Silver Bayonet

The spells that my occultist has are not great for this solo game, but adding blessed to weapons or making an opponent have a permanent -1 to rolls could be handy in other solo battles.

With books on Egypt etc. on the horizon. I do think my occultist and Mameluke will look the part with fezz and hot climate robes etc. ?

I think the lack of out of action minis for my Brits by the end wasn’t down to skillful tactics by me, but more a lack of threat in the game.

Also the drummer boy was immediately compliant and following the Brits off the board. In The Troll Hunt mission I fould the 16+ Courage Check for the unit to wake up from their slumber at the fireside was frustratingly high. But the 12+ to get the drummer boy not to run away from you, was too easy. I may up it to 16+ just to make the rules where he runs away more likely to occur.

Revenants with ranged attack?

I have an idea for another brand of revenant that a necromancer has been able to animate into firing their musket. Rather than like the bandits on The Last Mile where they can reload and fire in one activation, I would make it so that they can return fire if fired upon, but once in the Monster Phase they either reload or fire depending on their musket’s status, or charge the enemy and melee if they are close enough.

Also the gravestones at the corners of the play area as a spawning point seemed like a good idea, but it seems sometimes they are too far from the action to be a telling factor. Maybe just using the gravestones in lines either side of the centre point seems like a better way to up the threat and make things more claustrophobic around the tokens they need to search. I am happy with the end phase 6+ to decide if more revenants arrive or not.

I will revise the scenario and play again. Will try a new French list just to be entertaining for me with the different soldier types and paint jobs.

Turn 4

First half of the unit activates…

Jobe sprints to support Doctor Bombay.

The Doctor decides to train his pistol on the revenant that nearly killed Peal and Jobe. The flash cough and bang of the pistol is followed but the gut turning gorey slap and skull crack of a headshot and the revenant collapses. The doctor checks for clues… But all he finds is fresh air and a moan on the wind announcing the arrival of another revenant.

Peal advances to one of the last places they could find the drummer and…. He finds a rabbits foot?

Monster phase…

Shambling and moaning heard from north and south…

Alistair is attacked but fends it off easily, whips around his musket and levels his attacker with a blow that would floor an ox.

Second half…

Craven advances and… finds the Drummer boy! And with his French phrases and the evidence that the Brits are clearly a better prospect than being eaten by revenants… The boy follows and the dogs licks Craven’s hand. (Courage check passed.)

Hatchett and Godalming advances to support Craven’s planned path of retreat and reload their weapons.

Bloggs advances, fires and wounds one of the last revanents.

End phase…

Drummer boy… No noise made with his drum.

6+ rolled so another revanent arrives.

Turn 5

First half of the unit activates…

Craven takes the drummer boy west.

Peal advances up next to Doctor Bombay and reloads.

The Doctor heals Peal for 2 H and reloads his pistol.

Jobe advance next to the Doctor and reloads his musket.

Monster phase…

Some moaning and shambling but no fighting.

Second half…

Bloggs reloads and fires, and wounds a revenant to the South West.

Hatchett fires his rifle, misses and reloads

Alistair reloads his musket, fires and misses.

Godalming fires, misses, curses, rages and reloads.

End of turn…

No noise from the drummer boy

No new revenant arrives.

Turn 6

First half of the unit activates…

The good doctor heals Jobe for 2 Health and fires on and wounds the nearest revenant

Peal advance and fires, and sadly misses.

Craven advances West with the drummer boy… so close to exiting, but not just yet.

Hatchett fires his rifle, wounds a revenant and reloads.

Monster phase…

A revenant attacks Hatchett but the tussle is fruitless for both of them.

The wounded revanent attacks the Doc, but is met with a meat cleaver between the eyes.

The last revenant shambles forward but won’t be able to impact the unit’s and the drummer boy’s escape.

Second half…

Alistair reloads, fires and wounds a revenant near Hatchett.

Jobe advances, fires and kills the same revenant, the second musket ball sending the corpse cartwheeling away in a grotesque tumble to the floor.

Bloggs reloads, fires, and kills the last revenant and the graveyard falls eerily still.

Godalming advance south and orders the unit to retire to the South and West.

End of turn…

Drummer boy, noise created, but there are no revenants to attract

Revenant arrives at the bottom left gravestone.

Turn 7

Called it a day.

