Rebels and Patriots: Run to the Mohawk Valley Hills

After our rather large Rebels and Patriots Retreat to the Big Sunken Road game George had the rather radical idea of playing a normal size 24 point game, though we did pick the 'Run to the Hills' scenario from The Men Who Would Be Kings(!)

Following a defeat at the hands of Thayendanegea's Mowhawk and their British allies, American forces  attempt to retreat back to the safety of Pennsylvania moving through woodland not realising the Mowhawk have got ahead of them and are lying in wait...

The Continental line moved forward in good order flanked by skirmishers, though the Light Infantry were more reluctant to advance into the unscouted woodland...

With good reason, as first one group of Mohawk skirmishers were spotted on the American left flank...

And then another.

With more Mohawk seen on the American right.

The Maryland Continentals ploughed on resolutely towards safety...

Whilst Militia skirmishers protected their right flank...

And Continental Skirmishers covered the left, soon coming into contact with Mowhawks in the woods.

A flurry of bayonets and tomahawks saw the American skirmishers forced back, but unlike the Mowhawk they did not fail their morale check and become Disordered.

A second group of Continental skirmishers attacked an adjacent group of Mowhawk skirmishers...

But came off worse, losing two men to one enemy and subsequently failing a Morale test seeing the Continental skirmishers take a Disorder marker.

The Mowhawk charged the Disordered Americans...

Killing two more. This took the Continental skirmishers down to under 50% so saw them take a second Disorder marker automatically. Despite this they managed to pass the subsequent Morale check so did not Rout.

Unfortunately for the Mowhawk this attack left them exposed to the massed muskets of the Maryland Continentals who killed three inflicting an automatic Disorder marker on them. A poor Morale roll by George saw them pick up two more giving them three in total and seeing them rout.

The other nearby unit, already with one Disorder marker, failed its Morale check as their comrades routed and they gained a second marker.

Things were not going all the American way, the Light Infantry managed to roll a double one when attempting to advance, resulting in a 'Bad Things Happen' roll seeing them lose two men to off table enemy fire and then failing their Morale check, picking up a Disorder marker.

Bizarrely the Continental Line rolled a double six on their next activation with Continental Dragoon reinforcements arriving following a 'Good Things Happen' roll!

Shedding their two Disorder markers following a good mandatory Morale roll, the Mohawk skirmishers charged in on the remaining Continental skirmishers...

Killing one and forcing them back, though the Americans passed their Morale check.

As more Mowhawks advanced on the retreating Americans, the battle was about to enter a very weird phase...

One group of Mowhawk skirmishers fired at the Maryland Continental Line killing two soldiers. A failed Morale test saw the Continentals take a Disorder marker. The second Mowhawk group then fired killing a second trooper. This time I managed (on 2D6) to roll 3 which with the casualty gave a result of 2 meaning I took two more Disorder markers. A cumulative total of three Disorder markers saw the unit Rout after losing just three men out of eighteen!

Any unit within 12" of a Routing unit must take a Morale test themselves and this resulted in an amazing domino effect through the American army. The Continental skirmishers with two existing markers failed their Morale check picking up a third and themselves routing.

The Continental Light Infantry with one marker rolled badly and picked up an additional two and also routed.

One group of Militia skirmishers on the American left managed to roll a double one picking up two markers as they checked the effect of the Marylanders flight on them...

And then a third after failing their check on their reaction to the the Lights running. With three Disorder markers they also routed (ironically the group next to them shrugged off the flight of the Line, Lights and Militia comrades passing all Morale checks thrown at them).

Finally having picked up a Disorder from the Continental Skirmishers routing the newly arrived Dragoons then rolled 3 on the Morale check following the Lights routing, giving them an adjusted result of 2 meaning two more markers, a total of three and seeing them Rout!

So... following the loss of a third man in the Maryland Continentals, a cascade of disastrous Morale checks saw a total of FIVE units flee the table in just one turn!!! George made me take this picture to commemorate the disaster. Git!

With just three units left, and one of those with their own Disorder marker picked up during the disaster described above the game was up for the Americans but I tried to press on...

However another turn of Mowhawk attacks saw the Virginia Continental Line take a second Disorder marker and the skirmishers one...

The Disordered skirmishers were then wiped out following a Mowhawk charge...

And suffering another single casualty the Virginia Continentals 'inevitably' failed their Morale check picked up a third Disorder marker and routed!

After such a rapid collapse there was only one thing for it, a trip to the pub were George bought me consolation pint!

Despite such an incredible run of poor morale rolls I actually found the game perversely enjoyable and felt that whilst the chances of such a collapse were slim, it was not without precedent as armies have effectively defeated themselves with one jittery unit running, causing other units to spook and run (the Spanish at Talavera comes to mind). Having played the rules for a couple of years now, even with my usual bad dice rolling, this is the first time we've seen a collapse like this, so I blame myself and not the rule set.