Bunker Hill
Hello, My Regular Opponent brought one of his chums over today for his first taste of table top gaming, we played a three-handed Bunker Hill with the newbie taking Prescott, M.R.O filling Stark’s shoes whilst Howe, Pigot and Clinton had to put up with me rolling the dice for them all... The newbie has plenty of experience with ‘computer wargaming’, but this was his first actual table-top encounter. He was impressed and I think we created a new BG!/GdB player this afternoon... I’m experimenting with the lighting so most of the pictures were “a bit duff”, but here’s one I took during the endgame, (place camera on table then Push Button, using the 'indoor-party-popper' setting):
Charlestown is burning in the background. The 38th can be seen in the upper works and the 52nd/5th are re-entering behind Doolittle/Nixon. Reed is
to the Grenadiers front.
Pigot’s Brigade moved onto the road in column and passed through Charlestown before changing into line, thus exposing the American rear ( SHOCK!
so to speak ... ) and threatening to enfilade all of Stark’s position at the fence, forcing them to redeploy – first with Knowlton, then with the whole brigade. Meanwhile Howe’s Brigade used the skirmishers to screen the Light Infantry and the L.I in-turn screened the advance of the 52nd/5th, whilst the 12pdr
artillery kept Prescott busy rallying off DP’s.
There were three simultaneous charges:
The 43rd charged Knowlton.
The 38th (who passed their morale check by one) charged the upper works.
The 52nd/5th (who had previously managed to place themselves out of line-of-fire behind the Light Infantry) only had to take fire from one volley
before charging the lower works and contacting/dispersing Robinson’s skirmishers in the process. Remarkably they also only passed their charge-morale
check by one...
The Light Infantry had been taking sustained fire from Doolittle/Nixon throughout the advance and they eventually succumbed, reaching dispersal point
whilst the charge-melees were taking place; Hot Work indeed but they did a Damn Fine Job...
Knowlton routed spectacularly during his morale test in the charge; causing DP’s to Stark in their rush to get away. In the upper works Gridley’s Battery
was wiped out and Prescott routed causing DP’s to Reed on the way, leaving the 38th in control of the upper works. Woodbridge routed (taking Prescott
with them) causing more DP’s to Reed, but Doolittle/Nixon won the second melee and pushed the 52nd/5th back out of the lower works.
However; Knowlton’s collapse triggered a Brigade morale test that Stark failed.
Prescott and Woodbridge both rallied, but they were too far away to stop the 52nd/5th re-entering and clearing the lower works - with assistance
from the 38th. The Grenadiers forced Reed to retire.
Clinton came up to the works in time to (predictably) say he should have been landed in a position to stop the stream of rebels fleing back over
Charlestown Neck.
Certainly less bloody for the British than the actual events, but the Light Infantry was completely destroyed, somehow they managed to hold on just
long enough to screen the 52nd/5th, and if either of the two marginal charge-morale-tests had failed the collapse would have very likely been a
British one...
Strangely the game only produced one double-six and that was on an initiative roll.
Here’s a pic of the opening set up that strangely makes the hill look flat... wierd. (as well as being slightly out of focus... experimenting as I said)
Another excellent game!
GJ
Hello, My Regular Opponent brought one of his chums over today for his first taste of table top gaming, we played a three-handed Bunker Hill with the newbie taking Prescott, M.R.O filling Stark’s shoes whilst Howe, Pigot and Clinton had to put up with me rolling the dice for them all... The newbie has plenty of experience with ‘computer wargaming’, but this was his first actual table-top encounter. He was impressed and I think we created a new BG!/GdB player this afternoon... I’m experimenting with the lighting so most of the pictures were “a bit duff”, but here’s one I took during the endgame, (place camera on table then Push Button, using the 'indoor-party-popper' setting):
Charlestown is burning in the background. The 38th can be seen in the upper works and the 52nd/5th are re-entering behind Doolittle/Nixon. Reed is
to the Grenadiers front.
Pigot’s Brigade moved onto the road in column and passed through Charlestown before changing into line, thus exposing the American rear ( SHOCK!
so to speak ... ) and threatening to enfilade all of Stark’s position at the fence, forcing them to redeploy – first with Knowlton, then with the whole brigade. Meanwhile Howe’s Brigade used the skirmishers to screen the Light Infantry and the L.I in-turn screened the advance of the 52nd/5th, whilst the 12pdr
artillery kept Prescott busy rallying off DP’s.
There were three simultaneous charges:
The 43rd charged Knowlton.
The 38th (who passed their morale check by one) charged the upper works.
The 52nd/5th (who had previously managed to place themselves out of line-of-fire behind the Light Infantry) only had to take fire from one volley
before charging the lower works and contacting/dispersing Robinson’s skirmishers in the process. Remarkably they also only passed their charge-morale
check by one...
The Light Infantry had been taking sustained fire from Doolittle/Nixon throughout the advance and they eventually succumbed, reaching dispersal point
whilst the charge-melees were taking place; Hot Work indeed but they did a Damn Fine Job...
Knowlton routed spectacularly during his morale test in the charge; causing DP’s to Stark in their rush to get away. In the upper works Gridley’s Battery
was wiped out and Prescott routed causing DP’s to Reed on the way, leaving the 38th in control of the upper works. Woodbridge routed (taking Prescott
with them) causing more DP’s to Reed, but Doolittle/Nixon won the second melee and pushed the 52nd/5th back out of the lower works.
However; Knowlton’s collapse triggered a Brigade morale test that Stark failed.
Prescott and Woodbridge both rallied, but they were too far away to stop the 52nd/5th re-entering and clearing the lower works - with assistance
from the 38th. The Grenadiers forced Reed to retire.
Clinton came up to the works in time to (predictably) say he should have been landed in a position to stop the stream of rebels fleing back over
Charlestown Neck.
Certainly less bloody for the British than the actual events, but the Light Infantry was completely destroyed, somehow they managed to hold on just
long enough to screen the 52nd/5th, and if either of the two marginal charge-morale-tests had failed the collapse would have very likely been a
British one...
Strangely the game only produced one double-six and that was on an initiative roll.
Here’s a pic of the opening set up that strangely makes the hill look flat... wierd. (as well as being slightly out of focus... experimenting as I said)
Another excellent game!
GJ