The Piggy Chase Wild West Campaign

The dice Wild West movie campaign.

Snakes and ladders.  Just roll a D6.

1. The prologue.  A gunfight d6 random figures on either side.  Seems totally unrelated to the plot of the movie but it may become clear at the end.  Dice for a random location.

2.  A second prologue with different characters.  This is a bar room brawl, but may escalate into shootin'.  Dice for random location.

3. The main character(s)/factions appear and get into a gunfight.  D6 per side, town location.

4.  On the trail.  Bushwhackers.  And ambush on a camp.  D6+1 vs d6 ambushers

5.  The lone ranch house.  A fight over water hole rights?  Side characters.  Does this tie into the main plot or is it just gratuitous?

6.  The movie steps up a gear.  A random terrain choice.  D6+ 2 figures per side with a maximum of 5.

7.  The plot makes no sense.  The director takes us back to scene 3.

8.  A boring view of the vistas.  Enough landscapes already!  Fast forward the dvd to number 11.

9.  Use a randomly drawn scenario as two factions face off.

10.  The bank job.  One faction attempts to rob the bank. The other faction, reinforced by civilians, begin to respond after the alarm is raised.

11.  You missed the bank job.  It's vital to the plot so you will have rewind one play that scenario.

12.  The lone character.  A single character comes hunting your faction,who are scattered around town.  

13.  The dead man's hand partner.  Go back d6 places.

14.  An infamous duo are in town looking for the boys to settle matters.  They will wait at the end of the street whilst you finish your drinks.  One of your figures over fortifies himself with river whiskey.

15. A flashback.  The director thinks that this will explain the plot.  One on one gunfight that has no effect on the movie.

16.  Things are getting tense.  A posse arrives to deal with one faction.  D6+2 posse, d6 faction.

17.  Miss Belle 💗 (etc...) Has gone missing.  Rescue her.  Random terrain.  D6 each per side. Hope she concealed her Derringer.

18.  The big showdown.  Alright Corral or down Main Street Purgatory.  Full factions.

And that is as far as I got, although a 24 box grid would work better and give a deeper campaign.  As a simple, no writing, game generator I think it works.

"Wild Bill" Babbage's rules for solo Western Games

"Wild Bill" Babbage's rules for solo Western Games. 

Fistful of Lead Solo

To program my solo force I need to make some generalisations about the on table fighting I`m representing. The bottom line is that this is more focused on movies than history.   I allow the solo force a deployment marker.  This represents the place the gunfight is expected to occur, locations such as the OK Corral, and is the objective for the "played" force. Place one of my figures in contact with the marker and history will record that the gunfight was won by the played side.  

The deployment marker may not be the place where the fighting takes place however.  The Solo force has the ability to spread its self out around the table, fire from ambush and slink away.  

The entire enemy team will deploy together at the marker, but will then move randomly about the terrain as a result of the played team's movement.  This fighting all over the set is seen in many western movies.  Even the classic High Noon, a showdown on main street ends up as a battle around town.  The classic OK Corral where Burt Lancaster, as Wyatt Earp chases Ringo around Tombstone after the main shoot out is also an example.  Unhistorical, but then again it uses the terrain to the maximum.

There are exceptions to this.  Costner's Wyatt Earp OK Corral is much more swift and brutal and limited in location.  Alan Ladd's Shane fights his three on one against Jack Palance and his brothers inside the saloon. There must be a possibility that the bad guys will be waiting for your force around the deployment marker.

Use of cover is another tactic that seems not to reflect the classic "western" but is amply demonstrated in Rio Bravo where Marshal John Wayne and his misfit collection of deputies take on the bad guys in a mass shoot out among the adobe walls of a wagon compound.  When the Wild Bunch make their final stand they rampage around the Federales compound.  I don`t know if I approve of that Gatling gun however.   

The (historical) fight that concludes Young Guns is a siege in Lincoln where Billy and (some of) his regulators escape.  The shooting is from barricades and windows.  A movie that makes this point really plain is "Big Jake," where the Duke and his boys scatter around the adobe ruins to take on the renegade kidnappers.  Ambushes, snipers and desperate pistol fights are the order of the day.   

