Quebec 1759, Plains of Abraham. Game at NBHW

Friday 19th January saw a Seven Years War (SYW) game played at the club. This was to be a re-fight of the battle on the Plains of Abraham outside Quebec in 1759 when General Wolfe defeated the French under General Montcalm.

The rules chosen were Black Power with The Last Argument of Kings supplement providing period flavour.

For this encounter I ended up as General Wolfe with the job of defeating the French and capturing Quebec, starting the demise of French influence in Canada. Things didn't quite go as planned!

The French under Montcalm form up outside
the walls of Quebec.

The British reserves arrive up from the cliffs. The main force
is hidden from French view behind the Buttes à Neveu
high ground in the centre of the plains.

For a start the French governor of Quebec decided to release more forces to Montcalm than he did historically, then the British command rolls started taking a turn for the worse that would prevent the planned deployment of their troops from occurring in a timely manner.

British regulars and light troops
engage Canadian irregulars and
native allies on the left.

On the left flank British regulars occupied a small building complex to anchor that flank, while Roger's Rangers and other light troops advanced into the woods to engage Canadian irregulars and their native allies in a game long struggle that would ultimately see victory for the British but at a high cost to themselves.

In a change to history Bougainville
arrives with French reinforcements
in time to influence the battle.

At this point, in another change to history, Bougainville arrived to the rear of the British with his full force of French reinforcements. His dragoons immediately charged the British light troops engaged on the left flank, causing serious damage before being repulsed. His arrival meant changes to the British plan with the regular battalions of the reserve now about facing to provide a rearguard to the main force. Attempts to provide this rearguard with artillery support met with the usual command roll fails, a theme was emerging!

To be fair the French weren't immune to poor command dice either with their left flank brigade yo-yoing back and forth before finally catching up with the rest of their line by games end.

The main forces advance to contact
on the Buttes à Neveu

With the main forces engaged the British form a hasty rear
guard and attempt to hold off Bougainville's force.

With their rearguard coming under increased pressure, another British battalion was dispatched to assist whilst the main force advanced onto the Buttes à Neveu to meet the French advance head on, surely the British volley fire would see the French break and flee back to Quebec?

Unfortunately not, whilst the British fire dice were good, so were the French save dice and a musketry duel looked to be on the cards. At this point the 78th highlanders blundered and advanced straight through the firing line, blocking it's line of sight, and stopped right in front of the French artillery with the obvious result, they routed, the first British unit to do so.

A command blunder sees the 78th Highlanders charge through
the British line straight into the full force of the French line.

With both light units shaken, the valiant rearguard brigade breaking, despite destroying one French battalion with controlled volley fire, and units of the main force becoming shaken, Wolfe started looking at ways to extract his remaining force to fight another day.

Despite several French units also racking up the casualties, when the game was called at this point it was obviously a French victory and history was rewritten. Quebec would stay French, for now. Happily for both commanders another reversal of history saw them both survive the encounter.

A great game with poor command rolls on both sides, unfortunately those by the British proved more critical. The timing and size of the French reinforcement also caused serious problems for me as Wolfe. In hindsight a more aggressive advance against Montcalm's command may have produced a better result, assuming the command rolls would have let us.

This was the first time we have used Black Powder and The Last Argument of Kings supplement for a SYW game at the club and everyone involved seems to think it produced a fun evenings gaming with the correct historical feel. Well done to Gary for the scenario and umpiring.

For a lot more photos and a different AAR see the club's Facebook Album 

Tony.