Camden 1780; game test Loose Files & American Scramble

A couple days ago I decided to give the “Loose Files & American Scramble” rules at shot at the Camden scenario. We last played these rules in 2005, not sure why we stopped though we went through a period of writing our own rules, since abandoned. These fine rules are available here  for free.

 

I decided to play Loose Files as written, minus our house rules. A bit rusty, I had to look things up as the game progressed. The deployment and opening moves are below. I amalgamated several infantry units to avoid having tiny infantry units. It can be done the other way if you prefer. 

 The crux of the game is Disorder Points (DPs). The more a unit has, the worse off it is. Rallying them is important. Better troops get rid of them faster and leaders can use Command Points (CPs) to remove DPs. A more detailed look at the 3rd Turn follows to illustrate Rallying. Lord Rawdon gets 3 DPs. He spends one to move DAV (score of an average die in inches) to contact the unit that requires help. He then uses his remaining 2 CPs to remove a single DP from the North Carolina Volunteers / Legion Foot. 

On the 4th turn Rawdon was lightly wounded. The rules call for the loss of 2 CPs. If that is for the rest of the game, then a brigade CO gets 1 CP per turn which is useless. I decided it was for one turn and if Rawdon got another light wound, he would be out of the game. It seems that leaders who attach to units then move with them. It specifies leaders with a unit beaten in close combat do so. I think it should be for all cases, otherwise having a leader participate in a charge to inspire the troops is nigh impossible. 

A small good unit in good order can beat a larger disordered unit of lesser training and morale. 

Here I erred. The 23rd Foot & Light Infantry got a musket effect against the artillery supporting the Virginia Militia and removed the crew. The artillery should have received a DP. This would have made them less effective in fire but would not have saved the Virginians from the bayonet storm to come. It was that lop-sided. Armand’s Legion cavalry hit the 23rd / Light Infantry in the flank but were seen off with losses. A tiny unit became a miniscule cipher. 

The next photo is the only one showing the game mat at almost the right color. 

The British left collapsed as the Rebel center was smashed in. The British in the center were pretty much disordered by their success. De Kalb’s brigade was in reasonable shape though the NC Volunteers/Legion Foot were also getting back into fighting trim. The British artillery now had a clear field of fire once the prisoners and deserters cleared out. I had played 9 turns in about 3 hours and had to leave the table. I intended to return to the game but after two days I decided to write the report instead. 

The game at this time would be a race between the slowly wheeling 1st Maryland Brigade and the recovery of the victorious British units in the center. The elite 23rd Foot/Light Infantry would be able to shake off 4 DPs in two turns. The Legion cavalry would likely have to fall back somewhere safe to recover. 

 Continental losses (of 59 stands of troops/artillery) were 1 artillery stand (in error), 11 infantry hors de combat and 10 ran away, including the command stand of the 1st NC Militia Brigade, and 1 cavalry stand. A scenario rule would have Gates quit the field when a second such command stand was removed. It was close, but not worth any extra effort since Gates is no great threat. Crown losses (of 38 stands) were 6 stands of infantry, 4 (the Irish Volunteers) taken prisoner and 4 (the NC Militia) ran away. Panic is infectious in these rules. It’s one of the things I like about them. 

 Another playing error: in addition to affecting firing and close combat, DPs also have an effect on movement dice, -1 from each die score per DP. I forgot that. 

(That isn't true. This rule comes from Sharp Practice, not Loose Files.)

There are a couple vague things in the rules that players will need to sort out. There is one mention of orders, which take effect next turn. No further explanation. I have found orders a can of worms over the years. Players expect orders full of “if”, “when”, “depending” to be telepathically executed. Lord Cardigan muffed an order that had no conditions at all. But his sweater was marvelous. I am leaning toward simple brigade orders as found in the “In Deo Veritas” rules; Advance (at least half units move closer to enemy, may charge), Hold (no movement closer to enemy than own front line, no charges), or retire (half units must move away, no charges). 

 I have always had fond memories of Loose Files and this game has rekindled them. I can’t imagine using anything else for the American Revolution. If and when our club can return to face to face games, Loose Files will be played. For those wondering about the title, Lord Howe instituted a change to British infantry drill in 1776 that was in effect during the rest of the war. Rather than 2 or 3 close order ranks, troops were to form into two loose order ranks. Had the two ranks coalesced, it would have been the same as a single close order rank. This looser formation was enabled because a wall of bayonets wasn’t needed to fend off heavy cavalry; there was none in the New World. Had any showed up, operating in the close terrain would have been an issue. The formation was fast and flexible. Loose Files and American Scramble was the term was used by British proponents of this order opposed to the Brtish fans of Frederick the Great’s Prussian army drill book. 

The order of battle used is below. Number in parentheses is CPs per turn. The game calls for infantry stands = 30 troops, cavalry 20, artillery 2 guns. I doubled all of these, hence 60 infantry, 40 cavalry, 3 or 4 guns.

US Army Horatio Gates (Dav -1), 3,350

                    

Units	# Troops	# Bases	Morale class
De Kalb’s (3) Division
Smallwood 1st Maryland Brigade	400	7	3rd class Infantry
Gist 2nd Maryland Brigade + Delaware Regiment	400 150	9	2nd class Infantry
Section artillery	4 guns	1	2nd class field artillery
Caswell’s (2) Militia Division
1st NC Militia Brigade	600	10	4th class infantry
2nd NC Militia Brigade	600	10	4th class infantry
Stevens VA militia Right wing	350	6	4th class infantry
Stevens VA Militia Left wing	350	6	4th class infantry
Section artillery	4 guns	1	2nd class light artillery
Armand (2)
Light Infantry (ex. Porterfield)	400	7	3rd class Infantry
Armand’s Legion	100	2	3rd class Cavalry
	3,350	59

Armand's Legion and the Light Infantry have been down-rated to reflect the beating they took during the night at the hands of Tarleton's Legion Cavalry.

British Army Cornwallis (Dav +1), 2,132

 

Unit	# Troops	# Bases	Morale class
Rawdon’s (3) Brigade
Hamilton’s NC + Legion Foot	267 126	7	3rd class Infantry
Bryan’s NC Vols	322	5	4th class Infantry
Irish Vols	303	5	3rd class Infantry
Webster’s (3) Brigade
33rd Foot	238	4	2nd class Infantry
23rd Foot & Light Infantry	292 148	7	1st class Infantry
Reserve (Cornwallis)
Section artillery	4 guns	1	2nd class field artillery
Sections artillery	3 guns	1	2nd class light artillery
1/71st Foot +2/71st Foot	144 110	4	1st class Infantry
Legion Dragoons	182	4	3rd class Cavalry
	2,132	38