Pirates on Zoom

 This week's game was to be Blood and Plunder; a game I've been wanting to demo at the club but due to current circumstances it would have to be Zoom.

This time everyone was able to connect and see the visuals but one player couldn't get the audio to work so we used WhatsApp for the audio. Not ideal but it works; it's also the closest we've got to the full Zoom experience - hopefully we'll crack this next time.

Cyprus Slim couldn't make it this week so we were without the live blogging. However, I did take some snaps during the game, whilst simultaneously juggling the webcam, so we did have some sort of record.

The game was the raid scenario from the main rulebook, with the Spanish port town of Puerto Santiago de Chachmollia, being raided by the Brethren of the Coast.

The Brethren were led by, the Frenchman, Happy Dan Le Pew. Don Lardo himself commanded the Spanish.

Santiago de Cachmollia; deployment zones / objectives

THE FORCES

Experienced Spanish Militia Commander (Don Lardo)

Three units of 6 Inexperienced Milicianos

8 Trained Lanceros

5 Trained Marineros

4 Trained Milicianos Indios

Untried French Buccaneer  Commander (Happy Dan Le Pew)

7 Trained Flibustiers

4 Trained Boucaniers

Two units of 5 English Freebooters

5 English Sea Dogs

DEPLOYMENT

The Spanish deployed a unit of Milicianos under the arches of the custom house, virtually on top of one of the objectives, and were to stay there all game. A Miliciano unit, the Lanceros and Marineros were deployed in the alley between the custom house and church, with Don Lardo attached to the Lanceros. The final Miliciano unit took up position behind the church wall, whilst the Indios used their 'Lay in Wait' option to begin prone behind the big house.

For the Brethren, Happy Dan took command of the Flibustiers, deploying most of his forces in the tree line on the left. The sole exception was a lone unit of Freebooters, deployed in the trees, on the far right, near the big house.

Turn One. 

Freebooters get off the first shot against the Marineros, as they attempt to steal the roast chicken outside the tavern.

Indios use bow shot to put fatigue on the Freebooters.

Lanceros sprint across market square in support of Marineros, as the Brethren close in.

Sea Dogs threaten the objective.

Shaken by bow shot the Freebooters are wiped out by a charge of the Lanceros.

Flibustiers threatened by a pincer movement. Marineros in front of the tavern, Lanceros behind.

Good shooting from the Boucaniers (Marksmen with Ball and Shot) clear away the Marineros. Or it could have been the chicken - in this heat, really?

With the Marineros out of action, Don Lardo gambled on a charge with the Lanceros, hoping to take out Happy Dan and the Flibustiers. In fairness, it was getting late and, if it had been at the club, this was one of those pub o' clock moves. In game terms though, it was bad timing. The Flibustiers still had loaded muskets and were able to pour in defensive fire as the Lanceros charged in. Only two Lanceros made into contact, along with Don Lardo. What's more the Flibustiers ahd not been activated yet and were able to reply in their turn, using their brace of pistols to finish off the stricken Spaniards.

Don Lardo bites the dust.

With only two moves to go (Blood and Plunder games are usually 6 turns duration), the Spanish were still in with a chance but it was late and with their commander dead, I gave the game to the Buccaneers.

Spain v.s Dutch Pirates, Oak and Iron.

 The Righteous and Virtuous Empire of His Most catholic Majesty of Spain vs. the Trumping Dutch in the Seventeenth century Caribbean. 

I mean its typical of the Spanish court.  I was appointed Admiral with no experience of this game.  It shows.  You may refer to me as "His Excellency Count Finguin."  Vice Admiral His Excellency Count Manuel McGurk was well placed to support me.

On the other side of the Zoom call those bold buccaneers Admiral van Q, and Captains van Alan and van Mike.  

Young Davy Jones Quilp acted as our umpire, rolling the dice and moving the miniatures. [After several successful games using WhatsApp, this was only our second attempt at using Zoom. The Fat Marshal showed what could be done, in Purgatory, so I was keen to push the boundaries some more. One player couldn't connect on the night, so had to rely on WhatsApp photos and this blog. Admiral Finguin did a fine job of using screen captures to blog 'live'.]

The Oak and Iron table, and table E in almost full zoom mode.

The claw of Quilpius talks us through the setup.

Deploying.  Turns out the Spanish had the Galleon, a King Tiger of the Main.

Turn one sees no real surprises.  Straight sailing by all parties.

The end of turn 1. 

The overhead as turn two begins

Add caption

End of Turn 2

Basically more straight sailing.  All Captains were settling in and selecting their targets

The Mighty Galleon edges around the island.  What could possibly go wrong.

Captain Mike boldly slots between two Spaniards.

The battle between the Spanish Vice Admiral and the Dutch Admiral van Q heats up.  The frigate bullies our poor little Corvette. 

Captain Fast Mike gets battered

But it's the bold and valiant Spanish Vice Admiral who shoots most effectively at Captain Mike.  It's a battering.

End of Turn 3.  The Sloop on fire

Turn four, it's already apparent that the Spanish Admiral is just getting in the way!

Captain Alan goes for the prize, gets it aboard, and damages Spanish morale, giving them a strike point.

The Corvette and frigate slug it out to the north of the island.

