Gus Murchie Memorial Game - AWI, Muskets & Tomahawks

General Nicholas Herkimer at the Battle of Oriskany - F.C.Young 

Traditionally at the Devon Wargames Group our December meeting has only one large game, instead of the three or four we would normally run, where all the club can come together to play in one game.

If you look back through our archive we have had some great club games covering the Dark Ages, Wars of the Roses, American Civil War and and the Glorious Revolution to name a few.

This year we decided to set our chosen game in the American War of Independence and loosely based on the Battle of Oriskany fought during the Saratoga Campaign of 1777.

Battle of Oriskany 1777

The chosen rule set was our 'turn to' big game set of skirmish rules for black powder games, Musket & Tomahawks.

In addition our end of year game has now been re-titled, this year, the Gus Murchie Memorial Game in honour of a former member of the club who sadly passed away a few years ago and whose banter and passion for the hobby is a great loss to our club and is sadly missed by all of us who knew him. I know Gus would have thoroughly enjoyed getting stuck in with our big game yesterday.

Happy wargamers anticipating a day of fun and with a buzz of chatter as the toys get sorted

Another tradition has been to place the organising of this kind of game, which requires the skill of a cat herder to get the figure lists drawn up and the terrain requirements, not to mention who might be appearing on the day to play, in the hands of an expert, but as we couldn't find one we relied on Chas to get things sorted out, and what a fine job he made of things.

Troops still getting put out as players get their heads around their particular force mix

Chas doing a bit of cat herding

On arrival in the morning the tables were rapidly arranged with cloths and terrain to replicate a section of road leading through the woods of up-state New York simulating the route our American supply column was following en route to relief the garrison at Fort Stanwix.

The American column starts to take shape

Et voila - a supply convoy en route to Stanwix

Nothing too complicated here with the American team simply trying to defend the road and get their supply wagons through with the forces of the Crown determined to prevent any such thing.

You're kidding me, British troops attempting to join the end of the American column and they don't look very friendly

The militia with riflemen to their right shake out to defend the rear

The mechanism of Muskets & Tomahawks lends itself perfectly to this type of multi-player game where we had about twenty players at the table each with a mixed force of the different types of units, regulars, irregulars, provincials etc, that meant that with the use of a single card deck, managed by our gamemeister Chas, the card revealed would enable all players with that troop type, either American or British, to activate the unit class simultaneously.

As units were activated according to the card draw the deck would be used up and then reshuffled signifying the start of a new turn.

With the ambush sprung, American troops fan out from the road to protect the wagons

British troops head for the edge of the tree line to start peppering the column with musketry

British troops moving up on the unsuspecting column

With the method of play described, we happily rolled through the turns, blazing away at each other and in my sector of the table managing the American column rear-guard even exchanging sabre cuts as both sides cavalry got stuck in.

Keep moving chaps, don't stop for anything

With redcoats in the trees the American column shakes out into battle line.

I think those highlanders are ours - don't you just love those early patriot flags! 

It can be great fun playing on one large table like this, never really quite knowing how the battle is progressing a few chairs down from your sector of the battlefield until someone starts putting musket rounds into your troops from a totally unexpected direction.

Now they are definitely British

Not sure if these chaps were fighting or just desperate to be somewhere else 

British redcoats seemed to be everywhere!

Speaking from an American perspective, those pesky Brits and their Indian allies made full use of their ambush position, softening up the column good and proper from the cover of the tree line before advancing out on to the road to chop things up and finish off the defenders.

What did I say about Brits everywhere, Royal Marines looking particularly well turned out, but dress those lines Sergeant the Indians are watching!

"Why us Sarge? Because we're here sonny, now face your front and mark your target"  - Different film, but you get the idea.

"View haloo, here's to today's fox, what!"

At the rear of the column three continental units managed to string a firing line together only to see British light dragoons and Provincial light cavalry come stomping down the road backing up a unit of highlanders with Indians operating on their flank in the tree line.

If the Jocks would just get out of the way we might get this finished today

What you might call an abundance of cavalry

The thin brown and blue line - doesn't have quite the same ring!

Could that be Herkimer organising the rear-guard as the British cavalry bear down on his line?

"Steady, steady - let em have it boys!!"

Despite valiant resistance the American units started to get picked off one by one, leading to gaps appearing among the line defending the road.

Right you lot get over there and deal with those Brits while I just see how the wagons are getting on

I'm so glad we didn't get posted to Gentleman Johnny's command, I'm not sure he is up to the job.

By god sir, those look like regulars!

The British cavalry closing on the rear of the American column looked likely to overwhelm the American line forming to protect it.

Mind where you are walking Jock, these donkeys tend to loosen up when they get excited!

What happened to all that cavalry that were leading the way? Never mind we've got plenty more coming

Time to take stock and discuss what Santa might be bringing

It's amazing how all the fun can create an appetite, but we like to have that covered at the DWG.

It's amazing how hungry you get when the dice start rolling!

The British didn't have things all their own way as the American light cavalry made their mark with a dramatic charge that helped ease the pressure on the rear of the column.

Just when you need them in come the American dragoons - hoorah and down with the tyrant King George!

Things are looking bad for the rebel cause with large gaps starting to appear along the road

The shrinking American rear-guard has little rear to guard. 

Despite the odd success here and there along the route the British pressure just kept coming and one of the wagons was dragged off the road as property of his majesty the king.

Is that an American wagon parked up in British lines?

Emboldened British troops start to move out of the trees towards the vulnerable wagons

The last of the Americans go down fighting

At least the Xmas presents will get through to Stanwix

With four o'clock showing and things getting 'dimpsey' outside (that's a Devon expression meaning fading light) well actually it was dark, the Americans reluctantly conceded the field of battle to the forces of the Crown with a few of us quickly marched off to spend Xmas aboard a hulk in New York harbour.

The DWG excelled itself with another great end of year game with lots of good natured banter and laughs together with plenty of drama on the table.

Many thanks to all those involved for making the day and particularly to Chas for organising and managing the game.

We hope everyone who has seen and commented on the games at the club this year has enjoyed this window on our activities and will continue to follow the fun next year and as always we extend a welcome to anyone in this part of the world who would like to get into the hobby by coming along and joining in.

We wish everyone a happy, peaceful Xmas and look forward to bringing you some new games in January 2018.