Sharp Practice FIW: Part 2

The second installment of our French and Indian War campaign went off smoothly last night.  The tactical rules used were "Sharp Practice" by Too Fat Lardies.  Campaign rules were homegrown.  Miniatures were 28mm Old Glory and RAFM.
In our first session there were some minor skirmishes (see older posts for details) but we were finally up to the main event.  The French and British regulars would square off around a small town and British fort. 

The British "fort".  Really a blockhouse and palisade with the village beyond.

The French chose to attack at night.  Their Indians on the left flank managed to come right up on waiting Brits in the darkness.

The British right flank consisted of a unit of regulars, a 6 pound gun and 6 militia in one of the houses.  Curiously the British players chose to deploy these forces ahead of their defensive works.

The French Marines brave the British grapeshot.

In an impotent display of  dice rolling, the cannon fails to stem the french advance and the crew falls back with the gun.

The militia in the house manages to make a nuisance out of themselves for a few turns.  The gun is repositioned in hope of redeeming itself.

On the right the British regulars fall back giving steady fire that keeps the Indians from closing to melee.  In the center however, the French regulars are able to overrun the cannon.

Top British big man Major Bethesda reveals himself (scandal!) with his grenadier bodyguards.  He is outside the fort, behind hastily constructed barricades made of supply crates and barrels and the locals' furniture.

Keeping one step ahead of the Indians, the British right flank falls back to the barricades.

The British left flank finally comes off blinds.  They have been watching the fields ahead of them for sign of the enemy but the noises they heard in the corn were loose pigs.

After several unprofitable exchanges of fire, the French Marines finally decide to fix bayonets and charge the house.

The fisticuffs results in surprisingly few casualties but the militia are ejected from the building.  They exit from the back as the marines pour in the front.

The French right flank makes a late appearance.  They roll their 6 pounder up in an effort to put fire on the barricade.

The thin red line is in place.  In a critical engagement of fisticuffs, the British right flank is able to fend off the Indian attack. 

To compound the Indian problems, an unsporting shrapshooter snipes the Indian Big Man, severely impairing their ability to recover from shock and get back in the fight.

The British concentrate their fire and manage to kill off the French gun crew, but they are still outnumbered by French infantry that is closing in across their front.

The French regulars and Canadian militia close in on the British left.

The French Big Man pauses to have his portrait done.  Then sounds the Charge!



3 French units attack the barricade.  On the right the Marines are beaten back.  On the left the Canadian militia are sent packing.  In the center the Marines breach the barricade and obliterate the American militia.  (in the excitement I forgot to take pictures and only have this after shot)



The high water mark of the French attack.

We had to stop the game here as it was getting late.  The French had taken the village but the British were still firmly entrenched behind their defensive works. 

All in all we are quite happy with the SP rules.  We had one new player who only had about a 15 minute brief but by the end of the game was following things quite well.  The rules seem to suit the black powder period where you can have a tremendous amount of fire (ie: big handful of dice) that can end up doing very little but the bayonet is often decisive (or at least compels movement).  The randomness of the card system leads to some tense moments as each side waits for their card to come up to implement their master plan and causes "friction" that feels right.