre in an attempt to catch the column.



Meanwhile, the Mohawk indians head toward the woods to ensure the Marines are kept busy when they return



Hearing the gunfire, Major Richard Fitzherwel gives the 44th foot a pep-talk before marching out of Fort Kindling to secure the supplies

"Remember men, it's your beer those damnable Frenchies are out to plunder"







Henri's French troops cross the Eastern road and take up positions in the central wood in preparation for an assault on the rear of the column





In preparation for the eventual assault and mindful of the French Maries' return, the militia screen the back of the wagons







The Huron braves get braver and start firing on the militia . . .



. . . while the Mohawk braves try and pick of the Milice to discourage them from assaulting



Seeing the British Rangers enter the woods, the Huron stop firing and launch a whooping charge into the green coated veterans, hurling their tomahawks as they rush in and killing two of the Rangers.  The melee is short and swift and the Rangers are killed to a man.



Meanwhile, the 44th Foot have deployed into line to cover the wagons as they pass on towards the fort



The firefights continue between the militia, the milice and the indians . . .



 . . .  but Henri La Longue Baguette's hopes of stealing the supplies are dashed as the wagon's reach the safety of the Fort







All in all a very enjoyable game with touch and go moments for both sides.  The rules play well and are easily understood and the scenario turned out to be pretty well balanced.

[Dr DeAth]

And for once Nick manage to roll some good dice, hitting with 6 out of 6 shots . . .



. . . but I still managed to save 5 of them  


 

[Malamute]

An excellent and very tense scenario, well conceived by Dr De'Ath. 
Whilst the British achieved their objective their losses were very high, all of the militia and the ranger company and half of the redcoats. Besides the French don't like the taste of warms flat beer.

[Captain Blood]

Some lovely figures and dice (you can tell James and I weren't involved, with all those sixes about... Yes Mark, I know - 'roll higher dice')

Nice cloth by the way.

[Elk101]

Great stuff. Did Bibbly's Best Bitter not change to Old Peculiar?   

[Dr DeAth]

Nice cloth by the way.

I think you'll find that it's an MTCFBM*, not a cloth  

Great stuff. Did Bibbly's Best Bitter not change to Old Peculiar?  

Fortunately not, although the brewer himself is quite old and somewhat peculiar!



*Multi Tonal Compressed Fibre Battle Mat ^TM

[Captain Blood]

I think you'll find that it's an MTCFBM*, not a cloth  

You keep saying that... All I see is:

*Felt