Another Highland Fling - Jacobite Ambush Revisited.

It seemed worthwhile to have another go at the ambush scenario, just to check if the Dutch end of the column was truly a lost cause. To be completely fair (almost) Ian and Jon took the British, and Richard and Steve joined Phil as the Jacobite rebels. The table layout was as close as I could make it to the previous game, bearing in mind the hills were made of bits of foam rubber and blankets chucked on the table in a hand hazard fashion. The rules were mostly the same. 

I swapped out the Dutch cavalry for some white-coated Hanoverians for a bit of a change, and reduced the gunners from 4 to 3, but otherwise the forces were identical.

End of the first turn. The Kilties have come down off the ridge line. Phil, on the Jacobite right, has swerved inwards a bit to avoid going through the woods. That was another change - loosening up the wheeling rules for Highlanders. The British column, led by Ian, pushed on at full speed up the road, and Ian sent a column of cavalry up the hill.

Taking the initiative, the Jacobites carried on down the hill. Ian's cavalry had moved a bit close to Steve's chaps, who charged them. I allowed Ian to change into line as he passed his morale test, but didn't let him counter-charge. That was probably generous. (The Highlander/Cavalry interface needs work doing on it, and I'm scrabbling back through my books to help me at the moment).

After brief melee the cavalry dropped back (Phil suggested that if cavalry can't counter-charge, they should retire. That's a good thought), but no real damage was done to either side.

Elsewhere the column turned to face and formed line. For some reason Jon didn't deploy the artillery, but carried on moving it up behind Ian's troops .He clearly had a clever plan. Jon always has a clever plan. Especially if he's playing a scenario for a second time.

Having sorted themselves out a bit, Ian launched a charge with his previously repulsed cavalry. Steve's volley was ineffective, and Ian inflicted some damage.

Richard charged one of the Dutch units in the centre, intimidating them. Ian's volley inflicted some damage, but Richard won the melee, driving them back towards the walled enclosure.

Steve's Highlanders failed their morale check, and then had to test again (this is a new rule - if you fail a morale roll, you have to keep rolling until you pass). Consequently his men routed, and fled back up the hill.

On Jon's flank it was a bit confusing. Richard was close to breaking some of Ian's Dutch, so Jon charged him in the rear with his cavalry. This didn't stop the Dutch being broken, but it did break the Highlanders. Jon's plan for the gun sort of emerged as he deployed it to enfilade Phil's troops.

In their turn, however, they were charged in the rear by one of Phil's clan regiments. Ian had advanced both of his other Dutch battalions, and opened fire. In the centre Richard sent in a charge, which intimidated the Dutch.

Here's a broader view. In the distance Ian's cavalry are still in hot pursuit. Jon's infantry had formed up and was advancing steadily.

Richard won the encounter with Ian's Dutch, and drove them back, overrunning the guns which never fired. Meanwhile Steve's last clan regiment commenced to charge the leading Dutch regiment.

Jon's cavalry survived the initial onslaught, and managed to turn to face. Phil's other unit launched a desperate charge on the Red-coated Foot.

Steve drove back the Dutch unit at the head of the column, and Phil's Highlanders broke Jon's Dragoons.

The remaining Dutch battalions were in as life and death struggle, with their backs literally against the wall.

Jon's General rode up to encourage his men.

His intervention held his men in place, but he fell to a stray pistol shot.

As he fell, Phil's unit was broken, and turned for the hills.

Most of the Highlanders were inside the walled enclosure now, as Jon wheeled his units round to take them on.

The the last Dutch foot regiment broke, and it looked like another result similar to last time, with the British battalions on one piece, more or less, and the Dutch gone. The Jacobites were badly mauled, however, so although a strategic victory goes to them, it was at quite a cost. Their surviving units could swim the river to escape.

Given that all of the Dutch/British units are of the same quality, the lesson of the scenario is don't be at the head of the column when the Kilties come to call.

Although I don't have pictures, it was a hard day for commanders, with only one Jacobite clan leader surviving from both sides' leadership. I may need to look at those rules a bit.

I think it is pretty much fixed in my mind now that the Jacobite rules are the next project. I'll probably push back to Killicrankie and possibly the Boyne, as well. As it's for my own entertainment on the table top I'll carry on using my tricorn wearing fellows for the early battles, whilst adding a few pikemen, once I've worked out exactly what's required. I have an idea of how to include them and add them to existing units without breaking the system.

Why the Jacobites and not the WSS? Well, much as I like the WSS rules  - and they do work well - my recent re-reading of books on the period seemed to indicate to me that I simple can't get the grand scale of the whole business that it deserves. I can field 20 -30 battalions of infantry a side and 15 or so Regiments of horse, but that's only really scratching the surface, and the games will outgrow the table top even if I paint the required figures (i.e. at least doubling everything). As such I don't feel that I can do what I'd want to do in a rule book for now without compromising a lot on figure and ground scale. On the other hand most of the Jacobite battles - the possible exception being the Boyne - are really manageable with what I've got. Culloden, after all, is only 15,000 men all in, so I have units to spare. Might need to add a few for Sherrifmuir, but where's the harm in that?

There are ideas already buzzing in my head to move the current "Va t'en Ecosse" rules to the next stage. Variable, unknown, unit quality is a matter I think I want to look at, and there's some clumsiness in other areas that needs fixing. I like the idea of individual commander cards/abilities as well, as the campaigns all have larger than life characters who deserve a bit more than what they have for now. The rule book should probably include scenarios for all the battles the rules are suitable for (so maybe not Preston for now).

And I need a new name, with an excruciating pun if I can think of one. "The Right Charlie" was a thought, but not quite there. "Jacobitten Twice Shy" ? No. That's rubbish too.