Blood and Plunder: Retake the Captive
From the creature comforts of the game-cave, it was time for a little , featuring 150pts of French Caribbean Militia vs a Pirate force.
Set near the local governor’s house, we marshaled our forces and rolled up a scenario from the No Peace Beyond the Line book. The dice picked our fate an escort mission and with the Pirate force no less doing the escorting. Obviously they’ve taken someone of import captive that the French must try and rescue from a grizzly fate.
As I’d set a 6×4 table and we didn’t want to let it go we decided to double the number of turns for the midpoint goal to 6 and to 12 for the final goal of the Pirates escaping off the table.
French Caribbean Militia 6/12/18
Julien Lambert in command
- 8 Milices des Caraibes (Inexperienced)
- 5 Milices des Caraibes (Inexperienced)
- 6 Flibustiers (Vet)
- 4 Milice a Cheval (Trained)
- Grizzled Veteran
Pirate Forces 5/10/15
Jean Hamlyn in command
- 7 Flibustiers (Trained)
- 8 Marins upgraded to Buccaneers Guns and 1 model with Grenadoes (Trained)
- 6 Forlorn Hope (Trained)
Setup / Turn 1
Kyle decided to deploy behind the governor’s house and make for the opposite corner. I decided to hold back the group of 5 Milices des Caraibes whom I had assigned the Grizzled Veteran. I figured if anyone would keep those greenhorns in line, he would. By holding them off, they were able to enter on-table, the theory being we could pinch the Pirates depending on which way they might flow. Having to make the middle of the table or gain a strike point by turn 6 would be a challenge for them.
The Milices des Caraibes with the Grizzled Vet barking at them to enter the table. I made one mistake the first turn, spending his one command point to make them move three times. Turns out this character can only use his command point to rally. Tis a fair cop.
Meanwhile off in the distance, two groups of Pirates make a run for the far side of the house. The last group with the Jean Hamlyn and the captive in tow hadn’t activated yet. Which way might they go?
The remainder of the French force, pondering what their plan might be. The fine fellows on horse might be fast but could they be effective charging into the midst of the Pirates. Julien joined in with the Vet Flibustiers figuring they’d go for the two-story building. The Pirates would have to pass and some shots from cover might prove the best course early in the game.
Run, you dogs!
The Grizzled Vet suddenly realized he’s outnumbered and not going to get any help, the Flibusters with Jean Hamlyn let off a volley but to no avail. Then again maybe those Pirates are in a hurry and won’t pay them much mind. What might be the chances?
Julien and his men make for the building, while the Milces des Caraibes are told to “keep them busy”, the first crack of musket fire is heard but nothing lands tho the Marins take a point of fatigue.
Jean Hamlyn knowing he has numbers and trusting a little luck rushes the footbridge and let’s go a volley at close range. To a man the unit of Milices des Caraibes are killed saved for the Grizzled Vet, he runs for the hills being all the wiser. Alas, a strike point awarded to the French.
Starting to feel the heat of fire, the Milices des Caraibes jump behind the building that the boss is in. Reload quick boys we can pop out from behind the building and give those Marins another volley. Meanwhile, the first crack of musket fire from inside the building at the Marins finds a mark.
Jean Hamlyn, his flank secure starts to make for the center of the table with his captive and his first checkpoint looming, a strike point on the line.
As fate would have it he wouldn’t make it by turn 6 and thus a strike point on both sides.
Now we hit the point of the game where it got exciting which also means that I didn’t take as many pictures as I aspired to.
The Pirate Marins thinking they could force the issue in the building rushed up but Julien and his men joined by an occasional volley from Milices des Caraibes would take out a few men here and there. The French Milice a Cheval finally made an appearance trying to run down the remaining Marins would fall short. The Forlorn Hope would fire a volley at them, where 2 would go down, with 2 left in the unit, they would retire behind the building and wait for the Pirates to get closer.
Sensing that things were going his way Jean started to make a run for it. The remaining Milices des Caraibes being in the wrong place and the Milice a Cheval being down to two, their desire to run down a full-strength unit of eight Flibusters was as you imagine a bit low.
The French were in a pickle. Given their experience ratings, and cards in hand, plenty of actions were needed in order to get the men moving to catch up with Jean and his Pirates. Julien was less than motivated to pop out of the cover of his house as the unit of Forlorn Hope would surely lay down some effective fire awarding another strike-point.
And the exciting conclusion, the unit of eight Milices des Caraibes make a mad dash to hopefully get off one more volley. But the range and the dice see no little effect. Jean and his men will get away, tho the unit of Forlorn Hope will have a bit of a longer walk to meet up with their Captain.
Yet another fun game of Blood and Plunder while we all wait for our friendly local game stores to reopen.