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Miniatures Adventure => Pulp => Topic started by: pbjunky1 on May 07, 2018, 04:53:11 PM

Title: Travails of '44 campaign
Post by: pbjunky1 on May 07, 2018, 04:53:11 PM
We are having a Pikeman’s Lament (PL)  English Civil War campaign at Wigan Wargames .

https://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=108706.0 (https://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=108706.0)

https://wigangames.club/index.php?board=26.0 (https://wigangames.club/index.php?board=26.0)

We will run some   Pulp games to sit along side the main PL actions.

The first Pulp’s were run this  weekend and report from the first game is  given below.

Assault on Mutch Wittering

We played a version of  ‘The Raid’ for this game. In a previous PL game  one of the characters (Rab McCavity) had  had a visiting Contessa  snatched from him by rivals (Jose McGregor). In this game  he has assembled a League  and will  attempt to  ‘rescue’ her. The Contessa de la Patisserie is the major plot point, minor plot points are  victuals, gold coins,an informant and a plan showing the whereabouts of Father O’Fisticuffs (another character who will be subject to a future Pulp game).

Mungo McGregor had taken charge of the Contessa (even though he’d not captured her himself).As clan head he clearly felt it was his right to hold the noble prisoner. His League was holed up in the farming hamlet of Mutch Wittering. Mungo  wasn’t actually present (some excuse about old wounds). He left his League in command of a trusty Lieutenant, Lancelot Carter . The League had company of Hero’s so two sidekicks.
In absentia Mungo’s League of veteran zealots (LOVs)
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/864/27080876227_e9a55c8314_z.jpg)
Lancelot Carter had indomitable and hardened veteran.  Sargeant Bully-Beef  had religious zealot so had  Shock and Paralysing Stare. His fiery  gaze and tub thumping rhetoric clearly had a psychological impact on adversaries.

Rab McCavity  had lost the Contessa in ignominious circumstances in the previous PL game. This was his chance to win her back and there’d be no messing, he was leading his league himself. He took a  field gun with him. Considering he didn’t know which building the Contessa was in this was a bit of a Russian Roulette approach but he considered if he demolished the building she was in she’d still be free – just not in the sense she probably hoped for.

Rab’s  Covenant of Obdurate Hairy Highlanders (COOHHs)
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/825/27080871187_4407278f13_z.jpg)

Lancelot Carter made a plan of which buildings contained which plot points and where the League members were situated. Rab  set his gun upon the hill and the rest of his League on the main road into Mutch Wittering ready to storm the first building. Time was of the essence  as this is a 6 turn limit game.

Mutch Wittering  sits peacefully in the surrounding meadows unaware of the havoc about to ensue.
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/975/41949682431_f1b3438e29_z.jpg)

Rab won a follower in the random events and chose a dog, Wee Rabbie to add to his League.

His gun opened up on the stable block and  two rounds of shooting  saw it’s flimsy wattle and daub reduced to a ruin. Fortunately for the Contessa she was not in this building, neither was any other plot point. The old hag who lived in the hamlet was not best pleased though as all her stores were lost in the smouldering ruin.

Whilst this was happening the rest of Rab’s League stormed into the village and  attacked the first building they came to, a stable block.  Rab sent in his newly won pooch  first. In an act of unparalleled animal cruelty  Lancelot  dispatched poor Wee Rabbie to the great Pet Cemetery in the sky.

Shouting his defiance Lancelot and Sergeant Bully-Beef  emerged from the stable block to do battle with  Rab’s whole League.  With Lancelot ignoring multiple combats and Bully-Beef’s   crazed oratory and fierce stare they held  Rab’s league up for four turns  and in effect won the game for Mungo’s LOVs.

Lancelot and Bully-Beef proving to be the stone in Rab’s shoe.
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/962/27080852017_5520e3b0e7_z.jpg)

With the game slipping away from them Rab’s sidekick , Desperate McGuddy took it on himself to leave the fray and search the main building which as it turned out contained no enemy and one plot point. He overcame a peril and challenge to take charge of the victuals..

McGuddy gaining the initiative by showing some initiative
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/981/40142994200_14cb6a9605_z.jpg)
 
With that the game ended as the countryside was roused to the furore  and  Rab had to make a hasty getaway.
And what of the Contessa?  She emerged from the workshop  slightly dishevelled and accompanied by the dashing LOVs  French ally Phillipe la Cavitė. Apparently he’d been showing her some traditional wood turning techniques – or something.  They  were so engrossed they missed the battle altogether.
Title: Re: Travails of '44 campaign
Post by: Elk101 on May 07, 2018, 09:46:02 PM
Always nice to see Pulp from different periods. Nicely done.
Title: Re: Travails of '44 campaign
Post by: Codsticker on May 08, 2018, 01:22:06 AM
Great stuff!
Title: Re: Travails of '44 campaign
Post by: d phipps on May 10, 2018, 03:33:26 PM
Fantastic! THANKS so much for playing and sharing Pulp Alley.

I hope we get to see more!  :D
Title: Re: Travails of '44 campaign
Post by: pbjunky1 on May 13, 2018, 04:49:49 PM
Convoy in St Archibald’s Vale

The second Pulp game from our campaign https://wigangames.club/index.php?board=26.0 (https://wigangames.club/index.php?board=26.0)
was based on the Dangerous Delivery scenario. There was a supply convoy taking  victuals, ammo, weapons and a prisoner (minor plot points) and gold coins (major plot point) to the Viscount of Tipperary, The Honorable St John Fitzgerald McQueen. Even though they were nominally on the same side Maurice , Weasel of the Rhine saw the opportunity to gain some loot.
The ambush was set  for the bridge  over the  River Piddle near the chapel  built on the site of St Archibald the Uncouth’s  old hermitage.

