Huzzah 2024

I attended the Huzzah convention in South Portland Maine for the first time since the plague. The computer-moderated game (by Carnage & Glory) of the battle of Freeman’s Farm was a lot of fun, but the high point was meeting fellow bloggers and kindred spirits Ed M and Mark Nichipor. We’ve been reading each other’s posts for years but finally got to meet in person. Check the right margin for links to their blogs. Mark's is My Brave Fusiliers.

                   Photo of the Bloggers Three By Ed M. Mark is in the middle, me on the right. 

Sitting in the middle seat on the American side of the table got me command of Morgan’s Rifles and Dearborn’s Light Infantry along with Morgan, Arnold and Gates. Gates was along in case Arnold got killed, since C&G has serious morale penalties if the C-in-C is hit. And one of the American goals was to get Arnold killed, preferably late in the game so he would go down in history as a hero, rather than a scoundrel. Nice idea, worth nicking. I kept Gates far from the flying lead. He’d been shot once at the Monongahela and didn’t relish a repeat.

 

Game Master Rich Wallace had a gorgeous table and lovely 28mm figures as seen below. I stopped taking pictures after the second turn. Riedesel’s Brunswick troops would arrive on the third turn from the east table edge, at the arrow on the last photo.

 

Casualties are by actual troops, rather than figures. The game started like the actual battle. Morgan and Dearborn moved to within medium range of the Piquets, who were some 90 strong. The 800 Americans caused over 50 hits between them and the British fled the field after causing a few hits back. The American lights traded some fire with Hamilton’s regulars as they deployed and then lit out for the rear. Morgan’s boys kept rallying but then refusing to advance for most of the game. The Loyalists on the other side had a similar problem. We joked that both units would convene at a tavern after the battle and trade tales of evading the fight over tankards of ale.

Much of the game saw fairly long range firefights across the creek in the  middle of the table. 15 hits from a battalion were pretty good, sometimes hits were in the single digits. The British artillery was causing a lot of damage. Then Hamilton’s guns became exhausted. They limbered up and fell back, to our relief.

Learned’s Brigade on my right was holding their fire, refusing to shoot at long range. His right flank battalion finally gave way under fire and quit the field. The Brunswick  troops arrived but didn’t have much space to deploy in. Most of them deployed behind Hamilton. The Jaegers crossed the creek and threatened our right flank, occupying Freeman’s Farm house and barn. Rich informed us that the British were winning a major victory by that time since American losses were substantially higher than British, and the Farm had been seized. A large Brunswick battalion passed through Hamilton’s line and crossed the creek, into point blank range in our center. Poor’s right flank battalion fired into them, causing 19 hits or so. Learned’s left flank battalion hadn’t fired yet. Their first volley fired at 50 paces scored 57 hits, a staggering blow. I guessed that the British major victory had just been demoted to a minor one. We played to the end of the turn and my guess was right.

 

The table was beautiful, as were the figures. I enjoyed some aspects of C&G while others had me wondering. There are two morale phases at the end of each turn. Morgan’s Rifles would rally in the first phase and then refuse to advance in the second. Why not do it all in one phase? Late in the game the British declared a series of charges along their line. All units refused to charge. But most of them then advanced within 50 paces of our line. One thinks troops refusing to charge would also shy away from getting into close range. But those are questions for Nigel Marsh, the game designer, not Rich, the game master. A nice touch: militia units open fire anytime enemy troops are in range.

 

After the game I hopped in the car and drove an hour north where my wife’s savory beef stew was waiting. All in all, a very good day.

Edit: I do think cotton smoke would enhance the look and make it clear what units have already fired this turn. After the third hour of play that sort of thing is helpful. Plus I like the look.