Retreat from Corona- a Sharp Practice Solo Campaign

 

Zoot Alors! We are out of the shoe box of ignomy and on the battlemat of glory!

Sharp Practice Campaign

The “retreat from Corona” has provided me with an unprecedented amount of hobby time and has been very productive. I have created various bits of terrain and painted many figures and I have had a thorough look through all my many collections. I found one of my very first metal armies, a 15mm “waterloo starter set” that my sister bought me as a birthday present back in the early eighties. I think it may be from Hinchcliffe but I am not sure.

I have had the Too Fat Lardies Sharp Practice set of rules for some time now and so I combined the two, played a game, liked it, and decided to run a solo campaign using the Sharp Practice supplement Dawns and Departures.

D and D has three campaign systems. I settled on the programmed campaign as being more interesting than the ladder campaign and more doable then the full-blown narrative campaign which requires an umpire.

I have no 15mm terrain, hills and trees are perfectly interchangeable, indeed 28mm scale trees look great at 15mm and hills actually look like hills! So, I needed buildings. I immersed myself into my hobby! I constructed 5 small houses from foam card and a walled hacienda, with stables and barn and at the same time drew up the map and program required for the campaign.

The Lardies use fairly simple rules systems with the emphasis on fun and creating narrative. Sharp Practice does not claim to be historically accurate but aims to reproduce the stuff of historical novels. Think Cornwell or O’Brien.

Spain 1809

A programmed campaign fought in the area around Talavera 1809.

 The British are on the march! An advance column under the command of Captain Peregrin Prendergast of the 1/61^st foot, the South Gloucesters, the “silver tailed dandies”, is pushing South in company with Lieutenant Erskine McPherson of the 1/71^st Highland Regiment of Foot , the Glasgows, and a small detachment of chosen men of the 1/95^th rifles under Corporal Nobby Nobbs in pursuit of a similarly sized force under the command of Captain Bertrand Couchet.

 Prendergast and Couchet had met in a bruising encounter a few days previously when Couchet had managed to inflict a bloody nose on Prendergast and his dandies requiring the British to withdraw under cover of darkness. Prendergast had received a rebuke from Brigadier Major General Hulse as well as reinforcements in the form of Ensign Lancelot Heaving-Pyle and his detachment of light dragoons. Now, thoroughly chastised, with his career on the line, Prendergast is in hot pursuit of Couchet, determined to catch this Frenchie and make him pay.

I am using the Dawn and Departures set of rules for the game Sharp Practice and I am playing a programmed campaign of up to 8 campaign turns. I am using as many of the rules as I think appropriate including rolling for the character of the participants. I will as far as I possibly can, use the characters to inform decisions, the priority being to introduce a narrative feel to the game and create a story.

Characters have 6 attributes-breeding, personality, skills, physique, looks and charisma

The Characters

The Jolly Old Brits

Peregrin Prendergast-An honourable, pleasant, good-looking sort of a chap, a giant of a man, a fine horseman (view halloo skill)

William McPherson- risen from the ranks, a vile individual and something of a rake, of average stamp and somewhat plain of face, he is, however, a stunning linguist

Corporal Nobby Nobbs- comes from a military family with no wealth, affable, honourable, face like a pig’s backside, a flashing blade but a sickly cove

Bombardier Shadrach Codpiddle-a prig and a vile individual from a noble lineage but with no money, of average stamp, with a hideously scarred face

The Scheming Dastardly French

Bertrand Couchet- a fallen gentleman, a rotter a giant of a man, fair of face, known as a dullard, he carries an impressive weapon, an old-fashioned hanger

Rene la Boit-the bastard son of the Vicomte de Mortelle, honourable, charming, fair of face and of average stamp, athletic, he is known to enjoy the sporting life

Michel la Roux-a former gentleman, dispossessed by the revolution, a strapping fellow with a face like a pig’s back side, honourable though thoroughly disliked, he carries an impressive weapon, a ships cutlass

Estevan Noir-comes from a military family, honourable, a charming man, fair of face and though of diminutive build he is an adept swordsman, a real flashing blade

Toussaint Canard-another bastard of the Vicomte de Mortelle, a strapping fellow and a handsome devil, pleasant disposition, an honourable man and master of disguise

Neither Canard nor la Boit are aware of their shared ancestry

The Forces

The British

Captain Peregrin Prendergast 1/61^st

4 groups of 8 men British line infantry=32 figs

Lieutenant Erskine McPherson 1/71^st Highland

3 groups of men Highland line infantry = 24 figs

Corporal Nobby Nobbs 2 /95th rifles

1 group of 6 men light infantry skirmishers= 6 figs

Bombardier Shadrach Codpiddle 5th RHA

1 x 8pdr +crew + limber+ team

The French

Capitaine Bertrand Couchet 17th leger

3 groups of 8 men light infantry=24 figs

Lieutenant Rene la Boit 104th de ligne

3 groups of 8 men line infantry=24 figs

Sergent Michel le Roux 104^th de Ligne

2 groups of 8 men grenadiers =16 figs

Sergent Estevan Noir 17^th leger

2 groups of 6 skirmisher Voltigeur=12 figs

The Campaign

Following the earlier engagement both sides have been reinforced from the campaign support list. The British have a detachment of 8 light hussars and the French have a 12 pdr heavy artillery piece each with a level one leader.

