Homeward Bound
A small skirmish set during the Peninsular War
adapted by William Scarvie
This scenario is based on a skirmish scenario from Donald Featherstone's book
"Campaigning with the Duke of Wellington and Featherstone." The situation is
taken directly from the book, and some variability in the forces engaged has
been added to take advantage of the flexibility of Rencounter.
Introduction
------------
The Peninsula, 1810.
A small group of soldiers from the famous British 95th Rifle regiment are
returning from a patrol and must cross a fast moving woodland stream in order
to get back to the army camp. By a strange circumstance, a patrol of French
Tiralleurs are returning to their own camp, and must cross the stream in the
other direction by the very same bridge.
Terrain
-------
The table should be 6' long x 2' wide, with an unfordable stream running down
the center of the table, lengthwise. A bridge should be placed across the
stream at one end of the table. Either side of the stream should have clumps
of trees, shrubs, rocks, fallen logs and other terrain to give cover to the
riflemen. The patrols enter the table at the end farthest from the bridge, on
opposite sides of the stream. The side to exit the most figures off the table
over the bridge wins.
Forces
------
Each side will consist of the following figures:
1 Lieutenant, leading one unit of
3-5 Privates (roll 1D12: 1-3 = 3 men, 4-9 = 4 men, 10-12 = 5 men)
1 Sergeant, leading a second unit of
3-5 Privates (roll 1D12: 1-3 = 3 men, 4-9 = 4 men, 10-12 = 5 men)
The basic ratings for each figure will be as follows:
Morale FS MS Weapons
Lieutenant 5 7 8 Sword, Flintlock Pistol
Sergeant 5 8 7 Flintlock Rifle, Bayonet
Private 4 6 5 Flintlock Rifle, Bayonet
No figures wear armor, and all firearms begin the game loaded.
Optional Skills
---------------
If a little extra color is interesting to you, the soldiers involved in the
fight can be customized by rolling up "skills" for each figure. Each
Lieutenant and each Sergeant may roll twice on the following chart to obtain
"skills" which will improve his ability to fight. Each Private may roll
once. Reroll if a figure already has the skill rolled.
D12 roll Skill
-------- ------------------------
1 or 2 Bruiser (+1 MS)
3 or 4 Crack Shot (+1 FS)
5 or 6 Grognard (+1 Morale)
7 Nimble (may take 1.5 turns worth of actions each turn)
8 or 9 Tough as nails (first wound taken is downgraded one severity)
10 or 11 Fast Loader (may reload his firearm in 1 turn instead of 2)
12 Fleetfooted (may move 8" per turn, run 12" per turn)
If desired, these rolls and the rolls to determine the number of figures on
each side may be made secretly.
Alternatively, you might choose skills suited to a particular model. A
particularly muscular figure, or one clubbing his musket might be given the
"Bruiser" skill. A reloading figure might be designated a "Fast Loader."
A running figure might be "Fleetfooted" and an aiming figure might be a "Crack
Shot."
Another Time, Another Place
---------------------------
This scenario could easily be adapted to just about any other conflict, of
course. For example, other Napoleonic nationalities could be used. Or
perhaps Confederate and Union pickets could be substituted in for the French
and British skirmishers, or American Minutemen and Hessian Light Infantry.
Reference
---------
"Campaigning with the Duke of Wellington & Featherstone" by Donald
Featherstone. Emperor's Press, Chicago, Illinois. ISBN 0-9626655-9-2
This page by Ed Allen , allen@sequence.stanford.edu.