Saturday, January 14, 2017

Massacre of Captain Manwaring

Below is a test game using a new set of rules I'm experimenting with. I don't have the requisite figures so I played on a virtual board.

After the discovery of the island (or was it a continent? explorers had not yet fully determined) of Rapala, the merchants of Redgrave opened a brisk trade with the natives. The powerful inland state of Lumbago brought goods to the coast for exchange with Redgravian manufactures.

Recently, some of the native tribes have been raiding the coastal trading posts. Captain Manwaring with a detachment of Redgrave Trading Company marines has been dispatched to investigate.
Note: For this test, I am only using 1 unit + a leader (the star). I intend to use 4 units + a leader for a standard game.

The marines land on the Rapala beach. Immediately, a band of native warriors appeared on a hill overlooking the beach.
Note: I only determined terrain when the square was visible to the marines, assuming a range of 3. Light green has not yet been determined.

The marines formed a line and unleashed a volley, which scattered the warriors.
Note: The black dots indicate morale markers, which affect combat results.

The marines then advanced along a line of hills. A band of musket-armed natives began to fire from the woods while another warband approached.
Note that I changed the color of the squares where terrain has not been determined. They are now blank (white) while light green is open terrain.

The natives attacked the marines from the front and flank.

But the marines held off the warband and then charged the muskets, causing them to rout.

They turned on the warband and sent them packing, too.

More natives appeared. The marines charged again.

This time, the warband held firm. Shots rang out from the left flank.
Captain Manwaring was hit and killed! Without his leadership, the marines lost heart, and routed from the field. Only a few made it back to the beach and the waiting boats, with a horde of natives in hot pursuit.
Note: Manwaring's death is merely poetic license. The rules do not (yet) account for leader casualties. Instead, the unit got destroyed so I described it as resulting from their commander's death.

There's definitely trouble in Rapala!

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