Saturday, September 13, 2025

William Howe's Light Infantry Discipline or "Loose File and Open Order"

 


The name of Sir William Howe is familiar to any student of the American Revolution. As Commander of the British army in North America from 1775-1777 he is often viewed as the man who lost the American Colonies. Often overlooked are his contributions to the training and tactical use of that army. A surprising misconception, in spite of the available literature is the way in which the British infantry fought the American Revolution. All too often we hear about a noodle headed British officer in bright, scarlet uniforms who refuses to adopt "revolutionary" Indian tactics unheard of in European warfare. The redcoats stand in the open and are shot down by their concealed opponents. The truth is far more interesting than the fable, and a different side of Howe emerges from the shadows.

The British army had been introduced to this irregular style of warfare in North American and North Western Germany during the French and Indian War (or Seven Years War) 1755 to 1762. [1] In Germany, the British had relied first on the Freikorp & Jagers of their Hanovarian, Brunswick and Hessian allies to counter the irregular tactics of the French Chassaurs. Later in 1760 Keith's (87th) and Campbell's (88th) Highland Regiments [2] were raised to act as Light Infantry. About the same time in North America, the disaster that over took Braddock's column on the Mongnahela River in 1755 served as a rude awakening.

Not able to depend on German allies, and finding most Provincial units equally hapless, specialized units needed to be formed capable of meeting their irregular opponents on equal ground. [3] Tactics were needed to assist the line troops in dealing with irregulars.

Scouting Companies

Lord Loudoun, as British commander-in-chief in America set about this task with a vengeance. Scouting companies were formed from the better Provincial to provide long distance intelligence gathering. Promising line officers and enlisted men volunteered to go out on these 11 scouts" to learn the ropes. [4] They were then to return to their battalions and pass on what had been learned. In addition Colonel Gage raised the 80th Light Armed Foot, the first Light Infantry Regiment in the British Army. Lord Loudoun also raised a four battalion strong regiment called the 60th (Royal American). [5]

Here the men were dressed in converted uniforms adapted for the conditions in the Colonies. There was extensive training in "firing at marks" and moving quickly and in order through the woods. [6] And as in Germany, a Highland regiment (42nd) was sent to act as Light Infantry. They worked out so well, that three more Highland regiments (2/42nd, 77th & 78th) were in the field by 1759. [7]


In 1758 each line Regiment was requested to raise and add a Light Infantry company to it's establishment. They were to provide flank protection, march security, and deal with their enemy counterparts. [8] The Light Infantry companies were usually brigaded in composite battalions. Colonel William Howe's Light battalion distinguished itself during the French and Indian War, incorporating their new training. They cleared the Heights of Abraham, silenced the Somas battery and enabled Wolfe to bring his army into play and win Quebec. The line battalions also altered their uniforms, and adopted a looser two rank deep line formation. [9]

By the end of the war the entire army had done a fine job in adapting to conditions. One has only to compare Braddock's disaster on the Monongahela River in 1755 with Bouquet's action at Bushy Run in 1763 in a very similar action to see how much the British Army had learned. [10]

End of Seven Years War

With the end of the Seven Year War came a reduction in the army. Many of the Highland regiments, the light companies, and the 80th light Armed Foot were disbanded. While the lessons learned were not forgotten, they were filed away. It was not until 1771 (on the English establishment, 1772 on the Irish establishment) that Light companies were again added to a regiment's establishment. [11] But they were uneven things, often used as dumping grounds and poorly trained. [12]

Accoutrements, dress and especially training were all haphazard. "It is not a short coat or half gaiters that makes a Light Infantry man," wrote Lord Townshend, "but as you know, Sir, a confidence in his aim ' & that stratagem in a personal conflict which is derived from experience." [13]

William Howe, who like Townshend had considerable experience with Light Troops in North America was equally upset over the quality of the "light Bobs." Reviewing the 4th Regiment of Foot in 1774 he reported they were ill supplied; that the Light company had ,, not been practiced in firing ball." Hard comments on the quality of troops whose bread & butter should have been skirmishing. The sad fact was that it took far more training to make a Light Infantry man than a common soldier. [14]

By 1774 the Army had begun its process of bringing the Light Companies into shape. A suggested set of uniform and equipment guide lines were set down. [15] Since in time of war these companies would to be taken from their parent battalions to form composite Light battalions a standard set of drill was needed. The Army turned to William Howe, whose reputation from the late war had made him the premier Light Infantry officer.


