{"product_id":"the-battle-of-cowpens-preorder","title":"The Battle of Cowpens (PREORDER)","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"\u003eTwo critical battles were considered turning points in the American Revolutionary War: the Battle of Saratoga in New York and the Battle of Cowpens in South Carolina. The Battle of Cowpens was a catalyst to a series of events that led eventually to the surrender of the British at Yorktown. \u003cem\u003eSmall BoAR\u003c\/em\u003e \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eVolume I\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Battle of Cowpens\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e, puts players directly into the milieu of this decisive contest.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"\u003eThe goal of the \u003cem\u003eSmall BoAR\u003c\/em\u003e design concept is to include small yet critical battles that otherwise do not fit the scale of the historically simulating and highly successful \u003cem\u003eBattles of the American Revolution\u003c\/em\u003e (\u003cem\u003eBoAR\u003c\/em\u003e) system designed by Mark Miklos. This new system, aptly termed \u003cem\u003eSmall Battles of the American Revolution\u003c\/em\u003e (\u003cem\u003eSmall BoAR\u003c\/em\u003e), was designed by Bruno Sinigaglio working closely with Mark Miklos to preserve the continuity and popularity of the original \u003cem\u003eBattles of the American Revolution\u003c\/em\u003e game system.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"\u003eAlthough extremely important to the history of the Revolutionary War, the Battle of Cowpens involved slightly over 1000 participants per side. In the \u003cem\u003eBattles of the American Revolution\u003c\/em\u003e system, which represents 100 men per strength point, this would equate to only ten or so combat factors per side. The scale for the battle of Cowpens, on the other hand, is 12 men per strength point, or one-eighth that of the \u003cem\u003eBoAR\u003c\/em\u003e system. The map scale is also correspondingly reduced to 25 yards per hex from the \u003cem\u003eBoAR\u003c\/em\u003e scale of 200 yards per hex. The time scale is approximately four minutes per turn as compared with one hour per turn in \u003cem\u003eBoAR\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"\u003eAlthough Army Morale, the game-within-the-game in \u003cem\u003eBoAR\u003c\/em\u003e, is faithfully preserved in \u003cem\u003eSmall BoAR\u003c\/em\u003e, and the \u003cem\u003eSmall BoAR\u003c\/em\u003e sequence of play resembles that of \u003cem\u003eBoAR\u003c\/em\u003e and will look familiar to anyone who has played games in the original series, certain novel elements appropriate to the new scaling have been added. These include:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli style=\"font-size: 16px; text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"\u003eThe ability to designate cavalry units in reserve\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli style=\"font-size: 16px; text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"\u003eArtillery Fire conducted both offensively and defensively\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli style=\"font-size: 16px; text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"\u003eSimultaneous ranged musket Fire as a complement to ranged rifle fire\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli style=\"font-size: 16px; text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"\u003eA Cavalry Reserve Phase where units designated in Reserve may charge after the normal Close Combat Phase\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli style=\"font-size: 16px; text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"\u003eAnd Opportunity Card Management\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"\u003eLet’s look at some of these new design elements in more detail.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eArtillery:\u003c\/strong\u003e Veteran \u003cem\u003eBoAR\u003c\/em\u003e players will note that artillery fires both offensively and defensively in \u003cem\u003eSmall BoAR\u003c\/em\u003e. The firing ranges in \u003cem\u003eBoAR\u003c\/em\u003e are nominally 1 to 3 hexes (200 to 600 yards), while in \u003cem\u003eSmall BoAR\u003c\/em\u003e the firing ranges are 1 to 24 hexes, with increased devastation due to cannister fire at 1 or 2 hexes (25-50 yards).\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMuskets\/Rifles:\u003c\/strong\u003e Due to the scale of the game, both rifles and muskets fire in \u003cem\u003eSmall BoAR\u003c\/em\u003e, thus there is the potential for more casualties by fire combat. By contrast, in standard \u003cem\u003eBoAR\u003c\/em\u003e, musket fire is abstracted into Close Combat. In \u003cem\u003eSmall BoAR\u003c\/em\u003e, rifle equipped units are still outclassed by muskets equipped with Bayonets during Close Combat, unless those rifles are protected by friendly musket equipped units involved in the same combat.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCavalry (Dragoons):\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cem\u003eSmall BoAR\u003c\/em\u003e adds a dimension to the \u003cem\u003eBoAR\u003c\/em\u003e system with the inclusion of cavalry tactics reflective of the actual Battle of Cowpens. Both sides employed cavalry leaders and tactics that were instrumental in the conduct and outcome of the battle. The most feared and hated British officer in the Americas, Banastre Tarleton, commanded Tarleton’s Legion and the British Army at Cowpens. He was opposed by the American Cavalry Commander, William Washington, a second cousin of the Father of the Country. In \u003cem\u003eSmall BoAR\u003c\/em\u003e, cavalry placed in reserve at the beginning of a turn may move after the close combat phase and charge targets of opportunity.