Sharp Practice 2 AWI Continentals and Hessians

 We had another SP2 game this evening with a slightly different mix of troops for a change. Interesting game.

A mainly Hessian force was to destroy a Patriot force holding a small farm.

The crown forces were better quality with solid level 2 leaders across the board they consisted of:

3 groups of 8 Heassian Fusiliers

1 group of 6 Jaegers

2 groups of 6 British Light Bobs

1 group of 6 British Legion cavalry 

The Rebels ... ahem, patriots had a more mixed force benefiting from deploying into the cover of the farm. Their overall commander was a level 3.

3 groups of 8 continentals level 3 leader

1 group of 6 rifles level 3 leader

2 groups of 6 militia skirmishers level 1 leaders

So 42 Loyalist foot would try to hold 42 Crown foot with 6 horse in support. The Crown had the edge in troop quality the Rebels the adavantage of cover and slightly better leaders.

True to form the Loyalist light s and cavalry bounded off to start harrassing the Rebels whilst the Hessians meandered aroudn the deploy ment point. The Patriots quickly ensonced themseleves inside the fences of the farm.

At a bit of a loss what to do with the cavalry with all the enemy behind fences, so I pushed toem behind a wood maybe an opportunity would present itslef.

Long range rifle fire saw casualties to both sides As the Hessians continued not to get their act together.

Chris decided to throw one unit of Milita skirmishers through the wood to harass me, before they could disapear my cavalry decided to try snaffle them u.

Unfortunately Chris wheeled on of his groups of regulars and the cavalry were hit by a volley from both sides and broke, so much for the British Legion.

My right hand light bobs have pressed forward and started firign into the flank of the Continentals, but they are taken heavy fire from the American rifles in the farmstead and quickly lose 2 of their number.

My lights and rifles have been ignorign the Patriot skirmishers and firign away at the continentals and now their line is startign to llok pretty badly damaed. The Hessians are finally rollign ponderousley forward down the middle.

However gnorign the skirmishers means they are takign a steady toll on my lights and we are quickly runnign out of skirmishers.

I get itno range only to recieve a devastating volley from the continentals leavign 6 dead and 11 shock.

My lights are now being pushed back by the enemy skirmishrs and close to breaking.

My Hessians at last throw avolley into the continentals and cause havoc amongst their ranks, one unit of 8 is completey goen an d the other two very badly mauled.

However in return I lose both my light infantry screens and my Jeagers are at half stregnth.

As we draw to a close the game is on a knife edhge, My Hessians are in reasonably good shape with a small contingent of Jaegers to support, however the Continentals are ont he edge breakign whilst the three skirmish screens for the Patriots are intact.

We need another 3 turns to decide it at least, we only have one andour rushed firing makes no impression.

A hard fought draw is declared.

Another enjoyable evening of Sharp Practice. We really need to start using force morales, I wonder how soon it might have ended if we had?