It can be funny where you get ideas for a game. Originally Tonio and myself were planning to play Maurice. But in our last game Tonio unsportingly managed to get two regiments of cavalry passed the American rearguard and I was thinking what sort of havoc they would create. Around the same time I dugout 18mm coach from Bluemoon from the lead mountain. So the idea for a escort/convoy game was born. The initlal concept was to use Musket and Tomhawks but that morphed into a Bolt Action/ Musket hybrid.
I really like random unit activation is skirmish type games but in my opinion it does not go so well for convoy/column type games. Typically it seems everybody activates before the unit in front of them so their options are do nothing or break formation to move around the obstacle, neither of which is how a convoy/column should behave.
Background:
Word has got out that the rebel general, Cage, will be visiting his mistress tonight. General Cage is one of the leading rebel Strategist. The forces of the Crown have dispatched an expedition under the command of Captain Barleton with orders to apprehend the General and return him to headquarters for interrogation. The situation is some what complicated by the nearby resense of a camp of the detestable French who have thrown their lot in with the Rebels
The battlefield:
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| Auxiliary lieutenant entertains a lady |
The river is impassable except at the ford and bridge which can be crossed as normal
The buildings, fields and woods are covered under the M&T rules
The forces:
Crown forces
3 mounted officers (1 regular captain, 1 regular lieutenant, 1 auxiliary lieutenant)
2 dismounted regular officer (1 regular lieutenant, 1 auxiliary lieutenant)
2 units of twelve regular dragoons
2 units of twelve auxiliary cavalry
2 units of 12 regular infantry
2 units of 12 auxiliary infantry
They are divided into three groups.
-The vanguard consisting of one officer and two units.
-The main force consisting of three officers and four units.
-The rearguard consisting of one officer and two units
Rebel forces
1 Coach
3 mounted officers (1 regular captain, 1 regular lieutenant, 1 auxiliary lieutenant)
2 dismounted regular officer (1 regular lieutenant, 1 auxiliary lieutenant)
1 unit of twelve regular lancers
1 unit of twelve regular hussars
2 units of twelve auxiliary dragoons.
2 units of 12 regular infantry
2 units of 12 auxiliary infantry
They are divided into several groups.
- A convoy consisting of the coach escorted by one mounted auxiliary officer and two units of auxiliary dragoons.
-One auxiliary infantry unit is manning the blockhouse
-One auxiliary infantry unit is manning the farmstead.
-All of the regular units are in a relief column.
The deployment:
Before the battle begins the Crown player must write down where he wants his three groups to arrive from. The Vanguard can arrive at one of points 3,4,5,6. The main force can arrive at any point. The rearguard can arrive at one of points 1,2,3,4. The main force and the rearguard arrival is covered under the March to the sound of the guns special rule
For the rebels the convoy starts at point 1. The block house and farmstead forces start in their respective buildings. The relief column arrives under March to the sound of the guns special rules.
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| The coach makes it escape |
Special rules:
Activation
Unit activate by pulling a coloured token from a bag red for the crown and blue to the rebels. Regular units can activate twice per turn other units activate once per turn
When officers activate they can also order nearby units to activate . A lieutenant can activate two units within four inches a Captain can activates four units within four inches in addition to their normal activation. Regulars lieutenants can issues orders to regular units. Auxiliary lieutenants can issues orders to auxiliary units. Captains can issues orders to any unit
If a unit flees before activating in a turn it counts as fully activated for the rest of the turn
The stagecoach
Due to a combination of age and gin General Gage’s fighting days a long gone, to move around he must travel by coach.
The Coach moves 8” on road and d6+2” off road. The coachman is armed with a blunder bus which can be used in shooting. Both side want the general alive so neither party can shot at the coach. The coach is always defeated in close combat (the coachman runs away). The victorious unit must give up one figure to act as the new coachman and the coach now under the control of the victorious player (unless he lose a round of combat)
The rebel player has only partial control of the coach. When it actives it will only move along the road to the farmstead until the coach can see move crown units than rebels at which point the coach will along the road to the nearest exit point. The coach will move around combats and through units to get to its destination. The coach man will fire his blunderbus if at the start of it activation the coach is blocked by enemy units.
If the crown control the coach it moves normal.
March to the sound of the guns
The crown vanguard arrives on turn 1. The main force arrives 2D6 turns later with the rearguard arriving 2D6 turns after the main force.. The rebel relief force will arrive d6+3 turns. Where and when the force arrive it kept secret until the force arrives.
To make players life a little easier both sides should secretly write down their organisation and arrival
Eg Crown forces
-Vanguard consists of two regular infantry units lead by a regular infantry officer arriving on turn 1 and point 3
-Mainforce consists of the two regular cavalry units, two auxiliary infantry units lead by a regular captain with regular cavalry officer and attached infantry officer. it arrives on turn 8 and point 4
-The rearguard consists of the two auxiliary cavalry units, auxiliary cavalry it arrives on turn 14 and point 4.
Victory conditions:
The rebel get a major victory if the coach gets to the farmstead.
The rebels get a minor victory if the coach escapes or is under their control at the end of the battle.
The Crown gets a major victory if they capture the coach and its exit the battlefield
The Crown gets a min victory if the coach is under control but still on the table at the end of the of the game
That is all for now thanks for stopping by.
The rebels get a minor victory if the coach escapes or is under their control at the end of the battle.
The Crown gets a major victory if they capture the coach and its exit the battlefield
The Crown gets a min victory if the coach is under control but still on the table at the end of the of the game
That is all for now thanks for stopping by.
1 comment:
A nice little intro to the story mate & it sound like the makings of a fun game :)
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