Drawing on his considerable experience Howe set about writing down a Light Infantry discipline that would combine speedy manoeuvre with skirmishing ability. The Light Infantry Discipline suggested that companies parade in two ranks.


Tactics

The files were to operate at the "close" (files together, elbow to elbow), "order" (files at two feet interval), "open order" (files four feet intervals), or "extended order". Movement was at the "march" (slow), "march march" (quick time) or "advance" (run) speeds. Changing from column into line or line into column would be done by files of two from the right, the centre or the left of a line.

Advancing and retiring by files were practiced by battalions in wings, divisions and platoons. Firing was done by the 1764 platoon regulations. The lack of practice in firing Howe had noted with the 4th was not to be found in his training camp. Everyone was issued 90 "squibs" or blanks and 20 ball cartridges.

The combined effect gave a Light battalion commander great flexibility in his dealing with any situation. [16] With a good Light Infantry discipline, it was now time to train the various light companies to a uniform system. Howe was to set up a number of training camps to instruct the light companies in his discipline. When finished they were then to return to their parent battalions to "spread the gospel" and teach other companies. The system would then enable battalion commanders to profit by picking up instruction for the line, as well as having all the light companies trained to operate together.

The first training camp was 6 August through 22 September 1774 at Salisbury. Six Light Infantry companies, from the 3rd, 11th, 21st, 29th, 32nd, 36th and 70th regiments were his first class. They drilled, trained and practiced the discipline through an endless series of skirmishes. Finally, on 3 October 1774 the troops put on an extensive demonstration of Light Infantry tactics in a very realistic review for the King at Richmond. The troops advanced and retired through woods, open fields, around buildings, by battalions, wings, divisions and platoons; in both loose and closed files. Reading the outline of the review gives the modern reviewer an outstanding example of how Light Infantry moved and fought during the time period. [17]


Those companies that returned to their regiments did pass on the training, while other companies not involved in the initial training also learned from it. Sergeant Roger Lamb, of the 9th regiment then stationed in Ireland talks at length about the training. He, along with a number of noncommissioned officers were all sent from their regiments to learn the new discipline, "preparatory to the general practice of it." The 33rd regiment then at Dublin had been set up as the training company. Lamb wrote about the discipline, that Howe's maneuvers were chiefly intended for woody and intricate districts, with which North America abounds, where an army cannot act in line. [18]


Lexington and Concord


But events in Boston Massachusetts through 1774 ended any other camps. Howe, along with two other ranking officers were sent in April to assist Gage with his increasingly deteriorating command.


General Thomas Gage in command at Boston had possibly encouraged some training of the Lights based on his experiences with the Old 80th Light Armed Foot. Dr. Robert Honeymoon, visiting from Virgia wrote on March 22, 1775 that he observed what sounds like Light Infantry at practice.


"Every Regiment here," wrote Honeyman, "has a company of light infantry, young active fellows; & they are trained in the regular manner, & likewise in a peculiar discipline of irregular & bush fighting; they run out in parties on the wings of the Regiment where they keep up a constant & irregular fire; they secure the retreat; & they defend their front while they are forming; in one part of their exercise they ly (sic) on their backs & charge their pieces & fire lying on their bellies. They have powder horns & no cartridge boxes." [19]


But no move was made to brigade the various Light Infantry and Grenadier companies into composite battalions. This prevented the different company commanders from working together, and gave no individual any experience in handling these unusual commands. The Companies stayed attached to their parent battalion and operated with them. [20] They were brigade and operated together for the first time on April 19.


Adding to the confusion, Howe's Light Infantry Discipline possibly arrived in Boston just prior to April 19, 1775. "The Grenadiers and Light Infantry Companies," recorded Adjutant Frederick McKenzie of the 23rd Royal Welsh Fusiliers on April 15th, "were this day Ordered to be off duty 'till further orders, as they will be ordered out to learn the Grenadier Exercise, and some New Evolutions for the Light Infantry." [21] This order was repeated on April 16. At the fight at Concord's Old North Bridge the confusion among the British officers might be attributed to a poor understanding of the new drill; or confusion about old vs new commands.


