RangerX3X: Saratoga Campaign

This is my next foray into the surprising Birth of America from Deep Silver and Strategy First. This is a step up from the Carolinas 1776 scenario. The Saratoga Campaign scenario is six turns in length and features a severe change in weather that comes at the end which can bog down any daring last minute raids.

I had a rather complex battle plan written out to win this scenario by a simple (yet usually overwhelming) score victory as I was having trouble securing all Objectives and Strategic Towns on early play testing. Quite by accident just two attempts ago I used a ruse to good effect outside of the Fort Stanwix Objective to confuse, if not draw out the AI from the Albany and Fort Ticonderoga Objectives.

In the vein of keeping it simple stupid, I dumbed down the plan of attack for the two main armies at my disposal, the Royal Expeditionary Force (27 units, 951 power rating) based in Manhattan in the Manhattan region and led by Commander in Chief Sir William Howe, and the Canadian Army (16 units, 252 power rating) based in St. John in the Richelieu region and led by Major General John Burgoyne.

May 1777: Turn One

The Von Knpyhausen Rgt is detached from the Royal Expeditionary Force and is assigned the task of defending the New York Objective for the remainder of the scenario.

The remainder of the Royal Expeditionary Force (26 units, 900 power rating) will attack the West Point Objective with “enter structure as soon as possible” having been selected. The projected move time is 59 days.

The American Squadron (7 units, 429 power rating) based in Manhattan and led by Admiral Lord Richard Howe, will dock at the port of Annapolis Royal in the Sable Cape region. The projected move time is 40 days.

The Halifax Garrison (1 unit, 38 power rating) based at Halifax in the Nova Scotia region, will move to the port of Annapolis Royal. The projected move time is 18 days. The St. Jean Garrison (1 unit, 20 power rating) based in St. Jean in the St. Jean region, will move to the port of Annapolis Royal. The projected move time is 53 days.

The Champlain Flotilla (2 units, 20 power rating) based at the shores of the La Motte region, will move to the port of the Ticonderoga Objective. These are transport units which are landlocked and will be used as a forward reconnaissance.

The Canadian Army (16 units, 252 power rating) based in St. John in the Richelieu region and led by Major General John Burgoyne, will attack the Ticonderoga Objective in the Crown Point region with “enter structure as soon as possible” having been selected. The projected move time is 83 days.

The Québec Garrison (6 units, 118 power rating) is brought south to occupy St. John which will be vacated by the Canadian Army.

The Caughnawaga Warband, Canadian Loyalists, Oswego and Niagara Garrisons are all ordered to move to a staging area in the wilderness of the Famine Region, just northwest of the Fort. Stanwix Objective. The Ontario Flotilla (1 unit, 34 power rating) based at Kingston-on-the-Lake in the Cataraqui region is brought offshore to serve as a party boat of sorts. These guys hanging out in the wilderness and roasting smores for several turns upset George Washington to some extent I believe.

The Erie Flotilla (1 unit, 34 power rating) based at Presqu'ile in the Astabula Region will dock at the port of Fort Toronto in the Rouillé region. The projected move time is 15 days.

June 1777: Turn Two

Scenario Status

Battle Reports

A re-tasking of the Royal Expeditionary Force is required to fix their focus on the West Point Objective: this happens in almost every play through of this scenario.

The Erie Flotilla picks up the Detroit Garrison (2 units, 28 power rating) based at Fort Detroit in the Le Détroit region and led by Colonel Henry Hamilton, and sets sail back to Presqu'ile. The projected move time is 15 days.

July 1777: Turn Three

Scenario Status

Battle Reports

The Von Riedesel Rgt is detached from the Canadian Army and is assigned the task of defending the Fort Ticonderoga Objective for the remainder of the scenario.

The remainder of the Canadian Army (15 units, 381 power rating) will attack the Fort Stanwix Objective with “enter structure as soon as possible” having been selected. The projected move time is 44 days.

