Ramparts & Raiders: Rules for "Advanced" Montcalm & Wolfe Volko F. Ruhnke (volko1@sprynet.com) Here is a set of optional rules for Montcalm & Wolfe which more completely simulate the options--and dilemmas--facing the adversaries in the French and Indian War. These rules provide more detail on the respective roles of fortifications and Native Americans in North American colonial conflict, reflect additional aspects of geography in the theater of war, and provide other enhancements to historical and play interest. Taken together, they probably benefit the French player somewhat: he gains the opportunity for more Native American allies and more targets to raid, plus the fortress of Louisbourg to guard against British naval assault. The capabilities of his Indian allies are more restricted, however, as is his ability to reinforce his far-flung western forts. These rules can be used separately, but work best all in conjunction. Louisbourg. This great stone fortress on Cape Breton Island (Isle Royale) harbored a French flotilla that guarded the seaward approach to the St.Lawrence River, Quebec City, and New France. The British commanders in the war hit early on the strategy of cutting New France off from European reinforcements by seizing Quebec. But they also soon discovered that they would first have to reduce Louisbourg, before they could mount an amphibious assault up the St.Lawrence. In 1756 and 1757, the British kept many troops idle in the effort to mass them and the needed supplies and transport at Halifax, in Nova Scotia, for an operation against Louisbourg. Only in the summer of 1758 were Amherst and Wolfe finally able to land and overcome the fortress with a formal siege. Wolfe struck Quebec the next spring. The following rules simulate the important buffer provided by Louisbourg for the defense of New France, but also enhance British naval movement capability, provide a British safe-haven for staging forces at Halifax, and offer the British a means of choking off Canada's reinforcement from France. A. Sketch two holding boxes on a separate piece of paper, one for Louisbourg and one for Halifax. Louisbourg is a French Fortress, like Quebec in all respects (including 2 shifts for capture), except that militia receive only the normal +1 to their strength for demobilization checks. The Louisbourg box is considered a Woods's hex. Halifax is a British Port in a Clear hex. (Units at Louisbourg may defend outside the fortress, then retreat inside.) B. Naval/Amphibious movement is possible only along the following lines (except among British ports): Any British Port - Halifax - Louisbourg - Quebec - Montreal. (For example, if the British sent an amphibious invasion force from Halifax to Louisbourg and had to retreat, they would have to go back to Halifax.) C. Add the following to initial setup: French -- Drucour and 2 Regulars at Louisbourg; British -- Monckton and 2 Militia at Boston. (Monckton led a force of provincials to capture Acadia (Nova Scotia) and the small French forts there in 1755.) D. A British leader may activate (at the normal activation cost) and conduct Naval Movement with all units under his command, plus a subordinate commander and his units. Such units must all go to the same friendly Port. Normal (free) Naval Movement or Amphibious Assault may not occur in the same turn as such movement. E. The British can use an Amphibious Assault to land and start a siege without combat. If such a siege is lifted (i.e., ultimately unsuccessful), however, the British commanding leader is dismissed (removed), as per any Amphibious Assault. F. If the British control Quebec, the French receive no Regular or Leader reinforcements. Forts and Sieges. Eighteenth-Century fortifications--when constructed according to well-establish engineering practices and properly garrisoned--were extremely difficult to overcome by assault. As a result, bulky siege artillery and its concomitant supply train--which could only move along waterways or decent roads--and lengthy sapping operations could be required against even the better timber-and-earth forts built in the American wilderness during the 1750s. General Abercromby's disasterous, hasty assault against Montcalm's fortified lines at Carillon in 1758 demonstrated these facts. The following rules amplify the effects of forts and sieges in the game. A. Alter Combat Rating Modifiers as follows: +2 for defending inside Fort/Port; +3 inside Fortress; -2 for Native American, Ranger, Irregular, or Militia attacking a Fort/Port/Fortress. If units defend inside a Fort/Port/Fortress, no other terrain modifiers apply to either side. B. Besieged units check Supply as follows (no other modifiers): 1st Turn -- Militia and Native Americans removed on 9+. Turn 2 -- Militia and Native Americans removed on 8+, others on 10. Turn 3 -- Militia and Native Americans removed on 6+, others on 8+. Subsequent turns -- As Turn 3, but add one to die for each turn past three, unless British besieged in originally British port. C. A force attacking fort may, in lieu of retreat after a combat round, initiate a siege (provided he as more units than the defender). "Major Victory" would not be awarded to the defender in such an instance. D. A besieging force checks supply in its next supply phase, not immediately. E. If a force enters fort hex and enemy units elect to defend outside, the moving force may not enter the fort (until the enemy force is retreated or eliminated). (However, if the enemy force is currently besieging a friendly force inside the fort, the latter may participate in the combat, with the option of retreating back inside [only].) F. Add a fort in hex 2117: Fort St.Frederic (aka Crown Point). (This was a medium-sized, stone structure that served as New France's frontier outpost on Champlain until Carillon was built.) Move Fort Edward to hex 1716, eliminate the river hexside between 1716 and 1815 (Fort William Henry) and add a road between the two forts. (These two forts were at the opposite ends of the "Great Carry"--a portage road of 12 miles between the Hudson and Lake George. Forts Stanwix, Presqu'Isle, and Le Boeuf similarly guarded such "carries"--vulnerable bottlenecks for movement of supplies.) Native Americans and Raiding. Tribal war parties, often led by French officers, raided the frontiers of Pennsylvania, Virginia and many other colonies nearly every year of the conflict, drawing off provincial manpower and other resources. The Iroquois, meanwhile, remained largely neutral (except for the pro-British Mohawk). The Native Americans almost never assaulted significant fortifications on there own, however (Pontiac's rebellion of 1763 was an exception in this regard). Indian allies were therefore of limited use to the French for capturing and holding territory. These rules add the option for both players to dedicate more attention to recruitment of Native Americans--at the expense of conventional operations--and, in general, increase the ease with which the French can find such allies. However, Native American units are more narrowly restricted by these rules to their historical capabilities. A. If a player has Activations remaining during the Alliance phase, he may make one alliance attempt (in addition to his "free" attempt) per spare Activation. Activation due to the enemy's roll of 4 or 8 on the Command Table may similarly be used for an Alliance attempt. No NA unit may be attempted more than once per phase. French leaders off map modify all attempts for tribes of that map edge (North or West). No more than one NA unit per phase may be placed on a given entry hex. B. Modify the Alliance Table as follows: North or West (French) -- 1-4 No Effect; 5+ Allied. +1 for each leader. -3 for West if Duquesne is British controlled. Iroquois (Both sides) -- 1-7 No Effect; 8+ Allied. Iroquois Die Modifiers: British -- +2 if Johnson present. French -- +1 per leader. For any attempt (North, West, or Iroquois): +2 if Political Track is 4 or 5 in favor of your side; -2 if 4 or 5 on enemy side. (Note: Native American tribes tended to ally with the side they judged to be stronger; Fort Duquesne was critical in impressing the western tribes to join the French.) C. Stacks made up exclusively of Native American units may never: - Capture a fort or settlement. - End movement in an enemy occupied fort hex. - Defend inside a fort. D. One Raid attempt may be made against each settlement each calender year. When rolling for the success of a Raid, -1 to the die if a friendly leader is present. British Rangers and British-allied Iroquois may raid. (Roger's Rangers raided the French-Abenaki settlement of St.Francois in 1759--as depicted in the book and film Northwest Passage.) Iroquois settlements may be Raided (but not captured) if that tribe is enemy-allied at that moment. (Note: The need to defend the settlements of newly-acquired Iroquois allies if there are enemy war parties about can thus be a disincentive to seeking Iroquois alliance in the first place!) Iroquois units may never raid other Iroquois settlements, however. E. Rule 14.3 is replaced by the following. If attackers capture a fort or settlement and at least one Native American unit of the attacking side was present at the start of combat (or at the moment of capture by siege), roll one die for the possibility of Plunder (8-9; no political shift) or Massacre (10; political shift to defender). (This rule allows for the outcome of Montcalm's capture of William Henry in 1757--a massacre despite the presence of French regulars.) If NA units participate in a "Recapture" (14.5), the Plunder/Massacre roll is made, the "Recapture" roll is not. F. The special rules for Native Americans or Rangers on defense (8.71) apply to Mountain hexes as well as Woods. They apply even if a fort or settlement is in the Woods or Mountain hex. Also, Native Americans or Rangers conducting a Surprise Attack (8.72) may shoot twice, similar to NA/Ranger defense. (Note: this gives a single unit a 16% chance in Woods and 9% in mountains of eliminating a lone defender in a Surprise Attack, before the latter can retreat.) If Irregular or Light units are stacked with Native Americans or Rangers, they may participate