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Legends of the 105th Foote
When persons of any nation of Urop speak of the Army of Great Britorcn it does not take long for the conversation to turn to the ‘Rifles’. Among the most famous of regiments to be found anywhere the Rifles, as they are hailed, are some of the finest light infantry on all of Valon.
One of the oldest regiments in the Army of Albion, its formation being among the first before the great battle of Dresda and the Ferach Revolution. Along with the 1st Foote (the Joccian battalions known as ‘Pintus Pullius Bodyguards’) and the 3rd Foote (the ‘Boffs’), the 105th were first to get training in the use of muskets. It was quickly found that the Orcs of the 105th were so naturally proficient with their new weapons that the experimental rifled musket designed by Ezikial Bakur was given to them. Expensive, slow to load, but superbly accurate the Bakur Rifle is the symbol of the pride of the 105th Foote.
Originally called ‘The Loyal Sharpshooters’ the 105th got its nickname from the Duke of Wheeling-Turn, who with typical brevity refused to reel out the full name and used only the one word; Rifles. It stuck.
Its a tough life as a soldier but there is some glamour and notoriety to be had by gaining a commission in the 105th Rifles. With their strutting and reputation as ‘the best’, the Rifles get a lot of adventures than many line infantry just don’t have the chance to see.
This attracts officers of a certain mettle, you will not find many duffers and cretins in the mess of the Rifles.
As well as those aging but lethal Orcs like Colonel Oswold Pebblekettle, the Grand Duck, and Private Willharm Scumtees (noted diarist and member of the Notables Club in Londinium) there is one of special note.
Rekhardt Sharke, rogue, thief, lover and superb soldier known to one and all is an officer in the 105th Rifles. Along with his ‘Chosen Orcs’ like huge Sergeant Harpy, Private Hagsmun the crack shot, Arris the learned one, Tunge and young Purrkinz they get into all kinds of scrapes.
Many Elves flee simply when they hear the name Sharke, finding themselves fighting in skirmishes with this legendary soldier where they suffer continual, almost scripted, defeats. Currently in Catalucia engaged on secret missions for the Duke of Wheeling-Turn, Sharke is a half Orc of many talents.
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The ‘Chosen Orcs’
It is common knowledge that the ‘Chosen Orcs’ is the finest section of soldiers in the excellent 105th Rifles. While members come and go regularly (often with the aid of a well placed bullet to get in and another which takes them out) there are six Chosen Orcs who are a constant feature. These are Sharke’s Ryfles.
Here you can find their unique rules for use in Flintloque Reloaded (suggested notes for inclusion in Flintloque 3rd edition can be found in the Webmaster's notes section at the bottom of the page).
Captain Rekhardt Sharke
One of the most infamous and hardest soldiers in all of Valon, Sharke is the bastard son of an Elvish mother and Orcish father. A foundling with no family he grew up in the lethal rookeries and streets of Londinium before taking the Kyng’s shllin’ and joining the army. Rising to the rank of Sergeant he then saved the future Duke of Wheeling-Turn’s life from an Injian sword thrust... as a result he was made an officer!
Despite hatred and downright trickery from his more noble Orcish superiors Sharke is such a good soldier he has risen in the ranks and now gets all the jobs too arduous for others.
Sharke is a Half Orc (see special rules)
He is Veteran / Light Infantry / Elite status.
He is armed with a Bakur Rifle and a Sword of Exquisite Quality.
With all his special skills and equipment he costs 73 Points.
Special Rules: All Ferach Elves are scared of Sharke, all Elves (not allied to him) within 45cm suffer a -1 on all Morale Tests. Sharke is so dirty a fighter that he gains an additional +1 in Melee and all Orc’s within 15cm of him also gain a +1 to their melee rolls. His ability to survive mortal wounds is almost a fairytale in its own right if Sharke is ‘killed’ in play then roll 1D10 on a 5+ he comes back to life with one wound. This may be done any number of times in play.
Optional Special Rule: Of course Sharke can never really die, so if he really is killed in play he rejoins his section after the game with one wound; this is a permanent skill that needs paid for only once. This costs an extra 15 Points on top of the above.
Sergeant Padrag Harpy
Harpy is a huge Bog Orc who after a titanic fight with Sharke to establish just who was the ‘ardist’ of them now calls Sharke and only Sharke ‘soir’ off the parade ground. The two of them have been through many adventures together and both profit from their relationship. Harpy owns a rare 7 Barrel Nock gun which he uses instead of a Rifle.
Harpy is a Bog Orc
He is Experienced / Light Infantry / Elite
He is armed with a Seven Barrel Volley Gun and a knife.
With his Special Skills and equipment he costs 52 Points.
Special Rules: Harpy is a real killer and due to his size he gains an additional +2 in Melee. He is also a Sergeant to be feared, all allied troops (not officers) within 15cm of him automatically pass all required Morale Tests.
Private Dahn Hagsmun
An elderly Orc from the border hills that Albion shares with Joccia this old poacher is the finest shot in the whole army; or at least those speaking with Sharke do not argue the point.
Private Hagsmun is an Orc
He is Experienced / Light Infantry / Elite
He is armed with a Bakur Rifle and a Sword.
With his Special Skills and equipment he costs 46 Points.
Special Rules: A superb marksman Hagsmun rarely misses. He may apply a two column positive shift for all firing in addition to any other bonuses. However he is old and may never ‘Run’ as a movement option.
Private Bok Arris
Arris is of for an Orc, even more so for an Orc from the ranks; he can read and write. Not only that but he can even speak several languages including Elvish and Goblin as well. He is also a firm believer in the theory of ‘Demorcracy’ and this makes him troublesome to many officers.
Private Arris is an Orc
He is Average / Light Infantry / Elite
He is armed with a Bakur Rifle and a Bayonet.
With his Special Skills and equipment he costs 42 Points.
Special Rules: Literate and mannered Arris is not a natural fighter but he does well enough for the Rifles. He may read any text that comes up in a scenario with ease. Additionally he may call out to any enemy character within 25cm once per Turn to attempt to confuse them. Roll a D10 for Arris and one for the enemy, add +2 to the enemy if Experienced, +3 if Veteran, -2 if Raw. If Arris rolls a better or equal score then the enemy must remain motionless for one Turn in confusion.
Private Ichziah Tongue
Trouble from the word go, that is Private Tunge all over. A firm, if failing follower of Orcish deity Sentinal he always carries the book of ‘Sentie’s Words’ with him. He has a real problem with grog and lady juniper, he will get drunk if
the chance occurs to him.
Private Tunge is an Orc
He is Average / Light Infantry / Elite
He is armed with a Bakur Rifle and a Sword.
With his Special Skills and equipment he costs 41 Points.
Special Rules: Tongue has Magicke skills, he may roll twice on the Optional Magicke Table for Flintloque and take potent in both spells. Due to his bare feet he is a fine runner and may run for two Turns in a row. If the chance to get
drunk arises then Tunge will take it. Use D&A No 1 The Demon Drinke for rules.
Private 'Fung' Purrkinz
The young lad of the Chosen Orcs, the novice and the least offensive all around. He has only just recently joined the 105th and has been with Sharke for only a few missions. Sergeant Harpy has a soft spot for the young Orc, but he shows him no favouritism in front of the other Rifles.
Private Purrkinz is an Orc
He is Raw / Light Infantry / Elite
He is armed with a Bakur Rifle, Sword and a pole which counts as a Spontoon.
With his Special Skills and equipment he costs 34 Points.
Special Rules: None.
The 105th Rifles Uniform
The Rifle Regiment’s uniform consists of a dark green tunic, dark green breeches, a black shako with a green plume, and black shoes. Cuffs, collars, shoulder straps and Turnbacks are black, piped in white. Equipment and equipment straps are black leather.
Additions to the ‘Chosen Orcs’
If you wish to add more miniatures and more adventure to your Sharke’s Rifles set then here are some ideas for you. To expand your Chosen Orcs in terms of material and character miniatures;
5004 Sharke’s Victory - A4 Box Set.
This scenario pack contains a 32 page booklet of background and missions along with sixteen miniatures. These miniatures include Sharke in civilian clothing, Harpy in uniform, Daniel La Roo, Wheeling-Turn on foot, Colonel Augustus O’Toole and Major Michel D’Kless. A superb addition to your gaming collection.
LE004 Moor, Derness and ‘Im - SOLD OUT
If you are lucky enough to find this long sold out pack you can add three more Chosen Orcs to your section. See the LE files for more information.
LE033 Obidiah on Mule - Limited Edition pack
A mounted version of Sharke’s worst foe, the evil and quite mad Sergeant (now General) Obidiah Hogswill.
54001 105th Rifle Command - Miniatures Pack
This pack is for you to add a command element to your Chosen Orcs, containing three personalities. A Rifles Major, a Rifles Colonel and Fredorcson, ally of Sharke.
There are also many other miniature codes for the 105th Rifles including;
5104 105th Rifles - A4 Box Set.
This box set of miniatures contains eighteen more Orc Rifles including Colonel Oswold Pebblekettle ‘the Grand Duck’ a Bugler, Sergeant and several poses of Rifle Orc.
54009 Orc 105th Rifles - Miniatures Pack
This pack contains three poses of Rifle Orc in advancing and skirmishing poses.
54027 105th Rifles Skirmish - Miniatures Pack
This pack contains three dynamic rifle poses, kneeling and laying down firing.
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Rules for Half Orcs in Flintloque Reloaded
Status / Points Cost
Raw 15
Average 19
Experienced 23
Veteran 27
Militia -2
Elite +3
Light Infantry +4
Guerrilla +2
Marine +4
Irregular -
Movement In CM
Crawl 3 2 3
Prone 6 4 6
Stagger 12 8 12
Falter 18 12 18
Walk 24 16 24
Run 30 24 36
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Webmaster's Notes
The above was originally posted on Alternative Armies' Notables Yahoo group in March 2008 and is reproduced here with permission.
The original PDF of this article will soon be hosted here on Orcs in the Webbe with permission from Alternative Armies.
Using the Rifles in Flintloque 3rd Edition
The Rifles, along with all Flintloque Reloaded characters, can easily be used in Flintloque 3rd edition using the suggestions below:
Some things in Flintloque Reloaded are mirrored in Flintloque 3rd edition and can be used straight out of the book. They include Experience, Troop Type, Melee Modifier and Wounds.
Flintloque for me has always been about quirky characters and well written scenarios. With the creation of the many and varied Skills, Traits and Flaws in Flintloque 3rd edition the character side of things has really been embraced fully by Alternative Armies. It is possible to create most of the Rifles section using the normal section creation rules. Some of the skills and flaws aren't represented but most of them are. The ones that aren't covered by specific rules can usually be played as written in the specific Reloaded scenario.
The above will get you through converting most scenarios to 3rd edition, however some scenarios also include races not covered by the rulebooks or the Flintloque 3rd edition Master Racial Table (which can be found on the Notables Yahoo Group). For these I just use the Reloaded Defence Factor as the 3rd edition Steady value. Another thing you need if they're not covered is a base Discipline value for the race, I usually use a value of 0 or 1 depending on the 'history' of the race, if they are timid or militaristic.
For Sharke I gave him a base racial Discipline of +1, the same as an Orc as he was raised by Orcs and has thier philosophy.
Movement values in these non-official races can be tricky as the races were re-written for balance in Flintloque 3rd edition. Sharke's Half Orc movement rates in the article above make him the same speed as an Elf up to Walk and slower than an Elf but still faster than a Orc at a Run. So with that in mind I use the following movement rates for him in Flintloque 3rd edition:
Half-Step March = 8
Slow March = 16
Quick March = 20
Double March = 28
Craig Andrews
26th January 2010
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