The mechanics are that every time one of my played figures moves (takes a movement action) I roll to see the enemy programmed reaction.  This will result in either a bystander appearing or one of the solo figures vanishing from the deployment point, unless they are "fixed" by being in rifle range of one of my played figures.  They will redeploy according to the solo mechanisms, but if at all possible by stepping out from cover.

3 types of figure are determined as depicted.

Pistols and shotguns

Riflemen

Horsemen

3 levels of figure character

6.   Leaders

5.   Deputy leaders

1-4 Extras

Actions for Solo Forces

Pistoleros will close into pistol range before blazing away.  They will seek cover to reload. 

Shotgunmen will attempt to close into range, fire both barrels into one target, and then withdraw to cover to reload, but with the option to drop the shotgun and draw a pistol.

Riflemen will find cover or go prone before opening fire.  They will duck out of sight to reload.

Horsemen will charge, firing from the saddle, using speed and making themselves a difficult target by riding around terrain. Yee-har.

1.      No enemy figures appear on table this turn.

2.      A random bystander moves

3.      An enemy figure appears at long rifle range.

         Roll for type.  1-3  Pistolero 4-6 Rifleman 

4.      An enemy figure appears at close range.

         Roll for type.  1-3  Pistolero 4-6 Rifleman.  

5.      Two figures appear at long range.

          Roll for type.  1-2  Pistolero 4-5 Rifleman 6 Horseman.

6.      An enemy figure charges at you from short range

         Roll for type.  1-2  Pistolero 4-5 Rifleman 6 Horseman.

Where

1-3    to the front of your leader

4        to the right of your leader

5        to the left of your leader

6        to the rear of your leader  

Enemy Actions

1        Slink away.  May appear again. 

2        Act with caution.  Take cover, fire at opportunity targets

3        Edge closer using cover.  Fire and duck back. 

4        Blaze away.  Take cover to reload.  Move into range.

5        Move closer.  Give him maximum fire.

6        Fill your hand you sonofabitch. Charge and shoot.     

Enemy recycling

1-2     Git goin' partner.  Headin' for Boot Hill.

3-4     There's more of them?  Recycled.

5        Circles around and appears next turn in a random location.

6.       Immediately appears at long range to the front.  He ain't dead yet?

        

Bystanders

1  run away from noise

2  run away from nearest enemy 

3  run away from your nearest figure

4  move towards random building

5  panic and freeze

6  draw and fire at nearest figure.

Some justifications

Pistols

Blondie Clint, that well known gun fanner, closes the range down before a few words of plot exposition and lots of gunfire in just about all of the Fistful shootouts.  In the Magnificent Seven the Cowboys use cover, and Steve Mcqueen demonstrates, emptying his gun and then diving into cover over a wall to reload.  

Shotguns

In most versions of the OK Corral Doc fires the Shotgun and then draws a pistol.  In the Sacketts Ben Johnson waits on a porch whilst "the Kid" sneaks up on him, gives him both barrels at once and then looks for cover to reload.  John Wayne as "Big Jake" uses his Greener shotguns in the same way, both barrels and then draws his pistol. 

Riflemen

In Stagecoach 1936, John Wayne, as Ringo, falls prone before opening up with his rifle to take on the enemy gunmen in the final shootout.  In Winchester 73 Jimmy Stewart finds cover in the rocks to fight a cat and mouse final shoot out.  Riflemen finding cover to shoot seems logical.

Horsemen

In the Outlaw Josey Wales our hero Clint uses the speed of his horse to fight Missouri Raider style.   Rooster, another of Quantrill's men incidentally, does the same.  In the Shadow Riders Sam Elliot stands his ground and shoots a (ex-Confederate) charging horseman out of the saddle. 

So using this how do I get different enemy forces to behave differently?  Simply, forces with different weapons mixes behave in different ways.

Actually my theory is that all forces are created equal, although in Westerns the guys in white hats are the played force and always tend to stand a better chance. (Unless Lee van Cleef is in this movie) 

The exception are the Apache, who are treated in movies (Shalako, Chatos Land, Hondo) as very dangerous opponents.  But most Apache teams will focus on riflemen, and will thus behave very differently to the Pistoleros of the Magnificent Seven, the mixed weaponry of Mexican Bandidos or the six-gun wielding charging riders of the Texas Rangers.  

