We the People (Revoution IV)

Dennis and I switch sides, I am playing the Americans, Dennis is playing the British. Dennis takes no extra PC placements as the Brits.

1775

My goodness, what a bad starting hand: Operations -- 2. Operations -- 1, George Rogers Clark Launches A Western Offensive, Operations -- 2, John Simcoe Tory Rangers, Operations -- 1, Thaddeus Kosciuszko Engineer.

The game starts with PC placements. I try to hem him in in the northern New York area. He goes to work in Virginia with 3 PCs. The Americans respond by blocking placement from VA to the south, while the Brits continue to pile up PCs in the south, with 3 more.

I start discarding cards early, hoping to slow the PC race a bit, and he brings Cornwallis and 3CU to Long Island. The threat to the Continental Congress and to New York forces Washington to take his army into winter quarters at New York early, to block his advance.

The brits go back to adding PCs in the south, where he is taking a serious lead. His PC in Fredericktown opens up a path into Pennsylvania. So we use our last 1Ops to bring Arnold and single CU into York.

He discards 2 cards, I discard one, and then I use George Rogers Clark to remove the last card (3Ops) from his hand and prevent further bleeding on my part.

Colony Status (B=5, A=8, N=1)
Canada (B)
New Hampshire (A)
Massachussets (B)
Connecticut (A)
Rhode Island (A)
New York (A)
New Jersey (A)
Pennsylvania (A)
Delaware (A)
Maryland (N)
Virginia (B)
North Carolina (B)
South Carolina (B)
Georgia (A)

It could have been a lot worse...

1776

Another pretty poor hand, many Ops, but not many big Ops. I'll probably remain behind in the PC placement race.

The Americans start with Thomas Paine and place PCs in Salem, Augusta, and Springfield, while the Brits move Howe and his 5CU Army into threatening position in Albany. In response, the Americans try to rouse local militias to improve their odds in battle, placing PCs in Westchester, Morristown, and Fort Cumberland.

Burgoyne and 5CUs land in Norfolk, giving the Brits some punch in the South. 2Cus join Arnolds army in York, which may be required to fend off Howe.

Howe continues his move straight towards Philadelphia, intent on disrupting the Continental Congress. Washington intercepts him in Morristown. The battle is relatively even, until Howe brings is artillery to bear and the Continental Army retreats in good order, with minor losses.

2CUs join Washington to bring hisr Army to 4CU. As news of the victory at Morristown reaches hom, North's government announces that it will stay for the long-term (such as 1783).

With Howe in threatening position, the Americans place PCs in Wyoming Valley and Reading to hem him in. At least this will force him to move or be in danger of a crushing defeat. Howe is busy reading dispatches from home, specifically one in which opposition says thay may not be willing to wait until 1783 to bring the war to a conclusion, but maybe until 1782, and misses the threat to his army.

Washington seizes the opportunity and attacks, despite good odds, his Army is not up to the task. Once again, massed artillery drive the Americans back, this time with no losses. At this time, the Brits flip the PC in Morristown.

I now have a dilemma. If he has a campaign card, he has a chance (66%, if Washington misses his intercept roll) of catching Washington in a trap that he can't escape from. I could move washington to safety. But I can also move Greene into Boston and isolate some PCs, gaining a real advantage ion New England. I wonder if he even has a 3Ops card left, since he didn't move Howe out of harm's way.

In the end the odds of him having a campaign card and the odds of a successful intercept convince me to gamble, and I move Green.

Then I lose. He has a campaign card. Washington misses his intercept. Washington misses 3 chances to counter-attack, and finally the battle ends with Washington in British custody and the American war effort in shambles!