Second Battle of Tabasco

Found some pictures from our Mexican-American war game "Second Battle of Tabasco" that I run at the club a couple of month ago using the Rebels and Patriot rules published by Osprey.

The battle was fought 15-16 June 1847, the American was advancing along Tabasco river in steamboats to capture the city of San Juan Bautista (presentday Villahermosa). 

The Mexican had blocked the river and set up fieldworks to protect the blocades. Our game focused on the land attack made on the morning 16 June 1847 by the American forces leader Commodore Perry and some 1000 men with the objective to cleare the field works and caprutre the city. The fieldworks was defended by Colonel Hidalgo and his 600 men that had to leave their breakfast uneaten to take up the fight. 

Historacly the Americans on the steamers managed to get pass the blocade and capture the city before Commodore Perry managed to arrive there on foot.

Below you can see some pictures from our game, we run it as the Scenario "Retreat to the Sunken Road" from the rules, there the Mexican had leave their breakfast and retreat back from the fieldworks to Fort Iturbide just outside the City, it all ended in an American Victory.

Rebels and Patriots in Mexico

Last week my son David and I had a small Rebels and Patriot game set during the Mexican-American War 1846-1848.

The scenario was a American colon that needed to exit the board to the East (1VP for each unit leaving the board) and a Mexican force to perform an ambush mainly from the South board edge to stop them (1VP for each American unit routed). 

OOB - American (David)

• 3x Units of Line Infantry (one with the Leaders @ 4 points each
• 1x Unit of Light Artillery with Limber @ 6 points
• 1x Unit of Light Cavalry @ 4 points
• 1x Unit of Skirmishers @ 2 points

OOB - Mexican (Dalauppror)

• 1x Unit of Heavy Cavalry (with leader) @ 6 points
• 1x Small unit of  Aggressive Heavy Cavalry @ 6 points
• 1x Unit of Mounted Skirmishers that are Good Shooters @ 6 points
• 1x Small Unit of Aggressive Shock Infantry (Dissmounted Heavy Cavalry) @ 6 points

Short recap of the game.

The Mexican was allowed to deploy one unit at the East board edge and the rest at the South, the American deplyed in Colon on the road from the West.

The American started to move along the road as the Mexican Cavalry tried to close in the distance to them... as the Mexican approached the American lined up along the road and opened fire with the Artillery and then the Line Infantry... Devestating result for the Mexican Heavy Cavalry...

It all lokked like an easy win for the American but the Mexican seemed to have extreme morale as they time after time passed Morale checks and continued the fight...

When the smoced cleared the Mexican forces was all routed but they had managed to cause 3 American to rout so it all ended upp in a Draw 3VP vs. 3VP.

...yes you can! Conflicts included in the Rebels and Patriots rules

British Loyalist Skirmishers, American War of Independence, miniatures painted by my matey Jesper

One of the most common questions I get regarding Rebels and Patriots are: 

Can I use the Rebels and Patriots rules for this conflict... 

The answer to that question is:

Yes you can! 

...at least with a minimum of adjustments, if any at all.

Swedish Light Cavalry charged by Russian hussars fielded as Shock Cavalry, Finnish War 1808-09

Rebels and Patriots are writhen with a focus on North American Conflicts from the Seven Year War until the American Civil War and a bit further and we have included more than 40 example army lists for 13 different North American Conflicts:

• French and Indian War (1754–63) 
• American War of Independence (1775–83) 
• Northwest Indian War (1785–95) 
• Mexican War of Independence (1810–21) 
• War of 1812 (1812–15) 
• Texas Revolution (1835–36) 
• Canada Patriots Rebellion (1837–38) 
• Mexican–American War (1846–48) 
• Cortina War (1859–60, 1861) 
• American Civil War (1861–65) 
• The Mexican Adventure, French intervention in Mexico (1861–67) 
• Fenian Raids (1866–71) 
• What-if: British Intervention Force in North America (1860s)

British Highlanders fielded as Shock Infantry, American War of Independance, miniatures painted by my matey Jesper

With these army lists as a base it should not be a problem for you to make your own army lists for any conflicts raging over the globe during this period of history, in short  ...Yes you can use Rebels and Patriots for other conflicts. 