No matter, April 19 been a poor day for the Light Infantry. Both the 10th & 4th companies had gotten out of hand and fired against orders on Lexington Green. Eight Americans were killed and ten others wounded. Then the 4th, 10th & 43rd companies attempt to defend the bridge had dissolved into confusion. The 4th company was collected again that day," wrote Ensign Lister of the 10th, "some of them joined our company and was permitted to remain..." [22]


Lord Percy, commanding the reinforcements that joined the British in Lexington on their march back used his own battalion company men as flankers for the remainder of the march. [23]


Under Percy the battalion companies of the 23rd Royal Welsh Fusiliers had acted as rear guard. Adjutant Mckenzie from the 23rd had been mentioned in the orders of 16 April as instructing the Light companies in the new discipline, so it is possible that the entire regiment was familiar with it. Mckenzie's account of the 23rd acting as rear guard is text book Howe. "We immediately lined the walls and other cover in our front with some marksmen, and retired from the right of companies by files to the high ground a small distance to our rear, where we again formed in line [24]


The marksmen mentioned were drawn from the 23rd's battalion companies. The regiment had been extensively practising marksmanship. All winter they were quartered on a wharf, and had set up man sized targets on floats that were placed in the water. In addition objects in the water were pointed out to fire at as they moved up and down. "Premiums are sometimes given for the best shots, by which means some of our men have become excellent marksmen," wrote Mckenzie. [25]


Bunker Hill


Howe arrived in Boston on May 25, 1775. The Light Infantry were brought into a higher state of training under his command. At Bunker Hill after the debacle on the beach they successfully skirmish and pin down the American forces along the rail fence enabling Howe to over run the redoubt. [26]


Following the American retreat they conduct a harassing pursuit of them off the peninsular. On November 5 the Light Infantry battalion conduct a successful raid on Phipp's Farm on Leachmear point in order to capture some badly needed livestock for the Boston garrison's food supply.

On March 17, 1775 Howe evacuated Boston, and move the troops north up to Halifax. There he set up a further training camp. Keeping in mind the difficult terrain that would confront the army, and the lack of any sort of serious cavalry arm that would force the Infantry to fight closed up, the line battalions are trained to operate two ranks deep in both close and open order. [27]

This was something that only trained soldiers could do. Just as it is very difficult to march a battalion in a straight line that keeps it's order and formation, it is even more difficult to do so when the line is at open or extended order. Yet this is what Howe teaches the army, and the infantry learns to do it well. Because the open order line might run into trouble when confronted with a solid, compact formations the troops could fall back into a closed file type line. Major French, in his journals [28] during the war includes a drawing of how to change from two ranks into three ranks. Equally important the new Brigadiers are given time to learn their trade in commanding their Brigades. They are given valuable time to train the battalions under their command to operate together.


The Army is now made up of a very flexible Infantry who are commanded by Brigadiers used to working together. When he is finished, Howe's army is in excellent shape for the campaign with battalions and brigades that can operate and manoeuvre together effectively. "It does what Howe wants it to do, and does it well." [29]

Long Island On Long Island the newly arrived Hessians are confronted with the strange sight of line battalions operating in open order in very thin lines two ranks deep. [30] The universal comments of the German officers are that they cannot keep up with them on the march across country. They found that the British, in their looser formations could advance faster. The Hessians, two ranks deep but closed up tight, fell behind the British about thirty paces for every hundred paces they advanced. [31]


The thin, open order lines moved quickly with less confusion over the broken terrain. Two rank order also maximizes the firepower of the line, while making it easier to manoeuvre over difficult, broken terrain. It is with this "loose files" and flexible style that the British Infantry operates throughout the war. "We have succeeded always (with it); the enemy have adopted it; they have no cavalry to employ against it." [32]


Not that it is popular with everyone. German and French observers think it too thin and brittle to operate in Europe. Cavalry and thicker three rank deep infantry will tear it up. [33] French officers are eager to have a go against it while employing their own tight, three rank deep lines. Clinton, Howe's replacement in 1778 writes after the war that he was never in favour of the "lose, flimsy order". He "had disapproved, particularly of the two-deep line, and had trembled for the consequences." Being too thin, Clinton made sure that he was 11 always supporting it with something solid.... The (solid) Hessian Grenadiers supported the advanced elements, which in turn supported the light troops making the assault. [34]


