War in the Woods Game 3: Fire in the Garden

In the dim hours just before the sun rises high enough to illuminate the forest floor, the group of French colonial troops sit dejectedly in their camp, licking their wounds.

A few of them gnaw at pieces of pork in the gunmetal light, cutting from the sow they'd hauled away from Little Eden the evening before and roasted. Their sergeant broods, honing his tomahawk impotently with a stone.

Moccasined feet approach from where their Huron allies had been gathered smoking nearby. At their head, the French leader spies his native counterpart. The older indian looks big and beefy even draped in his red blanket.

Hardheart tugs his knife from the sheath around his neck and hacks off a hunk of pork, biting it fiercely and swallowing. "Today. We take more from them," he says flatly. The Frenchman hardly hears him at first.

"We should wait for new instructions, we've done our bit," the sergeant grouses, running his thumb along the blade of his hatchet. He doesn't think to try and speak the indian's language, or dumb down his own tongue.

The Huron shakes his head firmly. "We go, then, and tell Cap Gren-ay Hardheart kill 'em all," the sachem wipes the grease from his knife blade on the hem of his blanket.

Several of the French soldiers laugh at this, and their sergeant winces. "Alright, alright... it's the least we could do for that over-important officer," he spits, trying to save face and glancing at his former commander's things left near the fire.

Hardheart doesn't show his satisfaction — after all, he would have gone raiding whether or not he had shamed the Frenchmen into joining him — but his cold eyes do flash in the morning light as he turns to his warriors and gestures for them to check their weapons and be ready to move.

When last the French and Huron came to Little Eden, the result was a stunningly fierce firefight over the settlement's valuable livestock. The English settlers were more prepared than their foes realized, and in their hurried retreat, their commanding officer, Enseigne Dujardin, was shot down.

This temporary power vacuum suits Hardheart's interests nicely. The Huron sachem has long resented the restrictions placed on him by his European allies, and now seizes the initiative to rally the Frenchmen and bring their anger to bear on the English settlement. They can all see the smoke generated from the razing of Stag's Head rising to the east, a clear sign that the war is on. So why should Hardheart show restraint?

With the word of the attack on Stag's Head, the beleaguered defenders of Little Eden, under their leader Jeb Reddin, have been reinforced with a group of militiamen from down the valley under Florian Vanderventer, a vividly dressed merchant's son with a purchased captaincy in the militia.

With Dujardin gone, Sergent Hugo Marleau is the most senior man among the French troops. Although Marleau is a veteran of the War of Austrian Succession in Europe, he has an unreliable reputation due to untimely fits of emotion, and when the wizened and bitter Huron war leader urges the Frenchmen to follow him on a vengeful raid, they go readily.

Marleau's men lead the way back to the hamlet, once again using the cover of the trees to advance undetected.

Some distance ahead of the French, a patrol led by "Leatherback" Randy paces through the orchard, keeping an eye out for more raiders. The fighting has drawn not only the militia but also a small group of Mohawk warriors under Dutch Peter, a mixed-blood youth raised among the Mohawk. Some of his men join Randy to make up losses suffered in the earlier raid, although the communication between these allies is no doubt lacking.

The rest of the Mohawk under Peter come up on Randy's flank, perhaps sensing trouble brewing in the woods across the dirt road.

More raiders, this time Huron under War Coat, fan out in the woods approaching Little Eden. The experienced warrior moves into position on the left of Marleau's light infantry.

While the British settlers and their Mohawk allies have not spotted the attackers yet, they seem to have selected that patch of woods as the most likely approach. Attracted by the presence of Randy and Dutch Peter's groups, a group of frontier skirmishers under Jim Morgan patrols across the field, muskets at the ready.

They're positioned left of Peter's Mohawks, roughly in the center of the British table side.

With much flourishing and order-shouting, Venderventer's militia arrive in line on the back side of the orchard. The British are clustered near the cabin, leaving their left flank relatively open.

It's an opening Hardheart is happy to take advantage of. His painted warriors dash from the cover of the woods down the road on the British left, making it into the yard of the unguarded homestead.

Their advance made use of a ruse, a moveable deployment point shifted forward on the table using Hardheart's authority as the force commander. You can see the barrel we used to mark the deployment point in the bottom of the next photo.

It's a support option that gives the attackers more flexibility in their advance, while the defenders in this scenario were deploying from their table edge or from the cabins, one of which is now lost to them for deployment purposes. Combined with the 12-inch deployment range for native skirmishers, it makes for a swift and unforeseen thrust.

