Saturday, June 03, 2017

Enfilade 2017 SPv2 After Action Report

Another Sharp Practice v2 AWI After Action Report. This time from the Enfilade 2017 Convention Sunday gaming session. I also did a game on Friday afternoon, but the Sunday one was more interesting. It's a meeting engagement between a mixed Rebel force of Continentals and Militia versus British Regulars and a unit of Provincial Legion Forces. Summary of opposing forces is as follows:



Points total was 120 for the British and 117 for the Americans. Five Command Flags for each side were used. Force morale for both sides started at ten.To speed up the game, troops were already deployed on the table. There was no Deployment turn. This was done to speed up the game and get players into the game immediately, however, each side had a Deployment  Point on their side of the table at the road entry point. This was done solely to provide an objective to capture. Also, no Tiffin Card was used to prevent one player not getting activated for several turns which was a problem in SPv1. Players opted to leave the troops where I had originally placed them on the Table. So the initial set up and beginning moves was as depicted below.


Below we see the opening moves. The British Skirmishers have all moved up to the center fence or wall. The Fusilier Skirmishers have actually crossed the fence and entered the orchard where they are trading shots with the Milita Frontiersmen skirmishers. The British Regulars in the background have moved to the center of the hill where they will stay for the rest of the game.

The Militia are advancing down the road toward the Highlanders. At the nearer hill on the right,the VA State Line has crossed over the hill and is about to fire into the Highlander Skirmishers defending the wall.

In the foreground, you can see the DE skirmishers have made it to the wall while their brothers in Line are lagging behind. One stand of the British Legion can be seen by the farmhouse on the left.


 A little closer view of the middle and Rebel right side.


 A view from the British right flank where the Legion has crested the hill.


 View from the Rebel right Flank showing the MD Continentals having moved up to the fence after destroying the skirmishers in front of them. In the background, you can see that the Highlander skirmishers have also disappeared. British Force moral at this point was down to about seven.


  The VA State line having cleared the skirmishers in front of them are about to wheel and fire into the Highlanders. It seems most players were content to just sit and shoot at each other at long range.


 Rebel right side showing Maryland troops trading fire with Brits on the hill. Neither player here wanted to get into Fisticuffs so sat in this position the rest of the game.


View from the British right Flank. In the foreground are figures killed. Things definitely in favor of the Rebels at this point.


 Things starting to change now. In the background,the VA State Line has wheeled and put some shooting casualties on the Highlanders. Looks like about four figures left on the Highlander Group on the right.

In the foreground, the Fusiliers used a Thin Red Line Command to fire and advance into fisticuffs with the SC Militia. Poor Militia(No Bayonets). Ouch!


 Militia lost the melee and has ruted back out of site. MD troops still sitting at the wall. No Guts! No Glory!


 The Highlanders have been forced to withdraw. British Force Morale was down to four at this stage. On the other side, the Militia is in bad shape and looks like the Frontiersmen have finally been driven off by the British Skirmishers. Rebel Force Morale was at one.

With nothing to prevent the British from capturing the Rebel Deployment Point, we ruled the game over.


 A view of Rebel left Flank.


 Rebel right Flank

Most of the payers were familiar with SPv1and had bought v2, but hadn't yet played it. They were glad to have the opportunity to try it out. It was actually pretty close and more aggressive Rebel players might have swung the game the other way.

I was surprised that most players were content to engage in long range musket fire rather than come to grips in Fisticuffs. On the left the Delawares were an Elite unit and should have made short work of the British Provincial Legion. Same on the right where the three Groups of Marylander's had a good chance of defeating the two British Groups of Regulars.

In my opinion, it would be better to save one's First Fire for close range and combine it with a Controlled Volley with perhaps a Crashing Volley if the Command Cards are available in order to get the maximum effect. Then you move into Fisticuffs for the kill.

Hope you enjoyed this report and learned something from it. Comments always welcome.  Figures used were mostly from GAJO Minis the exception being the SC Militia and Frontiersmen which I painted.