Clinton, while not present blames the British defeat at the Cowpens (1781) on the lose order. "Victory... was suddenly wrested from him by an unexpected fire from the Continental while the King's troops were charging and sustaining (it) in that loose, flimsy order which had ever been too much the practice in America. [35]


Tarleton echoes this blames in his memoirs (along with anything else he can think up) for his defeat at the Cowpens in 1781 rather than his own mishandling of the battle. Yet he is refuted by a junior officer, who states that the defeat is through his Tarleton's own incompetence rather than the loose files which had been used so well on countless battlefield both before and after. [36]


Clinton continued throughout his command to employ the same formation he wrote about years after the war was over.


The merits of Sir William Howe's responsibility for the loss of the American colonies continues to be debated. Overlooked time and again is his ability as a tactician. He successfully molded the army into a force that could fight and fight well in a new environment. Looking into the future, the one thing carried into the early nineteenth century by the army was its ability to fight in long, thin, two rank deep lines. Howe created the building blocks that other expanded and used so well. And for this, as well as his role in losing the Colonies should he be remembered.


Footnotes

[1] Paret, Peter, "Colonial Experience and European Military Reform at the end of the Eighteenth century. Institute of Historical Research, XXXVI (1964). See for argument that Light Infantry developed in Europe rather than in North America.

[2] Atkinson, C. T.; "Highlanders in Westphalia 1760-62, and the Development of Light Infantry". journal of the Society for Army Historical Research, 20, 1941.

[3] Pargellis, S. M., Lord Loudoun in North America, New Haven, 1933, pp.300-1.

[4] Pargellis, S. Al., Military Affairs, 1748-1765: Selected Documents from the Cumberland Papers, New York, 1936, p.269. Rogers, Robert., journals of Major Robert Rogers: Containing an Account of the Several Excursions He Made ... Upon the Continent of North America (1765) pp.56-70.

[5] Parker, David., That Loose Flimsy Order: The Little War meets British Military Discipline In America 1755-1781. Master of Art in History Thesis, University of New Hampshire, 1988, pp.2634.

[6] Pargellis, Loudoun, pp.299-300.

[7] Houlding, J. A., Fit For Service: The Training of the British Army 1715-1795. Oxford, 1981, p.375.

[8] Parker, pp.27-28.

[9] Houlding, p.373.

[10] ibid, p.376.

[11] Public Record Office, War Office Records 4/88 , Public Record Office, War Office Records 55/416 , Public Record Office, War Office Records 27/21-6

[12] Fuller, J.F.C., British Light Infantry in the Eighteenth Century, London, 1925.

[13] Houlding, p.376.

[14] Ibid, p.145.

[15] Lefferts, Charles., Uniforms of the American, British, French, and German Armies in the War of American Revolution 1775-1783. New York Historical Society, 1929, p.195

[16] National Army Museum MS 6807/1571/6. Maj.Gen. Howe's NIS Light Infantry Discipline, 1774. Note: The author has recently transcribed a copy of this manual, which he has used to read through the manoeuvres.

[17] Howe's, pp 19-22.

[18] Lamb, Roger. Memoirs of His Own Life. Dublin, 1811, p.89-91 & 94.

[19] Radford, Philip, ed., Dr. Honyman's journal. Huntington Library.

[20] French, Allan ed., British Fusilier in Revolutionary Boston. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, 1926, p.4445.

[21] French, p.48 & p.50.

[22] Kehoe, Vincent J.R., We Were There! April 19, 1775. Privately Published, 1974, p. 117.

[23] Kehoe, p.144 & p.149.

[24] French, p.55.

[25] Ibid, pp 28-9.

[26] Elting, John., The Battle of Bunker's Hill. Philip Freneau press, N.J., 1975.

[27] Glyn, Thomas., The journal ofThomas Glyn, 1 st Foot Regiment of the Foot Guards on the American Service with the Brigade of the Guards 1776-1777. Princeton University: NIS Collection, p.9.

[28] French, Christopher, journals. Manuscript Division, Library of Congress.