fully in the NA/Ranger defense or Surprise Attack. G. On the map, add settlements at 1104 (British -- Winchester), 1613 (British -- Schenectady), and 2418 (French -- St.Francois). (Winchester was the site of George Washington's headquarters from 1756 on, as he attempted to organize the defense of Virginia's frontier against French-led raids, principally by Shawnee.) Add the Ohio and Allegheny Rivers: 1601/1701 to 1602/1702 to 1703/1802 to 1704/1803 to 1904/1905. F. Scouting. Native American, Irregular, and Ranger units pay only 2 movement points to enter a Woods and 2 1/2 points for a Mountain hex. Any group of units that includes at least one NA, Irregular, or Ranger unit and begins and ends the Activation or Reserve phase stacked may move using these reduced terrain costs. Reinforcements. These rules reflect the challenge of getting any sizable reinforcements from settled areas into to the more remote posts, particularly in the case of France's western forts. They also cover the fact that Robert Rogers commanded only a handful of men in 1755, and the political pressure that would develop to obtain the release of any prominent officers who fell prisoner. A. Regular and Light unit reinforcements may appear only at Ports/Fortresses. Militia may not appear at Niagara, Presqu'Isle, Le Boeuf, Duquesne, Carillon, St.Frederic, Oswego, Stanwix, or Cumberland. B. The Ranger unit is not used in 1755 but appears as an automatic reinforcement during the first Strategic Interphase. If subsequently eliminated, it may be taken as a reinforcement (at any fort/settlement) in lieu of one Light unit whenever a "2" result is obtained on the Light column. C. If both sides possess captured leaders during any Strategic Interphase, leaders must be exchanged, on a one-for-one basis (chosen randomly if one side has more than the other does). Movement. During winter, throughout most of the theater of operations in the French and Indian War, ice and snow prevented movement by boat or wagon. These rules simulate that effect. They also provide a disincentive to keeping troops constantly embarked on batteaux and prevent the routine use of batteaux to cross water obstacles perpendicular to the line of march--thus simulating the fact that large numbers of boats first had to be marshalled to allow an army to travel by water. A. During winter turns, no batteau movement or naval transport to/from Quebec are allowed, and roads are ignored. B. Change the terrain table as follows: River -- +1 to cross; Lake hexside -- +2 to cross. C. Batteau-embarked units must immediately debark if enemy units enter their hex. They suffer a -1 modifier in any combat that turn. Similarly, if attacking units debark from batteaux directly into a combat hex, they suffer a -1 modifier in combat that turn. D. A unit may not use batteau movement after it uses land movement in a given phase. (I.e., to use batteaux, units must begin adjacent to a lake or river hexside and use their first movement point to embark. For example, a Huron unit appearing in hex 2615 may embark and move down the Ottawa and Richelieu Rivers to Isle aux Anne; in contrast, if the unit appeared in hex 2614, it could not use batteau movement that turn.) Supply and Attrition. These rules ease supply and demobilization penalties slightly, simulating the gradually increasing availability of forage during the growing season and the roughly even degree of militia participation throughout the war. They also increase play tension because a defender does not find out until after his turn how well an enemy force approaching across wildernesss will forage before reaching its target. A. Forage rolls are modified by -1 during the months of July, August, and September. Militia strengths for demobilization checks are modified by +3 (vice +1) for presence of a leader. (Note: The latter rule still results in only a 49% chance of a militia unit, in a fort and with a leader, of making it through two winter turns.) B. Resolve Supply, Attrition, and Demobilization separately for each player after that player's Command Phase and before his Activation Phase. The resulting Sequence of Play is two Player Turns, each as follows: - Command - Supply - Attrition & Demobilization - Activation - Enemy Reserve Movement - Combat - Alliances & Reinforcements. French Initiative. This rule reflects the tendency of the French command to "get things rolling" more quickly than the British. It also gives the French player a slight edge in the use of Native Americans, in that he can use September recruitments to defend against the subsequent British move, while any Iroquois units raised by the British that turn would immediately go home for the winter. A. The French player goes first each turn. Final Play Note: It is useful to write on the backs of the "Reserve" markers or otherwise construct a few markers labeled as follows: - "Batteaux" to mark units that remain embarked at the end of their move. - "Captured" to mark a site that has changed hands but is not currently occupied. - "Raided" to mark a settlement ineligible for additional raids that year.