WOTR Sharp Practice 1456

"A histore of divers warrs and right owlde bovver in Ye  County of Midshire."

I'm restarting my 28mm WOTR painting after a two year pause.  For these skirmish games I'll be starting with small forces and building up to larger games.  Groups will be typically 6 figures.  On my narrow table that will look slightly better, although for a standard group two of the figures will be double pointed to keep the game the same.

Hope that makes sense.

On with my first practice game. The second skirmish at the Tickle Cock Bridge.

It is June 1456 and once again Defrocked former Bishop Phallus Lord Farthingdale has refused to pay his taxes to the Earl of Midshire.  Fearing that the Earl is supporting the Duke of York, his former Excellency declared for the Lancastrian King and gathered his retinue and tenants at Potter's Knob.  

The Earl has sent his henchman, FitzQuilp, the Sheriff of Much Rutting, a twisted hunchback peasant of a fellow, a vile strutting hairy imp.  A man who smelled of turnips.  A man so nasty that even his dog bit his ... Well you get the idea.

The Earl's lackey Sheriff FitzQuilp has gathered his forces and advanced to the River Tickle, determined to cross no matter the cost, and put an end to the Lancastrians.

Dramatis Persona

Avery Oddman, Earl of Midshire

Squire FitzQuilp - the twisted crookback, Sheriff Of Much Rutting, obsessive tile collector

(Former Bishop) Lord Phallus de Farthingdale, an Obese individual Without Honour! 

Sir Quincy de Whitemoore an insane aristocrat, and his poltroon brother Sir Oliver.

Midshire.  Avalon Hill's Robin Hood is the basis of the map.

The scene of the fighting.

The lines close, with very small archery damage to either side.  It's all down to the billmen!

Mid battle as Lord F rolls mighty dice.  The Sheriff's reply is feeble.

A win for Lord Farthingdale.

The bridge over the Tickle is saved.

MGB 123 in action

1941.  Lt. James Proudpole RN, scion of that great naval family, has taken command of an MGB at an undisclosed station on the North Sea coast.

Innuendo and scandal have followed this Officer's family for generations, but it is well earned.  Proudpole is a difficult individual who has an imperious manner.  He uses the humour of the "bottom drawer," and has a weird nasal sneering laugh.  He is heartily disliked by Lt. Commander Johnny Stiff-Rodde, the Flotilla Co.

The Broad Fourteens

MISSION CARD FOUR

Good Morning Lieutenant

The mission is a patrol out to the swept channel to the south of Smith's Knoll, skirting the Brown Ridge out to the Broad Fourteens, a hunting ground for E-boats.  If any enemy are encountered follow your standing orders.

1.  No encounter

2.  Downed pilot drifting

3.  Weather change

4.  Single S-Boat

5.  German Submarine with rudder damage, and 

6.  German aircraft. D6

A simple scenario linker for grouping coastal forces games.  A chart of Patrol areas linked to Six mission briefing cards.  Keeping it simple seems like a good idea. 

My back of a postcard rules, so far... Work in Progress.
1 inch = 5 knots Weapons roll multiple d6 spotting within 12".  Vessels moving half speed heard, and bearing detected at 36" Vessels firing or planing at full speed with a plume are visible.	Two sixes are a critical hit, roll 2d6 2.  Life belts,  3.  Raft 3.  Command,  4.  Waterline hull,  5.   A weapons point 6.   Rudder,  7.   Props,  8.   Engines 9.   Wireless Transmitter 10. Aldis lamp 11. Command 12. Fuel fire
To Hit dice      5 or 6. Machine gun  1d6 HMG              2d6 20mm             3d6 4cm/2pdr        4d6 Over 12"        6 needed for hit. Within 3"       4,5,6 hits
Damage dice 1  Through the woodwork 2  Into the upper hull 3  Sheer off 4  Sheer off 5. Hit 6. Hit	Captain`s Character 6  Inspirational Hero 6 Crew points 5  Bold Brass Balls 5 Crew points 4  Solid and Dependable 3  Sound Chap. 3 Crew Points 2  Wobbly and Losing it 2 crew points. 1  Pretty Piss Poor.  1 Crew Point.

MGB 123 Lt James Proudpole, a sound chap.  As crew he has a skilled Coxswain, P/O William Allcock (+1) and an exceptional Gunner (+1) Leading Seaman Wankum.

The Patrol

MTG 123 is conducting a patrol out to the Broad Fourteens.  Primarily an anti E-boat mission the boat is also under orders to look out for downed aircrew.

1.  The Swept Channel

The vessel enters the swept channel and rolls 1.  No encounter.

2.  The Ridge Light

An S-boat has been using the lighthouse as cover.  MGB123 runs down on them and Proudpole sounds the action stations alarm.

