Young Yorke's Flashing Steel experience

As an alternative to EnGarde! I thought I would give Flashing Steel a try.  It has the benefit of a Songs of Blades style activation mechanism, and I do think that En Garde is let down by the simple initiative followed by IGO UGO style.  

To pep up the close combat in the game I added on the Flashing Steel RPG mechanism that determines the swordplay from the dice.  This is a narrative device that is a simple and pretty effective add on.

1. Fumble
2. Parry
3. Lunge
4. Thrust
5. Slash
6. Double Strike

First the campaign setup for the game.  The dice rolls are for four key factors from lists of twelve possibilities.  My game was to be set in a courtyard, with a mission to kill, for money, some guardsmen.  A group of hired killers has intervened in an affair of honour between the Blues and Royals and the Red Guard.  

Since this is a "learning the game" situation for me I will probably get some of it wrong, but here goes.

Young Yorke has arrived in the capital and is attempting to fight his three duels in one day against three Officers of the Blues. (Reed, Finlay and Chamberlain)  Needless to say the Red Guard have intervened, lead by the Archbishop's Blade, the one eyed Count of Richmond, who has bribed the Guard to kill the Blues.  

Five vs four.

The Blues Quality is higher.  

My terrain board as a movie set.

The Arch-Bishop's blade leads the Red Guard to interrupt the three duels in one day.  Yorke joins forces with the Blues.

Yorke activates, with two passes, I soon got the hang of the activation system

But the Blues fail the second roll and the Reds take advantage

Two Red Guards jump Yorke.  Reed takes on the Count.

Chamberlain pushes his attacker back, but Finlay fails and retreats

Finlay cant seem to get a break.

Yorke kills one and skewers a second.

Finlay breaks off and is run through the buttocks

But Chamberlain pushes his man back again

Yorke activates with three passes to take on Findlay's tormentor

And he immediately wounds the Red Guard 

Yorke had the blur of steel trait. He took on two Reds killing both in short order.  Finlay was wounded but was rescued by Yorke, as Reed dispatched the Count. 

A very enjoyable game.  I intend to re run it with more traits, and maybe some shooting.

Finlay better buck up or I will replace him with Oliver Platt, a much more dangerous and effective Porthos I thought.