Fix Bayonets! A ‘Blood & Plunder’ preview & Bat-Rep

By Tyler Stone

Well, the is a wrap and the pledge manager is on the horizon (possibly even available, by the time you’re reading this) and it’s time to start thinking about what boxes you’d like to add to that Admiral pledge. But what if you’re done deciding, and that decision was Soldiers? Well, you’re in luck, because I’ve got a battle report with the French Army list that Mike sent out us to preview. So charge your muskets and fix bayonets, let’s dive into some new material.

The new Army factions are all very similar. You can check out the in my earlier article, to get a good feel for what’s on offer. The French take the British list, change a few minor stats, and add Hard Chargers. Two noteworthy things about the ‘Army’ sub-factions. First, their troops cost quite a few points; nothing in this list was less than 7 points per model. Second, their Platoon Command rule is more useful when you have a LOT of units. So obviously, to playtest these rules would call for a large battle. So here is my 300 points French list:

‘Compagnie de Ligne des Antilles’ 300pts
5 Infanterie Reguliere
3x 6 Infanterie Reguliere
2x 8 Infanterie Grenadier
Experienced French Commander, with Inspiring and Cold Blooded

To play against these pernicious Frenchmen, were the English of the Jamaican Militia. It would be a good test match for rules, but also historically. This existing 17th-century list represents the British defenders typical of the 9 Years’ War when France and England fought over several Caribbean islands. I did include ‘Uncle Eddie’ here representing a particularly capable English officer; perhaps Colonel Christopher Codrington, commander-in-chief of the Leeward Islands.

‘The Independent Company of St. Kitts’ 300pts
4x 6 Freebooters
12 Veteran Musketeers, with an Officer and Plug Bayonets
5 Militia Artillery Crew, with Medium Field Gun
Col. Codrington (Edward Morgan)

From left to right: 2 units of  6 Freebooters, the English Musketeers and Officer, Freebooters with Codrington, Artillery Crew and Gun, and Freebooters

The scenario rolled up was ‘Raze’, with the French attacking. To me, it sounds like the French invasion of St Kitts, by Charles de Courbons, Comte de Blenac, and his 3,000 French troops. I placed out a small settlement with a church, large house, two smaller shacks, a windmill, and field of sugarcane. The British chose buildings in secret to be objectives. The French must find and burn these buildings.

The English began on the table, while the French would have to move on from their board edge. Seizing the initiative, the English wasted no time. They activated Col. Codrington and moving him into the Big House. At the same time, he ordered the Freebooters towards the old church and used his unique “double order” to bring the artillery crew up alongside.

The French arrive, fashionably late. From Left to Right: 8x Grenadiers, 4 units of Infanterie Reguliere (Blenac bottom right) 8x Grenadiers

The French showed their initiative and a strength of their Faction Special Rule. Moving Blenac onto the field, they sacrificed one of action for a Command Point to make a Platoon Action – allowing all units in range to carry out one action of his choice. He chose Move, and the entire French army seemed to “appear,” in neat formation outside the English town.

The two forces spent the rest of the turn working to close the distance. The English cannon belched forth a hail of grapeshot, felling a Grenadier on the French left. The Musketeers also advanced and unloaded a volley into the advancing Infanterie, scoring one more kill. The French weathered these long-distance shots as the bulk of their force moved toward the barricade outside the Old Church. The Grenadiers on the right flank made for the cane field.

‘To the Barricades!’ the French Infanterie take up firing positions along the debris outside the Old Church – ranks tight, guns bristling

One by one, the French units unload their muskets from behind the barricades. Four of the Musketeers go down, and the shaken Veterans begin to flee from the firestorm of shot. The French combine Fast Reload on Spades, with Expertly Drilled on Hearts and Spades, and many of the units are firing with maximized effect. In formation, Expertly Drilled forces enemy units to roll an extra die for any Resolve checks caused by the volley.

The English militia hurry to reload their cannon, as Codrington moves to the second floor of the Big House to direct the gun. BANG! Grapeshot scatters across the barricade, sending splinters of wood and men into the grass beyond. Two Grenadiers are killed, but the unit holds its ground with an elite 4+ Resolve save. Freebooter shooting drives one unit of Infanterie from the barricade. Another from the second line replaces it. The British Officer rallies his Musketeers and turns them back towards the fighting. The Freebooters on the English right flank sneak into the Old Church.