The Viscount was not in his League (Mastermind). He clearly felt accompanying wagon trains was beneath him. He had Company of Heroes so two  mounted sidekicks, the rest were allies with  either shooting or brawling abilities.
Maurice, Weasel of The Rhine was  leader for his League and gained two extra followers from his ‘Alter’ League perk.

Tipperary’s Fencibles
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/825/41231927164_6635550d92_z.jpg)

The Weasel’s Militia
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/958/41050755765_e1ee281357_z.jpg)

The Vale of St Archibald (or Uncouth’s Bottom as it was locally known). Definitely a case of by name rather than nature. It is idyllic looking.
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/946/41231902474_80c8daa284_z.jpg)

Maurice could set up anywhere around the table edge so long as he was more than 12” from the convoy. He elected to set the whole league up at the road end and advance in a straight line towards the convoy so  intercepting it head on knowing it couldn’t leave the road.

The Fencibles convoy enters the valley. You can almost hear them singing whatever the C17th equivalent of Zipadeedoodah was as they survey the tranquil surroundings.
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/865/41905554872_d05d4717fd_z.jpg)

The perils in the game were running  on any slopes/river banking and wading in the river. The flock of sheep were a moving peril and set up near the bridge but could obviously wander at random.
Maurice set all his forces up that they had to bypass the sheep.  Perhaps he was thinking  of the last game where he escaped the carnage hiding amongst some sheep. It was to prove a huge miscalculation.

Maurice and his militia  survey the convoy ahead of them. All that stand in the way are a dozy looking drover and a few docile sheep. What could go wrong?
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/977/27080880227_6f2f294227_z.jpg)

Following four turns of perils and minus two Allies, one Follower and an unhorsed Sidekick Maurice realised sheep are not always your friend.

The sheep bite back. First ally down
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/952/41232053184_334d351a5e_z.jpg)
Ronald MacDonald is unhorsed and Father Tim (Follower) and Gustav Sidepeace (Ally) are about to bite the dust, all courtesy of the sheep.
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/950/41231912904_99e1a03cde_z.jpg)

A much reduced Militia league made it over the bridge to face the convoy who had blocked the road with a wagon. With all the threat coming from the front all the Fencibles rushed forward to face the depleted enemy.

Action  breaks out around the lead truck.
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/981/41949710401_0d55d226bc_z.jpg)

Ronald and Maurice carried out effective shooting and fighting but with their depleted back up  they couldn’t take advantage of openings created.

Father Pascal makes an attempt at a break through, he didn’t make it.
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/943/27080903027_67eff2e0dd_z.jpg)


Ronald Macdonald fought his way to the lead cart as Maurice held off three of the Fencibles. Ronald kicked a guard aside  rifled through the carts contents and attacked the lock on the chest with his dagger. The lock creaked as it weakened and then gave way. Ronald looked down at the chest of gold coins.  A plot point was  there for the carrying off ( just one challenge success away) when a  well aimed musket butt smashed into Ronald’s head and he  fell from the cart ( down and out).
Next move Maurice was reduced a level after a third round of fighting. He fell back across the bridge and with that the game was over. A victory for Tipperary’s Fencibles, though  they too were much depleted by game end.

Maurice is left to  contemplate what might have been and rue his league being savaged by a (not dead) sheep.
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/830/41050761385_5b3a3ed68f_z.jpg)

Title: Re: Travails of '44 campaign
Post by: Elk101 on May 13, 2018, 05:09:12 PM
I'm enjoying seeing this, thanks.
Title: Re: Travails of '44 campaign
Post by: Andy in Germany on May 13, 2018, 07:03:07 PM
Great storytelling, and thanks for the warning about the dangers of sheep in skirmish situations...
Title: Re: Travails of '44 campaign
Post by: d phipps on May 14, 2018, 09:32:43 PM
Fun looking scenario. Beware the evil sheep!  lol

THANKS for playing and sharing Pulp Alley.  :D
Title: Re: Travails of '44 campaign
Post by: pbjunky1 on June 09, 2018, 11:51:05 PM
Brawl  by the Sweetwater

Using the Gang War scenario from the excellent Vice Alley supplement  we had another game  in our Travails of ’44 campaign. The game was interpreted as  an after hours punch up set in the  small village of Winkleswell.

A gang of Murdo Erskine’s Militia have  just left their favourite watering hole Draughty McMinty’s  Tavern. Whilst making  their way back through the village they came upon some of the Viscount of Tipperary’s  Fencibles who’d been sampling the produce of the poitin still they’d set up behind the chapel. Chaos was bound to ensue.

A few pics of the game
Firstly Winkleswell and the Sweetwater Brook. With a lack of any  sewage arrangements the stream  wasn’t sweet in fact most of it wasn’t  even water.
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1743/28822915468_07d5da4570_z.jpg)

Wee Jimmy McCurddle's heroic intervention and tragic demise.
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1723/42647702202_51ccd21a8f_z.jpg)
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1739/28822913458_1477998208_z.jpg)

More Pics and full write up of what proved to be a terrific game  on the Wigan Wargames site.
https://wigangames.club/index.php?topic=234.0 (https://wigangames.club/index.php?topic=234.0)

Title: Re: Travails of '44 campaign
Post by: blacksoilbill on June 10, 2018, 06:19:09 AM
Great looking games, and I love that the setting is off the beaten track. Looking back to your second game: we had a very amusing case of killer sheep in one of our Wars of the Roses Pulp Alley games. It must be contagious!
Title: Re: Travails of '44 campaign
Post by: DavyJones on June 12, 2018, 11:46:02 AM
Great stuff.  :-* Thanks for sharing.