I do however propose some variations for different programmed forces.

White Hats.  Ignore "act with caution," instead "move into range."

Black hats .  Slink away on 1-3

Comanche   Warriors, charge on 4-6 with melee weapons

'Pache          Never move closer unless 2:1, always shoot from cover at long range.  If they slink away they will be back.  You have to kill them, and there are always more of them than you think.

Bandidos      Require a leader/deputy within 12" or will auto slink.  See also outlaws.

Outlaws        Focus on their own objective.  They ignore the played force in favour of getting closer to that objective, ie a bank or the bridge out of town.. As long as their charismatic leader is still standing they will keep going.

Texas and the Ferdinand

The USS Texas, was a sister ship to the ill fated Maine, the vessel whose destruction in Havana harbour was the catalyst for the Spanish American war.  She has fallen in with the Spanish Armoured Cruiser Ferdinand.  Texas took nine years to build and was outmoded before she was launched.  Her armament was in echeloned twin turrets, innovative but difficult to manage.  Above all she was slow.  Ferdinand is more modern but this is a fight that could go either way.

Texas, and she has had her portholes repainted since this picture

Ferdinand and the Destroyer Furor

After sighting both sides close the distance

Texas first salvo is a critical hit...

Rudder damage and Ferdinand lurches ninety degrees.  Gunfire becomes more even

But Ferdinand is silenced by the Texas.  A last salvo sees her sinking.

Ferdinand rolls over leaving the Texas victorious.
A Quick game of Broadside and Salvo, it took me an hour.

Building the 1898 fleet

Having bought Dave Manley's campaign game and rules for the Spanish American War of 1898 a fortnight ago I'm now pretty much on top of the mechanics, as well as the pre dreadnought broadside and salvo rules that come with the game.  Don't have any ships though.  Time to rectify that with some scratch builds.

The base material here is Balsa, and I will be basing the completed vessels on clear plastic.  Scale will be 1:2400

The forces involved in the 1898 conflict were limited to a handful of US Cruisers and "coastal" battleships, against the small number of cruisers and destroyers belonging to the Spanish.  I decided to start with the USS Brooklyn one of the US flagships.  Once I had that model sorted the rest would be straightforward using the same principles.

Brooklyn was 117 metres long, making her larger than the battleships, and as a cruiser had a much higher freeboard, designed for better sea keeping.  That bow alone shows that this is a ship that could charge her way through the Atlantic rollers.

I started with the ship plans freely available online.  I wasn't trying for an exact detailed model, just the look.  My USS Brooklyn at 1:2400 comes in at just around 5cm by 1cm.

First the hull, and with that high cruisers freeboard I used 5mm balsa and sanded the tumblehome into a curve.  Brooklyn required this to fire the low set batteries free from deck clutter.  

History records that she kept her way well in rough seas so I'm happy with that bow too.  

After much cutting, gluing and coffee I had the turrets and superstructure in place, and just about the right look on the model.  The guns were fiddly and had to be in thin bamboo strips to work.

The USN used a light grey paint with more leeway on funnels and some superstructure,  so a grey undercoat went on.  She was starting to look the part.

Whilst that was drying I started the first of the Spanish Cruisers

Soon had the Isabella up to scratch.  

And a couple of Coastal Monitor Battleships for the US.  

USS Texas.  Need to redo the portholes!

The finished look.  Quite pleased with the scratch builds.  I could have bought Old Glory's models at £18 each but these come in at 18p for the lot.  Much more satisfying to build my own.  Oddly enough the Brooklyn was the first one I completed and is still my favourite...

Now to battle...

Jubal's Big Day Out

The Bluebellies are scouting out Purgatory.  It's near the end of the Civil War and Sarge has his sharpshooters to clear the town.  However Young Earl and his Rebs are holding out in the town, and wish to make a strike back before melting away across the border.

Six ambush points numbered 1-6 are scattered around town.  These will be the arrival locations for Young Earl and the boys.

Sarge and his Perry miniatures lads.

Jubal races forward.  Young Earl pops up and draws a bead on the running bluebelly.