Swedish Line Infantry  in Close Order fielded as 2 units of Line Infantry, Finnish War 1808-09

For example you can use the Rebels and Patriots rules for the Finnish War 1808-09 as I do, using the latest Perry Miniature  range Napoleonic Swedes OR way not for Napoleonic Peninsular War games ;)

Perry Miniatures, Swedish Infantry 1808, picture from www.perry-miniatures.com

I even throw in a 24-point Peninsular War list I would use as a Christmas gift.

Sharpe´s Rifles 1809-12

• Officer Richard Sharp, Trait: Heroic Leader (1 mini)
• 1 unit of Veteran Skirmishers that are Sharpshoters  - Chosen men of the 95th rifles (5 minis + Officer).
• 2 units of Light Infantry - Captain Fredrickson and 60th rifles (2x12 minis)
• 1 unit of Mounted Skirmishers - Teresa Moreno´s Spanish guerrilla (6 minis, most on foot and a few mounted or horseholders)

As it happen Brigade Games have a extensiv Napoleonic range with a bunch of minis that look very much as the charachters in the Sharps serie, all sculpted by the most talanted Paul Hicks.

Brigade Games, British RiflesVeterans Command - Chosen Men, picture by Paul Hicks

I hope you all will have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year !

By the way... on Christmas eve there is only one month untill Rebels and Patriots are published:)

Troop Types in Rebels and Patriots

Mexican Line Infantry storming a Hacienda

As I guess you might want to start building your forces for the release of Rebels and Patriots I thought it would be a good ideea to talk a little bit about the Troop Types we use in the rules.

As in the other rules of the rampant family we use generic troop types to represent the different units you can field in a game. They are indeed generic and you might have to think an extra second about how to best depict and represent the specific troops fielded in the conflict you are building a force for.

Most of the minis in the pictures are from my Mexican-American war 1848 forces that i startedup as my playtest project for Rebels and Patriots. The minis are Perry ACW and Napoleonic and Victrix Napoleonic plastic that I converted in to Mexicans and Americans. The Natives are from Galloping Major, now on to the troop types.

First we have the basic footsloggers that make up most forces during the major part of the period coverd by the rules, The Line Infantry, they are most often fielded in units of 12 miniatures and they have access to the longest list of Unit upgrades of all Troop types in the game, so it will be possible for you to tailor them in to the perfect unit for your force.

American Line Infantry

We have also included two "specialist Line Infantry" Troop types, The Light Infantry and the Shock Infantry, they are both specialisations of the Line Infantry that we feelt needed their own Troop type to best represent their special training and function. They are both normaly fielded in units of 12 miniatures and both have several Special rules that make them stand out in their own way and better represent their special tasks during a battle, but it come with a cost.

Mexican Light Infantry

Mexican Grenadiers as Shock Infantry

Skirmishers have alway had a place on the Horce and Muscet battlefield so also in the Rebels and Patriots rules. The Troop type Skirmishers can represent either trained regulars that are sent out as a picket/skirmish line those main task are to protect the Line Infantry or as Irregular troops that harass regular troops taking potshots from cover, either way are they fielded in units of 6 miniatures.

American Riflemens as Skirmishers

The last of the true Infantry Troop types are the Natives, they fight in irregular loose-order warbands that mainly focusing on hit and run tacktics untill the enemy are withered down and then move in for the final assault. If you want your natives to hide in the forest taking well aimed shots you might consider fielding them as Skirmishers instead. Natives are most often fielded in units of 12 miniatures.

Native American Warband as Natives

Even if the rules are focusing on small scale action there Artillery probably didnt have any greater impact we have included the Artillery Troop type in the rules, the Troop type are subdivided in to Light, Medium and Heavy artillery and are normaly fielded as 1 gun + 4 crew

Mexican Artillery

The last Troop types are the Cavalry, due to the special terrain prerequisites in North America with dence forests etc. Cavalry didnt have the same impact on the warfare as in Europe for example so most cavalry are represented by the Light Cavalry Troop type, that are fielded in units of 6 miniatures.