Scenario (solo) – The Little French Drummer Boy.

Turn 1

First half of the unit activates…

Rifleman Thomas Hatchett advances let’s off a shot from his rifle and the ball hits the nearest revenant.

Highlander Alistair Home advances and ploughs a shot into the same revenant, wavers but doesn’t go down.

Sapper Arthur Jobe lets off a shot with his musket, sees the beast recoil, wounded heavily by the ball, and Jobe rashly charges forward and kills the walking corpse with his axe.

Private Horatio Craven lets off a shot and misses.

Monster phase…

The smelly skellybobs shamble but don’t get into contact.

Second half…

Artillerist Gordon Peal advances, fires his pistol and kills the revenant that Hatchett and Alistair had managed to wound moments earlier.

Private Joseph Bloggs, fires and misses a revenant to the south and moves forward towards the revenants.

Ensign Brock Godalming fires at the same revenant emerging from the South but misses and calmly reloads

Doctor Herbert Bombay sprints towards danger, looking in the gloom for the drummer boy. Something about this mission has stirred the fatherly side in him and he wants to find the drummer boy.

End phase

Roll for an extra revenant, less than 6+ rolled so nothing appears from the most.

Turn 2

First half of the unit activates…

Godalming fires, misses and charges at the revenant sword drawn… But he fails to fell the beast, the revenant strikes back but fails to wound the wild eyed officer.

Doc fires his pistol, wounds the nearest revenant and reloads.

Craven advances up next to Alistair and Hatchett and opens fire at the nearest revenant and misses.

Peal reloads fires and misses the same revenant, seemingly living a charmed after life.

Monster phase…

The wounded revanent that the doc shot and wounded didn’t quite shamble fast enough to exact his revenge.

Revenant from the south attacks Godalming but the Ensign swats the grasping hands aside. Godalming strike backs and hacks a chunk out of the moaning beast but it keeps coming.

A revenant attacks Peal but he fends the fiend off. Peal strikes back but only gets a maniacal chuckle of a moan as a response.

Second half…

Jobe advances towards the doctor and reloads.

Alistair reloads, fires and misses the revenant at point blank range and alarmingly close.

Hatchett reloads, fires and misses with his rifle. Whether it’s the gloom, or the tension of the situation, but marksmanship doesn’t seem to be the call of the hour.

Bloggs reloads, fires and hits the nearest revenant hard in the shoulder.

End of turn

A revenant arrives top right gravestone.

Turn 3

First half of the unit activates…

Doc sprints to hunt for the boy, ignoring the moans of the risen dead around him.

Jobe fires, wounds and charges just like before, but this time the creature avoids the swinging axe. The revenant lashes out at Jobe’s head and stunning the sapper into silence (mitigated damage down to 2 H with a power dice else he wound have been downed.)

Peal advances towards the wounded Jobe and puts himself between the combatants and reloads his pistol.

Hatchett reloads, fires and misses.

Monster phase…

A revenant attacks Godalming with a bayonet, but though he’s wounded the worst of the blow strikes a hip flask (mitigated wound to drop to 11 H instead of far lower). Godalming rallies quickly, swipes the bayonet out of his assailants hand and cuts the beasts head in half.  (Critical 10 on the skill dice.)

Revenant attacks Hatchett, fails to wound the rifleman and Hatchett takes his sword bayonet and removes the beasts head from its shoulders.

The revenant, seemingly enraged by his earlier wound lashes out at Peal and almost floors the artillerist. (Down to 1 H) in his wounded state his strike back fails to wound the shambler.

A revenant attacks Alistair, fails to wound the Scot, but Alistair slips and his strike back lacks precision and power.

Second half…

Craven advances to a dull leather bound clue in the grass… a french phrase book?!

Bloggs advances and reloads, looking to support his comrades.

Godalming wipes the revenant brains from his sword and sprints up towards Hatchett and Alistair where the fighting is fiercest.

Alistair reloads, fires and point blank range and rocks the nearest revenant with a well placed musketball… And it’s arm fell off but kept shambling.

End of turn…

No new revenant. (Less than 6+)

The prologue… It came to pass…

Godalming forces his men to march hard and they finally bump into the picket line of the main army and soon find themselves at a fire in the tent line to crowd around and finally rest.

