To get back into the rules myself and Bryan had a small points game (18pts per side) of Pikeman's Lament. It was a close, enjoyable, game. The board was set up with the village of Lower Gibbering being the site of the action. Father Phelim O Fisticuffs had rendezvoued with the Contessa De La Patisserie to plan a catholic revival in the Highlands. They had 2 clan units and Irish forlorn hope
and a unit of commanded shot to guard them as they quartered for the night in Lower Gibbering.
Unbeknown to them Mungo McGregor had gathered a mobile strike force of forlorn hope, dragoons and commanded shot with the intention of capturing the Contessa and putting an end to the troublesome O Fisticuffs. It was less of a religious thing and more of a coin thing. The Contessa would fetch a good ransom and O Fisticuffs had gold on his person to help grease the wheels of revolt.
As they didn't know who was quartered where they started by breaking into the buildings nearest to them. as luck would have it their targets were located in the first building and a fight broke out between O Fisticuffs forlorn hope body guard the McGregors dragoons.
The Irish won the combat and evicted the dragoons but Mungo ordered in his own doughty lowland forlorn hope next. Again they lost and were pushed out but the Irish were taking casualties also and after several vollies into the building by Mungos chaps decided to make a break for it.
Whilst all this was going on the clan units where struggling to shake of a heavy night on the pochin and slowly staggered into the street.
The Contessa and O'Fisticuffs managed to duck behind a clan unit who charged and defeated some of Mungos forces but were in turn shot down by Mungos commanded shot.
The second clan unit failed morale and fell back into their nights lodgings to lick their wounds.
Mungo scented victory and pushed forward down the fetid main street now clogged with fallen clansmen.
He should have known better. The remaing clan fortified by hagis and pochin rallied and charged. Mungo's dragoons evade exposing Mungo's own unit of dragoons to the clan . All Mungo had to do was evade as well and it was tactical genius luring the clan out into a killing zone.
Well we all know that wasn't going to happen and of course it didn't. Maybe in the half light Mungo mistook the clan for friendly villagers, maybe his vision was clouded by images of victory and gold. It'd never happened before but now was his time, now he'd show he was a man of action just like his kinsman Jose McGregor.
As the melee subsided and his unit lay dead around him Mungo discovered to his horror he'd recieved a scratch to the face and summoning aid from his remaining men left the field.
No thanks to his leadership his remaining units under the command of Dickie McTavish (minor character) blasted the now exposed clan into oblivion and advanced down the high street. Unfortunately O Fisticuffs and the Contessa were by now leaving the village and melting away into the countryside doubtless to spend the next few days existing on sheeps urine flavoured highland spring water and a scattering of wild berries (sort of like a 17th century Bear Ghrylls experience but probably with diarrhoea thrown in).
It was a really good game and we'll probably finish off the Travails with a one off big game.
Below are scenes from Lower Gibbering. Those with a nervous disposition should look away.