It's a hit and Jubal rolls a 5, meaning a shock result.  That yellow dice is appropriate. 

The rebs come out of the wookwork.  a narrow miss at long range from behind the corral, even with the +1 from the Jack.

Sarge and his boys shelter behind a limber.

New turn.  Jubal removes the shock and jumps the fence

A firefight at long range along the street

Joker.  Doc Herriot emerges from the livery and wanders away.

Jubal and his mate circle around and isolate one of the Rebs in the Chuch doorway

Worst shot on table goes to this guy.  He hits nothing all day

The Reb in the Chuch gets Jubal's mate and knocks him out of the game.

Jubals' reply knocks out the Reb

The fight between the corral and the graveyard heats up, close range but using cover

Jubal discovers that the Church has a removable roof and he goes insiude, appearing at the rear door. The grave of Arch Stanton is just outside, as is the rebel main force

But Sarge and his boys whittle down the enemy

Sarge himself gets a fantastic sharp shot, taking out the Rebel Leader.  Young Earl,
we shall not see his like again, unless he makes his recovery roll after the game.

And Jubal pops out, swinging his rifle like a club.  7 vs 4 Jubal wins the combat.  He knocks the enemy out.

The last two rebs see out the turn but its all over

The Rebs skedaddle as Sarge captures the picket fence around the graveyard.  

I will have to give that Sergeant a name!

Purgatory County, West Texas

My Western figures finally arrived from the UK, but were immediately seized for presentation on my birthday... fair enough.  It gives me three weeks to get the setting and terrain sorted.  Actually I have already spent some time preparing what I`m going to do for a solo campaign in the wild south west.  

Having played "Hey You in the Jail" in 15mm the basic campaign structure is pretty straightforward.  Fistful of Lead Reloaded has the necessary scenarios and I can use a 36 square grid map from Hey You in the Jail to identify the locations.  Each "Movie" will have up to six gunfights, with varying numbers of participants. I was, however, slightly lost for a theme to run through all of this.  

Then I spotted the miniature of Rooster Coburn in the Gunfighters Ball range (I just had to order it foot and Mounted) and had the glimmer of an idea. In the classic "For a Few Dollars More" both main characters, Colonel Mortimer and Blondie are bounty hunters.  In "True Grit" Rooster Cogburn, as a Deputy US Marshal, also hunts down wanted criminals, dead or alive (but mostly dead as Judge Parker points out)  Some reading up and I discovered that US Marshals would claim "Expenses" that are similar to the bounty reward payments.   This gives me a basis for a game of "hunt the criminals."  

I intend to expand  my original collection to include a band of Texas Rangers, led by Captain Quincy Whitmore, anti hero of "Chato's Land," but also to modify a figure as the Outlaw Josey Whitmore, renegade brother of our hero.  These are from the Aritzan mounted and foot figures, as is Judge Parker who will be hand's on in my own game. 

Purgatory

Following the end of the Civil War the township of Purgatory on the Rio Grande river had a population of 100 souls.  The town had grown from a fort against the Comanche into a small group of Pueblo buildings.  It gave its name to the County, although it was not the County seat which was at Fort Laredo, now occupied by a troop of Buffalo Soldiers from the 10th US Cavalry.  Incursions and raids from the Comanche, Mexican Bandidos and cattle rustlers operating to the north, had limited the growth of the town, but all of that changed in 1867.

That year a lawyer calling himself "Judge" Parker arrived in Purgatory, accompanied by a Deputy United States Marshal.  The credentials of the Judge were somewhat suspect, but Deputy US Marshal "Rooster" Phallus Coburn wore a genuine silver star and had a real interest in delivering wanted criminals to justice.  Collecting the bounties was simply a sideline.   

Another event that made 1867 conspicuous was the return of several former Confederate soldiers, mainly on release from the great Union prison at Andersonville.  Among these was Captain Quincy Whitmore, a former cavalry Officer of Hood's Texans, who brandished his appointment as Captain of the Texas Ranger Company to be based in Purgatory. (Close examination would reveal the appointment to be dated 1847 and thus expired.)  He had only four men.  