“Get back in there you jack-apes! Are we not the King’s Men?” – hardly the vaunted ‘Thin Red Line’ just yet

The third turn begins with a thunderous roar as Blenac issues a Platoon Order to fire. In a single activation, nearly every French model fires into the British. The Grenadiers in the cane field wipe out an opposing unit of Freebooters. On the opposite flank, the crew of the cannon are shot down before they can reload. Noticing the Freebooters in the Old Church, a single unit of Infanterie opens fire, killing one. It’s too late though…

Surprise! The freebooters are here for your booty!

Brave or suicidal, the Freebooters leap from the Old Church and charge into the flank of the Grenadiers. Half of the Grenadiers are dead in a flash of cutlass and clubbed musket, but their grit keeps them fighting. It will take more than that to be rid of them, and so Codrington and his unit step out onto the veranda of the big house. As his unit fires a devastating salvo into the Infanterie below, Codrington roars encouragement to the Freebooters in melee. With their colonel’s support, the Freebooters dispatch the last two Grenadiers.

As the turn ends, the French must face the fact that they have failed to burn any of the British settlement. Despite equal Strike Points as a result of casualties, the French are behind due to their lack of pyrotechnics.

Turn 4 was almost a lull in the fighting. Most units must reload, and the French are Shaken from the volleys going back and forth across the courtyard. The English too, had their share of Fatigue to get rid of. The armies redressed their lines. The Musketeers reload and head off to intercept the remaining unit of Grenadiers.

On Turn 5, the Grenadiers offered a volley to the English in the open. Terrible rolling meant that the English survived almost unscathed. They returned the offer with a volley of their own, before charging over the low stone wall sheltering the Grenadiers.

Caught between ‘Hu-zzah’ and ‘En Garde’ place

 

The rest of the battered French line trades fire with Codrington’s Freebooters. The French units are too decimated to risk crossing the open ground. Only Blenac’s unit is undamaged, and he moves them through the nearest shack, towards the struggling Grenadiers in the cane field.

The game ends with an almost anti-climactic bayonet charge. Blenac orders his men to fix bayonets, exit the shack, and charges into the English Musketeers. Now pressed from the front and flank, the Musketeers give way; being killed or taken captive. Parting French fire nearly kills Codrington as his unit becomes Shaken, but he survives.

Now it’s a ‘Thin Red Line.’ French bayonets finally carry the day

The final score is a narrow French victory. Tied 3-3 on Strike Points, owing to the fact that they did not ignite even a single British building; the French have wiped out 75% of Codrington’s defenders, including his elite Musketeers. By dint of blood & guts, the French military prevails. Codrington is forced to retreat to Fort Charles with his remaining troops.

Thoughts
Those who read my English Army review will recall that my excitement for the Platoon Action rule. I suspected it would allow for very efficient command of an army. Seeing the rule in practice, it might not be quite as dangerous as I suspected. Almost any Seasoned Commander with 3 Command Points can issue orders to most of an army. Codrington and his officer brought 3 Command Points between them.

My French officer had only a single Command Point for himself and had to sacrifice an Action to get another. Unless he was handing out Platoon Actions to at least 4 units, he was never more effective than his British adversaries. With the cost of the troops available, it isn’t ‘economic’ until very large games like this one. The British also had the flexibility of being able to issue separate orders; reload here, rally there, and so on. The ‘Army’ faction needs to be much more “of the same mind” to work.

A clash of continental proportion: British ‘Redcoats’ against the elite French Infanterie Grenadiers

That aside, the Army units themselves are very strong and worth their points. The French with Hard Chargers and Socket Bayonets should be terrifying, once across the table. They should have played more aggressively, rather than sitting behind barricades trading volleys. Still, in a shooting fight, Fast Reload, and Expertly Drilled work together to make dangerous ranged combat. I only wish that the faction had options for cheaper Core units; in part so that they could play smaller games. Historically, I’m not sure if the colonial armies ever met one another without a slew of local natives, provincials, or privateers alongside them.

I am very excited to see how the Army sub-factions develop further before the release. These are still early, incomplete previews of the rules, but still, get the “theme” of the faction across. There are more factions coming. The book also focuses on the Golden Age Pirates, such as the ‘Flying Gang’ of Nassau, and Blackbeard’s crew. Keep a weather eye out for the Pledge Manager, and get your Late Pledges in if you missed it. Expect to see ‘Raise the Black’ later in 2021. Until then, drop a comment and let us know what list you’d like to see tested out next!