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLeadership:\u003c\/strong\u003e The tactical finesse of Daniel Morgan at the Battle of Cowpens is recognized as the most significant display of that quality during the entire Revolutionary War and is faithfully captured in the game design. Morgan understood the value, experience, and in some cases the limitations of his troops: militia, Continentals, and cavalry. To maximize their effectiveness and limit their liabilities, he employed an unusual defense in depth. In addition, he chose a relatively open battlefield that appeared to be the worst possible choice for his army when confronted by the dangerous cavalry of Tarleton’s Legion. Morgan’s flanks, however, were anchored on impassable, canebrake (bamboo) lined creeks and boggy swamps, which narrowed the battlefield and prevented wide flanking movements by the British cavalry. Mark Miklos, Bruno Sinigaglio, and \u003cem\u003eSmall BoAR\u003c\/em\u003e Series Developer Dave Stiffler walked the preserved Cowpens battlefield numerous times in Mid-January in order to fully develop an accurate map representative of the January battlefield. They waded up and down every creek, and Dave unsuccessfully attempted to infiltrate a stand of canebrake.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Battle:\u003c\/strong\u003e Morgan placed ten companies of militia skirmishers from South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia in the front line. All crack shots, they fought in open order and were tasked with forcing Tarleton to deploy his army while they masked the primary Militia line 150 yards to their rear. After firing at the deploying British, they were to reposition to the flanks of the Militia line.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"\u003eThe Militia line, comprised of four battalions with 18 companies of rifle equipped South Carolina Militia, were in turn stationed 150 yards in front of the American main line of Continentals. Morgan knew these troops would run when confronted by British Bayonets, so the night before the battle he encouraged them to fire just three shots before withdrawing to pre-assigned areas behind and to the flanks on the Continental line where they could safely regroup and then re-join the battle.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"\u003eAfter the British Infantry broke the Militia line, they assumed they had won the battle and their morale soared, but only seconds later they were surprised to see five companies of Continentals and nine companies of Virginia and North Carolina Militia to their front. To add to the British surprise, these Continentals from Maryland and Delaware were the best the Americans had to field.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"\u003eThe British were not about to quit. They regrouped, reformed, and charged the American Continental line. Disaster almost befell the Continentals when a misunderstood order led to an inopportune retrograde maneuver, and the British appeared to drive-in the right flank of the American line. Heroic efforts to stave off defeat of the right flank by McDowell’s Skirmishers together with an unexpected about face and point blank fire by the Continentals and a well-timed charge by Washington’s Dragoons resulted in the immediate surrender of the dazed 71st Highland Regiment. Seconds later, the regrouped South Carolina Militia returned to the battle, precipitating a historical rarity—a successful double envelopment.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"\u003eA stunning American victory ensued, lauded today as one of the most brilliant and complete victories in the storied history of American arms and still studied at West Point and elsewhere. The entire British Infantry contingent was killed or captured, to include eight companies of elite Scots Highlanders, four companies of elite Light Infantry, six companies of Tarleton’s Legion Infantry, and four companies of the 7th Foot (Royal Fusiliers). William Washington pursued Tarleton’s fleeing cavalry and confronted Tarleton in a duel of cavalry commanders. The only casualty was Washington’s horse, shot by Tarleton as he aimed for Washington.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"\u003eUpon learning of the defeat, Cornwallis leaned heavily on his sword, and it broke in two.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eComponents:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli style=\"font-size: 16px; text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"\u003eOne Cowpens\/Small BoAR Series Rulebook\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli style=\"font-size: 16px; text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"\u003eOne 22\" x 34\" Mounted Map\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli style=\"font-size: 16px; text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"\u003eOne and a half Countersheets\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli style=\"font-size: 16px; text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"\u003eTwo 8.5\" x 11\" Player Aid Cards\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli style=\"font-size: 16px; text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"\u003e16 Standard BoAR Tactics Cards\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli style=\"font-size: 16px; text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"\u003e52 Standard Poker-size Cards\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli style=\"font-size: 16px; text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"\u003eOne 2\" Box with Insert\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli style=\"font-size: 16px; text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"\u003eTwo 10-sided Dice\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"TCGplayer","offers":[{"title":"Unopened","offer_id":57523342672038,"sku":"GMT2602","price":44.78,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0762\/5798\/4678\/files\/Gamenerdzimages824__59478.1790176522.1280.1280.png?v=1790458543","url":"https:\/\/tcgplayer.com.gy\/products\/the-battle-of-cowpens-preorder","provider":"TCGplayer","version":"1.0","type":"link"}