Rob McCracken and designer Mark Miklos brought an air of period authenticity to the proceedings by wearing uniforms of the era.	13-yr old Champ Easter literally sees Redcoats moving against him. It didn't distract the prodigy from an impressive second-place finish.

Five past champions humbled!
All ten top AREA rated players defeated!
A 13-year old blazes a trail of guts and glory across the battlefield!
And a new champion is crowned!

The classic "Saratoga" was offered as both the Mulligan & Round 1 game. 16 games were played with the British scoring six marginal, three substantial and one decisive victory. The Americans' six victories numbered four marginal, one substantial and one decisive. The victors included Dale Long, Mark Miklos, Dan Dolan Sr, Chris Easter, Champ Easter, Dave Stiffler, Jeff Lange Sr, Chris Byrd, Rob Doane, Bruno Sinigaglio, Chris Storzillo, Jim Tracy, Ed O'Connor and Tom Drueding. Rob McCracken fought back from a 4-0 VP deficit with an hour to play and managed to tie the score "at the buzzer" advancing to Round 2. In the midst of these 16 games, players sensed this was not business as usual when two former champions, Andy Maly and John Vasilakos, were hors d' combat early.

12 players returned for Round 2; the Howe's Flank Attack scenario from "Brandywine Creek." The Americans prevailed in five contests with Chris Easter eliminating 2009 champion Jim Tracy by marginal victory while the other four games ended with decisive American wins; Dale Long over Chris Storzillo, Rob McCracken over #1 AREA rated Bruno Sinigaglio, Rob Doane over Jeff Lange Sr, and Mark Miklos over Ed O'Connor. Young Champ Easter, the afore-mentioned 13-year old, managed the sole British win with a substantial victory over Dave Stiffler.

The "Guilford Courthouse" historical scenario was used in Round 3. Here the Americans won two of three contests; Chris Easter defeated the defending champion Dale Long while Rob Doane beat Rob McCracken. Meanwhile the younger Easter, again the lone British winner in a round, took down 5-time champion, GM and designer Mark Miklos!

With three players remaining, and all former champions vanquished, the bye went to Rob Doane who had the most points through three rounds. Rob would await the outcome of the father and son clash for the right to play in the Final.

That determining game was the Washington's Stand scenario from "Monmouth Courthouse." In the 6-turn scenario the players tied on the Initiative Die Roll twice. Because of the "heat" rules in Monmouth, a tied Initiative Roll equates to a skipped game turn. Chris' British, therefore, only had four turns to overtake Champ's Americans and failed to do so. The game ended in a draw with each holding 12 VPs. Marginal Victory in this scenario requires a margin of at least three VPs. The advancing player would have the most tournament points after factoring in the results of this scenario. With both tied with eight tournament points each, the decision evolved to the first tie-break; the difference in cumulative Army Morale. Champ's 68 Army Morale points bested Chris' 62 and with it the son trumped the father and advanced to meet a waiting Rob Doane in the Final.

Two-player "Pensacola" awaited them. Since both players preferred to be the British a bid of at-start Army Morale was required. Champ's bid of 1 was high; Rob had bid 0, and so Champ adjusted the at-start British Army Morale down by one and took control of his troops. "In one of the worst displays of British gunnery in history" the Red Cliff's Fort battery completely missed the arriving Spanish fleet on Turn 1. Shouts of "Viva, Viva!" rang through the Spanish camps as Spanish Army Morale improved by one and Rob disembarked his army unmolested.

The players were blessed with good weather through the first ten turns, a decided advantage for the advancing Spanish who must build Corduroy Road and dig gun emplacements. A total of two British raids were launched to disrupt the approaching Spanish but with minimal effect causing no real adverse impact to Spanish Army Morale prior to the Coup d' Main.

Rob eventually placed his siege batteries and by the time his bombardment had ended, all three British fortified positions had been breached. The Queen Anne's Redoubt and the Prince of Wales Redoubt were breached by bombardment while Fort George was breached when a gale blew up on Turn 11!

Several Random Event Cards were played during the Siege portion of the game including Scalps, Santo Servanto, Failed British Reconnaissance, and To-Arms which added flavor to the game.

The Spanish declared Coup d' Main on Turn 15 and harvested the final Random Event card due them on the Siege Turn track as a bonus for launching an early assault. With three breaches the Spanish suffered no adverse Army Morale adjustment. Furthermore, their Army Morale was high (16) while that of the British was fatigued (11) by this point. Although Major Pentzel had successfully transitioned from the Red Cliff's Fort to the main map and the Pensacola Militia had been called up through card play, the American POWs never did arrive. (We can assume they lounged around in Jamaica for the duration.)

Taking the British works was no easy task and many of Rob's Spanish and French units took casualties. Nevertheless, the Prince of Wales Redoubt in the British center was the first to fall on Coup d' Main Turn 2. This was aided by the judicious play of the "Exhaustion" card which caused the 16th Foot to shatter. At one point in the early Coup d' Main play, Rob's Spanish held three Momentum chits which he cashed in to dictate player-order.

Battle raged on. The Queen's Redoubt fell next on Coup d' Main Turn 3 by which time British Army Morale was wavering. In conjunction with that action the Spanish destroyed the Indian village causing just under half of the British­allied Indians to quit the field. British resources were dwindling fast but were still stout enough to mount a defense at Fort George, the last British outpost.

A considerable number of Spanish units were damaged but they stubbornly battled on sensing blood in the water. The British spiked some garrison artillery along the way to deny the VPs to the Spanish but at a cost of precious Army Morale. At last, on the fifth Coup d' Main turn with the Spanish massing for an all-out assault, British Army Morale sank to zero, ending the game with a substantial Spanish victory for Rob Doane.

The new champion received a shrink-wrapped copy of Monmouth, courtesy of the GM and the second place finisher received an excellent new book on the Battle of Guilford Courthouse, courtesy of Chris Storzillo. There were plenty of photo ops with GM & AGM clad in period costume. Smiles and good cheer abounded, as it should when true champions meet in competition. Champ Easter made a legacy, Rob won the tournament and a good time was had by all.

2006 champ Andrew Maly falls to Chris Storzillo in the first round.	Chris Byrd and Bob Jamelli head a row of Revolutionaries.