On friday Messrs Silent Invader, Jim Bibbly and Captain Blood gathered at my house for our first outing using the Sharp Practice ruleset for the Texas War of Independence. Under the expert guidance of Silent Invader we played a series of three linked scenarios to familiarise ourselves with the rules.
The premise for the first scenario was that two groups of Mexican and Texian soldiers stumble upon each other whilst foraging for supplies on the outskirts of a small town. The outcome of the first scenario would influence the set up and disposition of the second and subsequent games. The table was reset at the start of each scenario with the terrain shifting north or south depending upon the troop positions etc. This gave us the opportunity to add new features to the board and bring on different troop types etc.
So to the game:
Scenario 1 Its october 1835, the war has just broken out in Gonzales, Texas. The Texians are trying to pull together groups of volunteers to form an army and the Mexicans are beginning to mobilise their forces to move north and crush the rebellion. At Wards Crossing, a small town south of Gonzales on the Guadalupe river two units of Texian troops are foraging for supplies on the outskirts of town. The Residents have quickly departed fearing an imminent battle and immediate reprisals as Mexican troops are garrisoned nearby......
Three views of the town . The Texian forces begin the game split into two platoons with the first positioned in the horse corral and the second in one of the buildings south of the river.
The Mexican patrol arrives on the table, only to be ambushed immediately:
Poor musketry by the Texians allows the Mexican troops to split into two platoons and assault the building from two sides. The Mexicans charge forward and deliver a bayonet charge to the Texians occupying the courtyard. Mexican weight of numbers means the Texians are quickly killed and the only two survivors flee north towards their friends who are slow to react to the skirmish beginning in the south:
Sargento Gomez gains the initiative and leads his platoon forward in an attempt to cross the bridge before the Texians can react. Behind him Capitan Morelo is slow in reorganising his platoon after his successful bayonet charge.
The Texians in the town rally and move southwards in an attempt to gain control of the bridge occupying one of the thatched Jacales closest to the river:
At this point Capitan Morelo moves his platoon forward to support Sargento Gomez who has formed up ready to deliver volley fire. The Texians fearing a combined attack by a stronger force decide to fall back and fortify a larger adobe hacienda which will afford more protection. The Mexicans quickly follow them and form a bridgehead by occupying the now vacant jacales close to the river. Both sides now sit and wait anxiously awaiting for reinforcements which they hope will come to their aid...
End of Scenario 1. More later.
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