Our Three Light Troop Games

Date: 3 December 1761/2011
Location #1: Magua's Village and Ft. William, New York
Location #2: En-Route To A Varm Vater Port, Persia
Location #3: Fulda Roadhouse, Germania (Report delayed)
Situation: 4th Annual Light Troop Game Day
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FOREWARD

Fourteen companionable friends from Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin

convened for Light Troop Game Day #4.

Seated left to right: Randy, Brent, Keith, Derrick, Chris, Earl and Curt.

Standing left to right: Bill, Michael, Todd, John, Chuck, Jim and Andrew.

The evolving purpose of Light Troop Game Day #4 was to use light troops and light troop tactics a lot more than we usually do. What did this mean on the 3rd. instant?

1. Cavalry: Cossacks, mounted jagers, light dragoons, lancers, irregular horsemen and hussars stiffened by occasional dragoons and horse grenadiers. Fielding dismounted horsemen was an option - if available.

2. Artillery: 3-4 pounders with ammunition carts.

3. Infantry: Irregulars, pandours, cossacks, light infantry of various types, legion infantry with intrinsic grenadiers. An occasional line battalion is allowed in smaller games.

4. Tactics: Use skirmish order a lot but not to the exclusion of close order drill.

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MAGUA'S VILLAGE AND FORT WILLIAM   

Woodland Indians: Chuck.   French: Brent.  
Hawkeye: Todd.   Col Munro: Derrick.

Very early morning at Magua's mountaintop longhouse. No trouble is suspected. Alice and Cora Munro are captives inside the longhouse. Another captive, Major Heywood, is also sequestered.

Hawkeye, Uncas and Chingatchgook surprised the village, set fire to the longhouse, recovered all captives and begin to race away to the lower left. Photo: Michael M.

Aroused, Woodland Indians in nearby longhouses with Compagnies franches de la Marine pursue the colonials felling most of them. Time spent setting fire to the longhouse was the reason for not getting the captives safely away. Photo: Michael M.

Back home friends rally to the sound of gunfire in the distance. Photo: Michael M.

They stand guard near Fort William awaiting the return of Hawkeye, Uncas and Chingatchgook and the captives.

As Colonel Munro arrives behind them at Fort William to force the issue with Magua and assist in the recovery of his daughters. Fort William is a blockhouse.

There were roughly 30 redcoats, a light cannon and Colonial militia moving inland. However, when news arrived that the captives had been lost and Magua's longhouse was in flames, all retreated to a perimeter around Fort William awaiting attack. It came but was beaten off with the loss of the Trading Post; not shown. Photo: Michael M.

Unfortunately I did not take many photos of this game. Another participant did. When practicable for him, we may have some very exciting photos to show.

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EN-ROUTE TO A VARM VATER PORT, SOMEWHERE IN PERSIA
Persians: Curt, Earl and Andrew.
Russians: Michael, John and Chris.

Also see Michael's blog report: http://campaignsinminiature.blogspot.com/2011/12/sand-gets-in-everything.html

The Russian Army formed an Advance Guard, Main Body and Rear Guard with baggage. Mission: Destroy a Persian magazine. Cognizant of this threat, a Persian Army indolently formed to stop the Russians.

First and only Persians to arrive were sixty Red Sash Muskets in skirmish order.

They saw the Advance Guard screened by Cossacks.

A few of the latter were taken out by Red Sash fire.

Red Sash Muskets and Cossacks at the top of the image. Meanwhile, a formidable body of Red Sash horsemen, forty-eight strong, arrived to flank the Russians!

Close up of the Advance Guard marching through the village.

No more skirmishing. Russian cavalry contends with Persian horsemen as the Russian Main Body enters the field.

The Russians advance versus little opposition even to the edge of The Main Table.

More cavalry action, this time versus the Persian Household.

Russian baggage protected by The Rear Guard marches onto The Main Table.

Russian left flank.

The Russian center has advanced onto The Persian Back Table.

The tower magazine is their objective.

Dice atop the tower indicate damage from artillery bombardment. The tower would collapse burying Persian ammunition stores.

At this point the Persians assumed defeat was at hand. This was particularly true due to indolent arrival of units. See item #1 below.

RUSSIA vs. PERSIA REMARKS:

1. Have you debated the merits of command control or fog of war dynamics built into a set of rules? Participants in the Russia versus Persia game didn't need anything of the kind. The three Persian players did not deploy 72 swordsmen and 60 musket armed combatants. Given the entire force potentially could have numbered 500 to 600 miniatures, that's a lot. No command control dice were needed. Players did this on their own and good naturedly thought it was funny. All of us smiled companionably at their misfortune.

2. Persian units were identified by sash color. Suspicions arose when the Green Sash Leader was deployed and there were no green sash troops. This happened about one hour before we ended our game day; too late to matter.

3. Some adept readers will notice a similarity between our fanciful Persians and the Thugees opposing General Pettygree on his blog.

4. The Russian Army numbered approximately 500 miniatures.

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The third report about the mysterious skirmish near the Fulda Gap Rasthaus will appear in a few days. Meanwhile, enjoy the above and be sure to visit Michael's blog report.

-- Come Back In A Few Days For Report #3 --

Comments welcome below.