French Indian War Campaign - Game 3

French Indian War campaign game number 3 was played out over the weekend past. The results of this game will be fed back into the operational campaign moves being played out by on Jonathan of Palouse Wargaming  Journal. (All campaign detail can be found there.)

The British attack plan was to move their regular troops and rangers forward on their left flank. While holding the militia back and only bringing them forward if the French regular units positioned outside the fort tried to advance.

British light troops move forward as planned along the hills.

Militia take position while the regular units are struggling to move forward  through some difficult terrain.

Finally, British forces start to gain some cohesion and move forward.

Fort guns open fire and French regular infantry units move forward. Their grenadiers are held in reserve to support the line or reinforce the fort.

French regular infantry continue to move forward. 

On the opposite flank British forces organise themselves for an assault upon the fort.

The attack on the fort begins 

French regulars come under fire from militia. The militia aim is to keep the French occupied without taking too many casualties.

The militia units keep the French regulars occupied. British regulars and rangers attack on the fort gains momentum.  

The militia line - difficult to see the French line through the smoke

The first militia unit is eliminated and another one moves forward to take its place. Militia shooting at this point was proving to be quite good.

Casualties (hits) were mounting on both sides.

More militia units are eliminated, but one French regular unit is looking a bit fragile.

A British ranger unit is also eliminated. 

The sustained shooting from militia eliminate a French regular. The D3 dice roll came up 3  half the French army resolve of 6. Ouch! 

Meanwhile the assault on the fort continues.

The British lose a regular unit attacking the fort. The British army resolve of 13 was starting to look a bit shaky with this loss. 

Militia units are starting to suffer serious losses and the British army resolve is on the brink of failing. This allowed the reserve grenadier unit to move into the fort.

Finally the fort walls are scaled and a second French unit is eliminated. The British commander (Monckton) had used both his attack bonuses over two moves to achieve this success. Another D3 roll of 3 against the French army resolve of 6 means any more losses and they will surrender the fort.

French forces outside the fort advance hoping to force back their line and cause the attack on the fort to be broken off.  

Another militia unit eliminated. The game is now on a knife edge with both army's resolve about to fail with any more losses.

The French lose a third unit and surrender the fort. A battle depleted force accept their surrender with relief.

In this game the French were unfortunate to roll 2 consecutive 3's against their army resolve. However, I do like the random nature of unit loses against an army'e resolve. Rather than having a set number of units losses, e.g. when an army losses more than half their units. The British resolve would have failed before the French were it not for the additional point their received from the commanders defence quality.

This game was always going to be a close. The difference turned out to be the British commander Monckton (Quality A2D1) with his 2 attack bonuses and increase of 1 to the army resolve.

From a narrative perspective, the lack of a clear leader and two depleted regiments still recovering from their last battle had cost the French the battle. However, neither regiment was destroyed and may yet fight another day.

The British had lost a militia regiment in their victory with their other three units in a depleted state.

Jonathan - back to your campaign moves.