What if Edinburgh Castle had fallen to the Jacobites in 1745? What if the Prince had stayed in Scotland after victory at Prestonpans? What if the Jacobites had made it to London? What if the French had landed? What if… our social media followers had controlled the Jacobite army?!
The Campaign
“WHAT IF?” is an interactive wargame campaign which the Trust ran from January 2023 to April 2024, with a second edition commencing in August 2024 and continuing still. The campaign imagines what might have happened in 1745-6 if some of the key decisions had been taken differently. Key strategic decisions for the one side are made by voters on our Facebook page, based on the limited information presented by the game-master – our curator, Dr Arran Johnston – who also controls the intelligence available to the opposing forces, directed by a small group of re-enactors and wargamers.Once a decision is made, the game-master sets the armies in motion and monitors their daily progress until the next decision is required.
Day-to-day operations and the impacts of certain events are determined according to a set of campaign rules we prepared in advance. These determined things like recruitment, marching speeds, chance events and foreign interventions. Some issues are resolved by simple dice rolls, others require active decisions from one side or the other. Some decisions must be made quickly, and others might have unexpected long-term consequences.
If rival regiments or hostile armies come within striking distance of one another, the resulting battles and skirmishes are fought out on the tabletop. Games are held at our museum, using the Warlord: Black Powder rules set (with a few of our own modifications).
Please Note: the campaign is currently still ongoing, and the outcome remains unknown! To avoid revealing any hidden event triggers to the participants, we will make our Campaign Rules available once the war is over!
The Figures
Our battles and skirmishes are fought using 28mm miniature figures. Almost all of these are from the “Flags of War”, “Front Rank” (Gripping Beast), and “Crann Tara” ranges. They have been assembled and painted by Dave Smith, Brett Fletcher, and Arran Johnston. The buildings come from a wide range of sources collected over several years, as well as some specially made landscape pieces of our own.
“WHAT IF?” The Jacobite Campaign
In 2023-4, we placed the future of the Jacobite cause in the hands of an informal team on Facebook. This comprised anyone who followed our social media channels and wished to vote on the strategic options. George II’s forces were commanded by a team comprising Brett Fletcher, Dave Smith, and Alex Morsman. The Jacobites gave King George some very sleepless nights… You can follow everything that happened on our YouTube playlist here:
“WHAT IF?” 2: The British Campaign
In 2024-5, we decided to run the game a second time. There were a few changes: the timeline began on 19 August 1745 – a month earlier than the first game; and our former redcoats were now in charge of the Jacobites! The forces of George II were placed in the hands of an open Facebook group, who are taking decision in real time on a daily basis: WHAT IF? II: 1745 Wargame Campaign | Facebook
The YouTube playlist for this campaign can be enjoyed below: