Thursday 31 August 2017

Sugar Islands Test Scenario 2 - The Advance on Port Royal

The arrival of my final batches of British for this project have meant that I can crack on and try out my ideas for scenarios. In this one the British have to March from one side of the table to another, representing their march from the beaches to what they hoped would be a position overlooking Port Royal.

I wanted to try a grid type system of the table with it divided up into 12in squares, each of which would contain a random terrain type and a possible event. Obviously an ambush by French forces, militia or slaves but potentially a water halt, damaged axle or similar just imposing a delay. 

Having made up the tables in my draft version of the book I was keen to give them a go and ran a couple of games this week at Oldmeldrum Wargames Group.  In the first game the British managed to sweep across the table with a mild diversion and a halt for water and it wasn't til they got to the last    square that they ran into trouble. A detachment of Swiss from Rgt Hallwyl managed to hold them up for three turns before they were forced aside and the advance continued.

In the second game things went badly wrong. The redcoats were hit early on by French marines and despite trying to drive them off a volley and bayonet charge the advance was compromised and the. British forced to halt and form if not quite a square, then something pretty close.

Matters worsened when the Grenadiers rou....I mean retired back to the ships and the poor 38th got pretty shot up. The French militia and more men from Hallwyl put a stop to any advance and the Brits got completely stuck. Only steady volley fire and a quick charge kept them safe until nightfall and the game ended.

Some Piccies!







The latter game, despite heavier casualties is a decent representation of the trouble Hopson's men faced. He thought casualties had been heavier than they really were and in the face of a water shortage, difficult terrain and a French foe who just wouldn't play ball, decided to call off the attack and march back to the ships and depart.

Overall I'm pleased with the result, the look of the terrain and figures. One more scenario to test and then on to Guadeloupe!!

4 comments:

Chris Gregg said...

Sounds a really interesting way to run an 18th century colonial style game, glad you are pleased with the result.
Chris

marinergrim said...

sounds like fun Stuart.

Phil said...

Atmospheric and beautiful, great pictures Stuart!

StuartInsch said...

Thanks for your comments and feedback chaps.