 |
|
The Crossing by Robert Griffing, shows Braddock's column on the march to disaster |
Oh how it grew!
John Sharples describes the development of an award winning game
|
|
The Crossing by Robert Griffing, shows Braddock's column on the march to disaster |
It was not an auspicious start to the weekend, two absolutely, definite, confirmed players had pulled out at the last minute leaving us very short handed for our display at Sheffield Triples. We had been late picking up the van, and managed to get caught in rush hour traffic, there was no chance we would be able to set up that night, which meant missing breakfast in order to get the game set up in time for the show. Graham was really p****d off, he had been planning the game for months, spent a fortune on getting figures painted, hiring a van, and his hotel, he swore that he would never....ever....do this again.
Driving back over the Peninnes on Sunday night, tired, peering through the rain and mist, backs aching from leaning over the table all weekend, not to say hung over from Saturday nights exertions, Graham was waxing lyrical about the third prize for best display game that our War of the Spanish Succession game had won , and was already talking about next year's display. Such are the ups and downs of presenting a wargames display.
 |
|
Graham Campbell and John Normansell, Gentlemen both! |
Gentlemen Volunteers is not a club, rather a disparate group of friends and acquaintances, all of whom have been through the wargames mill. Most of us have been members of, or run, wargames clubs in the past, with all the stresses and strains that can bring. Some of us have been competition gamers in years gone by to varying degrees of success. Now we have reached an age where we are looking to slow down a bit. Mainly we play the occasional game at each others homes, at which copious amounts on good wine, port and or beers are consumed, with the result of the game fading into insignificance.
Two or three time a year we get together to produce a large scale game at our favourite shows. Usually this means Graham Campbell digging out his large and well painted figure collection, his sculpted terrain, and hiring a van; while I work out a scenario, prepare army lists, and programme the details into the computer. We almost always use ECW computer moderated rules for our games, as despite their venerable age, and their undoubted quirkiness, they do give a great game, and cut out all the arguments about rule interpretations.
Anyway, back to the story, remembering Grahams comments on the way to the show, I tried to rein in his enthusiasm. By the time we reached Stockport, it was decided that we would prepare a fairly small scale, 10 x 6, game based on Last Of the Mohicans. This has always been one of my favourite stories, I loved the films especially the versions with Henry Wilcoxon as Hawkeye and more recently the Daniel Day Lewis production. I knew that Graham owed a small but excellently painted collection of French Indian War figures. I reckoned that we would be able to stage a great participation game, especially if we could borrow additional troops and terrain from Dave Millward and other friends.
 |
|
Robert Griffings The Victory Coat |
Anyway, months went by, I had worked out the scenario, organised additional terrain features and figures, booked the table and left Graham to sort out the rest of the terrain. About six months to go, and I asked Graham about progress. And found that my original concept had flown out of the window. Far from a small scale game Graham had been inspired by "Last of the Mohicans" and after talking to a few pals was now planning a typical Campbell game, as impressively large, but only sort of organised, as himself!
Large numbers of figures were ordered and painters put on standbye. New terrain had been ordered, including a frontier fort to be made by the talented David Marshall from Derby. My scenario of small groups of rangers and Indians skirmishing around a military road, desperately needed revision, Sheffield needed to be contacted to increase the size of table, more potential players contacted, in fact the display now became a major challenge. So we had no choice we just got on with it, and the stress levels started to rise.
 |
|
The field of battle |
With the show only days away problems began to grow, as usual players suddenly became unavailable, meaning desperate E mails to scarcely known potential players. With two days to go three huge boxes of painted figures arrived, only to find that in a maniacal brainstorm the painter had failed to glue the bases down in one of the boxes. Consequently whole companies now had sergeants with walking sticks not halberds, grenadiers had lost their bayonets, and sparkling bare metal shone from beneath battered noses. God bless Parcel Force and dumb painters.
I had the army lists to amend, gliches to iron out, the computer began playing up, and the printer kept jamming.......oh joy.
And despite all our plans......we set off late on the Friday.....far too late to set up, and with a twenty foot table to decorate things did not look good for the morning. Up very early, skipping breakfast, we off for the show, after unloading the van Graham returned to the hotel....for breakfast......while I began laying out the terrain.
