HAWKESWORTHE'S BURROS

A Sharp Practice Scenario for three players. It is intended that all players are on the British side and that the GM plays the French and Guerrilla forces.

Spain 1810. The British are pulling back from another failed offensive and while the army goes north to draw the French in that direction, a small detachment of soldiers are assigned by General O'Brien to ensure that a group of notable civilians, many of the English, and a few pack mules loaded with 'critical' logistics get west and out of French hands. The Convoy is under the command of Lt Col Brexton. In the convoy are 4 companies of Highlanders, 2 or 3 companies of elite riflemen, a section of artillery, and a company of light dragoons.

Among the ragtag group of pedestrian civilians is a certain beautiful Lady Tupperingdale.  Wealthy, single, and charming, she is a very attractive prospect for the single officers in the convoy. Also though in the caravan is the infamous Alejandro 'The Bastard' Calatrava.

The journey of the small party will take them through a ravine, across a river, past a village, and then west and away. It will also take them through the territory of the famous Guerrilla leader Don Julio.  Don Julio, having heard word through certain priests that the treasure will be passing through his lands, has no intention of letting it slip through his fingers. Complicating matters further is that a force of French is pursuing the convoy.

FORCES

British

Player One - Major McGonagall (3), Lt McLeod (1), Lt Campbell (1), 32 good highland infantry, bagpiper, drummer, and colour party.
Player Two - Captain Hawkesworthe (3), Sgt Corgi (1), Lt Dallyrumple, bugler, and 24 elite riflemen.
Player Three - Lt Colonel Brixton (1), Lieutenant  McFitzwilliamson (2) in command of two Royal Horse Artillery light guns (12 gunners) and Lt Day (2) with 12 Light Dragoons.

The convoy will consist of 5 burros, each with a drover, and a group of 5-6 civilians (including Lady Tupperingdale and The Bastard)

Guerrillas

Deployed as blinds with no Big Men. No Guerrillas can come within 8" of the village buildings.  None of the blinds are dummies but when each is revealed it will have 2D6 Guerrillas. The maximum number of guerrillas that can be in play at one time is 36. If a blind must be revealed and there are not enough guerrillas then it is empty. Guerrillas are all poor troops.

There is also the possibility of an additional group of Monks that may appear in the village. They are special and though they count as guerrillas in all other ways, they will appear in the church and cannot leave the village.

French

Deployed on road behind the British as soon as no British units are within 24" of the start point.
French will have 12 Hussars, 24 Fusiliers, 24 voltigeurs, and an artillery piece. The French troops are all good.

DECKS

Game deck: 6 British Big Men, Grasp the Nettle I, II, and III. Tiffin, Sharp Practice, Spanish Blinds, 3 x Bonus Cards (if using alternate random event rules), 3 x Frenchies cards (En Avant, Merde!, and Normal), and 3 x Guerrilla cards (Guerrilla, Bandito, and Cobardes)

The French cards should not be in the deck until the turn that French forces arrive.

Bonus Deck: At the Double, Bugle Call, Ammunition X 3, Water X 3, Ambuscade X 2, Fuego X 2, Stand Fast X 3,Forced March X 2, At the Double, Damnation, Random Event Moving X 3, Random Event Firing X 3 (if using alternate random event rules)

SET UP

Play begins with the GM putting down eight blinds for possible Guerrilla forces. One priest should be set up in the village along with some villagers and livestock if available.

Once the guerrillas are placed, the first player places all of his forces within 8" of the start point. Following that, he then places the mule convoy and civilian group, all within 6" of the start point. Player Two then deploys anywhere within 12" of the start point. Player Three moves onto the table at the start point only after the road has been cleared by other units moving forward. 

THE CONVOY

The British have more than enough troops to get the job done. What they don't have is enough leadership because though the mules and civilians will move straight down the road 1D6+1" on the Tippen card each turn, they won't move if there is combat within 12" unless ordered and a group of them only counts for what is within 3" of one another. Everytime a mule or civilian group rolls a '1' for movement, it doesn't move at all. If a mule or civilian group is ordered to move by a British Officer, they move 2D6 (2D6+2 if on road).

If a guerrilla comes into contact with a civilian or a mule, the mule or civilian will thereafter follow that Guerrilla model until the guerrilla is slain. Mules and civilians do not follow special movement rules while captured.
 

LADY TUPPERINGDALE

Hawkesworthe, McLeod, and McFitzwilliamson are all single men. An action that they can do on their turns is to 'chat with Lady Tupperingdale' if within 2" of her. This will give them 1D6 affection points. If leading troops in combat within 6" of lady Tupperingdale, those officers, instead of applying extra action points to combat bonuses, can instead spend them on 'showing off for Lady Tupperingdale' which will earn them 2 affection points for each point so used.

