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Sergeant Montage shifted his musket slightly, seating it more comfortably in the crook of his right arm as he trudged along beside the supply wagon. It was a pleasantly cool day, excellent marching weather, and Montage was a seasoned enough campaigner to appreciate the fact. He just wished he was somewhere else. He was a Voltigeur, an elite light infantry Elf, not a baggage guard, and it rankled that he and his section had been reduced to nursemaiding supplies way behind the front lines. Sure, it had to be done, but why couldn't it be done by some other bugger? He looked around him at the rest of the section, strung out in two files; either side of the wagon. Without being aware he was doing it, he checked their tactical spacing, their alertness, the way they were carrying their muskets. He noticed one of the recent replacements, Escargot, had slung his musket over his shoulder. Montage called over to him, "Oi, Escargot, get that weapon in your hands you waster. If the sling was meant to be used you'd get an instruction book for it". Several of the older members of the section grinned, and Escargot unslung his musket, muttering an apology. "Don't apologise lad, just don't make the mistake again" his Sergeant replied. Nothing like a spell behind the lines to make you drop your guard mused Montage, spitting into the verge. Still, the youngster was shaping up well. If he survived the next few battles he'd the makings of a good soldier. "'Ere Sarge". A voice interrupted his reverie, brought him back to the task in hand. It was Fusilier Eclair, ex-poacher and the section's champion forager. He had stopped and was crouched by the side of the road, looking at something, Montage strode over. "What have you got?" Eclair picked the screw of paper up and passed it to him. "It's a cartridge, but look at it. If that's not Orc issue you can cut my legs off and call me stunty". Montage examined the cartridge, then tore it and tipped the powder and bullet into his calloused palm, "I think you're right Eclair, this powder's very fine, like a ryfle cartridge". They looked at each other. Montage raised his voice to the rest of the Elves. "Listen up. There could be an Orc raiding party nearby, so wake up and keep your eyes and ears peeled, because if you don't some big ugly greenjacket'll do it for you". He returned to his place, easing the lock of his musket back to half-cock and scanning the woods to his front as he did so. Not like the uglies to be that careless he thought; overconfidence can be a killer. Not a hundred yards up the road Lieutenant Sharke had watched and listened thinking the same thing. Instead of ten slightly drowsy and less than fully alert Elves he and his Orcs were now faced with ten wary and prepared Elves. He turned to Sergeant Harpy. "We'll pull back and set a new ambush a few miles ahead. Give 'em time to relax again". Harpy nodded and turned to pull the section out of their positions. "And Harpy", Sharke said quietly. "Soir?" replied the big Bog Orc. "I want an ammunition count when we stop. Find out who's lost a cartridge, because I want to have a little chat to him about fieldcraft." Harpy nodded grimly - Sharke's 'little chats' usually made their point in a painfully physical manner. The section melted back into the trees. The dying time was postponed. For the time being... Map and Setup 
The board should be set up in a similar fashion to the sketch map - a gently winding road with plenty of low hillocks, hedges, walls and patches of woodland. Typical mixed farmland in fact, and good ambush country. There should be clear verges approximately 10-15cm wide at the side of the road for about half its length, and the road itself should be wide enough for the wagon and a file of Elves on each side. It is a fine day with good visibility, so no weather modifiers apply. The wagon should start at one end of the board and simply proceed up the road and at some point, chosen by the player representing Lieutenant Sharke, it will be ambushed. It is up to the Elf player how he deploys his section, but none of them should be further than 30cm from the wagon and any detached figures must be at least in pairs. Scenario Objectives Here are the objectives for each force in the Scenario: 'Le Terrible' Voligeurs Your forces are a section of Voltigeurs from the 57e Regiment de Ligne whose nickname is 'Le Terrible', thanks to some particularly inspiring and heroic actions on the battlefield. Sadly, the 2e battalion is currently not very terrible at all; it's at well under half strength and suffering badly from an outbreak of dysentery. As a result it has been pulled out of the line and sent to the rear areas to recover, acting as security detatchments and baggage guards while it is away from the parent regiment. lst Section, Voltigeur Company is commanded by Sergeant Montage, a professional soldier who is not happy at being relegated to what he considers non-combatant status. However, with recent warnings of Orc Ryfle squads operating behind the lines he accepts the work may be necessary. He just doesn't have to like it. Montage is armed with a musket and bayonet and a very bad