Land on Fire: French and British commanders

Sir Ralph Abercromby

In this post we look at the profiles for the different French and British commanders in the game. The British can be led by 1-4 players acting as a team. If three players, I suggest trying it out with only three British generals.

Below are the profiles for each commander. British generals all have a strength number equivalent to the number of infantry regiments under their command. They can never have more than these unless playing an asset card. A general who loses all his troops is dead/captured. As you will see, the commander profiles contain quite a lot of the additional crunch in the system.

French commanders have strengths measured in the number of units they command, plus other characteristics which are part of the AI of the game, and govern their ability to advance on Dublin, fight the British and raise rebellion. I have added a fourth 'French' army which actually landed in Wales historically but was earmarked for possible use in Ireland.

The British

Sir Ralph Abercromby

Highly experienced Scottish general who as an officer earlier in his career sympathised with the American rebels during the American Revolution, and avoided serving in North America. Campaigned under the Duke of York in the Netherlands in 1794 and then led an expedition to the West Indies the following year. Had experience of fighting French irregulars and natives in Saint Vincent, but failed to take Puerto Rico from the Spanish. Was arguably the most diplomatic of the British leaders in Ireland. There is a pub in Manchester named after him which was purchased by English footballer Gary Neville in 2017, to avoid it being knocked down.

Regiments: 5. Special: Draws a free extra asset card when in a port. Does not lose a unit when in a town with rebels at the end of a turn.

Lord Cornwallis

Well known for his career in the Americas, where he served as a lieutenant general under Sir Henry Clinton. He played an important role in some of the British victories over the American rebels, including at Brandywine and Germantown, although was often at loggerheads with senior British commanders in America. He was the lead British commander in the southern colonies post-1779, especially in South Carolina and Virginia. He surrendered Yorktown to the French and Americans in 1781. He subsequently was appointed Governor General in India (1784) where he renewed the war against Tipu Sultan in Mysore and captured Seringapatam (the first time - Wellesley had another crack at it in 1799). Was suspected of being sympathetic to the Irish cause. There is a very nice pub named after him in Marchmont Street in London.

Regiments: 6. Special: Can spend APs before a battle to add +1 to a roll for each AP spent. Always ignores first loss to his army in a battle against either rebels or French.

Viscount Gerard Lake

Served under Cornwallis in South Carolina (see above) and was with the 80th Foot (Royal Edinburgh) at Yorktown. He was made commander in chief of British forces in Ulster in 1796 where he has been blamed for the 'Dragooning of Ulster' in which British troops were forcibly billeted on Irish households with predictable results. Lake quickly built up a reputation for atrocities in Ireland. After Ireland he was sent out to India to be commander in chief of the East India Company forces from 1801. There are no pubs named after Lake. It speaks volumes.

Regiments: 6. Special: If two or more rebel units are defeated with his first attack in a town, remove one rebel counter from each adjacent town as well. Receives +1 to attack rolls against any rebels in Ulster.

Sir John Moore

Served with the 82nd Foot in Canada and Maine during the American War of Independence, including playing a role in the defeat of the Penobscot Expedition, which was a disaster for the rebels. When war with France broke out he was involved in the fighting in Corsica and then served under Abercromby (above) in the West Indies. Moore was credited with the storming of Fort Charlotte in Saint Lucia by troops under his command. Was known to have a problem with authority and to be a rival of Lake (above). Moore later became commander of British forces in Spain in 1808 and died at the Battle of Corunna in 1809 fighting the French. There is a Wetherspoon 'super pub' named after him in Glasgow.

Regiments: 4. Special: Can force march two spaces with 1 AP once per turn. Can re-roll all dice once per turn when in combat against either rebels or French.

The French

French commanders have a number of key stats in Land on Fire. They include different consequences for the British if they are not defeated in an opening battle. French generals are measured by units under command, their ability to generate local rebellions, and their ability to move their army forwards. Each turn players check each French army active in Ireland to see if they move closer to Dublin. Core stats are Regiments, Combat (roll needed by British to damage the army), Charisma (rabble rousing), and Energy (how actively they proceed towards Dublin).

Jean Joseph Humbert

Humbert served under Lazare Hoche (below) having been promoted to brigadier general in 1794. He was previously a sergeant in the National Guard. Prior to the Irish expedition, he was part of the command of the Army of the Rhine and Moselle. He commanded the original Bantry Bay expedition to Ireland in 1796 as well as commanding a separate force in Ireland in 1798, where he was captured at the Battle of Ballinamuck. Humbert was subsequently returned to France as part of a prisoner swap (the Irish officers saw the end of a rope). Ironically Humbert later took part in the French expedition to Haiti to try to put down the slave revolt there, before becoming an associate of notorious New Orleans pirate Jean Lafitte. There is a pub named after him in La Rochelle, France. It is an Irish pub, naturally. There is Guinness on tap.

Regiments: 6; 3+ to hit; Energy: 8+; Charisma: 9+

Special: If Humbert wins, the British lose two units plus must discard two military assets randomly. Humbert blocks any attacks for each 1 rolled.

Lazare Hoche

Starting life as a royal stable boy, the revolution in France led to an accelerated military career with promotions to lieutenant and then captain in a matter of months. He saw action in the major early battles to defend the revolution, and played a key role in rallying the troops after General Dumouriez defected. In 1793 he was made commander of the Army of the Moselle, defending France's eastern borders. He was imprisoned on treason charges and later romantically linked to Josephine de Beauharnais, later wife of Napoleon Bonaparte, while still in prison. His success in helping to crush the royalist revolt in the Vendee led to his nomination to command the expedition to Ireland in 1796. There is no pub named after Hoche sadly, although there is a cafe in Cannes named after him, which sounds far more civilized to be honest.

Regiments: 5; 4+ to hit; Energy 9+; Charisma 8+

If Hoche wins a battle, losing army takes D6 losses and must discard D6 assets. No re-rolls or special abilities may be used against Hoche. 

Wolfe Tone

One of the key architects of the Irish rebellion in 1797, Theobald Wolfe Tone founded the Society of United Irishmen in 1791 and was an active promoter of Irish independence. Tone acted as a key conduit between the Irish rebels and the revolutionary regime in Paris. He led the third and final invasion attempt in October 1798, but was heavily involved in the planning and execution of the previous efforts. He killed himself in prison while facing the death sentence in Dublin. There is a pub named after Tone in Ontario, Canada and a bar in Letterkenny, Donegal.

Regiments: 4; 5+ to hit; Energy: 7+; Charisma 7+

Special: If Tone wins a battle, British lose 3 regiments and discard ALL asset cards. Tone's army returns to full strength if he is not beaten in a single battle. Tone raises two rebel units on a successful Cha check, rather than the usual one.

Legion Noire

This army only appears on an event card. Hoche originally proposed to launch two diversionary attacks against England and Wales while the main French force landed in Ireland. As things turned out, this army landed near Fishguard in Wales where it was promptly defeated by local militia. Its commander William Tate was an American renegade who had fled the US to avoid a treason trial and found a home with the French. Many of the troops were ex-convicts and other undesirables. While there is no pub named after the Legion, it comes as no surprise that they have a controversial right wing heavy metal band in Argentina.

Regiments: 4; 3+ to hit; Energy: 9+; Charisma 10+

Special: If the Legion Noire rolls a double on its Energy check, Pillage the town it is in. If the Legion wins a battle, lose D3 units and D3 asset cards.

Still to come - when I get the time and the chance to do some more research and get my felt pens out:

• The Military Assets deck
• The Events deck
• The Combat rules
• The all-important Insurrection Table
• The game map