Purists may argue that following the Civil War the Rangers were disbanded in favour of a new State Police.  This may be historical fact but my advice to anyone snooty enough to observe this out loud is not do so in the presence of Captain Quincy, without being prepared to shuck their hawg-legs and commence a' firin'.

Purgatory County West Texas

Factions, Local Citizens and Bystanders

The Law

"Hanging" Judge Parker.  "String this fellow up."

"Rooster" Phallus Coburn, Deputy United States Marshall ""Fill yer hand you son of a bitch."

Captain Quincy Whitmore, Texas Rangers  "They's 'Pache out there."

Purgatory West Texas Ranger detachment. Sergeant Jubal, Young Earl, Old Pa Walton, "Big boned" Joshua.

The Judge rarely leaves town, but has his customers delivered by the Marshal.  The Rooster is a genuine Wild West Hero.  He draws two cards per turn, with only one allowed as movement.  He is a crack shot, deadly, lucky, and more than capable of dealing with a whole faction on his own.  His nemesis is the outlaw Josey Whitmore, renegade brother of the Texas Ranger Captain.  Rooster loves a bounty, and has no mercy in bringing in his man dead or alive

The Rangers act town law enforcement,  but also pretty much as their mad Captain wishes.

The Reina Cantina

Cantina owner and Town Mayor, "Useless" Eustace Farthingdale and his "girls"

Miss Belle View

Miss Mairy Hinge, aka Ginge'

Miss Betty Swollocks

Mr Leslie Dawson, chronic piano player.

Eustace runs the Rio Bravo Cantina, a sawdust floored dive that hosts a constant faro game.  The three "girls" are paid to provide entertainment. "Wimmin'folks is scarce in the West partner!"  The Mayor is unscrupulous, cowardly and generally drunk.  He also writes and prints the Purgatory County Review, circulation 100.

The Citizens Committee and Faro game bystanders

Dr Mike Holloway, Scots Dentist  (Wanted $100)

Lucky Ned McGurk.  Chicken Rustler  (Wanted $100)

Indian Jim Catchmole... "How?"  (Wanted $100)

Al Colter, the Shotgun Kid  "Cake or buckshot.  Ya varmint."  (Wanted $100)

The O'Finnigan, grizzled ancient Prospector, "Consarn it."  (Wanted $100)

"Peaceful" Chato Bronson, aka the breed.  A 'Pache.  (Wanted $100)

Missy Prudence, town cripple and sweeper upper.

The Cannon ranch.  Big Joan Canon, Buck Canon, Blue boy Canon, ,Manolito Montana

Sam Butler foreman, Joe Butler brother and extra. Victoria "is that a real woman?" Cannon

The bounty hunters 

1. Colonel "Angel Eyes" Van Cleef
2. Blondie Yates
3. Marshal Rooster Coburn
4. Eliza Stone, "the Viper," looking for revenge
5. Any two working together
6. Any three working together

The Outlaws

1. Lone Outlaws
2. The Bandidos
3. Indio's Gang
4. The Comanche'
5. The Hole Gang
6. The Border Rustlers

Lone Outlaws

1. The Outlaw Jesse Whitemoore.  "My mule don't like it much!" (Wanted $200)
2. Al Colter, the Shotgun Kid  "Cake or buckshot.  Ya varmint." (Wanted $100)
3. The O'Finnigan, grizzled ancient Prospector, "Consarn it." (Wanted $100)
4. Lucky Ned McGurk, Chicken Rustler (Wanted $100)
5. Dr Mike Holloway, Scots Dentist (Wanted $100)
6. Indian Jim Catchmole... "How?" (Wanted $100)

The Bandidos

Tuco il Magnifico  ("What's that awful smell?) (Wanted $200)

Manco, Raul, Ramon, Speedy, Poncho, Fat boy, Antoñito Ruiz  Enrique Santiago  Miguel,   José Terrón  (All Wanted $100)

Indio`s gang

El Indio (The Indian) (Wanted $200)

Groggy, Juan Wild Luis Rodríguezanuel, Benito Panos Papadopulos  Sancho Perez, Cuchillio, Tomás Blanco  Lorenzo Robledo  Tomaso, Cruz  Slim, Blackie, Chico, Eduardo García José Marco  Enrique Ricardo.  (All Wanted $100)

