Emergency Miniature Work - 15mm USMC Super Cobra
Elessar 2590 v. Oriskany, Battle Highlights
As community members are asking how this battle went between @elessar2590 and myself, let me offer a quick “cliff notes” outline of some of the highlights.
- We’re still playtesting the system. In this game we wanted to try out some new factions, namely Crown Germans (“Hessians”) and Native Americans of the Iroquois Confederacy.
- Since we’re still playtesting, the games are kept “impossibly equal,” and so are not historical battles.
- That said, these kinds of battles happen all the time in the 1777 New York Campaign, with elements of Germans and Native Americans detached from the main Crown Army (Burgoyne) to fight in the frontier wilderness of upstate New York. They were often checked by columns of American Continentals or (more commonly) militia.
Here’s the American force. We have the fictional Brigadier General Spencer in command of two mixed regiments of Continental regulars, trained and raw militia, and riflemen. Two colonels command the regiments. We’re looking at 14 units (very roughly, 60-100 men, call it two companies each) so just over 1100 men.
Here’s the Crown force. It’s a little different, but about the same in power. We have an understrength regiment of Hessian grenadiers (only 240 strong), along with fusilier “line infantry” and a detachment of jaegers. The fictional Colonel von Lassen is in command. Unlike British regiments of the day, most Crown German states of the day (Hesse, Brunswick, Saxony) organized their grenadiers into their own regiments, although these were few and understrength, as we see here. There is also a contingent of Mohawk Iroquois under the leadership of fictional war chief “White Owl,” and a detachment of local “Tory” loyalist militia. 
We rolled dice to determine that I would play the crown, and Dylan would play the Patriots. Dice also determine that I am the “attacker” and so move on to the table first. I approach along the west and northwest roads (entry hexes indicated). My Iroquois (VERY fast warriors) seize the West Tavern (1) and my light Hessian Jaegers move fast and seize the objective bridge leading into the town from the west (2). Meanwhile, the patriots also come in from the east and southeast, seizing an objective at the East Tavern (3). The Patriots detach a three-company battalion to the south under command of one of their colonels, wary of the Mohawk Iroquois I might try to work around their left wing.
Shots fired! As the brigades close, my jaegers get the drop on an approaching column of Pennsylvania rifles. At long range (only riflemen and jaegers can engage at this distance), I manage to scare them off a little.
The battle starts in earnest not between the opposing main bodies, but in the south. Here I launch a screaming charge out of the woods with nearly all my Mohawk Iroquois (not all of them can quite reach the Patriots). However, Elessar2590 carefully portions out his interruption fire as I charge in, foregoing the possibly of KILLING any units for simply breaking up the charge and saving his extremely vulnerable riflemen. It’s a smart but risky decision that pays off. None of my war bands are KILLED or even seriously damaged, but the charge never really happens. Luck turns against me, though, as White Owl himself catches a stray bullet and is wounded.
The main battle in the north finally gets underway. By opening volleys have missed, but return Patriot volleys are more effective. However, despite the firepower, these opening volleys are made at VERY long range for smoothbore muskets, the target are my very tough Hessian grenadiers, deployed between wooden buildings for cover, and with Colonel von Lassen’s +1 leadership bonus. Nevertheless, one company is actually shoved back a little. Meanwhile, my Tory Loyalists have taken ANOTHER objective along the north road (out of shot) and are now poised to take the high ground north of the developing battle. 
The situation at the end of Turn 4. I’m totally winning on objectives (note I’ve taken the “+” objective marker marked by the “1”). However, my south wing is in danger of completely falling apart. Here, Elessar2590 has chosen to use his Patriot riflemen not to attack my Mowhawk warbands, but try to SNIPE my wounded leader, White Owl (a special ability for Patriot riflemen, renowned and infamous for deliberately targeting Crown commanders). It’s a tough roll, and it means basically not getting a normal attack that turn, but Elessar2590 makes the shot and White Owl is killed (skull and crossbones marker). This means that these Iroquois are no longer under command (the game has strict rules for command radius, etc.), and what few survive in good order are basically helpless unless DIRECTLY attacked or if I can get another commander down there. More to come! Stay tuned!
Again, the whole game is available on video:
Change of pace with new time period, refreshing to move out of 20-21 century.