Steve ...and the American Revolution

So, Steve over at Sound Officers' Call, has been tinkering with Neil Thomas's Napoleonic Rules, in order to develop an AWI variant.

'Hold the line boys!'

 His changes sounded really interesting for the Revolution, so I set up a quick game.

 
Steve's changes:

• British Drill: no first stand loss morale check (this becomes VERY important and is very representative of what we read).
• No free turns or pivots for Continentals (again, makes sense)
• Morale Checks for chargers/chargees - this is very akin to what we read about in AWI battles, the effects are so realistic - and with simple, yet accurate, mechanics.
• Rally & Commanders - can rally off hits (I didn't use this enough in the game - though it is both accurate and critical to gameplay).

A few things I threw in:

• Light infantry can get cover saves in the open - although this does give them a little too much staying power potentially. An alternative might be to reduce their number of bases.
• Militia find it harder to both hit and stand - a simple change like this can be readily instituted via making a 4-6 success of the D6 a 5-6 instead. It does make the militia a bit poor unless they are behind a fence (with cover saves) - but that seems fine.

 General:

• The turn sequence - charge, move, shoot etc. remains relatively unchanged, but for an IGOUGO system, it flows smoothly with a lot of action. Again, so good for a very large game, or as a battle mechanic for a campaign.

• With a system based around stands/degrading hit points, it's also very reminiscent of the 'Pike and Shot' computer game, with attritional style warfare, if you resort to musketry, but still retaining the ability to move and surprise the opponent for a canny general.

Now, it was a short game, but to me, that exhibits the excellent potential for something larger like Germantown (Steve working on) or Monmouth, or as way of fighting the multiple battles of a larger undertaking; testament to both the NT rules, and their ability to be easily 'hacked' to make them what you want.

Also of course, is the fact that saving throws are only used practically (i.e. in cover, or in my instance for light infantry). We see this in sensible rules like Volley and Bayonet too, as well as NT. In the Slack Chowder for instance, they are out of control and used like Warhammer...  (y'all knew I had to get a BP crack in, right?)

 There were 7 units a side - the Americans had the edge in terms of defences, while the British had some advantages in light infantry and staying power.

 The fence would grant a saving throw due to cover, unlike  BP, where a saving throw means something very different.

(The publishers of Slack Chowder defend their Saving Throw mechanic...)

 On the American left, the continentals were deployed in force.

 On the right, a cavalry clash would move back and forth, with varying degrees of morale roll success dictating the play.

 Big advantages using Generals for rallying here - but next time.

 I didn't give any bonus to British firepower, but perhaps something worth thinking about...though the morale benefits they receive are quite influential.

 The Continentals did get some luck in terms of morale.

 German Jaegers move on the flank of the cavalry clash.

 British guards will also charge the rail-fence. That is not going to end well...

 A small engagement, with a flank ready to crumble...

 The British horse breaks the American cavalry, allowing a flanking action.

 ...a developing crisis in the centre.

 With hand  to hand threatening to completely derail the fragile militia, the end is not in doubt...

 'Wait 'til you see the whites of their eyes...'

 Morale is not something which the militia can be relied upon to hold onto...

A great game, and a lot of takeaways which have me thinking re. rapid setup and large battles, and/or campaign battle rules.