The Battle of White Plains 1776: Commands & Colors Tricorne

 Dave was over Sunday and we refought the Battle of White Plains with Commands and Colors Tricorne.  This was one of the rules I wanted to test for the upcoming MEGAGAME and the game turned out to be an outstanding, suspenseful, and fun refight of this hard-fought AWI action.

I played the British and Dave played the American forces.  The scenario, straight from the rulebook depicts the British attack against the American right flank in an effort to turn the American position.  

The Americans on the high ground of Chatterton's Hill

The British have excellent quality troops including 2 units of Grenadiers, 1 unit of Lights, Regular units, and Field Artillery.  The Americans have a large number of Continental Regulars, but also 2 x units of militia as well, and a battery of light field artillery.  The British and Americans must secure 5 victory banners.  There is an interesting stipulation that the Americans must maintain a single unit in each battlefield section or the British score a victory banner for each turn that they do NOT have a unit in each section.

The Plan

My plan is simple - I'm going to roll up the American right with my Hessians and lock down that side of the table.  Dave has militia on the high ground and that's literally all he's got there.  The center and left are chock-full of Continental regulars so my Hessians under Rall are ready to clear out the rebellious and impudent Colonists!

Note the Hessians in the foreground moving up along the left flank.  the lights (Fusiliers) are already in position on the heights across from the militia.  The British main body are in the top of the picture (yes you spotted a single stand with Napoleonic Colors, , I have no working color printer so I use what I have on hand.  Shock.  Horror.)

Dave and I wanted to put CC Tricorne "through its paces" to see if it would be a good contender for our Christmas "MEGAGAME" which unfortunately is looking less and less like a mega sized game, and more like a social game, held during the holidays, with lots of snacks...  With the constant surprises afforded by the dice and the cards, we both felt that the CC Tricorne game would make a very nice and memorable social game.

The Battle

The Battle starts out with the Hessians advancing on the left/American right.  The Hessian lights (Fusilier figures on the table more shock and horror!) skirmish with the American militia and my Hessian light artillery forces the militia off the hill!  They pass their rally tests at world's-end AKA the edge of the table.  Meanwhile, Rall's main body troopers are huffing and puffing to catch up.  Dave spots an opportunity and sends a Continental regiment down to engage my lights.  He does with great effect, causing 3 hits on them and forcing them back to their start point!

A Brigade-sized Continental counter attack charges into the lights who beat a hasty retreat (you cant see them but there are more Continentals to the right of this picture in the woods)

My lights are in rough shape with multiple hits on them they're ready to throw in the towel and the British attack hasn't even really started yet!

I start to run out of cards that make any kind of activity on my left flank impossible and realize quickly that I need to start moving or else Dave will start more attacks of his own!  I look at the field and decide to try and use the covered and concealed wooded area on my right to advance.  Dave sends Putnam's troops out of their entrenchments against me which actually spurs my movement forward!

A Division-sized counterattack with 3 units sees Putnam's troops moving down the Bronx River to assault.  I throw my British forward and note that the woods to the front of my position are key to holding the right flank.  I send a regular foot unit forward and they become a magnet for every farmer with a musket!

Meanwhile while the action on the right develops, I want to form a general line so I can advance to close range and charge the American lines, or at least develop the situation so i have options on the right or the center.  The Hessian action on the left has pretty much degenerated into occasional sniping but not the decisive action Howe was hoping for.

This is a good opportunity to talk about the line cards in the CC Tricorne series nd how much fun they are.  Setting up a good attack is hard work, made even harder when you have the enemy firing at you.  I can only imagine how difficult this must have been in real life, but "Tricorne" gives you a pretty good idea as huge holes are shot in your line each turn and you have to repair them, lest your "big attack" planned, only goes in with 2 units since you no longer have a contiguous line!

Note the big line forming in te British center of at least 6 units.  I am planning a general advance with them - if only the Americans would cooperate!

The difficulty in the center of getting the line straightened out sees the much closer action on the right heat up.  Dave is firing every unit at my regulars in teh woods, who are happy to return fire.  The lobsters get the worst of things but are still not breaking.  the woods give a nice protection to infantry by allowing me to ignore an infantry hit.  Add a leader to that and you've created quite a formidable defensive position.  I also supported the lead British unit and they were not pushed out of their woods for the entire game.  I love desperate heroics that turn up in games!

Americans bearing down on the British with 2 units!

And more Americans from Putnam's command are coming!

The British moving up to reinforce the right flank which now is turning into the main effort!

My actions in the center have been costly.  Dave is pouring the fire with solid musketry and cannon fire.

My proud line!  Ready to challenge the Americans for possession of the hill!

Note that unit of Hessian Grenadiers in the top of the picture....

Dave shoots and then charges with another unit.  The Hessian Grenadiers evaporate!

What's remained of my proud and mighty line!  It's 4-2 at this point.  

I cannot afford to "demonstrate" that close to the American positions again, and so move forward aggressively on the right.  Dave has been rolling horribly on his rally checks all afternoon, losing unit after unit NOT to shooting or fighting, but to units losing their stomach and quitting the fight!  A failed rally roll!  I love this feature of the Tricorne rules and speak to the strength and authenticity of these rules!  This game has been chock-full of excitement, between the drama of the bitter fighting on the right, to the Hessians evaporating from fire under the American guns and muskets, this game really was a tough scrap right to the end!

The British unit with the Napoleonic Colors advances, charges a unit from Putnam's force and WINS THE GAME!  

The assault on the left petered out.  The movement in the center failed.  But the attack on the right was reinforced and was ultimately successful and the British capture their final victory marker 5-2.

Thoughts

Wow what a great game!  Lots of fun and I am really looking forward to playing this again.  It's worth mentioning that for the social aspect, the surprises, fog of war, and simple nature of the rules, we really enjoyed this CC game and will play more of it.  I found an awesome and well written Germantown scenario for Commands and Colors on the fan-supported website and will likely use that (Shhh don't tell the combatants that!).  It has some really neat features to it that I will review in the coming days.

In the meantime, I'm going to build some hex-based terrain to support the game coming up in less than 2 weeks!  I had better get cracking!  That way I dont have to use the unsightly river tiles for the creeks.  Thanks for stopping by!