The Outlaws  aka the Hole in the table gang

Hannibal Quilp       "I love it when a plan comes together" (Wanted $200)

Kid Le-Colt             "Guvernor's going to give us an amnesty" (Wanted $100)

B.A Farthingdale    "I say old boy, are you some sort of crazy fool!" (Wanted $100)

"Face" Trollope      "Well hello good lookin..."(Wanted $100)

Mad Mike               "love the smell of TNT in the morning!" (Wanted $100)

The "Cowboys" Border Rustlers: (Aka the Mornington Crescent Gang)

"Mustache Marty" Feldman (Wanted $200)

Brooke-Taylor, Garden, Oddie, Rushton, Cryer, Cooke and Moore.   

(All Wanted $100)

The Campaign game

Building Your Gang

Each Gang starts with 15 Build Points

• Each member of the gang costs 1 BP.

• Weapons cost additional points based on the chart below

• Each Positive Trait costs 1 BP, each Negative Trait subtracts 1 BP.

Weapons.  Each weapon takes up slots based on the chart below:

Pistol 1

Rifle 2

Shotgun  2

Bow 1

Throwing axe/knife  1

TRAITS

Traits can be either Positive or Negative. Positive traits cost 1 Build Point. Conversely, if you take a Negative Trait, it subtracts 1 BP.   No Gang Member can ever have more than 2 Positive or 2 Negative Traits.

When Gangs are first created, no more than two members can have Traits of any kind. Traits are drawn randomly 

Positive Traits:

2: Stone Killer, 3: Nerves of Steel-  4: Stealthy-  5: Quick-  6: Deft-Reloading 7: Lucky-7: 8: Clever  9: Tough as Nails 10: Coolheaded,  Jack: Deadeye- 

Queen: Medic- King: Gunslinge  Ace: Choose one of the above except Gunslinger.

Negative Traits:

2: Sickly 3: Coward  4: Lousy shot 5: Slow  6: Buckets of Bullets  7: Unlucky  8: Gun shy  9: Weakling  10: Lilly livered  Jack: Sissy  Queen : Drunk  King : Greenhorn  Ace : Draw two more cards and apply the results unless this takes over 2 Traits.

Campaign Scenarios

Dice for the number of gunfights in this movie.  

2d6 for location of the fight.

Dice for Active Bounty Hunter

5  means two Bounty Hunter;'s Working together

6 means three Bounty Hunters working together.

Dice for second Faction involved randomly

Draw a playing card:

 

Diamonds: Loot-These scenarios allow your gang to accumulate wealth and Renown through robbing and stealing or the prevention thereof.

Hearts: Rescue-Sometimes your gang ends up in a tight spot. Be it saving one of your 

own, or stealing information, you have to have heart to succeed.

Spades: Fight-Be it for revenge, or just the thrill of the fight, these scenarios pit you head to head with other gangs.

Clubs: Survival-These scenarios earn no Renown. They are only about surviving. If this is the first scenario of the campaign re-draw. 

Diamonds

2-3 of Diamonds: Holding up the Stage coach

4-6 of Diamonds: There’s gold in them thar hills

10-King of Diamonds: Stampede!

Ace Scenario 2: Ye Olde Bank Job

Hearts

2-3 of Hearts: The Bar Room Brawl

4-6 of Hearts: Snitches get stitches

7-9 of Hearts: The 4:10 to Yucca

10-King of Hearts: Where’s the map?

Ace Scenario 1: Gunfight at the Just All-Right Corral

Spades:

2-3 of Spades: Run the gauntlet

4-6 of Spades: Bad time in the Badlands 

7-9 of Spades: Caught in a tight spot

10-King of Spades: Head Hunting 

Ace Scenario 4: Holdout at Hangman’s Holler

Clubs:

2-4 of Clubs: Circle the Wagons

9-Queen of Clubs: Ambush!

King of Clubs: Hang ‘Em High!

Ace Scenario 3: The Spectacular 6 

Joker Scenario 5: All Hell’s Breakin’ Loose!  Always ends a movie, even if its first card drawn (Was that it?)

"Wanted" figures that escape a scenario have $100 added to their bounty.  Figures that escape having killed or wounded someone have their bounty doubled.

