Colonial Campaigns Club (CCC)

If you have not tried Rich White's custom scenario entitled, "Brandywine at Dawn" you are in for a real surprise. This massive battle is a relatively new addition to 1776. It features Antony Barlow's excellent scenario add-in to override the auto-disruption and stacking limitations.

This is one of the best large scale battles that we have experienced. The game length of 125 turns and large army sizes allow for extensive strategic opportunities by both sides. In fact, that is what makes this scenario so enticing. The armies are well balanced and we have found that either army can win. This is a mirror match opportunity extraordinaire.

If you are daring, try a multi-player contest with the Pony Express Communication rule! This makes what is normally a very challenging multi-player game, that much more challenging. The length of the scenario need not be a reason for not trying this scenario as most large-scale battles end with both sides agreeing to restart and change sides after only a third of the turns completed.

In a recently completed 3-on-3 multiplayer game (amounting to 95 turns out of the 125 turns) the action was non-stop. Rich's report for the British team follows:

It's certainly been a very enjoyable game. Looking at the score and comparing the casualty levels, I feel that there ought to be a few alterations, such as the following:

1. Making British infantry worth 10pts rather than 11pts (and perhaps US guns from 11 to 10pts)

2.Reducing the value of supply to say 3pts for both sides

3. Altering the victory levels, so that a major British defeat is say -300+pts and a minor defeat perhaps 100pts. Then the minor victory level might be reduced to 400pts and the major win to about 900pts.

The American team also suggested some other minor tweaks to the next revision:

4. Allow wagon trains and artillery to move into and through woods hexes.

5. Provide more supplies for both sides. The provisions are very limited for such a long contest, especially for the Americans.

6. Provide a road on the west bank of the Brandywine that leads to the farthest ford in the northwest.

7. Extend the twilight period.

8. Provide inclement weather throughout the game that continues to limit and obscure long range spotting after sunrise. In other words, increase the "fog of war" to the max.

9. Make sure that the American militia can go into eXtended formation.


If you have any other suggestions, or would like to help implement some tweaks, please let Rich or I know.