An officer rides up on the unit and demands to know where their officer is. Godalming, tired and hungry and prone to spats of insubordination ignored the man and began sharing his meagre rations with his men. The man dismounts and shouts at Godalming to give his report.

“I have been out in the wilds to the south doing God’s Own Work. That work is classified and my men are weary. What would you have me share this late in the day?”

* “I know you Silver Bayonet types feel you are above the chain of command, but you sir are not. You are a mere Ensign and I am an Aide-de-camp and you will come with me to see The Field Marshall immediately.”

“Nosey you say?!”

The Aide bridled at the nickname for The Marquis of Wellington being used so flippantly…  but Godalming cuts him off.

“Well why didn’t you say so? Sir Arthur and I have plenty to discuss. Lay on Macduff…”

The Aide, finally getting his way, but still cross, climbs back into his saddle and offers hand to help Godalming up to ride with him. Godalming pat’s the hand away.

“I am wounded, dirty and tired, but I’ll be buggered before I nestle my nethers to your arse on the back of that nag. I’ll walk to wherever I am needed with as much dignity as I can muster but I won’t ride sidesaddle with you… Sir.”

His men tried to hide their amusement but a badly caught snigger was heard by the Aide who spun around fuming… but he couldn’t tell who made the sound.

* “The Field Marshall is waiting a 5 minute ride to the North. I can’t wait around…”

“Then find me a horse! And a chef. And a wench would be nice.”

His men openly laughed at the last jest until suddenly they all jumped to attention in horror because The Field Marshal and a handful of high ranking officers rode into view, illuminated by the fire.

** “Jones!!? Is the good Ensign ready to receive his orders? I thought to ride to you once I found out he was back…”

* “I am afraid that Ensign Godalming has been less than compliant…”

Godalming finally couldn’t stand the pain of is wounded leg (a wicked musket butt blow from a bandit in their recent engagement) and fell to one knee. Doctor Bombay rushed forward to help his officer.

** “Damn your eyes Jones, can you not see the man’s injured!? Ensign Godalming?! You’re to rest and report to me at sunrise. Doctor?! Work your magic and I expect to see you both in the morning. Jones you really must use more common sense when carrying out my orders man. Come along.”

Jones tried to hide his embarrassment and straighted himself and yanked his reins to fall in line as the group of officers rode away.

The next morning Godalming and Doctor Bombay waited outside the tent until summoned. The pair were offered tea which they turned down and awaited their orders.

** “Godalming, you’re the sort of man that will rid me of this Havestman menace and I thank you for it, but if you could just learn a touch of civility around my staff it would be appreciated.”

“You have my respect and loyalty Sir. I will try to be more civil Sir.”

The Field Marshall looked at him sceptically for a moment, not convinced by the declaration, but then moved on.

** “The treasures and intel you unearthed is being looked at more closely by those best suited to such occult research, but I need you to head out as soon as you’re fit.”

Godalming hid a wince of pain that raced through his leg as best he could; his sense of duty driving him to get back to work.

“I can march this afternoon Sir.”

** “Capital. Excellent. Now the mission is this. Find a French drummer boy in this forest and return him back here to camp.”

The Field Marshall placed his finger on the map in front of him and the Doctor leant forward and appraised where he had placed the finger. Technically behind French lines.

“Permission to ask for a reason behind the orders Sir?”

** “Granted on this occasion.”

“What’s special about this drummer boy? Sir.”

** “There’s a chance that he has been bitten by a revenant and did not turn into a revenant or decay and die like everyone else that has received a bite of this kind. If there’s something special about this child we want to discover what it is.”

“There’s a lot of drummer boys over yonder Sir. What will make him stand out?”

** “Well his unit was killed by a rising of revenants and he and his regimental mascot are wondering these woods. He’s lost. Our spies would have picked him up but had to leave under pressure from enemy patrols and revenants roaming the woods. Puppy and the boy are inseparable by all accounts.”

“Won’t the revenants kill him or the French find him before we get there?”

** “There is a risk of that, Yes. We would rather we find this potential weapon against the undead than the enemy, but we need someone as experienced and skilled as your men and you to execute the rescue. If you say you can march this afternoon we’ll have to settle…”

“We’ll head out now Sir.”

** “That’s the spirit. I knew I could count on you Godalming. Go get that pup and his pup and get back to camp ASAP. God speed. Dismissed.”

The two men saluted and filed out.