Blood and Crowns, Naval game

Week 2 and a second amphibious game is rolled.

The French Merchant house o Jehan has sent the heavily laden great ship Melisende (draft 9) out from Rouen into the channel, only to have her be blown across and ground on the English coast in an unexpected squall.  The vessel has been spotted by the men of Romney, who close in despite the weather.  

In the previous game the Cog Alice de Dunkerque and her Captain Mince Henri or "Skinny Henry" was aground on this same Shoal. The Alice has been beached after springing a leak.  Jack Crowe's lads are repairing her.  

Melisende has the opportunity to Recapture the prize.

I've altered the core vanguard force for the English, using light archers instead of crossbowmen seems more correct.  The French keep their crossbows.

Romney Point

Beached Ship

Setup: 3x3' amphibious table with a land-mass that takes up 50% of the board and touches 3 sides of the board. Place a ship near the middle of the table, completely on land but touching the shoreline and parallel to the sea edge.  This is the Beached Ship.

This ship should have one deck for every two units in the Defender's Force (rounded up but limited to 4). This ship is not considered part of either Force

but represents the Defender's beached ship.

The wind is blowing from sea towards the land.

SCENARIO RULES:

Tidal flats: Models may move into water within 6" of the coastline (instead of the standard 3"). This shallow water is considered Rough Terrain and gives cover. The water between 6" and 3" of the coastline is considered Shoal terrain for ships (and

ships will still immediately run aground if moved within 3" of the shoreline).

DEPLOYMENT:

The Attacker must deploy all ships within 2" of the Attacker's board edge corners.The Defender deploys anywhere on land, but no closer than 4" from the Beached Ship.

OPTIONAL RULES:

Careening the Hull: The Defender gains a Gun Emplacement with a Medium Cannon for every 100 points included in their Force.

Wreckers' Salvage Operation: Starting with the Defender, take turns placing 4 Objective Tokens within 3" ofthe grounded ship, and at least 3" away from other Objective Tokens. These tokens count as Prizes and follow the rules for Prizes (See Search & Recover Scenario in No Peace Beyond the

Line). The Defender gains a Strike Point for every Prize controlled by the Attacker. Reduce the Beached Ship's Hull Integrity by half before the game begins. All units in the Defender's Force gain the Tough Special Rule.

GAME LENGTH:  Six Turns

OBJECTIVES:

» Defender gains a Strike Point if the Attacker has any units on land or the Beached Ship.

» Attacker gains a Strike Point if they do not have a unit within 4" of the Beached Ship at the end of turn 3 or later.

Additional Feats of Arms:   None

The Game

Jack Crowe of Romney and his cockboat mariners

John Crowe The Vintenar and his archers on the Alice

The Bailiff with the Romney Footmen ashore.

French crew of Melisende

Alain de Jehan, Ships Master 

French light Crossbows 

French mariners

French Footmen

Three units per side so ships move at each activation.

Romney Point

The Beached cog Alice

The Bailiff and the men of Romney

Jack Crowe and his mariners.

Melisende the Great Ship and light crossbowmen, Footmen and mariners.  I have her towing a boat.  This is a printed deck plan Mounted on foamcore.  Quite pleased with it.

Melisende shortens sail and turns.  I'm keen not to go aground again since the Tidal flats rule applies to this table.  The archers hit a single crossbowman  but it's saved.

Jack's cockboat is under sweeps and rowing into the wind's eye.  Even so the Great ship looks dangerous.  If I can ram him I will!  The crossbowmen target the boat and every shot is a miss,

My cruel Seas terrain almost matches the coastal battle mat!

Made a mistake of sorts here.  The mariners in the cockboat use Gads, essentially hand throwing weapons, but these are really meant for use thrown down from a fighting top.

Contact.  Bost vessels drift.

The French load a unit onto thier cockboat.

I am now alarmed as both vessels drift on shore.  The French boat makes for the Alice.

I realise I can't avoid grounding on the Tidal shallows.

Rhe archers make four hits as a defensive reaction but the boarding French spearman roll four eights and save the lot!

The archers also save the lot, but my canny Vintenar decides to run them away

The French Great Ship passes its grounding roll.  10 but needs a 15 to go onto the Tidal flats.

The French Spear get an uncontested turn aboard the prize.  I decide to set fire to her, she does have the tinderbox rule.

My Bailiff refuses to intervene on the prize.

And she's alight!  It's a renoun ation point

My archers ashore get a shot onto the Great Ship, which has drifted in but is still not aground.

But she toughest the land and is stopped.  The Bailiff charges aboard over the bow.

Fight on the Great Ship.  The Ships Master retreats to the aft castle.

And the great ship is captured.  The French arsonist  unit in the cockboat escape!

And the prize burns to the waterline, but a second undamaged prize has been taken.

Week 3 

Unseasonal Storms at sea.  Maybe that French Cockboat didn't get home!  I dice again and it makes Rouen safely.  I come up with a new character leading this group Guido of Bayeux, French Mercenary, arsonist and cockboat hero, who has salvaged some renoun for the French.  He is promoted to Grizzled Veteran.