En Garde in Venice

I set up the whole of my TTCombat Streets of Venice display (so far) and gave the layout a run through with a brief, solo En Garde game.

On with the game......... A trio of dodgy characters are out to kidnap a Papal Prelate.

Two tough guys looking for trouble.

Whilst their third comrade lurks on a stairway.

The Prelate and his bodyguard.

Two of the kidnappers rush towards the Prelate and his guards.

Who move forward to shield their master. The arquebus armed guard wounds one of the attackers in the shoulder.

The last guard crosses swords with the last kidnapper, who is moving up behind the Prelate and his party.

But, the guard is no match for a professional!

Another guard clashes with an attacker, As the spearman falls, the arquebusier hits the wounded kidnapper with a second shot, finishing him off.

The arquebusier frantically tries to reload, but his attacker rushes up and cuts him down before he can get off another shot. The Prelate draws his sword and successfully holds his attacker off.

But the arrival of the third assailant overpowers the Prelate. The thugs carry off their victim, leaving a trail of bodies bleeding in the streets.

EN GARDE - KIDNAP

A scenario for almost any setting. A lord's daughter is being escorted home by her brother and two of his closest companions. On a particularly lonely stretch of road the coach suddenly loses a wheel and is forced to stop. The occupants climb out to examine the damage and realise that it was caused by a cunning concealed trap, dug into the road.  Suddenly a gang of ragged-looking ruffians emerge from the trees.........

The Escort
Brother (Leader): Rank 4, sword
Companion 1: Rank 4, pistol and sword
Companion 2: Rank 4, pistol and sword
Driver: Rank 2, sword

The Kidnappers
Leader: Rank 4, sword
Deputy: Rank 3, pistol and sword
Ruffian 1: Rank 2, sword and buckler
Ruffian 2: Rank 2, sword and buckler
Ruffian 3: Rank 2, sword and buckler
Ruffian 4: Rank 1, matchlock and sword
Ruffian 5: Rank 1, halbard

Our game was set in the English/Scottish border country towards the end of the 16th century.

The table set up.

 Another view.

 The Lady and Escort.

 The Scottish kidnappers.

 The trap is sprung!

 The first moves. The two English companions fire, killing the matchlockman before he gets off a single shot and the halberdier charges forward.

  As the rest of the gang advance, the brother and driver engage the gang's leader who bravely (foolishly?) leads the attack.

 Whilst one companion guards the rear of the coach, the other moves up to aid his lord.

 The Scottish leader takes a light wound (yellow marker) in payment for his rashness in leading his men from the front. As the melee expands the English driver is also wounded.

 In the meantime the Scots halberdier closes with the last Englishman whilst his superior tries to get a clear shot.

 The halberdier is cut down and the Scots deputy fires, wounding the Englishman.

 Disaster for the English player (me!). A Scot falls, but both the English leader and the driver are killed in a single round of combat.

 The last surviving Englishman is surrounded by enemies as a Scot grabs the girl and knocks her unconscious with his sword hilt.

The last Englishman fights on bravely, but can do nothing to stop the Scot escaping with the prize slung over his shoulder.

TUDOR VILLAGE FOR EN GARDE PART 2

Here's some photos from the game I played with Colin. He took the English, trying to escort the Arch Deacon of Carlisle across the table, whilst my Scots were trying to kidnap him for ransom. It was a fun game, but once the fighting started we realised that we had spookily matched up exactly the same figure types! Colin had sent his leader down one flank with 2 rank 2 sword and buckler men, my leader was on the same flank with the same companions. He had sent a matchlockman out on the other side of the village to try and outflank me, I'd done the same. He used his rank 3 deputy and his halbardier to rush the churchman down the centre road, I'd put the same in reserve to block the centre road!

It was evenly matched, with various minor wounds on both sides, until I cut down the English  rank 3 swordsman. The prelate made a run for the end of the village, with my veteran in hot pursuit. I caught up with him right at the table edge and knocked him unconscious, hoisted the churchman over my shoulder and legged it out of the village.

TUDOR VILLAGE FOR EN GARDE

I've just set up for the first outing on my new gaming mat with En Garde. It's the new Open Field mat from Ceri Design http://www.ceridesign.com/

I'm really pleased with the look of it, I think it's an improvement on their previous design. I also picked up some of their cobbled roads and fields, which work well. So here is a sleepy little village, somewhere on the English/Scottish border, just before the Reivers come to town.

I'll try to post some pictures of the table in use later this week.