Wednesday 29 December 2021

Camden 1780

 More fun with the 'Live Free or Die' ruleset from the guys at Little Wars TV.

This scenario is in the original ruleset, and certainly defied expectations during play. Victory conditions stipulated that the British either exited infantry off the road on the far side of the table, or out-did the American player in terms of casualties. This, as it turned out, was a tough ask.


 Again, this is a very tight ruleset, despite being done on 4 pages of text. Very professional, very succinct, and key: it works really well, with some excellent period flavour.

The high ground near the British entry point. Well defended by militia; however, the thing with these rules, is that losing a stand means a morale test...and militia are not great with morale tests - and are inevitably pushed back.

'What'd he say Zeke?'

British lights lead the attack

Now, here's a thing; on the British left, DeKalb's 2nd class continentals, are waiting to do something special...


British line and colonial troops march on at their entry point, then turn a sharp left, inorder to counter what will be a fierce flank attack...




The British attack on the right flank, with Tarleton leading his cavalry to counter Armand's Legion...


'WAIT! Did you say Tarleton???  Oh, no wait, it's Tavington I'm after ...go ahead.'

The American right, and decent continental/2nd class troops will do a lot of damage...

1st charge goes in - these rules really accentuate the Briitish bayonet charge ...and it works. This wil be the first of three for the 23rd foot.

As Tarleton (easy Mel) goes in on the flank.

'Wait 'til you see the whites of their eyes boys!'

hmmm - watch that left flank

The 2nd charge of the 23rd foot



Deployed British units start to get to grips with the left flank

3rd charge of the 23rd foot :)


The 23rd's example followed up by the lgihts ond the British legion - American guns become isolated on the ridgeline

More British cold steel, as the 71st foot (this time) go in on the right, but they're inflicting losses, but pushing militia back - the road is still not yet open...

Massive British casualties on the left, but they still hold.

The British right, a success story; the left, not so much.




Tarleton (easy Mel) goes in again on the left.

British Gen Francis Rowdon, is shot from the saddle

British lights interpenetrating militia lines now, but victory is far from certain.

Surely, they can exit the far side of the table ...surely...

...but there's nothing left on the British right.



Cornwallis himself steps in to bolster the 71st, even as Gates moves in to help the oppisite militia regiment in repsonse.


There's that bloke Tarleton again!!!

...easy mate..I said Tarleton...put it down Mel... Step away from the Tomohawk mate...


The final charge - both Gates and Cornwallis are wounded...

The casualty count... But the game is over!  It's game turn ten, and the British have failed to (1) get to the road and (2) inflict twice as many casualties as sustained. It's an American victory!

A very nice set of rules, and well put together with the scenario pack. Great work as ever, from Little Wars TV.



10 comments:

  1. Looks great as ever sir. I'm not sure what it is with rules these days, they seem to be either super tight 2-6 page pamphlets or multi tome fluff fests with nothing in between. And most of all WHO GAVE GIBSON A BLOODY TOMAHAWK?!!

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    1. Thanks mate. Yeah, step away Mel...step away.
      Honestly, he hasn't been the same since Mad Max 2.

      I know right? Rules brevity is to be appreciated these days. You'll get some company making a fortune from hardback books and codex revisions next ...wait....

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  2. Marvellous to get such a good game from 4 pages - very clever.

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    1. They are a very clever set. Now, granted, they do not have the subtlety of Field of Battle (what does :) ), though for me, the big bonus is that you get rules + scenarios in two pamphlet style books - which pretty much encompass the entire AWI. Any less scrupulous enterprise )trying to make money from nothing) would be trying to sell us at least 3 hardback books.

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  3. outstanding batrep, Darren. I think they're teaching in our schools now that Mel Gibson actually won the revolutionary war for us.

    whenever I see American militia on the table I almost always quote Cornwallis from the movie:

    "these rustics...so inept. it almost takes the honor out of it. Almost."

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    1. PS I'm going to be working on some LFOD games myself in the coming weeks :)

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    2. It's a very nice set Steve - now granted, British assaults really layer on the dice (I think there was a 16 dice attack at one stage), and it doesn't have the subtlety for me that FoB would have, but two slim volumes pretty much give you the entire AWI for half the price of Slack Chowder's attempts.

      I think the guys should maybe look at doing a few campaign variants. Their show is so good in that way. I love their multi table stuff.

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    3. Poor Mel - he hasn't been the same since the Mad Max franchise :)
      Yeah - there's a lot to dislike about that bloody movie

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  4. A wonderful looking and sounding game, I like the concept of the British bayonet attack being so devastating . As for Mel, his historical movies are not his best work....Braveheart is truly awful, and I say that as a Scot!

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    1. Thank you sir. Yes, the game mechanics mean that British assaults are devastating, yet the resource track makes them expensive (3 command points - and I had an average of 7 per turn)
      I do love resource management like this though - you can't do everything you want.

      Poor Mel. His most believable movie was Mad MAx ;)

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