The scenario was a combination of General Braddock's disastrous attack on Fort Duquesne and the siege of Fort William Henry. The fort that David Marshall was building was based on a small frontier fort, not the major fortification defended by Colonel Munroe and his troops, and would be held by a single weak battalion of inexperienced regulars, civilians and militia. It was under attack from a large force of French regulars, four experienced battalions, supported by numerous militias, battalions de Marine, and of course whole tribes of native American warriors.
 |
|
The bastion and gatehouse |
The British also had a relief column of regulars, rangers, and colonial militia, but they had to fight their way along a narrow wilderness road, hacked through thick woodland, and filled with hostile Indians and couerers de bois. Because I am a devious character I had designated most of the British regulars as inexperienced, the reasons being that historically they were not prepared for the sort of warfare in which they were engaged. Their drill books called for firing in organised lines, in the open. During Braddock's defeat the redcoated lines stood a perfect target for the sniping hidden Indians and French, while the colonial troops who took cover to fight back, where literally whipped back into vulnerable lines to be slaughtered. The English troops were like fish out of water, or conscript GIs in Vietnam: the woods belong to Magua!
Again in my corrupt and twisted mind I had decided that if the relief column fought its way through, the French lost. If the fort surrendered to French regulars, then the result would be a draw, if the fort fell to either militia or Indian attack, then the British defeat would be total, as the garrison would be massacred without mercy.
With the help of Steve Farren, we managed to get the basic terrain completed, and I have to say it looked tremendous, masses of trees, supplemented by Steve's amazing collection of shrubs and bushes, rocks, flocks, sand and logs. Hidden in the forest was an Indian village with branch and bark wigwams and longhouse provided by master painter Pete Rowley from Birmingham. Only three problems, Graham had forgotten to pack the earthworks for the besieging French, the computer was playing up.....again, and as yet .....no fort!
 |
|
The tribes move to their ambush positions |
While I worked on the computer, Steve constructed gun positions from twigs and sand, and Graham wandered around cursing, Dave Marshall appeared, a huge grin on his face, and a bigger box in his hands. Everything stopped as the fort was revealed, and what a beauty she was. A log construction with a single solid corner bastion with artillery embrasures. The buildings inside were works of art, and there was even a couple of removable sections that could be replace with burnt and smashed breaches. Best of all the fort fitted into the hole left for it like a glove. Sighs of relief all round.
 |
|
Canadian Militia move to the attack |
After all this the game itself was something of an anticlimax. The relief column was ambushed in the woods, the Hurons going wild and charging from cover to rout the disorganised grenadiers and two regular battalions, who after rallying seemed to have found their boots glued to the ground. Rogers mighty Rangers got walloped by redskins, and only the light infantry and highlanders had any success against the tribes, eventually storming the Huron village. While Colonel Washington's Virginian Militia, sickened by the antics of the redcoats force marched towards the fort, taking on three French battalions and steadily pressed them back.
However at the fort things were going badly, two companies of Pepperell's foot routed from the walls, then a band of Indians used canoes to storm a corner gun position, the artillery men fleeing from the whooping braves. Meanwhile a French regular battalion stormed the breach , sweeping aside the desperate resistance of the Mohawk Valley rangers, as Canadian militia swarmed over the walls. Damn.....just like Last of the Mohicans, a massacre!
 |
|
The fort about to fall, note the breach in the background |
Two busy days had been spent explaining the game, the scenario, and giving miniature lectures on the history of the period to the many, many punters who visited and revisited the game. The ECW programme worked perfectly, no problems at all, except the result. Graham was totally made up, the whole game looked superb, and the fort was a raging success. The weekend was complete when Graham was awarded the trophy for best wargames display, doubly an honour as the prize is awarded according to the votes of those other clubs and individuals presenting display games at the show.
 |
|
The relief column getting nowhere fast |
So when we drove back over the Peninnes this time, the talk was all about the game and how it had turned out, and how it could be improved. Amazingly it has now expanded, and at Ceasefire recently Graham revealed the extensive siege lines created by David Marshall, now turned professional and trading as TM Terrain. Also new is the lake shore and river soon to be graced with canoes and hopefully in time a sloop. Graham has further plans to expand the game, and we have just agreed to purchase more figures of the period to increase our options, as well as looking at expanding into the American Revolution. All in all it is amazing to think just how this all grew from an idea for a small skirmish game!
 |
|
French Siege batteries |
If you want any more information on the period, try exploring the links below. If you like the idea of the Gentleman Volunteers approach to gaming and would like to join in future displays, or meet up for the occasional game, mail the editor. For details of ECW products, and TM Terrain, simply click on the links.
 |
|
The fort with siege lines in place |
Links to Explore
French and Indian war Magazine re-enactment groups
Archeological reports from French Indian War sites
 |
|
Robert Griffings depiction of the aftermath of Braddock's defeat |
JOS
Return
to Wargames Forum
Return
to Random Shots Return
to the Library