Game Test Rank & File; Camden 1780

 

I decided to take the Rank & File rules for a test drive with the Camden 1780 scenario. I threw in some house rules, which was a mistake, especially since I have never played the rules before. It is a social distance game – solo. I figure given the historical deployment the game should end with a British victory. Since the rebel militia stampeded, I started them all marked as unsteady. The sheer amount of militia taxed my collection and a lot of Continentals in rifle shirts were among them, and some in proper uniform too. As for the British, I didn’t have any Loyalist regulars so various Hessians and redcoats stood in for them. For a change, I had the 33^rd, 23^rd, 71^st Foot and Light Infantry in round hats to represent themselves on the table. My figure manufacturer (Frying Pan & Blanket) never got around to making Tarleton’s Legion so the 17^th Light Dragoons stood in for them. Likewise, Washington’s Dragoons subbed for Armand’s Legion. The opening deployment is below.

The British moved first and advanced. The Continental Light Infantry wheeled to fire on the British. Shots were exchanged, some hit. The 2^nd Maryland Brigade failed a morale test and became unsteady.

Turn 2 saw Webster’s brigade declare charges by the 33^rd and 23^rd. The Rebel Light infantry declared a charge on the 23^rd which saw the British Light Infantry declare a charge on them. It seemed like the 23^rd would be caught before they closed with the militia, so they wheeled and charged the Continentals too. It seemed a tad confusing. I could see this being a sticking point in a pre- or post-Covid game. Once that was sorted out, veteran shock infantry beat the Continentals in melee handily.

 

The 33^rd’s charge was stopped by withering musket fire. Their losses hit 50% which meant they could no longer rally. If they had to take another morale test at end of the turn they would rout. I marked them as such and then a lengthy search through the rules PDF finally disclosed that units only take one morale test per turn no matter what. The crushing volley made them unsteady but they would not be routed that turn. The picture was taken before I found the correct rule. The 1^st North Carolina Brigade stopped the charge and then routed under artillery fire. My house panic rule spread disorder among the other militia within 6”. After the picture the Crown NC Volunteers failed a morale test and became unsteady.

The 71^st and 23^rd declared a charge on the unsteady Virginia militia before them. The 23^rd was staggered by fire that put them under 50%. The 71^st closed with the militia and put them to flight. The 33^rd Foot was shot down in heaps by North Carolina militia and routed, the fate they narrowly avoided the turn before. Rebel artillery routed the Crown NC Volunteers. The 1^st NC militia Brigade which routed previously failed to rally, losing a base but a low movement roll kept them from escaping off the table. They would have another chance to rally. Gates joined them. I rated him poorly but had reverted to basic command rules, where all generals are equal, so he might have some effect. After the photo was taken, the Irish volunteers failed a morale test and became unsteady.

I had become a tad confused and stopped playing. This was my first attempt with the rules, and I should not have made any house rules. I stick by the scenario rule making the militia unsteady; they were in the actual fight. In another go I would merge the British Light Infantry with the 23^rd. A two base infantry unit is fairly worthless, even if it is veteran shock infantry. One base off and it can’t rally. I would also make a card for each unit giving the original number of bases in the unit. That makes it easy to know when losses hit 50%. This is not a problem if all your units are the same size. But I wanted historical strengths.

 

I played 3 turns in a little over 90 minutes. A lot of that time was searching through the rules PDF. It would certainly go faster with practice. British losses were 7 bases of infantry, possibly 420 troops. If the game continued, they would have increased. The North Carolina Volunteers and the crack 33^rd Foot routed, the latter nearly wiped out. Continental losses were 5 infantry bases lost, some 300, and a base fled. 3 brigades of militia had routed. One had rallied and another had a chance if the game continued. I do think if played without my house rules the British would have gotten their clock cleaned. When last played with Loose Files & American Scramble (many years ago), the British won convincingly. I aim to play this again. With what rules? We’ll see what mood I’m in next time.

 

The main reason I don’t play Loose Files is the command system. The combat and movement rules are elegantly simple. The command rules as written are complex and confusing, more so since I retired. I’ve tried I-GO-U-GO and that doesn’t seem to do the trick. Perhaps card activation by brigade, with simple brigade orders…

 

And for those who want to see the order of battle I used at 60 infantry, 40 cavalry or 2 guns per base, here it is:

US Army Horatio Gates (0,0), 3,410, army break point 10

De Kalb (2,1) commands 1^st and 2^nd Maryland brigades and attached artillery

Armands Legion and the Light Infantry are rated down because of the beating they took a few hours ago by Tarleton's Legion.

                 

Units	# Troops	# Bases	Morale class
Smallwood 1st Maryland Brigade	400	7	Regular Infantry
Section artillery	2 guns	1	Regular medium artillery
Gist 2nd Maryland Brigade + Delaware Regiment	400 150	9	Regular Infantry
Section artillery	2 guns	1	Regular medium artillery
NC Militia Caswell
1st NC Militia Brigade	600	10	Green Infantry, unsteady
2nd NC Militia Brigade	600	10	Green Infantry, unsteady
Section artillery	2 guns	1	Regular light artillery
VA Militia Brigade Stevens
Right wing	350	6	Green Infantry, unsteady
Left wing	350	6	Green Infantry, unsteady
Section artillery	2 guns	1	Regular light artillery
Light Infantry (ex. Porterfield)	400	7	Regular Infantry
Armand’s Legion	100	2	Green Cavalry
	3,350	61

Armand’s Legion and the Light Infantry are down-rated 

British Army Cornwallis (2,0), 2,132, army break point 10

 Rawdon (1,0) commands his brigade

Webster (2,1) commands his brigade

Cornwallis directly commands the Reserve

 

Unit	# Troops	# Bases	Morale class
Rawdon’s Brigade
Hamilton’s NC Vols + Legion Foot	267 126	7	Regular Infantry
Bryan’s NC Vols	322	5	Green Infantry
Irish Vols	303	5	Regular Infantry
Webster’s Brigade
33rd Foot	238	4	Veteran Shock Infantry
23rd Foot	292	5	Veteran Shock Infantry
Light Infantry	148	2	Veteran Shock Infantry
Reserve
Section artillery	2 guns	1	Regular medium artillery
Sections artillery	4 guns	2	Regular light artillery
1/71st Foot +2/71st Foot	144 110	4	Veteran Shock Infantry
Legion Dragoons	182	4	Regular Cavalry
	2,132	39