temper. His second in command is the dependable (if accident-prone) Corporal Detente who is considered to be lucky by the rest of the section because he's been wounded so often. When asked why this is lucky, they will point out that he may have been wounded a lot, but he's never been dead. Orders for Montage and his Elves are to escort a supply wagon from their camp out to a guard post on an important crossroads a days walk away. The wagon is carrying food, ammunition and wine - officially. Unofficially it is also carrying some valuable stolen jewellery which the wagoner is going to fence to one of the outpost NCOs. The Ryfles They're doing what they do best - Lieutenant Sharke and his 'Boyz' are back, operating as a detatched section behind enemy lines. Sharke is enjoying himself; for once he's been given free rein to do what he likes, just as long as it involves, in the words of Major Wogan: "slitting up as many of those pointy-eared nancies as you can lay your claws on". Orders to be inspired by indeed, and so far Sharke and his section have fulfilled them to the letter. The section is part of a much larger plan involving almost all the Ryfle troops the Orcs possess, operating in a harassing and commerce-raiding role deep behind Elf lines. Teams range from full reinforced companies right down to individual sections like Sharke's. Their orders are simple; cause trouble and spread unease, much as Wogan's colourful instructions to Sharke. For this scenario, Private Hagsmun has spotted a lone supply wagon escorted by a section of Elves while he is out foraging. On hearing the news Sharke decides that an ambush is in order. Not only is it a further chance to inflict damage on the Elves, but the wagon is most likely carrying proper food which will be a welcome food from living off the land. Sharke moves his Orcs out to get ahead of the wagon and set up a reception for it a couple of miles down the road. With luck they will be eating Elven rations in a few hours, not to mention Elves. Game Length This game scenario ends automatically upon the completion of either sides objectives. Victory Conditions The Elves need to get the wagon off the opposite edge of the map to the one they start from. The Orcs have to take possession of the wagon and kill/route all of the Elven forces. Scenario Forces The Ferach Elves Sergeant Montage [Experienced Ferach Elf] 27 Points
Elf (Ferach) Musket, Bayonet (0) Corporal Detente [Average Ferach Elf] 23 Points
Elf (Ferach) Musket, Bayonet (0)
Magical Ability: Knock
Magical Ability: Unjam Fusilier Escargot [Average Ferach Elf] 23 Points
Elf (Ferach) Musket, Bayonet (0)
Magical Ability: Knock Fusilier Papillion [Average Ferach Elf] 23 Points
Elf (Ferach) Musket, Bayonet (0) Fusilier Fourmi [Average Ferach Elf] 23 Points
Elf (Ferach) Musket, Bayonet (0) Fusilier Mouche [Raw Ferach Elf] 19 Points
Elf (Ferach) Musket, Bayonet (0) Fusilier Chenille [Raw Ferach Elf] 19 Points
Elf (Ferach) Musket, Bayonet (0) Fusilier Coccinelle [Raw Ferach Elf] 19 Points
Elf (Ferach) Musket, Bayonet (0) Fusilier Moustique [Raw Ferach Elf] 19 Points
Elf (Ferach) Musket, Bayonet (0) Fusilier Sauterelle [Raw Ferach Elf] 19 Points
Elf (Ferach) Musket, Bayonet (0) Le Magpie [Raw Ferach Elf Militia] 13 Points
Knife (0)
The Wagoner and Fence
Total Force: 11 Ferach Elves and 227 Points
Sharke's Ryfles Full rules for Lieutenant Sharke, Sergeant Harpy, Ryfleorc Hagsmun, Ryfleorc Arris and Ryfleorc Purrkinz Full can be found in the Alternative Armies supplement “JOV#09 - Sharke's Ryfles” which can be found in the files section of Alternative Armies Notables Yahoo group. Scenario Special Rules Adding more variety to a standard battle this scenario uses the follow quirky and unique special rules. Ambushes: Ambushes must be executed at a range of 20cm or less for the ambusher to gain the benefits of surprise. The player setting the ambush must choose his site, decide how he will deploy his troops and inform the GM (or write down on a piece of paper) of this before the enemy player sees the board. The figures representing the ambush party are not placed on the board until the ambush is sprung. When an ambush occurs the ambush party are all permitted to fire their opening shot as aimed fire to simulate the effect of being prepared and having the advantage of surprise. When fire is opened, all the members of the section under attack, regardless of whether or not they were fired at as individuals, must take a morale check. In addition, for the move subsequent to the ambush the victims conduct hand to hand combat at -1 and a 1 negative shift for firing in addition to any other relevant modifiers. The Demon Drinke: The Orcs in this scenario are subject to the additional rules for temptation found in Alternative Armies supplement “Distractions & Asides 1. The Demon Drinke” which can be found in the files section of Alternative Armies Notables Yahoo group. Magical Ability: Knock: This character has a spell ability, the 'Knock' spell allows the user to open any door immediately. Magical Ability: Unjam: This character has a spell ability, the 'Unjam' spell allows the user to unjam any jammed weapon immediately. Magical Ability (Spot