My dice are evil; my dice hate me.

Having said that, I'll prove my point.
Last Saturday, five of us played a large unit War of 1812 game using the Age of Reason rules. For some unknown reason, I'm having trouble getting the hang of these rules. They appear to work well enough and are in use all around. Maybe I've just got a block for them. Ah, well!

Rob and I took the US side - 10 Regular infantry battalions, 1 Rifle battalion, 4 militia battalions, and 3 cannon. We faced Andy, Steven, and Cecil with 10 Regular British battalions, 2 Canadian Fencible/militia battalions, 2 large Native warbands, and 3 cannon. No Cavalry to be found - pretty much like the actual war.

Both sides advanced to a fence line and exchanged a lot of fire. I had the militia on the left flank facing the Natives and the Canadian Voltigeurs in a large forest. Rob had the rifles and some Regulars in the town on the right. The centre was open fields with light fences. Aaaaand that's where it got messy.



American Militia enter the woods with a field piece in support.



Lots of natives - His Majesty's Native Allies. The figures are "25mm" Old Glory.
I really don't know what "25mm" means any more.

 

The Centre of the table, although later in the game. The US battalions in the foreground have taken casualties.





The Crown forces at the beginning of the game. The 10th Royal Veterans lead the way on the left and the Royal Scots head up the right column.



The US right from the centre down. Andy says he has to fix the flags of some of the outfits.

 Before too long, my militia began to take a beating and began to crack. Finally the boys from Kentucky took off and took some New Yorkers with them. The other two battalions lost their nerve and slowly fell back. In the centre, my regulars were being chewed up by Andy and Cecil's musketry. As the title of this offering says... MY DICE WERE NO HELP AT ALL!!!! Shooting? Poor. Morale? Almost wretched. Artillery fire? Ineffective. Just reverse those notes for Andy and Cecil's throws. Eventually one of my units broke and I began the exasperating chore of falling back all along the board.

Rob had better things in store on his end of the table. He and Steven held tough, but finally Rob's US Rifles sent the Glengarry Light Infantry packing, but not routed. The rest of the field was a stand-up firefight. Cecil lined up a unit to charge, but the threat remained a threat since the US troops fell back.

A good game, but I really need to learn to play it someday.



The Militia Brigade before they were damaged and seen off.




Some of Rob's forces crossing the grain field. 
All the terrain, figures, and even the table cloth/mat were supplied by Andy.



Cecil's troops at the rail fence.



The action in the town, around the First Church of Plasticville. Rob's US Rifles face down Steven's Glengarry Light Infantry Fencibles... and guess who's dice flinched?

  

US Troops take up positions at the rail fence. The Yellow thingees are casualty caps, courtesy of the McDonald's Corporation and a sharp scissors.





My Militia brigade begins to withdraw... at full speed.




One of my Regular units a few inches from the table edge.




The Canadian Voltigeurs, tasked with stiffening the Natives.
A French Canadian unit, they were uniformed in gray with bearskin caps.

  

Steven, in his stylish tuxedo T-shirt and bottle of cola watches as Cecil's most adventerous unit charges. I think the US fell back in the face of their aggressive stance.




No games next weekend: The reenactment of the Battle of Queenston Heights will take place... on the actual site of the battle in 1812. I'm hoping the weather holds and my knee feels alright. Rob and I intend to go. We'll meet Andy and Steven there since they're staying with family in Hamilton, ON after the CFL game Friday night. The American reenactors have been asked to stand down on Sunday. That day the body of General Sir Isaac Brock will be reinterred at the battle site, near where he was killed.