I admit, it's been a while since the last game, but the Maurice rules have made it worth the wait.
Some immediate observations though:
1. The game makes nice use of card activation and events which can mean that (really) unforeseen events pop out of nowhere. For a quasi fictional wargame campaign, this is wonderful, and probably lends itself to tales of the 'best laid plans' rarely panning out. When trying to refight a historical battle, it's a distinctly double edged sword, where events can be uncannily accurate while others can have little place on the actual battlefield. That's not a criticism of the rules though, which are very free flowing.
2. I used the adjustment for pikes listed in the rules, which makes musketry a bit less useful, cavalry a
little more brittle and charges a lot more effective if they come off, though of course melee is very risky. Makes for a great game though.
3. Newtownbutler had very little room for maneuver as a narrow raised 'causeway'
and marshy ground (which allowed infantry to pass but not cavalry)
characterised the approach. This meant that the approach and immediate
battlefield was 'somewhat 'squeezed', thus leaving the Enniskillener
commander with many headaches.
4. Following that - the
rules lend themselves to flanking and maneuver though are heavily
restrictive on what the active player can do in a turn. If you like
being able to do everything with all your troops, prepare to be
disappointed. This is a real military resource management system, which
to me makes perfect sense when we consider many of the historical sources.
5.
I was really concerned that there weren't enough units to do the rules
justice. Yes, I can see how more units would create a larger command
headache, but I still got a real feel for how the system works. Larger
9YW or AWI battles would be real epics, especially where very different
troop qualities are thrown into the mix. I'm not sure how one would
retain the drama in multi player games, though there are guidelines for
it.
6. Some of the cards allow real player vs player
interaction, where the bonuses used by one player for charging are wiped
out by a defensive card, or the hope of firing first is disrupted by
the enemy firing first because of a card play. Makes for exciting and
very unpredictable games. Of course, any true old schooler who wants to busy himself counting up modifiers and having a sore head may not like this. I won't ever desert the simplicity of Volley & Bayonet though this is a different type of game.
The
rough OOBs from last time were used. In the actual battle, Wolseley's
Enniskillers encountered the swampy bogland (which was impassable to
cavalry), the only access for horses being the narrow causeway toward
the high ground. This was defended with Mountcashel's cannon. The
Enniskillen troops charged across the bog with infantry - toward the
high ground where Mountcashel had assembled his troops. Mountcashel's
men got off a few vollies, though could not slow the charge.
When
the Enniskilleners reached the guns at the base of the hill, they
quickly disabled them, allowing their cavalry to charge in column along
the causeway. Melee on the hill and close range vollies ensued, with the
Jacobite troops coming off worst. First, their dragoons (who had been bloodied earlier at the Lisnaskea skirmish) broke, then
the infantry (mostly conscripts) began to falter. With the advance of
the Enniskillener cavalry, the Jacobies routed, leaving only
Mountcashel's troops to fight a losing battle. The rest fled into the
surrounding bogland, though very few escaped with their lives.
The Enniskillen accounts (Hamilton and McCarmick) also describe the detachment of the pike elements from each battalion,
so that they would not slow down the matchlock elements during the charge
across the bogland. I tried to mimic this in the game. There was no real
effect on frontages in terms of mechanics and the Maurice rules do
grant bonuses to those with and without pikes during the early part of
the game's period, so, a nice touch.
Mountcashel
himself was captured and taken to Ennikillen, though would escape later
in the year and get to Dublin, where he would be enlisted by the French
to lead the Irish regiments in the French army in mainland Europe, until
his death in 1694. Wolseley would go on to fight with the Enniskilleners at both the Boyne and Aughrim, before his death in 1697.
And so to battle:
In comparison with earlier games, the battlefield was certainly a little sparse. Enniskillen troops, having been ambushed outside Newtown(butler), have passed through the town and are making for the Jacobite position on the hill at
Sandholes. (In reality, there is a large ridge between town and hill, but it makes little difference in game terms).
The requirement for cards can take up a little space on the table. 25mm in use today, although with 15mm figures and a 6'x4', these would be quite unobtrusive. Having said that, the cards are almost a game in themselves and a welcome addition to the table. I've placed a few in the pics that follow. That's purely for effect as they don't need to be left amidst the figures.
The Enniskillen troops start to close on the Jacobite position...
...straight into the sights of King James's artillery detachment.
The first cards start to appear, affecting hit chances and general mechanics. 'Well laid guns' increase the chance to hit,
while 'find the way' allows the Enniskillen infantry to move across the bog without incurring disruptions (uncannily accurate),
...while 'that's not on the map' makes one area of it impassable - HA! (Granted, for a historical refight, this makes it less historical, but this is what makes campaign games unpredictable).
As the Enniskilleners charge the guns (which had little effect), they are slowed on their left flank, and encounter a fresh battalion.
...or perhaps not so fresh, as it breaks when charged (bad dice rolls) and the Jacobites are forced to commit their dragoons/cavalry to their left flank. (This reduces army morale based on a dice roll. The commander needs to keep a close eye on this as the entire army can fracture and run).
More cards help with charges and melee. The cards tend to focus the commander's attention. There may be a grand plan, though it's destined to change as the situation remains fluid. The Enniskilleners charge over the guns in the centre toward Mountcashel's own battalion, with their cavalry behind them on the causeway.
Repeated vollies in the centre, and the threat of Clare's regiment outflanking them, force the Enniskillen troops to shift position (they have a lot of disruptions and rallying attempts would slow the momentum). They are replaced with a cavalry charge.
Finally, the Enniskillen left flank is moving, though the Jacobite centre is solid.
Some nice cardplay allowed the Jacobite player to move an Enniskillen battalion in line for a cavalry charge, just as it was about to hit the rear of Clare's battalion. Total chaos! HA!
Another example of card/counter-card play, as one bonus to stop the charge is outweighed by another which gives it a bonus.
Finally, in the centre, after mounting pressure from Enniskillen cavalry with the Jacobite cavalry failing to engage in force, Mountcashel's regiment breaks. It's enough to reduce their army morale to breaking point, and the army withdraws.
Maurice is unpredictable, exciting and gives a great game. There is little old school feel to it, though that of course is a good thing in certain instances. Having scanned the campaign rules and the notables/characters involved, a campaign would write itself and remain fluid and entertaining. I will look at these again with a 1690 Irish campaign in mind. Very nice indeed.