S-12 against the lighthouse jetty

MGB123 runs in and puts up a starshell.  Proudpole engages.

Some hits at long distance.

MGB123 runs past the jetty.  The fire is now being returned, but the RN shooting is effective.

Because the S-Boat is moving slowly Proudpole lobs a depth charge onto it's deck.  It's a Peter Scott move and I limit its success, but the dice comes up hit!

And that S-boat is done, with some damage to the MTB

The after game shot.

3.  The Broad Fourteens

A U-boat is on the surface recharging its batteries.  MGB123 pssdes a spotting test.  They put up a starshell and max the engines to pursue.  Lt. Proudpole sounds the action stations alarm, and dons his tin hat

Sub on the surface.  It's a U-boat.

The German runs and blows his tanks

Alcock spins the wheel as MGB123 runs after them.
Wankum hits them with his .303 quad.

Leutnant Braunehosen, the cowardly Hun risks a crash dive.  He is lucky and the dice don't give him a disaster. 

Another hit but its to the rudder.  He is diving.

The gunboatvruns past and lobs a depth charge.  Maybe?  I draw "oil on the surface"  I'll claim it!

Game 3, the Outer Gabbard

Beware the Hun in the sun, a pair of stukas, inexplicably in desert colours.

Seaman Wankum hits with the.303s.  The Stukas wobble and veer off

They circle back

They circle back and make the run.  A near miss!  One of them is clipped and drops into the sea.  Poor Seaman Wisdom falls into the sea, hit by a bomb fragment.  He is pulled aboard but will never be the same.

Proudpole picks up the surviving German crew as proof he downed the stuka.  Commander Stiff-Rodde will have apoplexy when he learns that the "idiot" sank an Eboat, Submarine and downed a stuka all on the same patrol. (Its a +3 result)

A roll indicates that after the papers report his heroism Proudpole is promoted to Lt. Cdr and given a Flotilla to command.

Proudpole's Dogger action

Captain Sir James Proudpole, hero of the Royal Navy yet source of scurrilous rumour and innuendo, has been sent to guard the fishing fleet off the Dogger as a punishment for surviving the last disaster of a fleet engagement.  Fortunately however he has at his disposal a squadron of lighter vessels to assist.  He'll need them.  The French are out, and they slippery fellows.

Yet our hero intends to stand firm.  He isn't keen on trawling and wants some firm Dogger action.  Who knows, if he can pull it off the French shall be the ones to suffer a damned pounding.

HMS Basically 38, meets with its partner on station, the topsail cutter Sinker 12.

A French brig, Nutella, 18 creeps around the shoals and runs out.

And the guns open fire.  Basically hits hard.

Proudpole nips around the stern of Nutella and delivers a powerful pounding rake.  A schooner, Baguette 14, runs in behind the brig.

The schooner has a cheeky fire into Basically.  The Royal Navy can't reply because I'm crewing the guns on the wrong side.

Meanwhile Baguette gets a cheeky bow rake from Sinker.

The Baguette has another pounding broadside from Basically.

A critical hit, fire aboard.

That annoying schooner tries to rake Basically, but the dice are shocking.

Sinker slips between and uses its mighty 4 pounders.

Basically hits at the brig again.  Strike test on the way.

Sinker duels with the Schooner

Baguette strikes.

Basically pursues the schooner 

Another strike.  Proudpole has had a successful Dogger action.

Proudpole takes a pounding at the rear

 Or "Admiral Plumpton loses a fleet"

The Napoleonic era British Navy.  The date is uncertain, but we are at war with the French, Spanish and Dutch.  

Sir James Proudpole, Captain of the 38 gun Frigate HMS Basically has been assigned to the fleet of Admiral of the Blue, the Earl of Pumpton.  The flagship, HMS Dreadfull a floating monster of 100 guns heads the line.  Sir James is assigned the end of the line.

The British fleet has the weather gauge. 

I'm naively confident that the Earl can win this.

The French turn away, but it does allow them to align the guns and fire.

It's not crossing the T but the French move has set up an effective kill zone.

Proudpole and HMS Basically leaves the line and engages a French frigate.  

But the French gunners are really effective.  And disaster occurs.  The Earl has signalled Proudpole to get back in line, but a critical hit explodes Dreadfull's magazine

Proudpole does get back in line, but the fleet has been mangled.

The British 74 now leading is sinking.

And Basically takes a pounding at the end ofvthe line, now the focus for the French gunnery.  🔥 

The Royal Navy turn away, as close to the wind as possible.  We lose another 74.

Proudpole has escaped and will return in ...

"Proudpole's Fleet Action" or "What the Coxswain  saw."

God Save King George!