[29] Novak, Greg. We have Alwavs Governed Ourselves, and I've Always Meant To. Campaign Book #7, A Guide to the American War of Independence in the North. Ulster Imports, Champaign, Ill., p.25.

[30] Atwood, Rodney. The Hessians. Mercenaries from Hesse-Kassel in the American revolution. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, p.61, also pp.82-3.

[31] Hoffman, Ronald and Albert, Peter J., ed., Arms and Independence: The Military Character of the American Revolution. University of Virginia: Charlottesville, 1984, p.202.

[32] Parker, p.90.

[33] Novak, p.101.


Author's note: the French got their chance in the West Indies against General Harris' American veterans and got a bloody nose for it.

[34] Willcox, William B., ed., The American Rebellion: Sir Henry Clinton's narrative of His Campaigns, 1775-1782, with an Appendix of Original Documents. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1954, p.95, n.16.

Parker, p.90.

[35] Willcox, p.247, and Parker, p.91.

[36] Mackenzie, Lt. Roderick. Scriptures on Lt. Col. Tarleton's History of the Campaigns of 1780 and 1781, in the Southern Provinces of North America.... London, 1787, pp 106-115.

Friday, September 12, 2025

Housekeeping

 

   Things have been quiet for the past month.   I have been bouncing back and forth from up north to back south so little time to post anything while on the road.   Also Janine and I celebrated our 40th anniversary!  Congratulations to us.  


 If anyone has a good method for transporting miniature figures please feel free to share with me.  Mostly we have been flying back and forth and I an trying to figure out the best way to bring figures down south.  I have had less then good results shipping them in the past.    Anyone have any ideas or suggestions I am open to them.


 If you have not checked out Fife and Drum miniatures please do.  Outstanding American Rev War figures and reasonably priced.  In addition they are now selling battle boxes of regiments for discounted prices.  I got two British regiments of thirty figures each please mounted command figures for $100.  Not bad at all. 

 https://fifeanddrum-minis.com/index.html

Thursday, August 28, 2025

Battle of Bunker Hill Cyclorama continued

 

I recently found some of the black and white pictures of the Bunker Hill Cyclorama.  These were reproduced in Brenden Morrissey's book Boston 1775.  Here they are;








Sunday, August 17, 2025

August Game Night

 


Since I was up north for my talk on Saturday I was able to attend the club game night.  Here us a rundown if the games on Friday night.



Phil Hammond - Battle of Jericho Mill

Union v Confederates - what more could you ask for?

15mm Fire and Fury



Mike Bailey - Battle of Trafalgar

The Battle of Trafalgar was fought 220 years ago this coming October. In commemoration, I will be running a partial refight of the battle using the “Sails of Glory” rules. The British will be organized into Lee and Weather columns, lead by Admiral Nelson in the HMS Victory, sailing east to attack the combined Spanish and French fleet, which will be sailing north.

Charles Galemmo  Somewhere in France 1944

With the success of D-day came Operation Dragoon, the invasion into southern France. Patrols of the 3rd Infantry Division were pushing north when they came upon a German force defending a manor house near a vital crossroads. The American squads deploy and move to eliminate the enemy threat.

Rules: Fist full of lead   28mm 

Thursday, August 14, 2025

Battle of Bunker Hill: A Tactical View



Saturday August 16, 1:00 PM

Join us at the Fort Devens Museum as we welcome back Mark Nichipor.


The Battle of Bunker's Hill is a milestone in American history; but also a terribly misunderstood battle. Far too often folklore and myth have replaced fact so that today most narratives are confused and misleading. Why didn't the British out flank the Americans on Charlestown neck? Were there really three frontal assaults? Did the British outnumber the Americans? And did the Americans really only lose the battle when they ran out of ammunition?


This presentation will look at why the leaders made the decisions they did based on facts at the time. Rather than British arrogance and American inexperience, most decisions were based on sound reasoning at the moment.



Mark Nichipor is a local historian interested in the Colonial and Revolutionary History of New England. He was a National Park Service Ranger at Revolutionary War sites until retiring after nearly thirty years. He served as an instructor in the NPS Historic Weapons Safety Program and ran The Staff Ride Programs for military visiting Minute Man and Bunker Hill parks. He has a number of published articles on Revolutionary War history.


