A report of a game played yesterday at a small meeting of British LAFers. Terrain by Jimbibbly (who unfortunately had to go to work, so didn’t even get to play), figures from the collections of Bibbly, Malamute, myself and Dr De’Ath…
Here’s what happened…
Sir Max de Clifford is at home, pottering in his garden with his ward, the lady Marian. Still pruning her bush. Oblivious to the mayhem about to unfold outside.
The village is peaceful, with only the occasional drunken zealot to disturb the bucolic idyll…
The sheriff decides to lead his men out on manouevres, to greet the Royal tax collector who’s supposed to be stopping by at the castle with a chestful of loot…
But Sir Brian de Bois-Guilbert and his renegade knights are also in the vicinity, on the lookout for easy prey, gold, girls and glory…
And unfortunately, they just happen across the tax collector’s path…
The sheriff senses trouble ahead and orders Sir Guy of Gisbourne to sally forth with reinforcements…
The forces of oppression swarm out of their stronghold…
Just as Sir Brian de Bois-Guilbert thunders into the village…
And the unsuspecting tax collector enters the high street, where some very rough-looking fellows are already loitering, loosing the occasional arrow in their direction…
At this point, Sir William de Singe and Sir Bouchant de la Moule unaccountably canter off piste, to rashly attempt an abduction of the Lady Marian - preferring girls and glory to gold, obviously…
Meanwhile, their comrades-in-arms have swiftly driven off the poor old tax collector, leaving behind only his coffer of gold and a huge pile of shock markers!
Sir Brian de Bois-Guilbert attempts to recall le Singe from lurking around Sir Max de Clifford’s rear entrance…
But a nasty surprise awaits Sir William and Sir Bouchant, as a second band of wuff-looking men suddenly materialise from the woods and begin to pepper them with arrows.
Sir Bouchant is thrown from his charger and staggers groggily off, whilst Sir William races back to the fray to join his boss in an attack on the first gang of outlaws, who have been advancing purposefully on the abandoned treasure chest…
This does not end well, for though the outlaws are thrown back, it is at a cost of two more of Sir Brian’s not-so-gallant knights…
Meanwhile, a passing raven notices there really aren’t many people at home in Nottingham Castle…
Sir Guy de Mordant, also unhorsed (and now wearing an entirely different outfit, because I haven’t got round to doing dismounted versions of the knights), makes it back to the treasure chest, heaves it up, and starts to run with it, hotly pursued by his liege lord, bellowing ‘Oi! Bring that back here!’
Meanwhile, the sheriff attempts to deploy his men into some sort of order to deal with the unfolding situation… And the lady Marian fingers her begonias…
Sir Brian catches up with Sir Guy de Mordant and attempts to scoop up the treasure…
Robin Hood and Little John realise that the forces of oppression are heading their way…
Look, here they come…
Very slowly…
The police arrive at Max de Clifford’s house for a quiet word…
Meanwhile, the merry men have rallied and start off after Sir Brian and the loot…
Do we think one of these men might be Will Scarlett?
They manage to bring down Sir Brian’s horse with arrows just as he has scooped up the treasure chest. There are now just three knights left, all afoot… Sir Brian, Sir Guy and Sir Bouchant…
The forces of oppression close on Robin, Little John, Tuck and their band…
A brisk dust-up ensues, in which the outlaws are rapidly out-muscled by the forces of oppression, and melt back into the forest…
None of which really matters, because in a very unchivalric display of knightly cowardice and greed, Sir Brian and his men make it to the table edge with their new found wealth, dodging the arrows of the pursuing outlaws, to win the game! Hurrah for cowardice, greed and other knightly virtues!
All in all, a jolly game, played with a variant of Sharp Practice - sans Tiffin thank God.
We played another game later in the day (my camera batteries died, sorry, so no pics).
Similar scenario, but for six players and with quite a few more figures. A very different outcome to this game - the tax made its way safely to the castle in a textbook policing operation conducted by Overlord and Mason, Sir Brian and his men bounced (Eric the Shed, rash fellow), Sir Richard of Lees (Damas) made an impression, the lady Marian was rescued, the sheriff killed, and the rightful King Richard restored – all in all, leaving the Saxon underdogs (Matakishi and yours truly) triumphant - Hurrah again! All ably games-mastered by Malamute and Dr De'Ath. Thanks lads.
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April 27, 2024, 02:07:04 AM
January 01, 2010, 01:03:52 PM