Thank you all for such amusing orders. I chuckled or laughed at least three times as I read all of this. I hope you are all equally amused.
Redoubt 9 Lt.Col. McPherson
ORDERS: Fire! Knock them down the hill yet again! Make them
feel like they're a middle school soccer team being forced to run wind sprints
at practice by an unsympathetic coach!
ARGUMENT: The French have -1 on their melee roll
SUPPORT:
- The French are exhausted from a prolonged advance, having
been delayed at the fraises, sprinting up this hill twice already and been
repulsed each time. This third charge is exhausting them too much to be
effective with bayonets.
- This repeating pattern of a third identical charge makes
it even easier for the British to defend, having had their defences tested twice
already and any weaknesses revealed to be accounted for in this new wave.
- The dice have been unfair, unfairly advantageous to the
British. Feeling how they have been smiled upon the British found a new
religion based on the divine hexahedron. They fashion a sigil for it,
essentially flying box kite with dots on each side above the redoubt. The
French momentarily mistake the white fabric for a flag of surrender, causing
them to pause momentarily in their attack, losing momentum. But once they make out
the dreaded black spots of the die that clearly hates them, they are
demoralized further. They have the numbers, so why can't they persevere?
History wasn't supposed to go this way!
Amusement value: 3, although I do not think you should
call on false gods.
Argument strength: average
Argument die roll: 1, argument fails
Fire die roll: 4, the French are further shaken.
General de Viomenil
Orders: Up my men and over the Top!
Effect:
French Melee with a +1
Rational:
1-The British are still out numbered.
2- in the wake of French
persistence the Brits are in awe
and a flaming
chariot blind their eyes!
Amusement value: 1, whose flaming chariot?
Argument strength: weak. The British have being doing
very well, thank you.
Argument die roll: 5, argument succeeds
Turn result: the French fall back as the British firing
is so effective that their morale points are exhausted and, therefore, they
are stopped before they close. They are professional soldiers but enough is
enough. Mutterings of merde and scheisse are heard from the
French troops but they fall back in good order. A ragged cheer rises from
redoubt 9 and McPherson turns back to his port with a sigh of relief.
Redoubt 10 Major Campbell
Orders fire (yells Campbell as he scrambles back into the
redoubt)
Argument close range gives +1 to fire die roll
Enemy is very close
Enemy is in deep formation
Enemy is bunched in gaps in fraise
Argument strength: average
Argument die roll: 2, argument fails
Fire die roll: 6, the Americans are shaken and take
further losses but they close. The losses are counted before the melee
commences as they result from the British firing.
Lt. Col. Hamilton
Move: Charge again and engage in melee.
Argument: The British suffer a -1 to morale because:
1 - Despite their best efforts, they have been unable to
stop our advance. Knowing the end is nigh, their courage fails them.
2 - We have numerical superiority and their defense last
turn did nothing more than shove us back a few feet.
3 - The mournful screech of the Owl of Minerva fills their
hearts with dread.
Amusement value: 1, although do all owls screech?
Argument strength: average
Argument die roll: 1, argument fails
Melee die roll: 1
Melee and turn result: the odds start at 3-1 and drop to
2-1 as the British are behind the parapet. The Americans are repulsed and take
yet further losses.
(Blog host comments) The French assault has failed, Hamilton is struggling but still in the game. Even if he fails, he is the default Allied winner for staying in the assault longer. McPherson is the British winner for having driven off the assault. Campbell (me) will not win even if Hamilton is beaten back.
Turn 10 (8:18 PM) Thursday June 25
(Blog host comments) The French assault has failed, Hamilton is struggling but still in the game. Even if he fails, he is the default Allied winner for staying in the assault longer. McPherson is the British winner for having driven off the assault. Campbell (me) will not win even if Hamilton is beaten back.
Turn 10 (8:18 PM) Thursday June 25
Redoubt 10 Major Campbell
Orders: fire (yells Campbell as he scrambles back into the
redoubt)
Argument close range gives +1 to fire die roll
Enemy is very close
Enemy is in deep formation
Enemy is bunched in gaps in fraise (entertainment be
damned!)
Argument: average
Argument die roll: 3, argument fails.
Fire die roll: 1, the shots whistle overhead. This is one
undisciplined group of professional soldiers. It must be their background as
Yippies.
Lt. Col. Hamilton
Move: Charge again and engage in melee
Argument: We gain a +1 modifier to our action this turn
because
1 - The enemy just a few feet away and even if they fire a
successful volley, given our numbers, those in the rear will be able to charge
over those who are hit to make contact and engage in melee.
2 - The enemy is confined within the redoubt and thus unable
to avoid our charge.