The Bastard is travelling with Lady Tupperingdale and if, the time she and the bastard enter the village, The Bastard has more affection points with her than any other player, he will sneak off with her to find an empty house. Roll a D6 on each Tiffin that does not have a Big Man in the same room as the bastard and the Lady. On a 4-6, The Bastard has seduced and ravished the Lady. All the players have lost!

BROTHER JUAN

There is a priest in the village who was priest of the church where General O'Brien's 'art treasures' were stolen from. As soon as the treasure mule arrives in the village, he will run to the nearest Big Man and demand that the treasure be turned over to him. He will explain how they are church relics. If any Big Man spends an action searching the treasure mule, it will be confirmed that indeed the art treasures are looted church property.

If Brother Juan's request/demand is refused, the priest will run back to the church and eight monks will open fire upon the British troops in the village. They are fanatics. Consider them elite for purposes of maintaining their bottle. As marksmen though they are poor.

If Captain Hawkesworthe hands over the mule to the priests he will 'lose the game' and will earn himself a new enemy in General O'Brien.

VICTORY AND DEFEAT

In the simplest sense, the players accomplish their mission if at least 3 burros and Lady Tupperingdale and 2 other civilians exit the western edge of the map.

On the turn that Lady Tupperingdale leaves the table at the objective end, the player with the most affection points earns a win except that:
-The Highlander faction loses if their regimental colours are lost.
-The artillery/dragoon faction loses if any gun is lost.
-The riflemen faction loses if a certain burro, containing the art treasures of General O'Brien, is lost to the enemy. The general has specifically instructed Hawkesworthe that he will get that treasure to him.

-All sides lose if Lady Tupperingdale is captured, killed, or seduced by The Bastard. Oh yes, he is travelling with the civilians and will be earning his own 'affection' points each turn that nobody else earns them (at a rate of 3 per turn).

HOUSE RULES

Alternate Random Events

Do not track dice rolls for determining random events. Instead, put 3 'Collect a Bonus Card' cards into the play deck and when they come up, the last side to act (not the next) gets a Bonus Card.

Then, in the Bonus Deck put 3 x 'Random Events - Movement' and 3 x 'Random Events - Firing' cards. When a player gets these, they can hold them and play them when they wish on an opponent as they fire or move. You then roll for the random event on that group.
 

Moving French and Guerrillas

The French and Guerrilla forces are NPCs that the game master controls. These forces have no Big Men so will move by card movement instead. For each, there are three cards in the deck but each one is different: An aggressive card, a tentative card, and a cowardly card. No NPC group can move more than once in a turn but the GM can choose to move them or not on each card:

When the aggressive card comes up, any unit that the GM chooses to move must move at full speed toward the nearest enemy. If units are moved aggressively that are within 8" of enemy, they will try to engage in melee.

When the tentative card comes up, any groups that the GM chooses to move can only move 1D6" and fire or fire and reload.

When the cowards card comes up, any groups that the GM chooses to move must move at least 1D6" away from the enemy but will try to move up to 2D6" toward better cover. They may fire or reload but not both.

Guerrillas all start as blinds (and French cannot be in blinds). These blinds cannot move once placed unless enemy are within two feet of them and then they may only move on the Spanish Blinds card.

Highland Bagpipes

Bagpipes, like other musicians, attach to a Big Man. They can be activated using that Big Man's initiative. When activated, all Highland groups within 18" remove 1 shock. Also, all friendly blinds within 18" are removed.

Colour Parties

Colour parties are attached to a Big Man and the model for the Big Man could even be carrying the colours since by attaching, he is assumed to be wielding them. A colour party consists of 1-6 models of standard bearers, big man, and guards. The total size of the colour party (# of party figures plus level of Big Man) cannot exceed 6. The models might have Kings colours and Regimental colours both but for simplicity, only the regimental colours are 'the colours' and the other flag bearer is effectively just another guard.

Advantages of colour party: When a colour party is attached to a group of their parent unit, the size of the formation (in terms of groups) is halved (rounded up) so that a four group formation can be commanded by a Big Man with only 2 initiatives. As well, if a group must retire or rout and their colour party is behind them, they can choose to move toward the colour party instead of to the rear. Retiring troops that did not start with the colour party may stop retiring when they reach a colour party. Routing troops must continue routing to the rear.

Colour parties cannot shoot. When firing on a group with a colour party and obtaining a Big Man hit, do not roll for effect of hit. Instead, remove one colour party member if available. If there are no remaining colour party members then roll to hit the Big Man as normal.

If a colour party is in fisticuffs, it adds 1 die per figure in the colour party to the group's total. Characters with colour parties cannot issue duels but must accept all duels. When in a duel, they gain 1 die for each other remaining member of the colour party but each hit against them kills a colour guard. While a colour party is being duelled, it cannot otherwise contribute to the group's total in fisticuffs.

If a Big Man with a colour party is reduced to a physique of 1 he is defeated in the duel and the victor captures the colours (regardless of whether or not the Big Man surrenders). The victorious Big Man, as normal, gains a level for the rest of the game and he also is considered to have gained the