Stuck in a Rut - Fistful of Lead: Horse & Musket AAR

With the recent announcement of a new edition of Muskets & Tomahawks, I decided to re-base my FIW miniatures from their old, boring square bases to round bases with a little more visual flair (stones, tufts, non-monotone flock). 

This coincided with some local wargamers wanting to meet up weekly for games at various locations. I offered to run a game set during the French & Indian War using the Horse & Musket version of Fistful of Lead. 

Sam and Keith showed up, so they would control the French and Indians, while I lead the British. 

The scenario was set in late 1755. Braddock's disastrous failed attack on Fort Duquesne has sent the British colonies reeling while encouraging the petite guerre fighters of the French colonies.

A wagon of vital supplies is being transported with a guard of British Regulars and Colonial Rangers. The British goal is to get the wagon off the opposite table edge, hopefully with minimal casualties.

Lurking in the woods to either wide of the road is a small warband of French-allied Indians and Coureur des Bois, the infamous French-Canadian woodsmen. Their goal is to capture the wagons and stop the supplies from reaching their destination.

The first casualty of the game was the British officer, who made himself a target by waving his sword around and yelling out orders. The rest of the British troops pressed on.

The attacking Canadians and Indians quickly revealed themselves as smoke drifted from the woods. Most of it missed, including the British return fire.

The second British casualty of the game occurred when the Ranger leading the horses lost his nerve and fled the oncoming slaughter. The Canadians and natives whooped and hollered as the remaining British regrouped behind the wagon.

The two sides then came to blows. While some of the British charged off into the woods, the French officer led an attack on the only Regular defending the wagon.

After a brief skirmish, the French secured the wagon with no losses. The British infantrymen on the road were both shoot and killed.

The two remaining British soldiers fought on as the Indians and Coureur des Bois moved in.

And soon the woods were quiet after the last echoes of gunshots faded away. The French had secured the wagon and slaughtered its guards while only losing two of the their own numbers. It was a absolute victory for the French!

Sam and Keith had a blast taking my British to pieces, and enjoyed the game. Fistful of Lead works well for fast playing skirmish games (the whole game took a little over an hour, and that was with Keith and Sam learning the rules). I think this would work well for a club game, and hopefully I can play out the full campaign from the "Red Hatchets & Black Powder" supplement.