(For those interested, I have updated the Bloodybacks! rules to v9.3 on the Pages section of the blog)
Another Partizan show has been and gone. I had a fantastic time and found it one of the most sociable of all the Partizan's I have had the pleasure of attending over many years of my involvement. Friends old and new were frequent visitors to may game, including a number who live overseas and have made that extra effort to get along to the show.
As planned, by game was the Battle of Chatterton's Hill refounght a little in advance of its 250th Anniversary (which will be in October).
The Continental regiments stand firm behind stone walls atop Chatterton's Hill
Below are some pictures of the terrain set-up from Saturday afternoon. With chum Matt's help the use of lots of wood, polystyrene and coir doormats under layers of hanging-basket miner and felt worked well to create the hills and rolling terrain, with the Bronx river flowing through the valley between the two major hills. I didn't overdo it on the trees, but did squeeze in my sawmill which really didn't belong there, but having at least one building helps with the "look" and gives more of an excuse to deploy some civilian vignettes.
Sunday arrived slightly brighter than forecast and I got to the showground just before 08:30 to find the car park busy and the venue bustling with traders and gamers getting set-up.
With the heavy landscaping already done, it was a fairly quick job to deploy the armies on the terrain an pop the potential reinforcements on a side table.
The militia deployed behind the defences they had hastily constructed the night before from pulled-up cornstalks, roots and earth - and which I had hastily constructed on Friday afternoon and Saturday morning using whatever I had knocking around in the garage. It's not a demo game without something slightly damp on the table!
Rall and his brigade were south of Chatterton's Hill, grenadier regiment to the fore:
Leslie's brigade of British regulars had begun to climb the steep side of Chatterton's Hill towards the positions held by the militia and Connecticut state troops:
Further north, on the American left wing, the Continental brigade sheltered behind stone walls:
Opposite Chatterton's Hill the Royal Artillery deployed to commence their bombardment:
As the battle progressed the British regulars scaled the hill, outpacing the advance of Rall's Hessian brigade. Taking an assertive approach they spread out to launch charges against the enemy. Despite the threat of the artillery the Continentals were compelled to advance from the stone walls before their line was rolled-up from the south:
While battle rages, the local civilians look on
Back to the action, the British charges were successful and the morale of the militia and state troops broke, exposing the Continental infantry to hordes of advancing redcoats:
With no other option available the Continentals withdrew from the hill, back towards Washington's main army.
The game flowed well despite the show being very busy and we managed to get through six or so turns to reach a conclusion. Being honest I didn't penalise the British for their uphill attacks as much as I should, in the interests of having a game that kept moving and game a more interesting spectacle for people to look at. If playing the scenario more accurately it would have been more even and Leslie's brigade woud have has a much tougher time.
We had lots of positive comments on the day and plenty of questions from show-goers. It is always nice to see such an interest in the AWI and to hear how many people now collect and game the period. It is very different to when I started collecting these armies in the early 2000s when it really felt very, very niche.
---oOo---
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