The Blood and Plunder bug is starting to hit in our area. Some of it is driven by just the need to play a new game and get out of a rut and the other part of it is influenced by my painting queue had opened up and I have been able to get after this figs I’d been sitting on for awhile.
We’d in the past been play in 15mm as I have past hardware for the scale, the downside to that however is Firelock games has a great set of miniatures AND ships in 28mm. As I’d gotten a pretty good deal on the kick starter as well as when the game had just game out and Firelock was at AdeptiCon, it’s been high time I get to painting up in 28mm and start playing in that. Besides that’s what the others are picking up too scale wise.
Cody and I decided to get in a game. He choose the French and I Spanish. I put together both lists, basically trying to match some militia and regular soldiers with a lesser skilled leader for both, all in all 100pts.
We didn’t do a scenario from the back of the book, we decided to just have a shoot out to get Cody up to speed on the rules. Set up a simple 3×3 table which more or less similar terrain on both sides and away we went.
For the Spanish I had 2 groups of 4 Lanceros, a group of 5 soldiers, and then a group of 5 militia. Some inexperienced, some trained. All the Lanceros were carrying were … lances. Great for hand to hand but otherwise useless with Matchlocks and Firelocks about.
The French had 2 groups of Flibustiers and 1 of Boucaniers (if I remember right, it might be the other way around) and their leader was the historical Julien Lambert.
I needed to get in close to press for melee where i would have the advantage and Cody would want to get me at range and plink me off with what should in theory be better shooting. Unfortunately my soldiers, while be finely drilled, also were carrying heavy matchlocks, so no moving and then firing.
The firelock force builder is great, it’s online and best part it’s free.
I set my forces so that my Lanceros would slip through the woods and around the destroyed building after which hopefully they would be able to dash in to melee. I kept my Soldiers centrally located to offer up a volley or two in support. Then on my right my militia who as fate would have it get the first volley from Cody’s guns taking out the majority of the unit, but then would luckily pass their fatigue tests so the last man would stick around til nearly the end of the game.
Shooting on my side was generally poor, but given the range, no surprise I was looking for 10s and not finding them.
Cody’s commander kept back with one of his units behind the house. And then behind the house was a unit of 4 that I decided would be the target of my Lanceros.
Charge ya scurvy dogs! And away they ran unfortunately receiving plenty of pistol fire at close range. So while they’d unloaded their flints earlier and hadn’t had time to reload, having loaded pistols at the handy and with good shooting, the first group of Lanceros nearly all were shot down.
Thankfully on the next turn I was able to have a high spade to have the activation advantage and charge in again with the second group of Lanceros. This time, all 4 made it in and pressed home their attack, taking out 3 of Cody’s unit which then failed most of the fatigue rolls and quickly routed.
This then setup Cody’s unit behind the bushes to standup and let go a volley into those brave fellows and they too would disappear into a cloud a musketry fire of which none would remain. (Well the lone fellow still alive fled.)
Brave fellows each and every one. Cody then moved into the house, managed to get my last militiaman, and I was down 2 strike points. I fail my strike test and the remaining soldiers and their commander make a run for it. They’ll not be the guests of the French this day.