First Game of the Year

I'm hoping to play a lot of games this year.  My first game of 2011 is an AWI battle using Black Powder.  The scenario is based on the First Saratoga scenario from the rule book.

This was my first time running a game for the Bengal Club, and only my second time playing Black Powder.  The game played well, though in my excitement I put a few too many units on the table.  In future games we may make some changes so that units are a bit more fragile.  In this game only two or three units actually fled the field.

Here's a view of the table right after the first shots are fired.  The British are on the right.  

The lines clash.  In the foreground British Grenadiers hit a Continental unit.  The british have a supporting unit in the rear, and on their left flank.  Somehow the colonists one (they made all five saving rolls!).  Note the yellow plastic chicken on the Brits.  That means that they have used their "Steady" special ability which lets them pass their first break test with the best possible result.  Further break tests for that unit will be rolled as normal, and could cause them to pull back, or even leave the field.

The American left flank was held by a reluctant militia unit.  They were flanked by bloodthirsty Indians sneaking through the underbrush, and British lights who took up a position behind a fence line.   Needless to say, the result wasn't pretty.

To make matters worse, Jagers joined the fray.

We called the game shortly after this.  The Americans were in a tough place, but had badly bloodied the Red Coats.  That's about what happened in real life.  Burgoyne's army was destroyed as a fighting force and soon surrendered.