Bayou Wars Pictures - Part 3 (Encounter at Fort Fromage)

Well, I finally get the pictures of my game at Bayou Wars edited and posted!  And I can hear nearly everyone say, "It's about time!"

On Saturday morning (June 11 -- one month ago), I ran the Fourth Annual George Carr, Sr. Memorial Colonial game.  This time I set it in the French and Indian War time period with an imaginary encounter between the Gallians (AKA the French) and the Britannians (AKA the British).  I use The Sword in the Forest variant of Larry Brom's venerable The Sword and the Flame rules and troops painted by Mark Stevens and me.  The trees were courtesy of the Brom family.

The situation pitted small Gallian and Britannian forces intent upon seizing the ruins of the old Gallian Fort Fromage in the Fondue Gap through which ran Cheddar Creek.  The Gallians advanced from the north and consisted of the Gallian Regiment Beaujolais (four companies), two companies of Compagnies Gallien, three companies of Canadien militice, two Gallian light guns, and two allied Indian warbands.  The Britannians advanced from the south and consisted of the 5th Foot (three companies), a company each of the 15th and 60th Foot, three companies of provincial regulars, two companies of rangers, light infantry, and allied Indians, and two Britannian light guns.

The figures are a mix of 28mm Dixon, Old Glory, Conquest, former London Warroom (now Dayton Painting Consortium), and a mix of other older manufacturers whom I cannot recall.  But they all blended very well when committed to the Field of Mars.

And now we'll let the pictures tell the story..  As usual, please click or double click on a picture to get a larger image.

The Britannian commanders:  Ed (right wing with Rangers and Light Infantry; Mark (Britannian force commander with Britannian 5^th Foot); Charles (left center with Provincial infantry); and Ken (left wing with Britannian 15^th/60^th Foot).

The Gallian commanders:  Bill (right wing with Compagnies Gallien and Beaujolais pickets); Clay (right center with Canadien militice); Martha (Gallian force commander with Regiment Beaujolais); and Phil (Gallian left wing with allied Indians).

The Britannians get into Fort Fromage first.  Martha consults her combat tables to determine how many troops to throw against them.  Clay and Phil watch as the action develops between Ken and Bill (out of picture to left).

While Charles’ Britannian provincials contest the western hill with Clay’s Canadien militice, Ken’s Britannian infantry begin their long clash with Bill’s Compagnies Gallien.

In the distance, Martha’s Beaujolais infantry assault Mark’s Britannians in the ruins of the fort.  In the foreground, Charles moves additional Britannian provincials against the Canadien militice.  In the far background the Britannian rangers and light infantry begin their fight against the Gallian allied Indians.

Charles and Ken watch the action as the Gallians and Britannians fight over the ruins of Fort Fromage.

Ed ponders his options as the Britannian right wing commander against the sneaky Gallian Indian chief – Phil the Younger.

While Ken and Charles look on with grins, Bill lobbies his commander, Martha, for a fire card for Clay’s Canadien militice.  His infantry are tangled in a melee with Ken’s so he doesn’t require the card.

The action continues and is especially fierce within the ruins of the fort where Britannians and Gallians exchange point-blank range volleys.

While Ed’s rangers and light infantry exchange a volley with Phil’s Indians on the low ground to the left, their other forces fight tomahawk against tomahawk on the wooded hill.  Mark’s gun has fired laterally against the Gallian Indians and he has moved his grenadiers up in support.

Ken’s 60^th Royal Americans clash with Bill’s Compagnies Gallien on the other flank while their supporting infantry looks on.

In the foreground, Ed’s command has taken the hill from Phil’s Indians and forced the rest of Phil’s Indians back with several good volleys.  In the background however, Martha’s Beaujolais Regiment has pushed her husband’s Britannians out of the ruins of Fort Fromage, quite a coup for the Gallians.  Now, can they hold it?

Martha repositions her Beaujolais in the fort, ready to resist any further Britannian attacks.  In the background, Ken’s Royal Americans appear to have been beaten by Bill’s Compagnies Gallien.  But Ken is ready to carry on the attack with his 15^th Foot.  Between the two actions, Charles and Clay continue to trade volleys on the western hill.

A closer look at the action between Ken and Bill (right side of picture) and Charles and Clay (left side of picture).

Martha’s Gallian Regiment Beaujolais is ready for the Britannians, having been reinforced by some of Clay’s Canadien militice with their gun.  Charles has redeployed some of his Britannian provincials to bring additional firepower to bear on the Gallians.  But do the Britannians have enough force to drive the Beaujolais from the fort?

Ed rearranges his Britannian rangers and allied Indians to consolidate his hold on the eastern hill.

Charles reaches in to reposition some of his Britannian provincials facing Clay’s Canadien militice on the western hill.  Clay looks like his troops have the western hill well in their control.

So, who won?  Each side's mission was to occupy the site of old Fort Fromage and repulse any attempts by the other side to occupy the area.  Additionally each side was to consider occupying one or both of the hills that bordered the pass.  The Gallians had occupied the fort ruins and the western hill, plus they had both of their guns still in action.  The Britannians only occupied the eastern hill and had one of their two guns still in action.  The game master (me, of course) ruled that the Gallians had secured the victory, this time.  In an earlier playtest (see link), the Britannians had won.  So goes the vagaries of (pretend) war.