Hidden): Characters with magical talents may not also have a fieldcraft skill. Average or Experienced characters with a magic ability may exchange one of their spells for the 'Spot Hidden' spell by rolling a D10 and scoring 8 or above. This spell allows the character to add +2 to any attempt to spot an ambush. However, the character must elect to use the spell and not cast it when an ambush is declared. When cast, the spell will provide warning of hidden groups of five or more armed troops within 35cm of the soldier using it. This spell will not provide detailed information such as how the ambushers are armed, their exact numbers, precise location and so on. What it is intended to do is act as a warning to parties operating in particularly perilous country and under a definite threat from ambush. Because it is a variant on a search spell and therefore rather complicated to cast, it can only be used twice in any one game and no other spells may be used by the caster for D6 moves after it is cast. The spell travels outwards from the caster at the walking speed of the race of the character casting them and have a duration of five turns. Magical Ability (True Search): As a development of the 'Spot Hidden' spell, Experienced characters with the spell may try and add a true Search spell to their talents by rolling 18 or over on a D20. True Search is a very useful spell which can pinpoint an object, person or group and provide a visible marker to its location. The character casting the spell visualises his chosen target and creates a self-sustaining bubble or sphere with the image of the target inside it. The sphere is then released to seek out a match for the image it holds. When it finds one it hovers above the target and releases a brilliant white light to guide the spells caster to its location. This is a difficult and complex spell, and while it is in use the caster can do nothing except move at walking speed. In addition they will not be able to cast any other spells for D8 moves after the Search spell has finished, and will not be able to move faster than a walk for three moves. The spell travels at the walking speed of the race of the character casting them and have a duration of five turns. If they haven't found a match for their image by that time the spell fades naturally. Because the success of the spell depends to a great extent on the quality of the image it holds, there is a chance that it will latch on to the wrong thing, so roll a D10 and on a score of 8 or over it fails to find the right target. This rule can be altered at the GM's discretion; for instance if they feel the image given wasn't sufficiently detailed the chance of failure can be increased. Where the spell is cast can also affect its chance of success: a Search spell given the image of "a blonde-bearded Dwarf" stands a good chance of success in the wilds of Catalucia, but is almost guaranteed to fail in a Krautian mining town. Skill: Fieldcraft: Some members of your section may be talented individuals who know how to read the ground and spot things which normal troops cannot. Before the game roll a D6, the score is how many of your characters have the useful skill fieldcraft. Spotting an Ambush: There is a chance that a soldier with the fieldcraft skill may spot something out of the ordinary before the ambush is sprung, thus reducing or eliminating its effectiveness. Different troop types and races will have different abilities in this respect. To detect an ambush using the fieldcraft skill, the character must be issued a 'Use Skill' action (this action takes the complete turn to complete so no movement or firing can be declared), it represents the character searching around the immediate area and returning to the point where they started. Roll a D10 and modify as follows: Race / Modifier to Spot Ambush Roll
Orc +1
Bog Orc +2
Ogre -1
High Elf +1
Dark Elf +2
Dwarf 0
Goblin 0
Rat +1 Status / Modifier to Spot Ambush Roll
Elite +1
Regular +1
Guerrilla +2
Militia +1 Experience / Modifier to Spot Ambush Roll
Experienced +1
Average 0
Raw -1 Other Modifiers / Modifier to Spot Ambush Roll
Dwarf in built-up area +2
Dwarf in woodland -2
Dark Elf in built-up area -2
Dark Elf in woodland +2
Rain, Snow or Fog -2
Night -3
Cavalry -1
Using Spot Hidden Spell +2 All modifiers are cumulative.
To successfully spot the ambush your modified score must be 8 or over. If the spotting attempt is successful the ambusher loses all the benefits he would have gained from a surprise attack. Additionally, the target characters are not affected by the special minus modifiers and morale rules for ambushes as detailed above. Scenario Notes This scenario was originally published in Ragnarok 24. In a GM run game, a third player option can be added by giving control of the Wagoner and giving him his own agenda of escaping with the hidden treasure. Perhaps even allowing him to bribe a few of the Ferach along the way. I have added to the original text and also have made changes to the scenario in order to match Alternative Armies new scenario format and make the scenario more accessible to players of Flintloque Reloaded. The original unmodified version of this scenario can be found here. |
