The following is a guest article battle report from a game from the recent 2023 Summer of Plunder campaign. Thanks to Michael Verity for letting feature his game here.

Game Setup & Special Rules

Night Raid Scenario. Adjustable visibility range with chance to increase or decrease from starting 15″ (WH dice) each turn for passing thick clouds during night. Scenario started at 15″ and could increase or decrease 5″, if “plus or minus rolled”. One chance for plus and one for minus with 4 unchanged results (d6). Scenario lasts six turns with two objective points (markers).

Forces

Spanish Militia force defended vs. Dutch Caribbean Militia (100 pts). The Spanish had experience with their commander, 1×6 and 1×5 Hostigadore (V), 1×5 Lanceros (V). The Dutch raiding party had Inexperienced commander, 2×7 Jewish militia (T), and 1×6 Kapers (T) with 2x Blunderbuss.

Scenario

Scenario set up was a small town center, a community well, a monument, two wagons haphazardly parked, and three random movement drunk miniatures. No stray cats seen. Cloudy night, with passing thick clouds, changes the visibility if moonlight blocked. Spanish occupied one building in their corner of board (public house) and the Lanceros and exterior Hostigadore unit bedded down for the night nearby. They started scenario in prone position. Dutch militia creep into town from opposite two board edges (2’x2′).

Turn One

The Dutch enter the town center zone, the sounds of barking dogs, and stumbling drunks, alerts the Spanish Militia outside the public house.

One Jewish militia enters a building, spots the lying about Hostigadores across the street (behind hedge) and opens fire. The other Jewish Militia enter another building while the Kapers walk in hidden behind a long building wall. The Hostigadores, unsure who is firing upon them, return musket for musket at the Jewish militia, One falls to the Spanish bullet.

Turn Two

After the random walk drunk movement*, the moonlight vs. passing thick clouds is rolled at turn start. No blocking cloud effect rolled so the visibility remains at 15″. Jewish militia keep firing at the Hostigadores but the poor moonlight affects their aim. Hostigadores still unsure who is firing upon them, reflected by their fatigue roll. So…just fire back, this time two more Jewish militia catch lead bullets.

Hearing the firing, the Kapers break cover and rush the palm grove across the street. They are meet by a pack of charging Lanceros. The wild pistol volley just clips palm logs, but the sharp Lanceros lances stab three Kapers to death. Dutch morale bends and holds from breaking. (Photos GM1d and GM1e).

Turn Three

A thick cloud passing so visibility drops to 10″ (Photo GM1f).

The Kapers fight hard, killing one Lancero. His body joins another Kaper lying on the palm grove ground.

Too much, the Kapers break with their inexperienced commander back besides the long building wall. Lanceros mop up the battlefield.

In the town center, duels with muskets light up the town. Drunks wonder why the festive late evening show. One drunk falls to the ground, passed out.

Turn Four

A bigger cloud causes visibility to drop to minimum of 5″. A dark night indeed! See their chance to rub out the Kapers, the Lanceros charge across the dim dirt street.

Three Lanceros are cut down by the “in their face” double blunderbuss Kapers volley plus the commander’s pistol.

Totally broken, the Lanceros rout back into the palms. The battered Jewish militia think exiting the losing musketry fight is a good plan. They exit the building to hide “behind” the thick walls for the moment. Their fellow nearby Jewish militia, seeing their plight, exit the building they occupied to position behind the town community well, guarded by a boozed up local. The dark of night prevents the Spanish Hostigadores seeing the Dutch movements, so they reload all weapons. (Photos GM1j and GM1k).

Turn Five

Dutch pressure the Spanish holding the public house after visibility improves to 10″. The Jewish militia move from the smelly drunk near well to behind the monument.

Musketry exchanged with the public house Spanish Hostigadores losing three men, mostly from the effects of ale and rum but some had bullet holes. Morale fails, or the rum casket found empty, therefore the Hostigadores bolt, with command, out the back door. The morale boosted Kapers counter-charge the fleeing Lanceros back into the palm grove, but both sides just miss their landed blows till next turn when the last of the Lanceros disappear.

Turn Six (final turn)

After moving two drunks, one has passed out, the cloud lighting remain the same at 10″. Seeing no rum barrels outside, and a great commanding rally roll, the Hostigadores re-enter the public house to hold their position from Dutch raiders outside.

The other Hostigadores just line the hedge, popping shots at the two Jewish militia now hidden behind the community well. After all this fighting, time for a drink. So the fresh Jewish militia unit charges into the public house for a grand melee. Two fallen Spanish, from drink or wounds, ends the hung melee in the public house.

Game End

The scenario ends with a dead tie result. Strike Points even and the lost miniature point cost also even. So a declared draw.

*Note: Random drunk miniature movement by WH directional arrow dice and if “X” (on WH directional dice) rolled no movement. Could entrance a building or bounce off blocking terrain. If another “X” rolled” without movement between, the drunk miniature has fallen down, at current spot, to sleep his hangover off for scenario.