The Fort Devens Museum is located on the 3rd floor of 94 Jackson Road, Devens, MA with universal accessibility. The museum is open 10 to 3 on August 16th.


Admission to the museum and the program is free with donations appreciated


Monday, August 4, 2025

Fire and Movement Rates 1809

 


  The following experiments were held in the early 19th century America and were concerning rates of fire and movement under combat conditions.  The experiments are summarized here from data in the book "The American Military Library" (Philadelphia, 1809) by William Duane. The book was written in response to the "Chesapeake Affair" of 1807 and the possibly of war with Great Britain. Duane wrote up his "library" to familiarize United States Militia Officers with current European developments.  



Experiment 1

"To try in how short a time a man could fire thirty six rounds of ball cartridge."

Conditions: 36 rounds in pouch; 18 in block, 18 below. A veteran infantryman loading and firing at will at a target 125 yards away.

Results: 3 rounds in 1 minute;  18 rounds in 6 1/2 minutes; 36 rounds in 13 minutes (deducting time to transfer cartridges, which a man needed help in doing). Out if 36 balls, 15 hit the target. (Note: the target is not described, but man sized targets elsewhere are discussed.)


Experiment 2

"Charge of Light Calvary on Artillery"

Conditions:  A Light Horseman placed 600 yards (maximum effective give range) from a light 6 pounder.

Result: The first 200 yards at a walk in 95 seconds.  The next 150 yards at a trot in 28 seconds.  The next 170 yards at a gallop in 13 seconds.  The final 80 yards to the gun at the charge in 8 seconds.  In this 2 minutes and 24 seconds, the gun was fired once every 11 seconds, for a total of 13 times.


Experiment 3

"Infantry attacking Artillery"

Conditions: A soldier placed 250 yards from the gun (Normal charge distance).

Result: The first 170 yards at the march, the last 80  at the charge.  He reached the gun in 102 seconds, during which the gun fired once every 8 seconds for a total of 13 times.


Experiment 4

"Light Cavalry attacking Infantry"

Conditions: Light Horseman placed 400 yards from Infantryman.

Result: Horseman trotted 200 yards, galloped 170  and charged 80 yards.  He reached the Infantryman in 49 seconds, during which the Infantryman fired 3 times.


Experiment 5

"Infantry attacking Infantry"

Conditions: Infantryman placed 250 yards from defending Infantryman.

Result: Infantry marched 170 yards in 70 seconds, and charged 80 yards in 20 seconds.  During this 90 seconds the defending Infantryman fired 5 times.


Experiment 6

"Infantry line attacking Infantry over uneven ground"

Conditions: The attacking party was required to keep their dress while advancing over rough ground covered with bushes for 250 yards.

Results: The attacker marched 170 yards in 100 seconds, and charged 80 yards in 45 seconds.  During this 145 seconds, the defending Infantry fired 7 times.


Experiment 7

"Infantry line attacking Artillery"

Conditions: An Infantry company, formed 3 deep, at 250 yards from the gun.

Result: Infantry marched 170 yards in 100 seconds, and charged 80 yards in 17 seconds.  During this 117 seconds the gun fired once every 8 seconds, for a total of 14 times.



Final Results:

The infantry fired a total of 15 times in a total of 284 seconds, for an average of once every 18.9 seconds.

The Artillery fired a total of 40 tines in 334 seconds, for a average of once every 8 seconds. 

Friday, July 25, 2025

Romans, Come Out To Play-Yay!!!!!




"A gang of Roman soldiers (" The Heroes ") are accused of murdering Cato, the great gang leader of all the gangs in the city of Roman.  A large reward has been placed on the capture or killing of this gang.

  Our heroes must make their way to safety, but every gang in the city is out to get them.

  The Furies, The Lizzies, The Wolf Men, The Celtic Riffs, and the Wing Men among others are on the hunt for the Romans.

  Can You Dig It????"



  Brilliant skirmish game by Jim based on the 1979 movie, The Warriors.  This movie is believe it or not is an adaption of  Xenophon's Anabasis but set in modern New York City and with street gangs.  The game featured excellent terrain, beautiful 54mm plastic figures and a fun simple set of rules.  Each player was given a bag of money which could be used to bribe the police or other gangs.    The entire purpose of the game was for the Heroes to make it out of the city and back to the Roman camp.  For the other gangs it was to get as much loot/money as possible and kill,capture the Romans and make sure they didn't get home.



