A Piratical Excursion

After a week of ‘garden painting’ in the blazing sunshine it’s back to work on Monday. Hence, I was determined to get one last game in before I go back – it also p***ed it down all day, so no garden painting this weekend anyway. The last game in turn one of my Blood and Plunder solo campaign was still to be played, so this was an opportunity to test the layout of my prospective Blood and Plunder table. The next game was to be Dutch versus Scots and both required a quantity of European Militia and Musketeers. A quick order to Irregular Miniatures provided me with a small pile of 15mm League of Augsburg figures, which were painted up over a couple of evenings. After painting 28mm Napoleonics these were a doddle – 57 figures in 2 evenings was not to be sniffed at. I really like these figures and they painted up quite nicely. The basing is my system for Sharp Practice / Blood and Plunder but put on sabots they give me 2 more regiments for my Maurice ImagiNations armies.

Irregular Miniatures, 15mm League of Augsburg

Whisky Galore!

 This was to be my first go at an amphibious scenario and saw militia of the Scottish Carolina Company attacking the Dutch. For terrain I scrounged up some thirty year old scratch built Spanish buildings and my 15 year old jungle. Both needed some updating and TLC but hey needs must.

The Dutch Colonies

The scenario was to be the ‘Rescue’ scenario from the ‘No Peace Beyond the Line’ supplement. HM Sloop ‘The Chancellor’, carrying vital supplies of Whisky to South Carolina, has foundered in Dutch territory. The Dutch are in possession of the only survivor; Brother Belcher, a monk of the Holy Order of Glenfiddich. The Scots intend to rescue Brother Belcher and thereby ascertain the location of the wreck.

The Scots as seen through a whisky haze – ahem.

The Scots, under Ebeneezer Balfour, consisted of two groups of 6 Militia, one group of 7 Musketeers and one group of 4 Sea Dogs. (For 15mm scale I use bases and not individual figures). Half the force would begin on land whilst the other half arrived in two longboats.

The Dutch

Opposing them, the Dutch under Rip Van Dam consisted of two groups of 6 Soldaten and a group of 7 Zeelieden.

The Dutch, along with Brother Belcher, would deploy near the centre of the table. The Scots have 6 moves to rescue the prisoner.

Dutch deployment

The Scots plan involved a pincer movement with Ebeneezer Balfour leading the Militia from the western table edge, whilst the Musketeers and Sea Dogs landed in the east.

The landing. Militia infiltrate the jungle in the far distance.

The advance of the Militia was largely unopposed and by mid game they had surprised and destroyed a group of Soldaten.

Unfortunately, the advance from the beach was a disaster. Being caught in the open is very bad news in this game and as I has so little terrain to use ‘the beach’ was rather open. The Sea Dogs were instantly destroyed by musketry from Van Dam’s unit and the Musketeers fared no better. Severely hit by musket fire, they were finished off by pistol fire from the Zeelieden.

Musketeers come under fire after the demise of the Sea Dogs

 

Zeelieden break Musketteers with pistol fire

By turn four the Dutch had one Strike Point due to casualties but the Scots had two. However, by the scenario rules, the attacker gains a Strike Point if the prisoner is still in the hands of the defenders in turn four. That gave the Scots an extra Strike Point and the difference of two was enough to trigger a Strike Test – which they failed.

So a convincing win for the Dutch and Rip Van Dam goes into the lead in campaign terms.

Conclusions

Firstly, the land game really does need decent terrain and scenery. Not only will it look better but having a reasonable amount of cover is vital.

Secondly, the land game can be very quick indeed. This took much longer to set up and take down than it did to play.

Thirdly, while 15mm works well solo it would look much better in 28mm. With that in mind I took a quick snap of the Firelock Games miniatures against my jungle terrain. Scale wise I might just get away with it.

Better get painting then……..

Bring on the big boys