As the Huron set about completing their objective of torching the cabin, Mayor Reddin and some of the villagers deploy, also near the orchard. They would have liked to occupy the cabin with the stone chimney, but the raiders have beat them to the punch.

With all the British troops on the table, they seem focused on keeping the enemy away from at least one of the cabins, denying them a complete victory. Their numbers are formidable, but it remains to be seen how good of a fight they put up.

The French light infantry under Marleau move quickly, employing a double activation using Command Cards to dash to the militia tent set up near the road. This is another of the structures they'll need to raze to achieve victory in this scenario.

The French and Huron have made considerable gains without firing a shot, but now that they're in sight, Peter's Mohawk skirmishers have a chance to retort. They take up position on the edge of the orchard and volley at Marleau's men, killing one.

Tragically, a random event just after their first fire determines that the warriors have failed to keep their powder dry from the morning's dew. They'll be firing at half effect for the rest of the battle unless they can find a way to replenish their powder.

As the skirmishing begins, Morgan's settlers move toward the cabin, hoping to drive off Hardheart's fighters.

More Huron arrive under the inexperienced Tonsahoten to back Marleau's play for the campsite.

"Restez stables, bâtards... tirez!" Marleau shouts, and the remaining Frenchmen give the Mohawk a little return fire. Despite his enthusiasm, Dutch Peter's men are well positioned in the orchard, and the shooting has no effect on them.

Randy's skirmishers leave the crowded orchard and slip behind the cabin, trying to get over on the enemy's flank.

Reddin and his group takes Randy's place, advancing on the right side of the militia, which is slowly picking its way through the orchard. If Captain Venderventer had a real military education instead of a purchased title, he might know that the clustered trees are hard for his poorly drilled men to navigate through in line formation.

Marleau's men seize the initiative to fire again, but their results are as disappointing as the first volley. Skirmish troops in cover trading fire tends to devolve into a bit of a stalemate.

Venderventer attempts to shake his militia into a suitable firing line, but they are hampered by the orchard's trees and foliage and still can't draw a bead on the enemy.

Tonsahoten's Huron advance and open fire on the Mohawk across from them, but despite reasonably accurate shooting they fail to bring down any of Dutch Peter's warriors. War Coat's men come up on the left of the warriors as they fire, attempting to solidify the Huron skirmish line at the wood's edge.

Marleau's light infantry keep up the fire on the Mohawks, finally inflicting a kill and a shock on the warriors in the orchard. The Mohawk are outnumbered and struggling to keep up the fire because of the powder problems they're having as a result of that random event.

Meanwhile, Hardheart's raiders are working busily to set fire to the cabin they're lurking behind. Morgan's men hurry to oppose them, but as black smoke begins the rise from the windows of the structure, it starts to seem doubtful they'll be in time to stop the sachem and his men.

Finally, Venderventer's militia swing into action, firing their first volley at Tonsahoten's skirmishers. The crash of the muskets is impressive, and likely heartening to the colonists scrambling to fend off the attack, but none of the shots find their targets, leaving the foe unscathed.

Randy's skirmishers hop the fence and fire at War Coat's Huron from the colonists' right flank, but have no effect.

As black powder smoke swirls across the battlefield, there's a pause in the fighting delivered by the Tiffin card, which we drew first not once but twice in a row. Despite the lull, both sides clearly realize that the fighting is just heating up, and the next few volleys might determine the fate of the settlement.

The militia shift to the very edge of the orchard and fire again, inflicting a shock on the Huron skirmishers this time. Venderventer has been shouting orders at Dutch Peter's Mohawks, but as he doesn't speak their language, they have been going unheeded.

Reddin and Randy's groups fire at War Coat's band. They are only able to inflict one casualty, and I don't even seem to have gotten a photo of it.

Most likely, that's because I was caught up in the action on the opposite flank, where the Huron have finished firing the cabin.

Morgan's men are still a ways off, but advance slowly, hoping to exact some vengeance on the raiders.

Having successfully set the homestead ablaze, Hardheart and his warriors take up position behind the fence to see what further trouble they can cause for the settlers.

On the other flank, the firefight continues, with colonists, militia, Huron, Mohawk, and Frenchmen all trading volleys. War Coat's skirmishers put a point of shock on Randy's men.

Marleau's troupes de la marine put shock on Dutch Peter's Mohawks, who then retire into the orchard under fire.

The militia manage to put two shock on Tonsahoten's warriors. None of this gunfire is very conclusive, as both sides are in decent cover.

Reddin and the settlers take the spot Dutch Peter's skirmishers vacated in the orchard, and Tonsahoten's men fire on the militia, inflicting a point of shock. They take a point of shock in return from Randy's skirmishers, who have shifted toward the British left.