Mexican Lancers as Light Cavalry

Sins the focus of the rules also include Mexico we decided to also include the Shock Cavalry Troop type to better represent Light Cavalry grouped together and used in the battlefield role of European Heavy Cavlry as Shock Cavaly that are normaly fielded in units of 12 miniature! In short the same Light Cavalry minis can be fielded either as Light Cavalry or as Shock Cavalry all depending on how you as a commander want to ues them during the battle.

Mexican Cuirassiers fielded as Shock Cavalry

If you for example are looking for the iconic American Mounted Riflemen you will find him as a Unit Uppgrade in the Skirmish Troop type, already had a buch of question what Troop type they would be represented by.

I hope my short introduction to the different troop type can help you out starting to draft your Rebels and Patriots forces.

Mexican and American forces in battle. About double size of a normal game, i.e. 48 points on each side.

Rebels and Patriots AAR

A short Rebels and Patriots AAR from one of the playtest games, Mexican-American War, The Maxican player was to attack a small farm with a few American defenders and some civilians. The main focus for the game was to test out the Chock Infantry.

OOB - Mexicans, 16 points

2 units of Shock Infantry @ 6 points each
2 units of Skirmishers @ 2 points each

OOB - Americans, 8 points + 12 points

1 unit of Light Infantry @ 6 points
1 unit of Skirmishers @ 2 points

American reinforcements

3 units of Line Infantry @ 4 points each

2 units of Mexican Shock infantry lined up for an frontal assault. The order was to seize the hacienda and also if possible capture the civilians.

The American defendes had baricade themselfs with the objective to defend the Hacienda and keep the Civilians safe untill reinforcements could arrive.  

As most units in Rebels and Patriots are fragile to firing, especially at close range (2 Hits are one Casualty)  the Mexican player visely deployed his 2 Skirmish units in front of the Shock Infantry to save them for the final assault of the hacienda.

The American defenders opened up as soon aws the enemy was within range (18"). The Light Infantry does not have the Firs Fire rule so there is no cause to whait to open fire. 

The intense American firing take its toll on the Mexican Skirmishers advancing in fron of the Shock Infantry that forms in to Close Order Formation gaining the benefits of better Disciplin and Fighting and Firing capabilities and as there are no American artillery close by there is prety safe to have a unit in Close Order.

As we allow unit in Close Order to pass through Skirmishers the Shock Infantry can advance as long as possible in cover of their Skirmishers...

Even Shock Infantry in close order may fail a activation from time to time,,,the Mexican Officers unit are draging behind...

As the American Skirmishers decided to leave the Hacienda with the civilians the American reinforcements arrives

The Mexicans have advanced within the Maximum Attack Distance, but they cant be sure to reach their intended target unit with a Attack Action. The Attack distanse in Rebels and Patriots are not set but are determined by the activation roll of the Attack Action.

The American contuniues thir advance but not as fast as the Officer want them to...

The Mexican Shock Infantry tries to Attack the Hacienda, the first unit with the Officer fails to rech the enemy as they was to far away and are now in a bad spot for enemy fire. BUt the second Mexican Shock Infantry unit that are closer succeed to reach the haciensa...

...a intence fight take place but even if the Light Infantry har the benefit of hard cover by the Hacienda the firece Mexican Shock Infantry manage to dislodge the American Defender and occupie the Hacienda.

With the Mexicans in possession of the Hacienda the American Officer eads a Do or Die charge against the mexican Shock Infantry, but all in wain as Shock Infantry in hard cover indeed are a tought nut to crack...

The Americans tried a second time, also unsucessfull, before the game ended.

That was all for this time, hope yoy had a good read and that you all will have a great weekend!

You can see Wargames Illustrateds Flipthrough film at youtube: