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Captain Leery peered through the drizzle at the smashed mess of stone and earth. The Orc siege artillery had at last blasted a breach in the curtain wall of the Elf fortress of Badajobz, apparently sufficient for the Orc infantry to storm. Leery was not so convinced. "Still looks like a sod to me Sharke", the Orc Captain stated to his companion, as he tossed his cigar butt over his shoulder. "No doubt sir" the Rifle Lieutenant replied, folding away Leery's spy glass through which he had been studying the breach "Still it won't stop old Snouty sending us into the bleedin' meat grinder to get this bloody siege over with". The fighting in any breach is violent, bloody and very often fatal. The breach at Badajobz is going to be no different... The attack seemed initially to go quite well for the Hope, until the Elves detonated a hidden mine underneath them, killing their commander and a score of his troops. Leaderless and stunned by the mine, the survivors of the Hope start to edge backwards towards the main army. The whole assault is on the brink of failure - it is time for Sharke... 
Orc Player You are Lieutenant Sharke of the 105th Orc Rifles, currently attached to the 67th Orc Line. Your orders are to escort troops up to the breach in the curtain wall so they can launch their attack through it once the Forlorn Hope has taken it. At first, everything was going fine, until a hidden Elf mine tore the guts out of the Hope. The whole attack now seems doomed to failure unless you act quickly. You and your men must gather up the survivors of the Hope and take the breach before the Elves realise that they have not finished the attack before it has started. Time is of the essence and you will only have one chance... Lieutenant Sharke: A bastard Half-Orc with Elven mother, Sharke is a hero of the Orc army having captured an Elven Eagle at the Battle of Tel'n'Vera. Unfortunately, those quill pushers in Londinium refused to acknowledge your gazette to Captain granted him by the Iron Duke and he remains a Lieutenant. Success in the breach at Badajobz however, will guarantee his promotion - failure is not an option. He is a Veteran Character, armed with his trusty Bakur Rifle (fitted with saw edged sword baynet) and carries a sword. Given his overwhelming desire to win, he gains an extra +1 on any morale check for this scenario only. Sergeant Harpy: A huge Experienced Bog Orc from the oppressed lands of Guinelia, Sharke may be an Albion Orc, but he is your friend and he'd follow him to the gates of Mordred's Crystal Palace if asked. Unlike the other Orc Rifles who carry Bakur Rifles with Sword Bayonets, he carries a Seven Barrelled Volley Gun - perfect for fighting in close quarters and an engineers axe. Rifleorc Hagsmun: To escape the noose, 0l' Hagsmun joined the army and, as a crackshot, soon found favour in the Rifles. A virtuoso with his rifle, he receives the Aimed Fire bonus for every shot, regardless of whether he actually aimed. Hagsmun is an Average character. Rifleorc 'Arris: An Orc with strange ideas, Arris has read some Elven scripts and is a great fan of the noted Elven philosopher Volatile. His ideas however effect his motivation and so Arris always reduces his morale check rolls by one. He is now an Average character. Rifleorc Purrkinz: The smallest of the group, Purrkinz is highly impressionable and dreams of fortune and glory on the battlefields of Southern Catalucia. Despite having fought in three battles now, the section still call him Fung, even though he is now an Average character (gits!). Rifleorc Muir: One of two recent additions to the section, Muir tries to impress all and sundry (especially the Dark Elf prostitutes) with his heroic posturing. However although he claims to know almost everything (though "nowt a lot" worth knowing according the Hagsmun), he is only a Raw character. Rifleorc Dorness: A quiet individual, rarely heard, Dorness just wants an easy life and to fade into the background - just leave all that heroic stuff to Sharke and Harpy. Dorness is also a Raw character with magical ability (roll before starting). Sergeant Mazniak: A Veteran regular from the 67th Foot Light Company, Mazniak carries just a Line Sergeant's Halberd. A veteran of many a desperate action, Mazniak will do his duty, but feels that leading Forlorn Hopes should be the task of younger Orcs... Corporal Fugazi: An Average regular of the 29th Foot Regiment, he's fought his way up to Corporal through a series of hard fought battles, notably Death Knoll where he almost copped it. This is his chance to make Sergeant. Armed with a Bessie and baynet, Fugazi has magical abilities (roll before starting). Private Gitaka: A Raw regular of the 67th Foot Light Company armed with a Bessie and bayonet. Private Ibbutsun: A Raw regular of the 67th Foot Light Company armed with a Bessie and baynet. Ibbutsun has magical abilities (roll before starting). Ensign Dimbellz: Only two weeks in the army and here's the chance of glory - the Forlorn Hope! (Wonder why they call it that?). Dimbellz is a regular Raw Orc officer with stars in his eyes. He is armed with just his sword. For morale purposes treat as Veteran, (he is so stupid that he doesn't really appreciate that the Elves might actually kill him!). Corporal Stroggz: An Average Ore regular from the 62nd Foot and is armed with a Bessie. Stroggz volunteered for the Hope in an effort to get away from his immediate superior Sergeant Graznak, a lazy good for nuthin' know it all who leads from the rear. Success means his sergeant's stripes and his own section. Failure? Well getting killed means that he won't have to put up with Graznak no more. Private Partz: Following a miraculous escape when some Elves left him for dead during a failed attack on the Duke of Wheeling-Turn's Headquarters, Partz believes he is immortal and cannot be killed by the Elves (he is of course totally wrong!). A Raw regular from the 52nd (Orcksfudshire) Regiment he is armed with a Bessie. In view of his "immortality" he should be treated as a Veteran for morale purposes and each wound results in a + 1 Morale modifier not a negative one, as this proves he cannot be killed (until of course it does). Private Morriz: A Raw regular Bog-Orc of the 27th (lIIskinning) Foot he is armed with an Ogre Bessie, Morriz volunteered for the Hope rather than face the possibility of garrison duty in Joccia. High Elf Player You are Major Lathron Callious of the 4eme Colonial Garde" part of the garrison at the Dark Elf Fortress of Badalobz, Low on provisions and ammunition you almost welcomed the Orc attack on the breach they smashed in the curtain wall yesterday. Overnight your troops laid a mine to surprise the enemy and hopefully stop their attack dead. This it appears to have done; though, at what cost we must ask? A weakened section of the fortifications has also come down following the explosion of the mine taking most of your makeshift defence platoon with it. With only five infantrymen and one cannon under your command, you can only hope that the Orcs are in no fit state to storm the breach - otherwise Badajobz is lost. Major Callious: An Experienced Regular officer armed with sword and High Elf duelling pistol. Sergeant Montage: An Average character armed with a High Elf musket and bayonet Montage has magical attributes (roll before playing). Corporal Detente: An Average character armed with a blunderbuss and sword. Fusilier Andred: An Average character armed with High Elf musket, bayonet and two standard grenades. Fusilier Leoesirious: A Raw character armed with High Elf musket and bayonet. Fusilier Vadalon: A Raw character armed with a High Elf Musket and bayonet and has magical attributes. Sergeant Elianoe: An Experienced Artillerier and commander of an a-pounder cannon of his beloved Emperor's Artillerie de Garde. You are armed .with a sword and have unlimited supplies of Caseshotte ammunition. Cannonier Xeniav: An Average Artillerier armed with a knife and carrying the rammer which should be' treated as a Large Improvised Weapon in hand to hand combat. Cannonier Thalieon: An Average Artillerier armed with a pistol. Cannonier Elronaris: An Average Artillerier armed with a pistol and knife. Elronaris has magical attributes that should be rolled for before the game starts. Cannonier Aelondille: A Raw Artillerier armed with a pistol. Cannonier Betramhir: A Raw Artillerier armed with a knife. Terrain & Conditions The main part of the table should be covered by the breach. Once the Orcs have taken it, the Elves have lost, as they will be unable to hold the city as soon as the Orcs are within the walls. The rules for Breaches in this supplement should be applied. Whilst the scenario is set at night, visibility within 30cm of the breach is unrestricted due to the number of fires burning and outside this range only reduced by -25% There should be a number of abandoned black powder weapons in and around the breach from the victims of the mine blast. Characters can of course pick these up to replace or augment their own weapons, however when first fired the GM should roll a D100. On a base 50% chance (+ 10% Raw, -10% Experienced/Veteran) the weapon is jammed or broken in some way and the player must make an automatic misfire roll. There should also be a profusion of items that make good improvised weapons around the breach, especially on the Elven side of the wall. Webmaster's Notes This scenario was first published in the Flintloque supplement Grapeshotte in 1996. If you're looking for the Flintloque Reloaded version including points costs and set objectives then click here. |