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The defending champ Michael Ussery
and four-time champ James Pei, both 3-0, meet in the 4th round. |
Grant LaDue finally gets over the
hump - if "The Master" can be described as a "hump"
as the last unbeatens meet in Round 5. |
Up from the ranks ...
The new single elimination/mulligan Tue/Wed format was a success
and was well received, with both the total number of players
and games played increased. There is still room for improvement
and our Century status is still tenuous at best, but assuming
we survive for another year, I expect to be back with the same
format and schedule next year.
Here are some highlights of the tournament:
~ For the second year in a row there was a new first time champ,
Grant LaDue, a perennial laurelist who finally won the big prize.
Grant lost in the 2009 Final and has been a semifinalist twice
since. The #7 seed, LaDue defeated newcomer Michael Wilding,
#2 seed Keith Wixson, Randy MacInnis and #8 seed Bill Peeck en
route to the championship game with top seeded James "The
Master" Pei.
~ Pei defeated newcomer Rod Coffey, #3 seed George Young, #4
seed Paul Gaberson and the defending champ and #6 seed Michael
Ussery.
~ The tournament was offered as a Class B event attracting five
new players, four of whom attended the demo.
~ Attendance was up to 20 from 16 last year. The Tuesday night
Mulligan round was well attended (12 players), and all six Mulligan
losers returned the following morning to play in the official
first round.
~ Three of last year's laurelists made it into the top six again
this year.
~ The games split evenly with the French and British winning
12 games each (compared to 56% French wins last year, 54% French
wins in 2012, 50% French wins in 2011, 69% French wins in 2010,
65% French wins in 2009, 67% French wins in 2008, 61% French
wins in 2007, 52% French wins in 2006, 56% French wins in 2005,
71% French wins in 2004 and 62% French wins in 2003). The French
won swept the semifinal and Final games.
Additional
Prizes: The Champ took home a Ball Head Warclub and the
runner-up won a Black Hawk Style Warhawk. Peeck was awarded a
hand painted tin soldier for graciously playing as an eliminator
in the semifinal round against LaDue after having been eliminated
in the previous round (there were only three undefeated players
entering the round).
I expect to start a PBeM tournament for this game before the
end of the year.
Here is an AAR of the Championship game between LaDue and Pei.
This game was a rematch of the 2009 Final, with LaDue avenging
his loss in that game.
Early 57
The French main army under Montcalm builds up at Ticonderoga,
while the British main army under Loudoun sets up opposite them
at Ft. William Henry (HCN). The French otherwise concentrate
on raiding while the British concentrate on building raider defenses.
No British reinforcements arrive.
Late 57
The first British reinforcements arrive under Bradstreet at Alexandria.
This is another turn of French raiding and British defensive
reactions. The French main army withdraws to Winter Quarters
at Montreal, while the British main army withdraws to Albany.
Johnson and Provincials attempt a late stab at Ft. Carillon (Ticonderoga)
but is repulsed and killed. Vaudreuil sends Montcalm out West
on an inspection tour at the end of the turn. VP's at Turn's
end are FR5 (three successful raids for the year).
Early 58
The French main army under Levis returns from Winter Quarters
to siege Ft. William Henry. The British main army counterattacks
and is repulsed (VP's to FR6). Ft. William Henry falls (VP's
to FR8). The Highlanders arrive at three locations (Amherst arrives
at Halifax, Forbes at Alexandria). More British Regulars arrive
under Wolfe at New York. Wolfe takes over the British main army
and forces Levis to retreat back up the Champlain valley. Ft.
Carillon is destroyed along the way (VP's to FR7). Montcalm makes
his way back East. French reinforcements arrive at Quebec.
Late 58
Montcalm returns to command main French army at Crown Point while
Wolfe builds forts at HCN and Ticonderoga. The British western
army under Forbes moves to Laurel Ridge North. Ft. Duquesne is
destroyed by the French and Ohio Forks is abandoned (VP's to
FR6). Bradstreet and a small force detaches to destroy a Marine
Detachment (VP's to FR5), but fails to make it back to Winter
Quarters and suffers attrition. The French main army withdraws
to Winter Quarters at Montreal, while the British main army withdraws
to Albany. VP's at Turn's end are FR6 (one successful raid for
the year).
Early 59
Montcalm and the main French army besiege Ft. Ticonderoga. Wolfe
counterattacks with the main British army and wins a victory
despite French fieldworks (VP's to FR5). The French destroy Ft.
St. Frédéric (VP's to FR4) and pull back to Ile-aux-Noix.
The British play Bigot and use the end of turn card windfall
to redeploy Wolfe's army to the Mohawk valley theater. Villiers
makes a critical interception to save a French stockade garrisoned
by marines at Oswegatchie.
Late 59
The British attempt a two-pronged offensive against Niagara with
a small force under Bradstreet moving up from the French Creek
region while Wolfe's forces attempt to secure a supply line from
Albany. A small British force also moves to Cataraqui to block
any relief efforts by the French. A British courier is intercepted.
Bradstreet's first attempt to besiege Ft. Niagara is prevented
by a Lake Schooner, but he makes it into the space on his second
attempt. Unfortunately, the French main army crosses the Adirondacks
and is able to cut the British supply line at OCW with time running
out by overrunning an intercepting British force under Webb.
With no means to complete the siege, Pei resigns with VP's at
FR7.
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