Below is the first in a 3-part AAR series from Mark Miklos covering the Battles of the American Revolution tournament at WBC 2019. Enjoy!
The Father Todd Buzzsaw! That’s the overarching theme of this year’s tournament. Father Todd Carter, a friend of the BoAR series since 2013, has been steadily improving his game and this was his year as you will read.
A total of 24 players competed in this year’s tournament including three players new to the BoAR series; Curtiss Fyock, Joe Chacon and Steve Packwood as well as William Riggs who had lapsed to the inactive list on the AREA rating not having played since 2014. We were happy to welcome them all to our group. This year’s format included a Swiss elimination of 5 heats with the top-8 players advancing to a single elimination quarter final.
The heats and rounds were organized around historical campaign themes this year. Heats 1-3 represented the Saratoga Campaign, heats 4-5 represented the Philadelphia Campaign, the quarter and semi finals represented the Southern Campaign, and the final was the Battle of Pensacola.
Sixteen players entered heat 1; the Freeman’s Farm scenario from Saratoga 3rd edition. Here the Americans had a distinct advantage winning 6 of the 8 matches played. Noteworthy was Melvin Casselberry’s decisive win over Father Todd. This netted Father Todd a starting tournament-point position of -2 making his march to the finals all the more impressive. All other victories on both sides in this heat were marginal wins which included the only two British winners, Andy Maly and Bruno Sinigaglio.
Thirteen players entered heat 2, the Battle of Oriskany. Mark Miklos was awarded the bye and the other 12 players square off. The script was flipped with the British players wining the majority of matches in this heat 4:2. Three of the British wins were substantial as was one of the American victories. Bruno Sinigaglio’s Americans, however, won decisively over Derek Pulhamus. Father Todd, playing the British, was a substantial winner over John Vasilakos and thereby converted his tournament point score from -2 to +1. “I’m back in the game†he was heard to say.
Sixteen players met for heat 3; the Saratoga “Next Day†scenario which features American ammunition depletion. British players were able to capitalize on that by winning 5 out of the 8 matches played. Four British wins were substantial including another by Father Todd (net +4 tournament points) while Mark Miklos defeated Roberto Sanchez decisively. American players, meanwhile, notched 2 substantial and 1 marginal victory.
In heat 4 the players left the wilds of the deep north woods to the more civilized environs of the Philadelphia Campaign. First up, the “Howe’s Flank Attack†scenario from Brandywine 2nd Ed. which features the new Hessian amusettes. Eleven players came to compete in this heat and the bye was awarded to Bruno Sinigaglio. It was very nearly a British sweep with the lobster backs earning 4 of the 5 wins. The British won three matches substantially and one marginally while Dave Stiffler recorded the only American win with a decisive victory over Chris Storzillo. It was here in Heat 4 that Father Todd lost his only other game, falling substantially to Curtiss Fyock’s British (net tournament points +3.)
The final heat in the Swiss Elimination portion of the tournament was Germantown and 6 players came to compete. British players won twice as Bill Morse defeated Rob McCracken substantially and Father Todd defeated Mark Miklos marginally (net tournament score +5.) The lone American victory was earned by Bruno Sinigaglio with a substantial win over “Young†Rob Doane.
After the heats the top-8 players were:
- Bruno Sinigaglio 15 Tournament Points 72 Army Morale 37 Victory Points
- Melvin Casselberry 12 63 27
- Dave Stiffler 12 56 15.5
- Mark Miklos 11 70 33
- Bill Morse 9 51 45
- Tim Miller 8 33 18
- Father Todd 5 50 25
- Andy Maly 5 29 10.5
Worst luck; Melvin had to drop out because his roommate had a medical emergency in the middle of the night and Melvin was up until 5:00 AM at the hospital. The good news was that his roommate was eventually released with no further incident. We were sorry to see Melvin drop out. We were also sorry to lose Andy Maly whose team game was scheduled directly opposite our quarter final. Everyone understood his sense of obligation to his team and we wished him well.
These situations created opportunities for our 1st and 2nd alternates, Curtiss Fyock and Bob Jamelli respectively, to step up into the bracket. Luckily both were available and willing and the stage was then set for the single elimination quarter final match; the Battle of Guilford Courthouse. American players Tim Miller, Mark Miklos and Bruno Sinigaglio held on for marginal victories while Father Todd scored the only British win, substantially over Bill Morse.
The Semi final was the Battle of Eutaw Springs. Father Todd’s Americans won substantially over Bruno Sinigaglio while Mark Miklos’ Americans won by achieving a battlefield draw with Tim Miller while holding on to superior army morale which was the tie breaker. The stage was now set for what would become one of the epic finals in BoAR tournament history; the Battle of Pensacola between Father Todd and Mark Miklos. And to further illustrate Father Todd’s achievement he defeated the 9th, 7th, 3rd and 2nd ranked AREA rated players on his path to the final…
(Part II to follow next week.) Â Â
Articles in this Series: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3
Author: Mark Miklos
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