This past weekend I played a game of Tricorn and Bonnet over at Kelly's place (with Rocky GMing). These are period-specific rules for the about-50 year periods of the Jacobite Uprisings, with the two sides playing fairly distinctly; the Jacobites aiming to Highland Charge their way to victory, while the Government forces hope to be the rocks the clansmen dash themselves against.
Rocky's scenario was a generic battle between the two sides (a Battle of Àite Sam Bith, if you'll allow), with exemplary forces.
The Jacobite army, led by Bonny Princes Charles himself, consisted of a mass of Highlanders, a few battalions of Lowland militia, a pair of French infantry battalions, a scattering of Scots horse, and a few light artillery pieces.
The Government army featured a mass of redcoated infantry battalions of varying quality, proper cavalry, and better artillery.
You might notice the miniatures look a bit flat, and you'd be right! Rocky decided to use WoFun Games' line of 18mm preprinted flats for this project. His additions of flocked bases and painted sides added enough to make the flats look convincing if you were behind or in front of them (though the illusion was a bit shattered if you sat at the side of the table!).
The Jacobites had split their Highlander battalions into two commands, one of which was supplemented by the Scots horse. This tartaned line cautiously approached the Government forces while artillery from both sides fired into the opposing body of troops.
The last Jacobite command, consisting of the Lowland militia and French loan-infantry, held down the left flank. The Government horse brigade was spread out over a wide distance, allowing the infantry to squeeze together.
The Government cavalry decided to attack the potential weak spot in the Jacobite line - where the Scots horse filled the gap between the advancing Highlanders and the defending Lowlanders.
In an unexpected series of combats, the Jacobite horse actually managed to fend off the Government attackers!
Meanwhile, an initial assault by the Highlanders had less desirous results. Unimpressed by the hollering men in kilts, the Government battalions held firm and delivered devastating platoon fire into the Jacobite infantry.
In Tricorn and Bonnet the featured tactic of the period, the Highland Charge, works via an Intimidation test taken the first time a Government unit is charged by a Highlander unit. If it passes, the unit no longer needs to worry about being Intimidated for the rest of the battle. If it fails, then there's a number of potential cascading effects that reduces the units close-combat ability in the ensuing melee.
Highlander units also drop their muskets during a charge, so the units lose any ranged capability unless they walk back to where the musket lay. Which is unlikely during the middle of a battle!
If the Highland Charge works, it can potentially mean a devastating series of setbacks for the Government units in the fight. If it doesn't, it's likely that the Highlanders are going to be cut to pieces before they can close.
Case in point; while the Highlander line was advancing, one unit took too many hits and ended up being the first to rout from the battle.
However, the next set of charges ended up going much better for the Jacobite right flank, forcing a Government battalion into routing.
In the center, Jacobite and Government cavalry continue to battle while the main body of Government infantry guard their supporting artillery.
And the Lowland troops continue a starting contest with a few units of Government cavalry.
The general melee on the Jacobite right continued, with the balance swinging in the Jacobite's favor.
Highlander battalions also pressed the attack against the Government center. But the defenders in the fields and villages presented a difficult nut to crack and drove off a unit of Highlanders.
The melee by the woods saw the last of the Government forces routed from the table, but at a bloody cost of most of the Jacobite troops. The remaining units were worn, had no muskets, and were unlikely to do much else.
In the center, a good round of combat saw the Highlanders punch a hole into the Government lines. But other supporting Highlander units were pushed back.
And at the last moment, the Lowland troops began advancing to attack the Government cavalry and infantry.
We had to end the game there due to time, with the Jacobites gaining a pyrrhic victory.
A demonstrative combat between the French regulars and the Government horse revealed that the Lowland brigade could have been more active, as unsupported small units of cavalry would be unlikely to be a threat to fresh troops, even militia units.
As usually, Rocky put on a great game, and hopefully we'll see more of Tricorn and Bonnet in the future.
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