Find Fix and Strike: The Denmark Strait

On 24 May 1941 the British battleship HMS Prince of Wales and the Battlecruiser HMS Hood fought the German Battleship Bismarck and the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen, which were attempting to break out into the North Atlantic to attack Allied merchant shipping in Operation Rheinübung.

Vice Admiral Lancelot Holland
1 Battleship
1 Battlecruiser 
2 heavy cruisers

Admiral Günther Lütjens

1 battleship
1 Heavy Cruiser

History gives us some options here.  The British ships could have been reinforced by their covering destroyers and cruisers.  Indeed Admiral Holland wanted to use HMS Norfolk and HMS Suffolk to engage Prinz Eugen whilst Hood and Prince of Wales tackled Bismarck.  Alas it was not to be, but I will make a scenario roll to see what my version of the Denmark Strait looks like.

Given the rough seas during this encounter battle I discount the availability of the destroyer screen but Holland was unlucky in that Suffolk did not maintain an accurate contact and by the time Hood and Prince of Wales were drawing into range of the German ships both Norfolk and Suffolk were too far back to intervene.  

Scenario 2 Hunt the Bismarck

Home Fleet

Battleships Rodney, King George V
Heavy Cruisers Edinburgh, Dorsetshire
8 destroyers

Force H

Aircraft carrier Ark Royal, 
Battlecruiser Renown 
Light cruiser Sheffield.

8 destroyers

Game 1

Contact.  I use blinds to give me some fog of war.  I needed to stretch the folds out of my sea cloth!

The Prince of Wales and the Mighty Hood

Bismarck and Prinz Eugen

As historically the Royal navy initially mistakes the cruiser for the battleship.  Prinz Eugen is straddled.

The Kriegsmarine warm their guns but its a poor effort all round.

Prince of Wales scores on the cruiser just as the targets are identified.  Prinz Eugen loses its rear turret.

But Bismarck is starting to find the range.

Hood hits the Bismarck with heavy damage to her engine room.  Could history be about to be overturned?

Bismarck finds the range and Hood is hit amidships.  The Admiral is killed along with the bridge staff.  

But Hood hits Bismarck again.  A rear turret is destroyed. 

And the roll I somehow knew was coming.  A critical hit on the thinly armoured Battlecruiser.  Hood takes severe damage, she is hulled and sinking.

The Royal Navy cruisers reach the battle.  Not sure that's going to help.

Hood will not stay afloat long.

Prince of Wales moves past Hood to continue the battle.

But its the Germans who start making smoke.  Prinz Eugen covers the wounded Bismarck's retreat

Prince of Wales shooting the last salvo.

Cornwall comes in to take survivors off the Hood.

Too late as I roll another 4 and she goes down.  Cornwall takes survivors from the water, but it's a day of tragedy for the Royal Navy.

Game 2 Force H vs Bismarck

Force H

A Swordfish finds Bismarck

And Ark Royal launches her strike force, six flights

Bismarck catapults one of her Arado float planes to deal with the Swordfish marking her position.

For the first time in the history of the Fairey range of aircraft one of them out-performs a German.

Ark Royal's strike force lines up the attack.

The first flight goes in and I lose six planes.  Bismarck is unscratched.

Second flight goes in.  Bismarck is damaged, again in the engine room.  Speed is down to a crawl.

She limps off followed by the Arado.

Game 3: The Home Fleet and the final fight

The Home Fleet, King George V,Rodney and four Cruisers.

Rodney gets the range with a straddle.

King George V hits.

Bismarck loses her bridge.

Rodney hits.

And Bismarck is on fire.  The British cruisers creep in, readying torpedoes.

Kent fires her full spread.

The two British battleships turn around the bow.  They cease fire.

London and then Norfolk fire into the Bismarck, which rolls over and goes down.  Job done.  

Find Fix and Strike dealt with these games really well, and even the air strikes worked out.  I would have thought that 18 Swordfish carrying 18 torpedoes would have been enough but no, as historically Bismarck survived them.  She could not survive the battering of two Home Fleet Battleships and four heavy cruisers but the Royal Navy needed overkill to put her down.

Three really enjoyable games.