Tom’s First Victory? – A Blood and Plunder Battle Report

By Tom “Chairborne” Mullane

It’s been a long journey for me over the past 2 years. Travel down the rabbit hole of a new game system never comes cheap, and I’ve found myself pretty immersed in Blood and Plunder since Mitch Reed showed me how to play all those years ago. Since I started playing the game, both with friends and in tournaments I’ve had a tremendous amount of fun. I’ve made new friends, gotten to interview a premiere pirate historian, started a podcast, and even run demos for a company for the first time at a con. But one thing has eluded me. Over countless games and demos, I have never won a game. But this past weekend, I felt a change in the air. Maybe this weekend was my moment. Maybe the curse Tyler Stone put on me by talking to that witch in the Denny’s parking lot could finally be broken? I’d have to play the game to find out….

I’ve said this before on the Tales of the Sail Podcast, but I think that only a game this well designed could see me having this much fun while losing so consistently. And I have lost in many different ways, for many different reasons. To run down some of my proud litany of failures I…

-Charged into the open in front of a wall of French Musketeer
-Thought Militia could stand up against elite units
-Didn’t remember how fatigue worked
-Built a list of minimum-sized units of 3 to see what would happen
-Switched sides during a demo to the side that was winning to show off a rule…and managed to turn it around and lose.
-Cheated by misbuilding my list to give myself 190 points of models in a 100 point game (and still lost)

I could go on.

But the biggest obstacle of all for me has been simply getting any games in. Since the Lockdowns and canceled cons began last March, I have had precious few opportunities to put models on a table with friends. Thankfully I have a few friends close by who have just started getting their armies done that we’re willing to have a socially distanced game.

My opponent for this round of piracy was my good friend Tucker. As a birthday gift, I painted him up a French starter box so we could start getting games in, and this weekend would mark the first opportunity we would have to finally break them in a bit. So if you notice the same style of painting on both sets of models, there is your explanation.

We managed to get in two games in about two hours. (one of my other favorite things about this as a system is how quick it is as a skirmish game) It was my Dutch vs. his French.

The Game:
We decided to play a straight-up fight and played the “Breakthrough” scenario out of the main rule book. I won the die roll to serve as the attacker. Tucker’s force was more heavily armed with ranged fighters but had a couple of tools fit for anything. I tried to make us both lists that would showcase different units so he could see what they all did.

Tucker’s large unit of Milices Caribbean advanced carefully through the jungle and ambushed my Soldaten (which I was using Kapers to represent) I got no cover save while out in the open, and the game looked to be going the way it always did for me as the opening volley died down.

My Commander managed to cheat death with one of his fortune points, and swiftly joined a unit of Zeleeden who would bravely fight some of the advancing French horde. Some Boslopers quickly joined the fray and fired pistols before charging home their advantage at close quarters.

The French Milices Caribbean continued to take losses but use their cover to good advantage in the efforts to punish those straying out in the open. More French Troops fired from their cover behind the Fish Stalls.

But the Dutch brought some firepower of their own, and another unit of Soldaten hidden in the woods on the other side of the market would continue to unload from long range to devastating effect.

The French advanced through the market to the spice shop, long since abandoned by the owners. These Filibusters tried to make it across the gap to provide flanking fire for their comrades in arms just across the way.

The Dutch Boslopers take some cover behind a pile of crates and try to avoid fire from 2 directions as they move towards their objective on the other side of the board.

The French commander gestures in wild confusion at the Bread stall. Full of Baguettes, it proves a troublesome distraction. He cries with alarm at the lack of discipline shown by the pastry chef who made these rolls, as they lack the distinctive crust necessary to be qualified as an actual “Baguette”

At this point, both of us have suffered enough losses to be forced to take a strike point. And as the attacker, I was suffering due to my lack of proximity to his end of the board.

The Developing Battle…

Thankfully Tucker’s dice continuously betrayed him and a series of bad saves from shooting had his losses mounting. All the while my commander would get close and closer to the Militia hiding in the woods.

The Boslopers charged across the square and did battle with the Filibusters in front of the spice shop.

And a final bloody charge across the square brought my troops into the deployment zone.

Cornered, outmatched by Dutch marksmanship (and good dice) the French commander and his remaining forces flee the market to fight another day.

It had finally happened. I had finally won a game. And for those of you following the podcast and our New Year’s Resolutions, that means I am temporarily in the lead. Tucker put up a good fight, but over 2 years the dice or fate were bound to bounce my way sooner or later. And it looks like I finally got my lucky bounce.

Thanks for reading! Hopefully, more battle reports coming soon. (I am furiously painting new units to lose with)

Thomas “Chairborne” Mullane has been a writer and podcaster for No Dice No Glory since its inception. He teaches High School History in NY and Lives in Danbury, CT. He is a player of Flames of War, Bolt Action, Dungeons and Dragons, and Blood and Plunder. Tune in to “Tales of the Sail” if you want to hear what he sounds like, and please say hi during the next HMGS convention.