Race for the Bridge (Friday's Game )
This is an After Action Report(AAR) for the first of two games presented at the 2018 NHMGS Enfilade convention over Memorial Day weekend. Remind next year to not do another eight player Sharp Practice game. It's exhausting and just too big to get to a conclusion n a reasonable amount of time (i.e 4 hours).The idea was to see how two evenly matched opponents and symmetrical terrain would perform in an identical mission, to capture a bridge. The setup for the game is described in the previous blog entry. If you haven't read that, you might want to now to know who the characters and forces are.
On the first turn, both sides opted to get as many units as possible headed toward the bridge. The French had the advantage here as their Dragoon Leader's card showed up fairly early and they were able to get quite a few troop to be able to use the French Movable Deployment Point(MVP). In SP only units designated with having an MVP characteristic are able to initiate an MVP allowing other units to follow. The Spanish Guerillas who had the MVP Characteristic didn't turn up until late in the turn forcing the British to use the Primary Deployment point. So other than deployment, nothing happened much on the first turn as the forces were out of site of each other.
On the British side the Spanish Guerillas led the way. The 89th foot and ammunition wagon was directly behind with a unit of Rifles in the woods on their left. The 45th foot hung back with the other Rifles presumably guarding the MDP.
On the French side the Dragoon skirmishers led the way racing toward the bridge. they were followed bu a column of French infantry and the 4th Polish. French Voltigeurs covered the right flank of the Column backed up by the Polish Voltigeurs in the woods. Another French Column hung back protecting the MDP.
The next turn, the Spanish Fusiliers make it onto the table and deploy 12" from the MDP, the Guerillas race into the orchard field behind the stone wall and the 89th speeds down the road in column. The French only gettwo units to move before the Tiffin comes up. The Dragoons cross into the grape vineyard field and the French column moves further down the road
Spanish skirmishers behind the wall hoping to keep the French from the Bridge. Neither side has yet had an opportunity to fire.
French get a short turn and only the Dragoons and the French column get to move.
Things begin to get interesting. French Line and the Dragoons blaze away at the Spanish Guerillas behind the wall and manage to take three of them out. The British 89th fires at the French Line but only manages to give them some Shock. To their left the British Rifles advance to the hill to engage the French Skirmishers, but get the worst of it loosing two of their number. They only manage to put some Shock on the Voltigeurs. At the other end of the field the Rifles advance toward the patch of rough ground trying to flank the French
Action on the British side of the field. The Guerillas have taken some kills and some Shock. British Rifles in the center get the worst of the shooting contest with the French Voltigeurs.
A view of the whole table. Lots of long range fire going on with advantage going mostly to the French
The British Rifles in the center have fallen back ans take a couple of more kills. The 89th has also lost four kills and is down to six figures per Group. British Leader 5, Sgt. Bonner has also been wounded.The Spanish Fusiliers make iti nto the Orchard field and get ready to support their skirmishers who are still hanging on.The 4th Polish and the Dragoons continue their rush to the Bridge while the Polish Voltigeurs move up to put some more fire into the Rifles. At the other end of the table, the French Line boldly deploy into the open with the British 45th timidly hugs the tree line. While some musketry and rifle fire goes on here it doesn't result in much effect.
Spanish Fusiliers come up behind the Guerillas. French and Polish Voltigeurs fire at the Rifles.
French Dragoons and Polish Infantry approach the bridge. Fire from the British and Spanish doesn't seem to stop their advance.
View from the opposite of the field. French Line approach the rough ground.
End of the gaming period signals the end of the game. The Polish Line and French Dragoons have moved onto the Bridge and its questionable although possible the British and Spanish could dislodge them. Polish and French Skirmishers have finally caused the Center Group of Rifles to retreat off the field.although the French Skirmishers have taken enough Shock to cause them to retire. French line and 45th British fire away at each other at the other end of the field but it is too late to make any difference. With the British loosing more casualties and the French holding the Bridge, the advantage seems to be with the French and they are deemed the victors.
The Polish Line and French Dragons holding te Bridge.Its doubtful the Spanish can take it from them as they are classed as "Poor Shots" and are lower quality.
Action at the opposite end of the table. Looks like the French and Rifles are still untouched while the 45th has taken some shock.Too late to make much difference here.
An overview of the whole table. I decided the victory belonged to the French although a few more turns might have made a difference. End of gaming period equates to night falling and British retire to regroup and the French consolidate their position. Maybe if Richard Sharpe and Sgt. Harper were there it might have made a difference.
No Fisticuffs in this game which made it somewhat uneventful, but the players had fun and got to experience playing the rules.Large Convention games with Sharp Practice are hard to do as someone usually ends up sitting waiting to get to play. You can see that by how long it took the Spanish to get into position and how little the 45th British were able to do. If I do SP again at a Convention, I think I would divide the table up into two separate battles with their own set of activation cards.
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Saturdays Game
I put on the same game on Saturday but was too frazzled to take enough pictures to document the game. It was a little more interesting as we got into some fisticuffs and had a different ending.Force Morale at the end was British 4 and the French 5, but the Spanish Guerrillas held the Bridge. I would have to call it a draw as it could have gone either way. It was much more interesting game. The British 89th was charged a couple of times and was very shaky at the end. I think the French even used a Pas de Charge. Wish I taken more pictures, but here are three that show some of the action.
French side shortly after the Deployment turn. As in the first game most of the troops race down the road to get to the Bridge. The commander of the 4th Polish however took a different tack and headed straight across the field to get into action.
The British side after deployment with the Spanish in the lead
This is at the end of the game. The Guerrillas hold the Bridge way down at the end of the table. The Spanish Fusiliers and the 45th British are opposed by two Formations of French Line. All have taken a fair amount of Shock. The Poles are in the foreground after having driven the 89th back in Fisticuffs. This was after rolling a "9" of the shooting random event Table: (“Charge them to Hell!” Inspired by their volley and convinced the enemy is done for, the firers surge
forward 2D6 inches. If they make contact, they fight Fisticuffs immediately and are counted as
Aggressive in the first round of that fight. )
Hope you found this interesting. Comments always welcome and if you are in the Pacific Northwest next May, check out the NHMGS ENFILADE Convention.
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