First off, its a long way from the Roman camp to the city...




A careful glance at the buildings in the city illustrates Jim's sense of humor...


Game starts with Cato accessing the gangs.  He is killed, the Romans are blamed and the fight starts....


Bribes are paid, fights break out and the Romans battle their way out of the city....

The Lizzies , who joined forces with the Romans, and the Celtic Riffs battle it out.  The Furies just attack anything they see.   The Romans march on....


The Wolf Men emerge from the Woods!  (this was my command). They are attacked by the Furies and lose a figure.  At thus point I survive we can throw spears.  And they don't run out.  So, while everyone else is kung Furies fighting I stand off and throw spears.  After seeing me eliminate the Furies the Celtic Riffs line up to attack.  I mow them down and capture two figures.  Reasoning together the Gifts ransom the captives back and then pay me to not fight them for two turns.  The Romans also pay me to not fight them for two turns.  My bag of money grows....



The Romans cannot get a break.  First they run into a traffic jam caused by a bunch of sheep....  



Then some other Romans marching out of the camp run into a familiar looking holy man who delays them for two turns....




Treachery!   Romans pay another gang to not attack them.  The player (Alice)  takes the bribe and then starts to cut down trees to drop on the road and at least one Romans head.  Hey!  I said I would not attack you I said nothing about delaying you or dropping things on you!


Finally, within sight of the Roman camp....




But too late!  The leader of the heroes is killed just before they get to safety.  A sad ending to a long journey.



Thank you Jim for putting in a most excellent game.  I greatly enjoyed it and had a ball.





And thank you to my followed players.  I could not gave asked for a mire friendly and fun group to play with.  









Wednesday, July 23, 2025

Hannibal! The War Game


 

  I took part in Jim's massive 54mm battle between Republican Romans and Hannibal's army.  Spread out over two sets of tables it was a massive affair and a feast for the eyes.  The terrain was magnificent and included a Roman town.  The figures were outstanding and beautifully painted. Simple rules which kept the game moving quickly.  What more could you ask for!


The game is set up on two very long tables with a gap between them.  This facilitate the movement of players and being able to move the large commands.  



On one end of the table is a beautiful Roman city.  There are lots of buildings, and many civilians going about there business.


On the other end is a magnificent Roman camp.  All built by Jim.



The Republican Roman army is mostly heavy type infantry with a small cavalry force guarding the left flank.






The Carthiginians of course are much more diverse.  You get heavy infantry, light infantry slingers, Celtics, lots of cavalry of all types and of course elephants!


And so the two armies line up and march forward....


On the Roman left, a massive cavalry battle.  Although out numbered the Romans held there own.  It went back and forth for the game.  But in the end the Romans (barley) held on.

In the center elephants attacked but were destroyed by Roman spears.





I was on the right of the Roman line., with three legions.   Opposite me I could make out light Cavalry, Celtics and infantry with spears.   And they we're all marching g towards me!



The Celtics had an interesting attack.  On the first charge they got a +2 for their fury.  After that they were regular no modifiers.



Here they come!  Steady boys and hold on to your spears!



We managed to see off the light Cavalry.  That was more to my good dice rolling and Kevin's poor dice rolling.  But at least my line was not turned.  Then it was a slug feast with both sides losing figures.  Pretty bloody battle.  In the end my morale just held while their morale didn't and off they went.



About this time Jim called the game.  It was bloody and both sides had lost a lot of troops but the Roman line held;  just.  Jim called it a tie and I would go with that since I am not sure many of our commands would have passed any more morale tests. 

  None of us realised over three hours had passed!  The rules were simple and got the job done in an efficient manner.  By the second turn we understood them and could concentrate on playing and not figuring things out.  Just what you want for a convention or game night.  Actually in my old age just what I want in any game!

Thank you Jim for an great game.  Its fun playing with 54mm figures and you really put a lot into thus game.  Thank you to Steve and Kevin who I played against.  They both were excellent players, very funny great Players and just the people you want in a game.  All in all an outstanding game and excellent day.