"Question about scenarios in Black Powder Rebellion" Topic

I picked up Black Powder's Rebellion supplement and have a quick question.

I am a bit confused about the scenario charts. For instance, under the Battle of Princeton it lists the following:

17th Foot 4 Regulars

55th Foot 4 Regulars

New Hampshire Continentals 3 Regulars

Connecticut State Levies 1 Regulars (sic)

NY Artillery Company 1 Artillery

What does this mean? Obviously not 4 regiments for the 17th and 55th Foot, probably not 4 figures either or the Connecticut regiment is pretty weak. Stands perhaps? Am I missing something?

I thought the number was the number of units. I am probably wrong, in which case I will have a lot of lead to sell off.

Matthew

I should have read the fine print in the actual scenarios better. I see now that in some battles brigades are represented by single units and in the case of Princeton regiments are broken down into sections. I imagine the size of a section is up to the players to determine.

Hello,

I had the same issue and yes it is the number of units. Steve(author) clarified this for me on the Warlord forum.

All units are standard size unless noted different in the scenario. Obviously you determine how many figs are small standard and large for your games.

The scale varies from scenario to scenario. In some a unit represents a regiment which we are use to in others such a Brandywine a unit is a whole brigade and in others they are companies. I guess it all works in the end as many battles in AWI were little more than small scale skirmishes.

HTH,

Aaron

Thanks for the replies. I am glad I was understanding correctly. I really like theveryone way the book is laid out and the various scenarios of all sizes.

Matthew

My question is about the units representing smaller organizations- ie companies in some scenarios. Does that really work given BP's command system. If the entire battalion is present and within visual/ audible range of the battalion commander, is it possible for one company to advance while the others moved? Also were companies often detached? Thank you in advance. Love the rules just trying to get my brain around them for smaller action. Thank you in advance.

Viper,

I haven't seen "Rebellion" yet, but as the war progressed, in some British units there was a greater and greater level of autonomy allowed to company commanders. So yes, they could move independently on the battlefield when circumstances demanded it. However, the number of units in which this occurred was very limited and primarily restricted to the flank battalions and the handful of top-notch line units that acted as quasi-lights in some campaigns (eg 24th in the North, 23rd and 33rd in the South).

Elsewhere, individual battalion commanders in charge of posts would often detach individual companies where need required – there was usually one regiment garrisoning all the small forts around the Great Lakes, for example (8th for most of the war, 7th and 10th in the years just before it). In peacetime, it was seen as damaging to a regiment, but in peacetime it definitely developed individual leadership and initiative.

Redcoat 55,

The size of the section is up to the player to decide, but the supplement does give an indication of unit width for some of the scenarios. I think one of them (I do not have the book to hand) it suggests a unit width of around 2.5". As I base my figures on a 40mmm x 40mm base a section would comprise of two bases. On the table this does give the impression of a company sizes unit, rather than say a company being represented by 4 or 5 bases.

That said, if you are using a bigger table than the one suggested in the scenario you can simply scale up the unit width as appropriate.

I am looking to try out the Hanging Rock scenario later this month as a club game. The game itself will be cunningly entitled 'No Picnic at Hanging Rock' (did you see what I did there?).

Ezza

At Princeton it makes sense to allow the British to deploy in detachments as it is believed the 55th Foot was divided up. link Of course the reason it was divided up (to send a detachment to warn and fetch the 40th Foot) wouldn't normally happen in a wargame because all the players can see the troops that are deployed on the table and their numbers, but that is a natural limitation of wargaming.

I am guessing the author did a lot of consolidating for this scenario. If memory serves me right the 55th Foot was not up to the strength of the 17th Foot, but there were also small detachments of previously wounded grenadiers and light infantry and some recruits for the 42nd present (they were marching to their parent regiments) which must have been tossed in with the 55th for game purposes.

The American rebels at this point were a hodge podge of dedicated hold outs that demand consolidation. Some regiments were down to 50 men. One regiment was down to one man and he got shot!

I am a tad disappointed the author calls the Philadelphia Associators "PA Militia" and surprised the scenario doesn't include the British baggage and artillery train, but on the other hand it is nice to have a streamlined scenario that can be played out quickly.

Ezza,
Sorry but I am missing something, I don't quite get it.

Redcoat 55,

Picnic at Hanging Rock is a 1975 Australian movie about the disappearance in 1900 of some schoolgirls and their teacher during a picnic at Hanging Rock: link

Ezza

Thank you Ezza.