Haitian Revolution Batrep - Attack on the Tallier Plantation 1791

 

I'm sure some of you, my readers will be pleased to finally see a Haitian Revolution game up on my blog, I know I am!!!

My pal Neil, who so far has only played 1 game at Reject HQ and a few small Donnybrook games in my front room, asked if I'd put on a game for him. Both our wives were off on a Jolly to visit the Christmas markets in Hamburg and Bruges, so I set up a game, using mostly my terrain and a few fields from Postie.

As you know it takes a while to organise and set up a game, no matter how big or small it is, so I was pretty gutted, when 30 minutes before we were due to start, he had to cancel.

Boooooooo!

So a quick ring around, Postie was out, Richard was working as I knew everyone else would be. So a quick call to Rejected Reject Ian and the game was on.

For ease I decided to use Donnybrook rules, you may have heard me mention them before???

No???

The year is 1791, all over Saint Domingue, the slave population have been revolting and attacking their former masters. Antoine Taillier the owner of the Taillier Plantation has heard a mob is decending on his plantation, he has sent messages for help to other plantations in the area and to the local magistrate.

Upon hearing the news, most of his slaves have melted into the countryside, so he only has a few men to save his plantation and family.

OOB

Plantation

Workers 1        D8 Drilled 8 figs

Workers 2        D8 Drilled 8 figs

Trusted Slaves D6 Recruits 6 figs

Characters

Mssr Tailleir     D8 Drilled : Plantation owner, armed with a sword and pistol

Fabian Blaise    D10 Hero : Platation Manager, crackshot

Frederic Paquet D8 Drilled  : Plantation foreman. If attached to a unit when his card is drawn the unit will reload.

Ranier Bonnay D8 Drilled : Hired help, +1 to any unit in melee if attached

Madam Tallier D6 Recruit

Gaston Tailleir D6 Son

Avril Tailleir    D6 Daughter

Re-inforcements

Colonial Dragoons D8 Drilled 6 figs

Corporal Paquet     D8 Drilled  :  Dragoon Commander +1 in melee if attached

French Militia        D8 Drilled 8 figs

Brigadier Fortier    D8 Drilled Militia Commander, Armed with a sword and pistol, +1 in melee

Perault Workers     D10 Elite 6 figs

Leon Perault          D10 Elite : Local landowner

Slaves

Slaves 1                      D6 Recruits 12 figs Armed with Muskets

Slaves 2                      D6 Recruits 12 figs Mixed weapons

Slaves 3                      D6 Recruits 12 figs Hand weapons

Slave Sharpeshooters D10 Elite 4 figs

Characters

Sonny Boukman    D12 Hero : Rebel Leader: +1 to morale to any init within 12 inches, hand weapon

Odette                    D8  Mambo : When attached to a unit, any enemy in melee lose 1 dice

Shaman                  D8  Oungon ; Any unit within 12 inches may reroll a failed rally check

Pascal Bonfils         D8  Weapons Master : never needs to reload, gains +1 on his to score dice to hit

Reinforcements

Slave Sharpshooters 2 D8 Drilled 4 figs

Duco                            D8 Drilled : + 1 to shoot dice

Fanatics                       D10 Elite 10 figs

Felix                            D10 Elite : Must cahrge any enemy leadr if in range and fight to the death

Colonial deserters       D8 Drilled 8 figs

Sgt Clemont Vasson    D8 Drilled : +1 in melee if attached.

Ian chose to protect the Plantation, which gave me the Slave army

Ian could place several pieces of terrain to hide behind or hinder the attackers.

He lined the main road with the Trusted slaves and Workers 1

While workers 2, stayed back a little. I did tell Ian that there may be some re reinforcements, but didn't tell him where? Hence the troops deploying at the back. 

Here I come!

And from the rainforest too.

Its not a big table, but it'll do!

I'm very pleased with my homemade Jungle/Rainforest.

Ian'd had enough, Workers 2 moves up to the hedge. 

Moves the Trusted slaves back and elongates his front line.

I take a pot shot and drop a few of the defenders.

In Donnybrook, each unit and character has a card, there is also a End of Turn card and a reload card (I used 2 in this game) I also added an event card. When this was drawn 1 side would get a unit of reinforcments. The 50/50 chance came out in my favour, as did the unit, the Fanatics and where they came on. Right behind Ian's right flank!!

Ian had to turn and shoot.

My luck was really in, the next turn I got another unit on the table, the Colonial Deserters, but no luck in there position. on my left halfway up the table.

Before I got a chance to move, Ian shot at my fanatics, I lost a figure.

We both took and gave casualties in the middle.

Damn, Ian threw some bloody good dice, killing nearly all of my fanatics including their leader Felix, he didn't even get a chance to move!

My musket armed Slaves fall back after failing their check.

For 2 turns the deserters failed to move, which held up my 3rd unit of reinforments that were behind them.

The Workers were stubborn buggers!

Just where i didn't want them, The French Militia arrive and move up to the wall to give fire.

The slave didn't like that and they run!

The Slave muskets also lose more figures and fail their morale.

Hmm? Not looking so good anymore?

There's still some fight keft in the Slave army though, they line the hedge and shoot.

My Sharpeshooter shoot once and lose a figures themselves, which they didn't like so the turn and move away.

Ian gets his final unit on the table, the Colonial Dragoons.

Which is where my army morale collapsed, the slave mob, left the field ready to group together again and fight another day.

Conclusion

The game worked very well, I was pleased with how the game worked with the Revolution figures. I did want to keep Donnybrook just for the LoA period, but I'll certainly give these a go with the Rejects in the shed of war on a bigger table, for sure!

We did play another game, more on that later....