The Expeditionary Force (3 units, 69 power rating) appears at Oswego in the Oswego region, will move to the Famine Region, just northwest of the Fort. Stanwix Objective.

The 8th King’s 2/2 (Fusiliers and Grenadiers) disembark at Presqu'ile and is ordered to move directly to the Wyoming Objective in the (you guessed it) Wyoming Region. This is a wildcard play as the force is not sufficient to take an objective if the enemy has units in the structure. If no enemy is present upon arrival, then they take control of the objective. The projected move time is 57 days.

The American Squadron picks up the Halifax and St. Jean garrisons at Annapolis Royal and is ordered to move to the port of the Philadelphia Objective. This is another wildcard play in that the two units even combined are not sufficient to lay siege to a well-fortified enemy presence. However, if we catch George Washington with his pants down in Philly, all bets are off. The projected move time is 40 days.

The Von Trumbach Regt is detached from the Royal Expeditionary Force and is assigned the task of harassing the West Point Objective for the remainder of the scenario. Those American units coming down on top of the New York Objective are a major concern. If they move on by it may be OK, however the Von Knpyhausen Rgt left there to defend Manhattan will be no match if they make a proper siege assault on the objective.

The Royal Expeditionary Force (25 units, 835 power rating) are ordered to bypass the West Point Objective and move on to the Albany Objective in the Schenectady region with “enter structure as soon as possible” having been selected. The projected move time is 37 days.

August 1777: Turn Four

Scenario Status

Battle Reports

It is time to stop the Famine Slumber Party and form up the various units into a new army, the St. Leger's Army led by Colonel Barry St. Leger (6 units, 113 power rating). They are ordered to move to the Fort Stanwix Objective with “enter structure as soon as possible” having been selected. The projected move time is 39 days.

September 1777: Turn Five

Scenario Status

Battle Reports

The Canadian Army has arrived at the Fort Stanwix Objective and has their posture changed to assault.

The Expeditionary Force (3 units, 69 power rating) are ordered to move to the Fort Stanwix Objective with “enter structure as soon as possible” having been selected. The projected move time is 18 days.

The Hail Mary pass from Presqu'ile to Wyoming worked with the 8th King’s 2/2 arriving virtually unscathed. They are ordered to enter the fort and will remain at the objective for the remainder of the scenario (ignore the unit panel in the bottom left: I am only mouse-hovering over the unit and had not yet actually selected them, so the previous force is showing still).

The American Squadron arrives at the port of the Philadelphia Objective and disembarks the Halifax and St. Jean garrisons. The fleet is ordered to bombard the objective in support of the Foot Infantry.

With the clock ticking down, I finally have to deal with the issue of the West Point Objective having been bypassed. A hasty force is formed in Albany as Grey's Army (5 units, 174 power rating) and is sent south to assault the objective. The projected move time is 14 days.

The remainder of the Royal Expeditionary Force (22 units, 602 power rating) is ordered to sit on the Albany Objective for the remainder of the scenario.

October 1777: Turn Six

Scenario Status

Battle Reports

The Halifax and St. Jean garrisons harassing the Philadelphia Objective have their posture changed to assault. With the fleet bombardment, I am rolling the dice that they can knock the small American force out of the city of brotherly love.

Grey's Army is floundering against the superior force that is holding the West Point Objective: their posture is changed to defensive in order to lay a prolonged siege against the fort while I assemble a fresh batch of reinforcement from the Albany Objective.

I assemble a force led by Charles Cornwallis comprised of 5 units with a power rating of 159 and order them to hold the Albany Objective at all costs (not really, just a defensive posture).

The remainder of the Royal Expeditionary Force (15 units, 407 power rating) is thrown against the gauntlet of enemy defending the West Point Objective. Sir William Howe's Army is a beast in this scenario, and I have been putting them to the test taking objectives and detaching units to hold, thus bleeding their overall force to almost half of its former self. Will these remnants be enough to take West Point and save the day for the Crown?