3 - The Lord of the Chipmunks, mistakenly believing the
British were behind all of the sacrifices earlier in the game, launches an
attack against redoubt 10, but coming up the rear and sides of the redoubt (so
as not to come underfoot of our charge). The chipmunk army viciously gnaws at
the boots of the British, causing mild discomfort and annoyance, as well as
unsightly bite marks on the boots themselves. Our charge and then hand to hand
combat with the enemy are bolstered by the chipmunk onslaught
Amusement value: 3
Argument; average. I was tempted to treat the entire
argument as impossible but there are two actually valid reasons.
Argument die roll: 1, argument fails.
Meele die roll: 4
Melee: Starts at 2-1, drops to 1-1 because the British
are behind the parapet. Both sides take losses and the melee continues at the
parapet. The British have not yet been pushed back from the parapet.
Turn 11 (8:20 PM) Friday June 26, the forever year
Redoubt 10 Major Campbell
Order: Bayonets! Claymores!
Argument: The young musician starts playing "Scotland
the Brave" on his bagpipes, British morale goes up 1 point
- T'is a lovely air
- And it stirs the Scottish blood
- if ye dinna believe me, listen to this! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eDNvfhCmz0
Amusement value: 3+. One of my favorite airs. You can see
what a sentimentalist I am that the video and music gave me chills. My only quibble
is do we know that the troops are Scottish? Campbell must be, but also the
troops?
Argument: weak
Argument die roll: 1. Argument fails.
Lt. Col. Hamilton
Move: continue with melee
Argument: enemy suffers -1 morale because
1- they’re outnumbered
2- they took losses last turn
3- they’re discouraged by the ineffectiveness of their
firing last turn
Argument; average.
Argument die roll: 2. Argument fails.
Melee die roll: 1. Melee: Starts at 2-1, drops
to 1-1 because the British are behind the parapet.
Turn result: The Americans are repulsed yet again with
losses. Jeering breaks out among the British. Cries of “Go back to your farms
you pathetic colonials (more colorfully expressed of course)” are heard
floating over the battlefield.
Turn 12 (8:22 PM) June
27, Year of the plague
Redoubt 9 Major Campbell
Orders: Fire! Campbell pauses to kick a chipmunk away
Argument: British morale increases 1
- the continuing wail of Scotland the Brave raises the
spirits of the Scottish troops, since the garrison is the 71st, as Dear Umpire
informed us on the first turn of the game
- the Continental Light Infantry have been thrown back into
the ditch for the third time
- the growing enemy losses are evident in the dead and
wounded strewn about the ditch, the fraise and the forward slope of the parapet
Amusement value: 2, the chipmunk is a nice touch. Perhaps
this all should be named Yorktown, the Attack of the Killer Chipmunks
Argument strength: average
Argument die roll:1, argument fails.
Fire die roll: 3, the Americans are shaken.
Lt. Col. Hamilton
Move: Charge again and engage in melee
Argument: the enemy suffers -1 morale because
1- we viciously taunt them for their off-key singing last
turn
2- they are frustrated by their inability to stop us
3- they are weary from battle
Amusement value: 1, the singing point is well taken
although how the singing can be heard over the bag pipes is beyond me.
Argument strength: weak
Argument die roll: 6, the argument succeeds and the
British are shaken. I have deducted the morale point prior to the melee because
the way the argument is written implies that the British are feeling the
effects of the fighting before the melee even commences.
Melee die roll: 3.
Melee result: the odds start at 2-1 and drop to 1-1
because the British are still behind the parapet. Both the British and the
Americans lose men and the Americans are now at the parapet BUT the British
have not yet recoiled.
Turn 13 (8:24 PM) June 29
Redoubt 10 Major Campbell
Order: Fight on! Drive them back from the parapet!
Argument: Campbell leads three cheers to rouse the troops,
+1 to morale
- the enemy must be getting tired, climbing out of the ditch
4 times, driven back 3 with losses each time
- it is clear that the critical point approaches
- bellowing is good for the soul
Amusement value: 1, how can there be three organized
cheers when desperate hand to hand combat is going on? Still, the image is
wonderful. The melee stops while the British give three huzzahs. How sporting.
Argument strength: average. It does seem that the
Americans must be getting tired and the British encouraged but there is only
one solid reason to support the argument.
Argument die roll: 5, argument succeeds. I am treating
the British morale as having risen prior to the melee being concluded for Turn
13.
Lt. Col. Hamilton
Move: continue melee
Argument: we have +1 morale because
1- 🤖
2- 🐿
3- 🚭
Amusement value: 3, although I do not understand the
robot head emoji and what it means. Plus having a squirrel stand in for a
chipmunk seems cheating. As to the no smoking sign, again I am mystified.
Argument strength: very weak as I discern no reasons in
support of the argument.
