Lead Adventure Forum
Miniatures Adventure => Medieval Adventures => Topic started by: Patrice on January 19, 2014, 09:20:45 PM
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On Sunday January 12th there was a Games Convention near Pontivy (Brittany, France).
We played a Hundred Years War skirmish (French with Bretons allies vs. English with other Bretons allies). I had a little and simple scenario with some surprises for my opponent (we play with a role-playing mind and Argad! ruleset). We failed to attract more players this time, although we drew interest from visitors but none of them was bold enough to take part!
Some merchants live in this village. The population is mostly pro-French, as their lord the vicomte de Rohan is pro-French (yes! there really is a noble "de Rohan" family in Brittany!) However my opponent - whose character name is Auffret de Cosquer, pro-English, knows that the richest merchant in town secretly favours his cause.
(http://www.argad-bzh.fr/argad/sk/LeSourn2014/LeSourn2014-1.jpg)
Auffret de Cosquer enters the table, with English and Breton men-at-arms and soldiers:
(http://www.argad-bzh.fr/argad/sk/LeSourn2014/LeSourn2014-2.jpg)
They know the country is rather hostile so they inspect the peasants and villagers they meet.
(http://www.argad-bzh.fr/argad/sk/LeSourn2014/LeSourn2014-3.jpg)
(http://www.argad-bzh.fr/argad/sk/LeSourn2014/LeSourn2014-4.jpg)
In the village, the Lord of Rohan himself talks to the innkeeper… and quickly leaves the place when his enemies get nearer.
(http://www.argad-bzh.fr/argad/sk/LeSourn2014/LeSourn2014-5.jpg)
De Cosquer enters the village
(http://www.argad-bzh.fr/argad/sk/LeSourn2014/LeSourn2014-6.jpg)
Near, in a small wood, his foot soldiers kill some hostile peasants who had tried to ambush them.
(http://www.argad-bzh.fr/argad/sk/LeSourn2014/LeSourn2014-7.jpg)
Far from the village, French and pro-French Breton troops are positioned.
(http://www.argad-bzh.fr/argad/sk/LeSourn2014/LeSourn2014-8.jpg)
…one French crossbowman guards an old tower.
(http://www.argad-bzh.fr/argad/sk/LeSourn2014/LeSourn2014-9.jpg)
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Many merchants cross the table going to the village or coming from it.
(http://www.argad-bzh.fr/argad/sk/LeSourn2014/LeSourn2014-10.jpg)
Everything is quiet. The peasants have returned to their rural activity, planting plants or cropping crops or harvesting harvests or whatever they do.
(http://www.argad-bzh.fr/argad/sk/LeSourn2014/LeSourn2014-11.jpg)
In the village, De Cosquer talks with the wealthy merchant. But the merchant cannot talk much because villagers are listening.
(http://www.argad-bzh.fr/argad/sk/LeSourn2014/LeSourn2014-12.jpg)
De Cosquer tells some villagers to bring carts and tables to build an obstacle at the village gate. The villagers do it as slowly as they can and argue stupidly about everything so that the English lose time ("this donkey? No, we can't harness it! It would be sacrilege: this donkey is the father of the bishop's mule…). Soldiers have to come near them to threaten them.
(http://www.argad-bzh.fr/argad/sk/LeSourn2014/LeSourn2014-13.jpg)
The war does not seem near, so De Cosquer talks with a pretty young woman.
(http://www.argad-bzh.fr/argad/sk/LeSourn2014/LeSourn2014-14.jpg)
He orders some of his troop to show themselves at the village gate.
(http://www.argad-bzh.fr/argad/sk/LeSourn2014/LeSourn2014-15.jpg)
The table seen from the French side. The pro-French Breton troops stay far from the village and from the English longbows.
(http://www.argad-bzh.fr/argad/sk/LeSourn2014/LeSourn2014-16.jpg)
De Cosquer decides that things are well; and to make things even better, he goes in the pretty woman's house with her. Now we can see two red hearts above the house (one heart is added for each game turn…)
(http://www.argad-bzh.fr/argad/sk/LeSourn2014/LeSourn2014-17.jpg)
Other merchants arrive in the village.
(http://www.argad-bzh.fr/argad/sk/LeSourn2014/LeSourn2014-18.jpg)
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…And these six merchants take weapons from their cart! They were soldiers in disguise !