Dirty tricks alert.   A shoal magically appears in front of the galleon.  Spanish Admiral fans (well just me then) fear the worst.

But the Galleon hits back in revenge.  Ineffective. 

Turn four.  My Glorious galleon gets off that damn shoal

And the Spanish start to run into each other's way

A tight turn for the Spanish Vice Ad...

The frigate of Admiral Q clips the shoal, but is undamaged.  

Spanish Vice swings his Corvette around

The damaged Brigantine limps off

End of turn five. The Dutch have the objective aboard, and the Spanish have a strike point. 

Admiral Q gets the frigate up to speed 5, Zooming around the Island.  He misses the shoal, barely...

Admiral  Q meets Dutch Mike swerving around the island.

The Spanish Vice, in his damaged Corvette creeps nearer the objective.

Do you have a broadside on that damaged Corvette... NO!  

The galleon shoots at the Flyboat again, poor gunnery again.

Huzzah.  Damage on that Flyboat...  End of turn 6.

So at this point a huge electrical storm descended on Pathos.  The Spanish Admiral prudently retired to unplug the TV, laptop and more critically the magic Internet box.   

In game terms I firmly believe that one of his crew pushed him overboard.  It meant that his Excellency missed the end of the sea fight.

That storm went on for hours!

[Electrical storms aside, Admiral Finguin actually retired very near the end of the action.]

The Spanish struggle to close, against the wind, while the Fluyt attempts to haul herself through the eye of the wind to get underway. The remaining Dutch appear to be on the wrong side of the island.

Van Mike and Admiral Q narrowly avoid colliding.

As the game approached the ten turn limit (I think we reached turn 8), the Spanish could not close enough to cause significant damage on the Fluyt. The last remaining Spanish hope was the Corvette which was still windward of the Fluyt. Unfortunately, it had been badly damaged in its fight with Admiral Q and could not take much more damage. In a huge gamble, that sadly did not pay off, the Spanish Vice Admiral brought the corvette into musket range of the Dutch Fluyt. A good broadside followed by partial fire in the next move was enough to see the corvette put out of action. With 3 Strike points and only 2 remaining ships it was game over for the Spanish.

End Game

So that was our first proper game of Oak and Iron, and the Zoom format worked surprisingly well. Hopefully this won't be our last.

The Great Purgatory Jail Break

 Yee Har partners... Kid Cakey and his gang are in the Purgatory jail after an attempted bank robbery, Doc is still on the loose and has sworn to spring his partner.  At this rate the Governor will never offer them that amnesty...

A frightening Zoom view of the 
Marshal without his eye patch. 
In my defence I had run a 10K earlier that day

Some new painting, Samuel L. and Denzel, both with Colt revolving shotguns.  Nobody asked me during the game but they are 4 shot monsters

The Colonel Zooms in, mint julep at the ready

Purgatory.  the afternoon sun filters across the dusty fly ridden streets.

the long Zoom shot.  When I prepped the game I had two cameras going but needed to redeploy one to WhatsApp.  Fortunately my Woolworths webcam is on a long lead and can move around the table easily.  

Fast Mike behind the bath house as the Hole in table E gang tries to spring Cakey across the street.

Doc dynamites the back of the jail.  

And Marshal Rooster is alerted

Dan takes up position

With the bars loose Cakey can begin his escape... after securing his guns.

Winter sticks his head around the corner and sees the Marshal.

Frog Eye makes the pervy barber's day peeping into the bath house.

Meanwhile Cakey and Doc get the old firm together. 

Fast Mike discovers Slap, who has just left the latrine.  "I'd give it an hour if I were you mate..."

Mike gets his boys into cover.  Frog Eye is still traumatised.

Curley and his boys repeat the hide under a ladder trick

Dan peers into the livery stable and spots the Marshal's huge and angry horse.

The outlaws break for the back of the livery.  Miss Belle and Pedro are out here.

The Cake interlude.
I love this bit.

Djambo offers helpful advice

The action heats up around the livery stable

Alphonse shoots it out with the Captain and Tennile.  Do that to me one more time threatens the Colonel...

Mike and his boys hide behind a water trough.

Miss Belle goes for Cakey

The top down shot

Doc spots Miss Eliza.  This could be awkward...

Dan gets into the loft of the livery.

gun battle through the doors.

The Colonel rescues his men, but puts himself in real danger

Dan attempts to ride the marshal's horse out of the livery.  He is thrown.  I gave him a 50-50 but that is apparently an angry horse.

Doc comes to his gang mates rescue.  He shoots Miss Eliza.

But Doc is in an awful crossfire here

And it goes from bad to worse.  Doc is in real trouble.

But Cakey spots that he can exit from number 3, where Doc entered.  The Cakey boys disappear as the sun sets over Purgatory.  Doc and the remains of his gang also make a hasty exit.  Not a good day for the forces of law and order, although the Marshal has mounted his horse to go in pursuit.  

The Outlaws, despite being outnumbered some 2:1 fought a magnificent action, and the Purgatory Jail Break will go down in history as one of the West`s most bold and desperate actions.  Kid Cakey and Doc can now add a Mexican Bandido to their gangs.  This will even the odds for a showdown.

Note that the Marshal will be out of town for the showdown between the Hole in Table E gang and the Cowboys.at the So-So Corral, and both sides will start at opposite ends of the street.