Argument die roll: 5, argument fails.
Melee die roll: 2
Melee result: The melee starts at 2-1and drops to 1-1
because the British are still behind the parapet. The Americans lose men and
are repulsed.
Turn 14 (8:26 PM) July 2, coronavirus time
Will the Americans defeat the British before they break?
History truly is at one of its turning points. If Hamilton wins, his and his
men’s names will live in glory forever.
Redoubt 10 Major Campbell
Order: Fire!
Argument close range gives +1 to fire roll
- They are within 10 yards, for crissake
- They are milling around in a deep crowd
- They are pushing through gaps in the fraise
Argument strength: average
Argument die roll: 6, argument succeeds
Fire die roll: 3, modified to four because argument
succeeds. The Americans are shaken. Again, I am taking the morale loss into account
before the melee starts.
Lt. Col. Hamilton
Move: charge and then melee
Argument: the enemy suffers -1 morale because a
superstitious private in their ranks sees a owl (perhaps the owl of Minerva!)
fly overhead. Taking it to be a bad omen, he immediately begins bemoaning the
fact that they are doomed and that the colonial troops will overrun their
position. Word spreads quickly among the ranks, leaving them disheartened by
news of the harbinger’s sighting and its foretelling of their demise.
Amusement value: 2
Argument strength: weak. How can anything be heard over
all the firing and shouting?
Argument die roll: 5, argument succeeds. The British are
also shaken. I am taking the morale loss into account before the melee starts.
Melee die roll: 5
Melee result: The odds start at 2-1 and drop to 1-1
because the British are STILL behind the parapet. Both the British and the
Americans suffer losses and FINALLY the British are driven back from the
parapet. The Americans swarm over the parapet and are inside the redoubt.
Turn 15 (8:28 PM) July
5, the year of social distancing
Redoubt 10 Major Campbell
Orders charge! Regain the parapet
Argument an immediate counter attack catches the enemy
celebrating. British get +1 for any dice of to determine who charges first
- Campbell and his troops know they must regain the
parapet
- Campbell's of King George rallies the men
- Campbell leads the way. What is that white stuff on his
sleeve? Could it be... owl poop?
Amusement value: 1
Argument strength: average
Argument die roll: 1, argument fails.
Charge die roll: 5
Lt. Col. Hamilton
Move: charge and melee
Argument: we gain +1 morale because we are heartened (a) at
having finally entered the redoubt and (b) because despite the losses we’ve
sustained, we still greatly outnumber the British.
Argument strength: strong. It does seem to me that the
Americans will be greatly heartened by gaining the interior of the redoubt and
seeing clearly how they outnumber the British,
Argument die roll: 1, argument fails.
Charge die roll: 4
Melee die roll: 1
Melee results: The British are the attackers as they
rolled 5 and the Americans rolled 4. The odds start at 1-2. The British lose
men and are shaken and fall back further into the redoubt.
(Umpire’s note to players) Shall we adopt Vincent’s proposed
rule change and decide that the British retreat out of the redoubt? I believe I
had said I was not adopting this rule change but it seems foreordained now that
the British will be defeated. But I leave it up to Campbell and Hamilton.
Campbell: We flee. The boys have put up one hell of a fight.
Best to save them from an early grave or the lush accommodations of a
Continental POW camp. Congratulations, Andrew on one dogged slog.
Umpire: It seems to me that the allies still carry the day
overall. Redoubt 9 has been flanked by the fall of Redoubt 10 and seems to me
to be in an unsupportable position. I suppose there is some prospect of a
British counterattack on Redoubt 10.
Game result: Lt. Col. Hamilton (Andrew) is the Allied winner.
He was as soon as the French attack was repulsed. Lt. Col. McPherson (Carl) is
the British winner as he repulsed the French attack. I was just hanging on to
see how long I could hold Redoubt 10. In retrospect my guys will be prisoners
soon enough, but it might have been difficult having one’s surrender accepted in the midst of a hand to hand fight. This way we march out with the bands
playing and all.
The French battalion lost 40 troops (10%) but their morale
tanked after 16 minutes of combat and continued effective platoon volleys from
the Crown troops in Redoubt 9. The garrison lost 40 troops of their initial
130, morale was down to 6.
Hamilton’s battalion lost 110 men and morale was down to 2. Hamilton also sports a scar on his forehead, proof of his devotion to the cause. Major Campbell (me) and the garrison of Redoubt 10 lost 30 of the initial 80,
morale was down to 3. The Yanks had come over the parapet and outnumbered us
290 to 50, time to call it a day. The fight lasted just under half an hour.
Hamilton went on to a meteoric rise in American politics,
until he made the mistake of challenging Aaron Burr to a duel.
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