Beaver Wars in Ohio playtest: Turn 2

Eight players gathered on a cold, January morning to refight the clashes that, centuries ago, could have occurred not from from where we sat. The Beaver Wars in Ohio simulates the late 17th and early 18th century struggles between Native American tribes for dominance over hunting and trapping lands in what is now Ohio and surrounding states. A local pizzeria graciously donates their side room to us every three weeks or so, and we reciprocate by enjoying a post-game lunch of pizza, subs, or salads.

The campaign for Song of Drums and Tomahawks rules uses strategic card play to determine a player order and the number of beaver pelts each side obtains that turn. Tribes also fight a skirmish with an opposing tribe each turn. The battles are rolled from a list of 18 that will come included in the campaign rules. Triumphs over opponents, scenario victory points, and beaver pelts will determine the campaign victor. We are playtesting not only the campaign rules for balance and fairness, but also the scenarios to make sure they are enjoyable, present interesting tactical challenges, and are not one-sided.

My Erie traders prepare to move out and engage the Seneca who had stolen items from our trading bundles at the European fort

This turn's clashes included a rum-induced brawl between opposing Seneca and Erie trading groups inside the walls of a European fort (entitled, "Who's a Thief?"), a Shawnee ambush of a Mohawk traders portaging their goods past a rapids ("Attack at the Portage"), and angry Kickapoo villagers chasing down a band of raiders from the Neutral tribe -- who'd seized captives while the men were off hunting ("Rescue the Captives"). And finally, Miami warriors lay in wait for a Susquehannock trading party escorting pack horses along a forest path ("Ambush the Traders").

The players' forces tend to improve after each turn. Although they are given the same basic campaign army points to buy their force for each battle, they are given a number of free upgrades depending upon their progress in two categories. The first category, beaver pelts collected, determines how many matchlocks they receive to replace their bows (which come standard). The second category is Scenario Victory Points. Their accumulated total throughout the campaign allows them to purchase Traits from the Song of Drums and Tomahawks rules for specific figures in the force. These can include Marksman (+1 to shooting), Strong (+1 to melee), Primitive Weapons (think Chingachgook's club in The Last of the Mohicans), Sprinter, Steadfast, and so on.

The enemy Seneca boldly advance out between two log cabins, stung by our accusations against them of theft

I am playing the Erie tribe in this playtest. Our skirmish for this campaign matched us up against a party of thieving Seneca that had stolen goods from our bundles inside the European fort (of course, they were making the same claims against us!). I decided to give one of my two matchlock swaps to my Leader since he has a higher combat score. The other matchlock went to a Warrior. I was at the lowest level in Scenario Victory Points (dead last, I must confess), so I received only two points of upgrades. I decided to spend both to make my Leader a Marksman. With a higher Combat score than rank and file Warriors or Youths, I figured he could be fairly lethal. As it turned out, my leader slew three Seneca all by himself, but then I'm getting ahead of my story...!

My opponent set up the wooden stockade walls and log buildings that made up our battlefield. It would be fought wholly within the confines of a French trading post. He also placed various piles of firewood and stacks of barrels throughout the open areas to provide cover. I placed my campfire and bundles in one corner, and my opponent placed his in the opposite one. The battle opened with us advancing cautiously, using the cover of the buildings, barrels, and woodpiles.  I kept my two youths to the rear of my force, thinking to send them on an end run to loot the Seneca bundles once our forces joined. My bow-armed warriors led the way, the two Indians with firearms close behind.

A Kickapoo blocking force and pursuit force catch the Neutral raiders on a forest path along the lakeshore

My chief and his companion with the matchlock found a good firing position behind a stack of firewood, and blazed away at the Seneca. When one of the enemy with matchlock darted forward and shot down one of my Warriors, he was charged in turn and dispatched with a tomahawk. Both of us were proving rather deadly, and our losses began to mount. I was happy that we were killing as many foes as the we were losing ourselves. I thought the battle was won when we forced him to make his first morale tests upon losing over 50% of his force. The Senecas withdrew only a short distance, though, forcing us to go get them to drive them off.

A turning point came when two of my warriors darted up to attack two Seneca sheltering along the corner of a cabin. My opponent rolled a "6" in both battles, which knocked my braves down, leaving them vulnerable to be finished off on his turn. Both died, and our numbers dropped below 50%, forcing us to give ground back to near our original position. The last few rounds were tightly contested, but I had only my chief and two Youths left, while the Seneca had their leader and three warriors. It wasn't long before only my chief was left, who knew the fight was lost, and escaped over the walls of the fort.

My own game was so gripping that I really did not have much of a chance to watch the others. Keith Finn, the player controlling the Neutrals tribe, has written up a good account of his attempt to evade pursuit by angry Kickapoo villagers who were seeking to recapture the captives he'd taken. Check that account out on Keith's website here: Orca Finn's Basement

Otherwise, the Susquehannock were able to blow by the Miami ambush and win the turn's most overwhelming Major Victory. This enabled them to take the campaign lead on total points in the three categories we are competing over. The turn's other ambush, a Shawnee attack on a Mohawk hunting party at a portage site, was as big of a success as the Miami one was a failure. All of the Mohawk ended up fleeing the battlefield, giving the Shawnee their second victory of the campaign (and second place on total points).

After two turns of play, here is the Leaderboard in total victory points:

Tribe	Place	Victory Points
Susquehannock	1st	20.5 points
Shawnee	2nd	17.5 points
Neutrals	3rd	17 points
Mohawk	4th	16 points
Seneca	5th	12 points
Kickapoo	6th	11 points
Miami	7th	8.5 points
Erie	8th	5.5 points

If you're curious, here are the leaders in the three individual categories, as well:
PRESTIGE POINTS (Major Victory = 3 points, Minor Victory = 2 points, Minor Defeat = 1 point)

Tribe	Prestige Points (PPs)
Shawnee	5
Neutrals	4
Seneca	4
Susquehannock	4
Mohawk	3
Miami	2
Kickapoo	1
Erie	1

BEAVER PELTS

Tribe	Beaver Pelts
Mohawk	15
Susquehannock	13
Kickapoo	11
Erie	7
Miami	7
Neutrals	7
Shawnee	7
Seneca	5

SCENARIO VICTORY POINTS

Tribe	Scenario Victory Points (SVPs)
Neutrals	31
Susquehannock	31
Shawnee	29
Seneca	23
Mohawk	16
Kickapoo	15
Miami	15
Erie	13