The Huron are still in the fight, however, and Tonsahoten rises to the moment, calmly ordering his warriors to fire at the skirmishers on the fenceline. Although their volume of fire is reduced by the shock they've suffered, one of the Huron warriors draws a bead on the shirtless Randy and pulls the trigger.

The musket cracks, a flash of fire and smoke filling the warrior's vision. The lead ball speeds toward its target, slapping into Randy's bare chest and sending him to his knees. One of Randy's men drops his musket to aid his leader, but a woodsman knows a fatal wound when he sees one.

After a few bloody and tenebrous moments, Randy gasps his last breath, and the morale of the British force ripples at the loss, falling from 8 to 7.

Simultaneously, the Frenchmen under Marleau advance to the militia tents. They fire at Reddin and his colonists, but to no effect.

Both War Coat's group and the French are firing at Reddin's group, but they inflict only one shock for their efforts.

The militia are still firing uncontrolled volleys at Tonsahoten's Huron, and at last the native warriors start to falter. The latest volley puts three points of shock on them.

The young Huron war leader raises his hand to try and steady his warriors, but is cut off by a sharp volley from the skirmishers at the fence, who exact a form of revenge for the slaying of their leader by inflicting another point of shock, which is enough to force the raiders to withdraw involuntarily.

That reduces French and Huron Force Morale by one, but they're still sitting at a secure FM 10.

The Huron return fire, but the shooting is desultory, and Tonsahoten leads them deeper into the cover of the forest they came from.

In the meantime, the French light infantry have been working to set fire to the the militia tent, hoping that burning their bedrolls and supplies will take some of the starch out of them.

They don't have it all their own way, though. They're working under fire, and an accurate volley from Reddin's skirmishers kills another Frenchman and puts two points of shock on the group. Marleau himself is clipped by a ball, but it has no effect on the raiders' Force Morale.

Across the table, Hardheart urges his seasoned warriors over the fence and across the road. They've detected Morgan's men there and haven't yet gotten a chance to spill blood in this fight.

Three of Randy's men fall to vicious close-range fire from War Coat's skirmishers.

Venderventer manages to get his militia under control and orders them to fire at the French light infantry setting a fire in their camp. They manage to kill another of the raiders, but it's too late, and the French succeed in torching another of the few structures in Little Eden. Their job done, the French colonial troops flee.

Hardheart's plan to waylay the unsuspecting colonists goes awry as one of Jim Morgan's men spots the advancing natives. The British skirmishers fire hurriedly, but at such close range they still manage to kill one of the Huron warriors and inflict a point of shock.

It's not enough to stop the assault, however. The colonists turn to flee and the Huron rush after them, firing into the backs of the foe as Hardheart exhorts his men to show no mercy. Two Englishmen are slain by the volley, and the Huron fall just short of crashing into the rear of Morgan's group with their tomahawks and knives drawn.

Unfortunately for Hardheart, the French survivors in the center have had enough of fighting and are beating a hasty retreat, allowing Reddin's men to reposition and fire at their flank from a distance. The shooting is effective and it puts four shock on the warriors.

In the hectic fighting, War Coat's skirmishers are still focused on the remnants of Randy's group of skirmishers. They kill off all but one of the colonists, and the survivor breaks and runs. It's enough to drop British Force Morale to 6.

But it's not enough to change the way the battle is going. Hardheart is still eager to get into close quarters with Morgan's skirmishers, but with the flanking fire and the withdrawal of his European allies, his hard-earned experience outweighs his bloodlust. He breaks off contact with the colonists in a flurry of black powder smoke, surrendering the burning hamlet back to its occupants.

---

Despite choosing to pull back, the French and Huron have still managed to win a minor victory, having burned up a portion of Little Eden and inflicted casualties on the foe. Although the loss of four French troops and three Huron warriors is less than ideal, the raiders have killed seven militia skirmishers and one Mohawk on top of the slaying of Randy, one of the trusted colonial leaders.

Furthermore, the burning of Stag's Head and the bloody attacks on Little Eden have made some of the mustered militia think twice about their commitment. Five men from Scroggins and Vanderventer's companies of militia desert during the night, returning to their homesteads and families to guard them against a similar fate. With no reinforcements available until colonial authorities drum up the provincial regulars, this loss will sting the British.

Still, colonial forces have held Little Eden, meaning that fighting is likely to rage on at the little frontier village in the coming days.

Taking a broader view of the situation in the valley, the French have largely had their way during the opening rounds. But now the British know roughly where to find their enemies, and the dawn brings with it the sound of marching feet and skirling pipes...