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Post by Brian Cameron on Aug 20, 2022 12:54:43 GMT
Some photos from the first test of my smugglers game. I was pleasantly surprised with how well the rules worked though I’ve made some changes for the next one. The figures are ‘big boys' toy soldiers’ ie 54mm, mainly of makes unknown to me, picked at the last toy soldier show in London.
The basis of the game is that the smugglers have just unloaded their cargo and need to move it to the cart. The revenue men and the militia aim to stop them but there is a certain amount of ill-feeling which leads to a lack of cooperation. The civilians may well come to the aid of the smugglers (as often happened).
I played the game solo but it can be multi-player which is how I’ll run it at he weekend in October.
For the solo players among us, I’m writing up the game and rules for the next issue of Lone Warrior, the magazine of the Solo Wargamers Association lonewarriorswa.com
First off, an attempt to show the overall set-up of Bluff Cove. The smugglers are trying to move the contraband across the table to the cart. The chaps in blue are the revenuers and the militia can be seen top left. The locals start from the Bull & Bush tavern.
Squire Worthy approaches the smugglers about to load the wagon. "Yer usual will it be, your honour?"
The rest of the pirates including Cap'n Smudge
A clash between smugglers and revenuers!
Within a short time there were fights all over the place as the militia moved in. The parson attempted to intervene in the fighting but to no avail.
The table area I used was a bit too big and I shall reduce it for the next game. I hadn't worked out the times for the various factions to reach various places with sufficient care - the recent heat has left me rather out of sorts. The combat is fairly swift and deadly but I did ignore the morale rules to keep the game going at pace but I shall use them next time (one thing about playing solo - you don't have to wait while a player ponders their actions in minute detail!). The villagers depend largely on the use of various traits to interfere with the action which worked well. It may make for a slightly odd role in a multi-player game but will, I hope, work for those who enjoy having fun rather than a narrow focus on winning.
It's interesting that i could easily have done this sort of action in 28mm but doing it with big figures added something 'more' but I don't think I can put it into words.
Brian |
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Post by tradgardmastre on Aug 20, 2022 13:53:18 GMT
Great looking game Brian. The figures look just the ticket!
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Post by Brian Cameron on Aug 20, 2022 14:48:29 GMT
Thanks.
I was very lucky that day at the show and worth trawling through lots of boxes. I have a few duplicates which I'll take in October for anyone who'd like them. I have used one duplicate as the idea came to mind to have one as a revenue and one as a smuggler. Their trait is tha they are twins, Bill and Ben, who promised their mother they'd never lay hands on one another. Nor can any revenuers or smugglers attack either of them as they think that the figure is their own man.
I also enjoyed painting them. Arthritic fingers are quite a problem at the moment so they're a mix of block painting, washes and not-as-dry-you'd-normally-dry-brushing with a flat brush. The latter is obviously difficult to describe, fortunately something I was shown! And the detail such as straps on 54mm is raised more than with 28mm so easier to do. Quite looking forward to painting the French & Indian wars figures when I've finished the latest batch of 42mm.
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Post by gonefishing on Aug 20, 2022 15:02:50 GMT
I love "off the beaten path" games like this, and the fact that your rules can cater to solo outings makes it even more attractive. Your table and figures look wonderful. Please keep us posted on how things come along!
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Post by Brian Cameron on Aug 20, 2022 22:24:15 GMT
Thanks, you're a man after my own heart.
There turned out to be time for a second game.
McGruff unexpectedly arrives from beside the sea shore accompanied by Snout. Sam kills Snout. McGruff and Smudge grapple without result and Smudge misses with his pistol. Sam attacks Mcgruff.
The Parson frustrates Dalrymple’s intention to give a full volley but Sergeant Grubb and his two men fire and kill McGurk!
Jenkins, clearly almost as unspeakable vile as his master McGruff, throws Connie to the ground. Mary and Bod attempt to ‘distract’ him. Bill takes advantage of this to attack Jenkins and wounds him. Taking advantage of the confusion, Enoch makes a dash for the cart.
Dalrymple remonstrates with Parson having ordered Pugh “kill that man!” while pointing at Rummy. Pugh, slightly to his amazement does so (Rummy is rather disadvantaged by only having a dagger and his hands being full of contraband).
Jenkins, realising, his opponent isn’t Ben strikes and kills Bill (!)
Snuff also kills Mort, while down on the beach, McGruff attacks Smudge again, wounding him (this could be Douglas Fairbanks and Basil Rathbone!)
Pugh chases after Mort but fails to repeat his earlier success; indeed, he finds himself at a disadvantage. Bod trips Snuff who falls face down in the dirt, stunned. Mary, clearly improving with practice, despatches Jenkins with a swipe of her frying pan (it’s his second wound).
Down at the beach, Smudge and Sam attack McGruff who is disadvantaged and falls with his second wound thus proving that life is a beach and then you die. (Sorry, couldn’t resist)
Mort attempts to fight off Pugh so he can flee with the wagon but fails.
Pugwash attacks McGrew but falls to a sneaky bayonet thrust!
I've run up against the photo limit so I'll finish this in the next message. Sorry it's so long - if you're thinking "get yourself a blog" I don't blame you.
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Post by Brian Cameron on Aug 20, 2022 22:28:51 GMT
Approaching the big finish (where has that fat lady got to?)
It looks bad for the smugglers though it is worse for the revenuers who are down to their last two man (did they but know it in the gloom!). It looks like it’s down the militia and the locals as to who can secure the most contraband.
Dalrymple abandons the parson and moves to help Pugh but is too late: ‘killer’ Pugh has struck again and killed Enoch.
Smudge and Sam finally leave the beach. Smudge mistakes Ben for Bill and he and Sam head towards the cart.
Sergeant Grubb, with Dibble and Cuthbert, join McGrew looking for contraband to ‘secure’.
Mary, who is almost as deadly as Pugh, swings her frying pan, knocks out Ben and is considered to have secured the contraband she’s next to.
Which is when I call it a day. Smudge and Sam can likely escape. The Militia, remarkably, haven’t lost a man and have secure two loads of contraband. The locals are similarly unscathed and can make it away with three loads of contraband. The revenuers are down to one man who will claim to have broken up the smuggling and permitted the militia to secure two of the loads while accusing the localsofs being thieving scallywags.
I'm so encouraged by how the second went that I may stop tinkering with the rules (well, for now).
Brian
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Post by Mike Blake on Aug 22, 2022 10:41:08 GMT
Call themselves smugglers, getting caught on an open beach like that!
Seriosly, great stuff.
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Post by Brian Cameron on Aug 22, 2022 14:14:49 GMT
Thanks Mike. Clearly the coast wasn't clear! Possibly, Smudge's heart isn't it as he sees a glorious career as a pirate, just as soon as he gets a ship...
Brian
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Post by 79thpa on Aug 22, 2022 16:16:31 GMT
Well done. It looks like a fun game.
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Post by thereferee on Aug 22, 2022 16:19:07 GMT
Thanks Brian. Will look out for your article!
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