VICTORY CONDITIONS

How could the French or Indians win the American Revolution? If you define winning the game as controlling North America in some way – they can’t. But the question for me is a broader question: How can these Factions, each important to the outcome of the conflict, win their situation? With that question the answer to “How can the French win?” becomes more clear. Each Faction comes to the conflict with different goals, expectations and capabilities. Capturing this asymmetry is one of the strengths of the COIN system.

The French interests were much broader than the British Colonies in North America. Coming off the Seven Years War and the competition with the British around the world, the French view was this Insurrection in America can be an opportunity to pull British resources away from other more important areas, like West Indies and Europe itself. This leads to the Secondary Victory condition between the French and British: pieces eliminated. Make the other Faction pay a high price for involvement and pull pressure off other critical theaters (outside the game.)

Indians, of course, would never again dominate North America. Their power was historically on the downswing. At the close of the Seven Years War the Indians did get the Proclamation line of 1763. The product of a Royal Proclamation by King George III, it forbade Colonists from settling past this line drawn along the Appalachian Mountains. This was a direct attempt to reduce the friction between the colonists and the Indians across the region – it failed. Going into the American Revolution, friction between the Indians and Colonists escalated. With War eminent, the Indians had to select between the lesser of two evils; most selected British.  It was a tougher choice than during the Seven Years War as the British had historically brought Colonists while the French brought traders and thus were less intrusive.  During the American Revolution, the French were not an option so the Indians selected the British and the protection of King George. The conflict with the Colonists leads to the Secondary Victory condition between the Indians and the Patriots: Establishment of Forts and Villages across the Provinces. Build to establish your Faction and limit the other.

As stated by General Henry Clinton, winning the hearts and minds of the population was the key to winning the War. John Adams made a more aggressive conjecture, although well after the War in 1818. “The Revolution was affected before the War commenced. The Revolution was in the minds and hearts of the people.” The view of the Colonists is demonstrated through the alignment system of Support and Opposition to the British Government. As a result, many of the Commands and Special Activities available in the game influence that continuum. Rewarding Loyalty, Rabble-rousing, Indian Raids (security), Committees of Correspondence, and Win the Day all have some impact on Support and Opposition locally.  This is the Primary Victory condition for all Factions and the sides, Royalists or Rebellion.

PLAYING THE FRENCH (Controlling the most important option in the game)

The French option of when and how to enter the War is perhaps the most powerful event in the game. The power of this choice defines the fun in playing the French.

The 1778 Scenario starts with all four Factions on the map and at full capability. In the early War Scenarios, the French rarely play the Treaty of Alliance card before the end of the 1776 Campaign. The French must influence the game knowing that pieces won’t be available to Battle the British until Treaty of Alliance is played.

On the other hand the critical opportunity in playing the French early in the War is deciding:

• How to advance French interests funding, arming and negotiating with the Patriots,
• How to be a thorn in the side of the British, and
• How to position for the most important option in the game – when, where and how the French enter the war.

The French Faction can accelerate entry if the Patriot player kills the British. The pace of the War between the British and the Patriot Factions will be a topic of negotiation between the French and the Patriots.

The French may also enter the War before all French forces are Available. This may take the form of trumping a critical card or Brilliant Stroke, or by entering the War at a critical place, setting up a French-Patriot one-two punch (more on that later.)

Alternatively, the French may delay entry. Another critical component of the French-Patriot relationship will be their negotiating the selection of options during the sequence of play.  Since Preparar le Guerre is a Special Activity (that moves French units from Unavailable to Available), the Patriots can often influence (by taking an Event or Command only) the ability of the French to utilize that critical Special Activity.  Patriot cooperation may need to be bought or forced.

Once the French enter the War (play the Treaty of Alliance card) the map changes dramatically:

• The West Indies come into play and get a significant amount of British and French interest.
• The French Blockade completely changes British flexibility and freedom to choose Special Activities, and
• The French have Commands that interact with the Patriot to jointly March and Battle before the Royalists have a chance to respond.

The French cannot directly impact Support and Opposition, but the Win the Day Battle result gives them the ability to change the balance. That, and the need to kill British pieces (to improve Secondary Victory conditions), drives the French to focus on finding a fight. In the end, the French may stand with the Patriots, but they are on the continent to win.

Leaders will have a major impact as Rochambeau makes Marching and Battling alongside the initiating Patriots free. If Luzaun takes over, he will add one critical loss in Battle to the defending Royalists. Last but not least is George Washington, who doubles the political shift in any Win the Day. Washington also brings the added benefit of improving the defense of a space he occupies.

With the French comes the French Naval power. The Naval Pressure Special Activity allows the French to impact the British in many powerful ways. First, the most direct impact of the Blockade prevents British sea movement in or out of that City. Next, the Blockade gives a significant kicker to the Battle in the City and, as a Special Activity, can be placed before the Battle Command is executed. It also requires the British to use a future Naval Pressure Special Activities to reverse the Blockade.  For purposes of Support, the Blockade reduces the Population to 0; it also reduces Resources for British awarded during the Winter Quarters Round. Although less impactful than British sea movement, the French bring with them the ability to use sea movement out of and into Rebellion-controlled cities. Patriot units can come along with the French.

Note: All cards and illustrations in this article are playtest art.

Author: Harold Buchanan