RS 1777 Rescue the Colonel! Attempt by Col. Sanders and his Flamingo Rex

Small games follow big games. Lettuce return to 1777. The captured .commissar Colonel Pratt and Colonel Sir Hilary Clinton Ballsover, both wounded, are in a holding camp*.

* As all ex service personnel will know, a holding camp is a haven of peace, quiet and tranquility where loving and caring non commissioned and commissioned officers distribute loving care, caressing and hugging their privates.

Let me see if I can do this right. Ideally this could be played out on 2 tables simultaneously. Please take what I try here and do better!

A square camp with 2 opposing entrances, both guarded. Area for horses, large tent(s) for officers plus 2 medical tents, one for enlisted, one for officers. Sorry, I’m crap at drawing.

I’m going to suggest a contingent of 30 plus 3 officers. Two at each gate, corner and HQ tent means 14 and 1 officer on duty at any given time. That leaves 16 and 2 hanging around in-tent-sly. I’m going to try a D6 per turn response.  From what I can find out rifles were stacked unloaded.  So soldiers responding must grab then load their weapon.

On the rebel side, the Colonel in charge of bird R&D (the original bird colonel) l Sanders, suggests that a daring diversion by his Rex’s would allow a team to infiltrate the camp and rescue their comrade.

Standard Officer Leadership2 Marksman, Steadfast3, Weapon master2 33 Total 39

Pistol, 3, Primitive, Reload, Short range 4

Sword 2, Primitive, 2

Standard soldier  Marksman, Weaponmaster, Steadfast2 15 Total 21

Musket 4, Reload, 2 handed, 4

Fixed bayonet, Primitive, 2 handed, 2

Flamingo Rex Agile2, Big, Fast 3, Free disengage, Reptile, Weaponmaster3 35 Total 45

Beak as mono scythe 3 Armour piercing, Heavy, Cleave (target OOA on critical)

Claw as spear 2, Primitive, Long (hits 1” away, free hack charging foe)

Rex Riot – Col. Sanders & 5 Rex = 264 Blitzkreig +2 start, -1 rest

Col. Sanders Leadership2 Marksman, Steadfast3, Weapon master2

Pistol, 3, Primitive, Reload, Short range

Sword 2, Primitive,

Soldier Marksman, Weaponmaster, Steadfast2

Musket 4, Reload, 2 handed, 4

Fixed bayonet, Primitive, 2 handed, 2

Signal grenade as Stun grenade 12” range, 1.5” stun radius (endure roll or 1 pin 1 stun)

Flamingo Rex Armour 1 Ignore 1^st pin Walk 2” Run 7” Sprint 9”

Agile2, Big, Fast 3, Free disengage, Reptile, Weaponmaster3

Beak as mono scythe 3 Armour piercing, Heavy, Cleave (target OOA on critical)

Claw as spear 2, Primitive, Long (hits 1” away, free hack charging foe)

Rescue Party  Brawlers reroll failed melee  Major , sergeant & 6 soldiers

Major Cromme Leadership2 Marksman, Reactive, Steadfast3, Weapon master2 33 Total 39

Pistol, 3, Primitive, Reload, Short range 4

Sword 2, Primitive, 2

Sergeant Dork Leadership2 Marksman, Reactive, Steadfast3, Weapon master2 Veteran (+1 Art/React) 33 Total 39

Pistol, 3, Primitive, Reload, Short range 4

Sword 2, Primitive, 2

Soldier Marksman, Reactive, Weaponmaster, Steadfast2

Musket 4, Reload, 2 handed, 4

Fixed bayonet, Primitive, 2 handed, 2

This may be a little abstract.  I'd suggest cutting out a base for the tents plus something to represent a squashed tent.

The Game.  I took the Brits leaving Tony to wrastle with the revolting colonials.  Tony won the initiative so I was not aware of the impending action.

First attack on the gate- guard went well.  The bead represents a loaded weapon.

Large tent is the officers.  Middle has wounded officers, including the captured Colonel.  Last is the other ranks wounded from the last engagement.

The second bird rushed to the tents and trampled (but not injured- 5 soldiers underneath.

I used dice as I didn't have enough counters.  Prefer not to do this again-.

A run straight down the middle.

He's BEHIND you!

The second gate-guard is down.

I get the initiative and soldiers burst from tents!

One down but the second is the cooler head and shoots the bird down at point blank.

A run along the fence brings this brute up against more guards.

One gone-

Slowly, so slowly I'm able to put up a defence in the tents.

Second guard post eliminated.

Ouch-.

At last the other gate guards realise that the game is afoot and take out a Flamingo Rex.

One bird flees on morale.

Col. Sanders and his soldier realise that the birds are too far away (out of site) for them to control, so move in.

Another guard attacked-.

The attack in the tents goes on. More deaths and desertions!

The brute is through the tents and attack the guard.

Put your musket against its breast bone & pull the trigger.  Still he misses!

The result-.

But that leaves the field clear for a guard to shoot.  Dead bird.

Unopposed Colonel Saunders gets to the centre of the camp.

E finishes off the guards and follows the fence.

The rebel soldier throws his whoosh-bang into officers tent.  One poor chap takes the blast leaving 2 unharmed.

One officer bursts forth and attacks the rebel private.

Another guard struck low.

Bird comes to daddies aid.

The other officer bursts forth from the now-burning tent and pummels the private down.

The Colonel kills his opponent- but the bird, startled by the privates death, flees on reaction.

As does his remaining sibling!

Col. Sanders explores the tents.

A bit of a lull, so the entangled troops free themselves and grab weapons.  The officers bark a command and the survivors gather on the parade ground.

The last surviving gate guard is engaged, but he is unloaded.

Now the rescue party begins to make itself felt.  A shot rings out and an officer is down!

A soldier inspects the first tent, full of British other ranks wounded.

In a line lads!

Col Sanders sticks his head into the wounded officers tent and promptly gets his face blown off.

British doggedly advance on the colonials.

So- the rebel officer and another roll a 1 on morale upon the death of Colonel Sanders.  The rescue is aborted.

We rolled so many 1's for morale!  3 out of 5 birds.  6 British & 2 colonials.

An interesting game.  Lots of action in a very small area.  Both attackers were a tad under 300 points but the birds nearly did it by themselves.

I think there's a need for a pack theme.  This should be capable of handling (say) a group of raptors led by a charismatic leader, a bunch of Starship Troopers bugs or similar..

I'd also suggest a tactical of Charismatic Leader who exerts a strong influence over its troops.

Hope you enjoy, please have a go at something similar.