DBA French Indian Wars - Booze run (part 2)

The much needed supply(booze) column is heaving into sight of the fort. (More intro is here).

Various bases in the woods on either side of the road are native american 'blinds' unknown even to that player whether they are true units or not (approx 50% are fakes).









The native player (Doug) is lucky with his first few activations, and manages to race a number of stands forward to harass the column.


Unfortunately his luck doesn't hold as the lead ranger elements, and some lucky provincials manage to destroy the earliest part of the ambush.




The column continues to advance, and the tail guard moves to engage the native band on the opposite side of the road.

The french provincial/militia troops (who do not suffer penalties fighting in the woods, as the british/colonial troops do) continue to barrel down on the column.

They shake out into line and take on the rangers with an advantageous angle to double team the lone stand.  Driving them back and inflicting damage markers on the rangers, and the two units in the column behind them (no doubt shaken by the screaming flight of wounded men through their ordered ranks).

 The column command pips are miserable, and only allow the column to advance, and the provincials in the woods to advance to engage.

Due to the woods the provincials are actually at a disadvantage fighting here. Once you add in the damage marker it turns out this was a really poor idea.

On the other side of the fight the rangers have finally managed to clear out the native stand (taking some damage in the process). 

 Two turns later we are looking at the crux of the battle. The column has fully spread out and is engaged with most of the attackers. Numerous units have hit markers on them, but now that the can stand in ordered ranks on the roads, they don't suffer the extra penalty for fighting in the woods.

The natives are setting up for a fairly brutal rear attack, but the booze defenders manage a quick march through the field (which is considered clear) to flank them. The damaged rangers assist from the back, and at long last the cannon is in play. 

The natives have had a long run of fake blinds turned, but at last a warband shows up (large square base on the left). This last roll of the dice could win the natives the game. Warbands quick kill (units die rather than retreat), and they face the flanks of the entire column.

A series of short moves, and lucky musket rolls allows the defenders to take out this last threat. The french miltia fall back. The column has lost more than half it's manpower, but the booze has survived the trip.


Doug and I swapped sides and played again. I was handily crushed as the native attackers. My one lucky moment allowed me to scoot between some defenders and attack the booze cart with one of my two remaining stands. Of course I wiffed the roll, and the booze cart drove off the natives. I noted to Doug one of the defenders was 'an enormous woman with a frying pan' which, accompanied by a terrible accent, drove Doug into gales of laughter. Of course I had no troops to take advantage of his distraction. 

The booze.......denied.