(http://www.argad-bzh.fr/argad/sk/LeSourn2014/LeSourn2014-19.jpg)
Some of De Cosquer's men run at them! It is a hard fight! De Cosquer is not there, he is still busy putting his armour on, in the woman's house! One of the attackers is very strong – he seems invincible – and he shouts "Nostre-Dame Guesclin !"…
(http://www.argad-bzh.fr/argad/sk/LeSourn2014/LeSourn2014-20.jpg)
But one of the English men-at-arms charges on horse!
(http://www.argad-bzh.fr/argad/sk/LeSourn2014/LeSourn2014-21.jpg)
Young Du Guesclin is wounded, all his companions have been killed, he is going to surrender.
(http://www.argad-bzh.fr/argad/sk/LeSourn2014/LeSourn2014-22.jpg)
At the same moment, the French attack – just a bit late.
(http://www.argad-bzh.fr/argad/sk/LeSourn2014/LeSourn2014-23.jpg)
Very hard fighting at the village gate. Very bad luck for the four pro-French knights who fall too soon. The attack fails.
(http://www.argad-bzh.fr/argad/sk/LeSourn2014/LeSourn2014-24.jpg)
(http://www.argad-bzh.fr/argad/sk/LeSourn2014/LeSourn2014-25.jpg)
(http://www.argad-bzh.fr/argad/sk/LeSourn2014/LeSourn2014-26.jpg)
The remaining French agree to a truce and will leave the place.
(http://www.argad-bzh.fr/argad/sk/LeSourn2014/LeSourn2014-27.jpg)
De Cosquer has captured Du Guesclin (still young and almost unknown, not a great ransom) and the vicomte de Rohan (who is worth a lot of money).
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Brilliant set up! How are the rules?
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This is all kinds of awesome, I got a kick out of the part were De Cosquer is winning hearts and minds with the local females. lol
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Awesome looking game, and a fantastic AAR.
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A great fun-looking game! :)
Classic line for me; "It would be sacrilege: this donkey is the father of the bishop's mule". lol
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Fantastic work! I might steal some of your scenario ideas for my WotR, I also very much enjoy the narrative aspect of skirmish games. Do you have a more detailed write up of the scenario (forces, objectives etc.)?
Cheers,
Shandy
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Great narrative, I really enjoyed this AAR! Will we see a follow up?
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Really enjoyed the report and looking at all those lovely photos - where did you get your peasant/townsfolk figures from?
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Very nice and interesting AAR. The rules sound interesting too. Can you tell us some more about them? Are the figures from Foundry?
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Thanks guys. Many questions there :)
- The miniatures: they are not mine, I'll ask Ehouarn (who sometimes posts on LAF forum too) to answer. I know he painted them ages ago, I think they are Foundry and Essex, etc (?)
- Scenario write up: Oooh yes I forgot to mention it ::) De Cosquer's objective was to control the village, to protect trade (this to prevent him from burning the whole place down) and to protect the richest merchant. My objective was to take the village too; this game had a RPG dimension so I was controlling the NPCs too. For forces balance, the rules have a budget system but in many cases (as in this game) we are not too touchy about it if there are not many players ; our real objective is to live a good and funny story (seducing pretty women was not an objective in the game but it can be part of a good story to tell afterwards ::) )
I had planned before the game the passage of merchant carts (there were more than shown on the pics) and I probably did it well because "De Cosquer" player never suspected the six merchants coming together although he is a very cunning player who knows well all the tricks and the ruleset. >:D
- Rules: Um... I am biased, I wrote them in 1996 :D ...But the 2011-2012 English translations included some complicated things that have since been discarded, and the 2013-2014 translations are not yet finished. However you have some optional rules (that could probably be easily adapted to other game systems) and some reference sheets and charts, here (and it's all free):
http://www.argad-bzh.fr/argad/en.html
Feel free to PM me if you need more about the rules ;)
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where did you get your peasant/townsfolk figures from?
They are mostly Foundry figures from the medieval range when sculpted by the Perry brothers. Some are old Metal Magic or others brands I don't remember. No Essex I believe...
You can find some other beautiful and new medieval civilians in the catalogue of Perry miniatures, surely the best sculptors for 14th century minis (and other periods).
We had a great fun and it's true that I was totally surprised by the soldiers in disguise - even if Du Guesclin is well known in history to have won English places by gunning - after I saw some other carts passing throw he village without anything of interest in their loading.
Patrice have been very clever using other carts before the soldier's one, so I was all ready asleep, just wondering what could happen in this village ::)