2024 saw the 21st WBC Wilderness War tournament. 16 players total vied for the 3 plaques and 5 prizes including 4 new players who got learning games in the first round
Round 1 saw 7 games with 14 players. The British winning 4 of the 7.
Round 2 saw 5 games and 1 bye. The French went 4-1 in this round. One game was decided largely by leader deaths with 3 in one battle and Wolfe dying later.
Round 3 saw 4 games and 1 bye. The French went 3-1. The big match was Paul Gaberson vs the GM Grant LaDue, the top two AREA rated players. Grant’s British pulled out the win, slowly grinding down the French and pushing on Fort Niagara early in 1759, getting between Montcalm and the fort such that he had to risk the big battle in the wilderness that the Brits won with the odds. This saw Grant LaDue and Geoff Allbert as the only 3-0 players, setting up a replay of the 2022 Final.
Round 4 saw 3 games played with the aforementioned Final, and Brian Scilzo playing Randall MacGinnis for 3rd and 4th.The French went 2-0 this round. Grant’s French pulled out the win against Geoff. Grant got Wolfe with the light infantry in Spring ‘57, going right after Louisburg light enough that Grant fought him on the beaches. Grant won the key battle, but crucially Wolfe died in the battle! This, and a bastion repaired, dragged out the surrender of the fortress to the spring of 58 with both sides taking attrition there. The French got both reinforcements in before the ports were sealed up, and the surrender brought Louisburg’s survivors to the main army. Grant got Intercepted Couriers in Fall of ‘57 and ‘58. With relentless raiding and a series of consecutive moves, the French were able to extend the VP lead sufficient that even the British Quiberon Bay in fall of ‘58, Grant was able to run out the clock in the last year. Geoff’s British just running out of time to reach Montreal. The losses in taking Louisburg kept the British from having two max armies and Montcalm’s reinforced army was able to stand and fight behind fieldworks long enough to run it out. This gave Grant his 4th win, bringing him into a tie with Paul and Keith Wixson!
Randall took third and Brian fourth with a club, Warhawk, arrow, pipe and canteen distributed as prizes.
The tournament went great again this year. The first round was well received, although we will move that round up an hour so all the games are finished by 11 pm in 2025.
Thanks to Bill Peeck for running the demo, which was immediately before the first round.
In addition, 2025 will see the tournament move to a C tournament since we run voluntary teaching games in the first round anyway.
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