A Visit and Revolutionary War Battle with the Hubbard Ohio Gamers Guild (H.O.G.G.)

 

    British troops advance through the crop fields to attack the American rebels at Harlem Heights, 1776

One of the things that I really wanted to start doing once I retired was visit the various clubs in our region and get in a game with them. Helping with my mom and her decline in health kept me from doing that for the last two years, though. Her recent passing, and a trip through northeast Ohio to upstate New York, gave me a chance to stop in and visit Rich Brown in his small city outside Youngstown. Although we weren't arriving on their scheduled night, Rich set up a Revolutionary War battle for us and hosted Jenny and I for the evening.

    Rich & Gwen (right) hosted Jenny & I on an off-night for their group, providing pizza & game!

The Hubbard Ohio Gamers Guild (H.O.G.G.) meet in the basement of his wife Gwen's yarn shop, which is also the physical location for RRB Minis & More. While gaming, you are surrounded by much of his stock displayed as if you were in a brick and mortar game store, which you pretty much are! Rich carries many of my rules sets and shows up at most of the regional game shows. He was using Flash in the Pan rules by David Bezio for the game, a very simple and easy-to-learn game. Rich had set up the Battle of Harlem Heights, 1776, which is the sixth in a series of games re-fighting the American Revolution on its anniversary.

    British command after its first turn of advance (another unit would march on to cover the right later)

Jenny and Gwen played the Rebels, while Rich and I took command of the British. Our job was to dislodge the stubborn Americans and chase them off the table. Our opponents simply needed to prevent that from happening. Rich explained to us that he isn't particular about his re-fights simulating the historical outcomes tactically, but did want the deployment to present the same challenge to the tabletop commanders. He must have been doing a good job, so far, as he mentioned that they were 5-for-5 on having the historical winner triumph in their games. What that meant for our game was that troops arrived on the tabletop somewhat piecemeal, as they did 250 years ago.

    American riflemen line the barricades in the gully, ready to take a toll on advancing troops

Each of us controlled two units. Mine were a battalion of Highlanders and a small battery of artillery. I shifted my highlanders from the center to my side of the table (the British left), while Rich sent his light infantry in open order up the center. His regulars would come in later on the right. The artillery hung back to see where the American flanking force would come in. Sure enough, Jenny's small unit of riflemen appeared on my left flank and rear. My artillery began firing at them as quickly as we could unlimber, and started to inflict hits upon them. Meanwhile, they blazed away instead at the rear of my column of highlanders, who they had obviously showed up to harass. Gwen's riflemen in the gully between the two heights used the barricades and cover to begin sniping at the advancing British light infantry.

    First British wave of highlanders on the left and light infantry in open order in the center

In the game, the regulars on both sides started the game with four stands of troops, the light infantry had three, and the American riflemen only two. Artillery counts as one stand. Each stand moves and fires individually, but they test morale as a unit. When shooting, players roll for each stand individually. A stand of skirmishers inflicts one hit, regulars two hits, and artillery three. Units in Flash in the Pan that take hits must check morale, of course. The more hits a unit takes, the worse chance of passing the check. If it suffered enough hits, the unit may not even be able to roll high enough on 1d6 to pass the test. For example, when my highlanders and Jenny's Continentals fired on each other, we each inflicted a total of 8 hits on the ther. We couldn't roll high enough on a 6-sided die to pass. So, what do you do? You can "voluntarily" remove a stand to give yourself a +3 on the roll. Why would you do that? Well, otherwise, you will flee backwards once, then test again. If you fail the second time, you flee again. So, the only way to rally your unit may be to suffer the loss of a stand (or even two). It is a very clever mechanic.

    More American riflemen appear on the British rear and left & engage the artillery in a duel

However, morale is not all an inexorable decline. At the end of each turn, you can test morale to rally off any hits, removing one on a 4 on 1d6, two on a 5, and three on a 6. Typically, as the range shrinks, the number of hits you take mounts, though. You find yourself unable to rally them off quick enough. The effect of these mechanics is that you will see units fleeing away from the enemy on the tabletop, then rallying and reforming. They will then march forward into battle again, as accounts of countless Revolutionary War battles describe. This happened in our game as both my and Rich's British marched up, fell back, and then marched back up again. Gwen was rolling well, and she kept driving off Rich's light infantry. Gamely, they rallied and returned to try again. Meanwhile, my artillery firing on the the flanking riflemen were eventually able to drive them off the field. Flash in the Pan is not a game of sudden routs and collapse of commands. You wear down your enemy and get them to the point where they simply can't inflict enough in response and are eventually forced to call of your attack.

    At top, the lights have been driven off by the fire of the riflemen in the gully (for the 1st time)

My highlanders were much superior to Jenny's Continentals, but she rolled well enough when we got within range that both of us were battered and driven back. She was forced to eventually remove two stands to be able to roll high enough to rally them. Unfortunately, my rolls were poor enough that I ended up having to do the same. We did get lucky and wounded General Washington, who was inspiring Jenny's troops to roll above their pay grade. I guess old Georgie didn't find the whistle of the bullets as "charming" this time as he did earlier in his career...! Ha, ha!

    Highlanders also suffering hits, this time from the American riflemen to their rear

Gwen's Harlem Militia were able to get to the gully and take cover before Rich's advancing regular infantry could double-team the riflemen alongside the Lights. The militia's volleys gave the regulars a pasting, and they were driven off. Meanwhile, Rich's lights had been shredded down to an ineffective force. Rich and I counted up our force and had only 8 stands between our four units. We agreed that the Americans had given us enough of a bloody nose that there was no way we could force them back uphill. Like gentlemen, we took our lumps and pronounced Jenny and Gwen the victors. 

    British artillery whittled the riflemen down & finally were able to drive them off

A key mechanic in the game is what's called the "Battleworth" roll. It is a number of d6's that a unit rolls when testing to move, shoot, or rally. Green troops or Militia have 1d6, Regulars 2d6, and Elites 3d6. Units may also have +1d6 for an inspiring leader (like the Continentals did with our first president). A player rolls the Battleworth number of six-sided dice, using the highest result on a single die. So, Militia may out-roll Elites on a turn, but over the course of the game, the Elites rolling their greater number of dice will likely out-roll and out-perform their lesser capable opponents.

    Highlanders and American continentals close in on each other, ready to deliver a volley

It was a fun, quick game. Now that I have a game of it under my belt, it would be easier to make tactical decisions and use the rules to maneuver to gain a tactical advantage. The rules are free to download, so they're worth taking a look at. Though on the face of it they appear very simplistic, their subtleties become apparent when playing. Rich will likely have printed copies of the rules available for sale, too, this Oct. 9-10 at Advance the Colors (if you're coming -- and you should be!). 

    After suffering from their fire many times, the Brit light infantry charges the riflemen in the gulley

Thanks, Rich, for adding a bonus night to the H.O.G.G. schedule to accommodate Jenny and I! And for the pizza and beer, of course! 

    Both sides are battered after hammering away at each other with musketry all game

MINIATURES Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2026

• Miniatures acquired in 2026: 217
• Miniatures painted in 2026: 198

TERRAIN Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2026

• Terrain acquired in 2026: 14
• Terrain painted in 2026: 36

SCATTER Acquired vs. Painted Tally for 2026

• Scatter acquired in 2026: 34
• Scatter painted in 2026: 75