Both sides have selected an Exploring Officer, transport cart, mule train, caisson and musician. Many of the support options are for things that can only really have an effect in the full narrative campaign version and this limits the useful options for this mode of game, although, retrospectively, a physic may have been the sensible option

Using the system in the rules I generated a campaign map. This is used to provide an overall picture of the campaign and also to generate the battle fields to be fought over.I selected 6 map squares to create my program. 

The Campaign map

I rolled up the map and selected six map squares for battle fields, I decided to keep things simple and so used the programmed process from D and D. I then “process mapped” the campaign using my chosen map locations. The campaign program!

Process Map-low tech!

Based on the same rationale as in D and D. The book suggests one campaign turn for each stage plus two, this gives me up to eight campaign turns.

I rolled up the table for the first battle, mostly hills with a farm and some large fields. I diced for the “orientation” of each terrain piece as I placed it.

I rolled to see who had the initiative, the British.  I rolled the scenario “all-out attack”

Both sides have exploratory officers which increases the range at which you can deploy from the DP and gives an extra DP. The French are the defender so they get an additional 6”.

The First Battle, the battle of Mortello’s Farm

First out of the bag French 4! The Voltigeur skirmishers of Estevan Noir are able to deploy at the halfway point of the table, dominating the large hill to the North.

the battlefield-Mortello's farm

Deployment

The Voltigeur skirmishers sat on the hill and opened a sustained, uncontrolled fire that they maintained throughout the whole encounter.One aspect of Sharp Practice that makes it excelent for solo play is the order of play is determined by pulling chits from a bag ( or using cards)

Estevan Noirs skirmish voltigeurs

The British light dragoons deployed at the foot of the hill and came under fire sustaining the first casualty of the day and their unfortunate ensign knocked out cold by the first volley stayed unconscious throughout the battle.

 Three flags drawn triggers Random Event F7. A huge roiling cloud of smoke forms in front of the Voltigeurs -1 to all shooting through it.

McPherson arrives with the Glasgows. The British are in high spirits rolling a Force Morale of 11, the French rolled 9. McPherson is certainly in spirits having had a large dram or two with his breakfast

The rest of the French infantry deploy on the plain, in the valley

And so, ends turn one

Each flag is a command activation for either side. The numbers represent each leader, red 1 is Prendergast  and the Tiffin chit ends the turn.

Turn 2 All are now deployed. Canards 12 pdr is in a dominant though exposed position on the small hill to the South. Nobby’s riflemen are behind the hedge of the large field, Prendergast’s silver-tailed dandies have taken a very central position, the RHA gun is last to deploy.

Nobby Nobbs somewhat obscured by the smoke , directs the fire of the famous 95th

Canard opens a devastating fire of cannister on the 61^st. 3 kills 13 shock.

3 flags drawn! Whenever 3 flags are consecutively drawn it triggers a random event. This one being Random Event F7! Again! Another dense. Rolling cloud of thick acrid smoke forms before the 12 pdr!

 Ends turn 2

Turn 3

The 61^st are taking a pounding in the centre of the field and with Prendergast constantly dressing the line, are yet to return fire

 The battle very quickly became a static affair with most units not moving from their deployment position

Couchet opens fire on the light dragoons, 4 kills 10 shock, the British cavalry rout leaving their ensign unconscious on the ground

Corporal Tousaint Canard and his 12 pdr

 Ends Turn 3 







Turn 4

La Roux and Canard fire onto Prendergast, he is losing a lot of men and building shock to a crippling degree. With 6 dead and 22 shock he is forced to withdraw, twice, he maintains formation and the 61^st begin to back up.

 Turn 5

The tale of the dead! 

British casualties at start of turn 5, no French casualties at this point

McPherson and Codpiddle fire on the 17^th leger, despite the thick smoke, Couchet’s men begin to take casualties.The green dice indicate the amount of shock, the red dice the number of casualties.Shock reduces the units ability to fire and move

Some units have the ability to use controlled fire which gives them a bonus.The unit has to present arms and then fire, each a seperate action. Due to the vagaries of the chit system the Glasgows were at the present for the best part of 5 turns.

The unfortunate dandies! 

When a unit has more shock than figures it is forced to withdraw. Forced withdrawal amongst other factors can have a detrimental effect on Force Morale. When Force Morale reaches zero, the army routs

  

Turn 5

 Turn 5 ends with Force Morale equal at 9 points each


 Turn 6 
Couchet dresses the ranks 

Turn 6

Turn 7

Turn 7
 A lull in the action. Everyone takes a breather. All leaders are busy removing shock and restoring order, both guns are unloaded

Turn 8- the shattered Dandies

Turn 8

The grenadiers and the 12 pdr fire into the reeling 61^st, it’s too much for them, they break and rout. The unfortunate Prendergast is swept from the field by his panic-stricken men. The British Force Morale plunges to zero and the whole force quits the field leaving a peacefully snoring light dragoon leader to be taken by the enemy.

Post battle sequence

Casualties.The "kills" that were inflicted in the battle may not all result in death.Some have sustained wounds , others merely went "missing" The British roll for their 22 dead. Two line infantry and one light dragoon are actually dead. Two light dragoons and five line infantry return to the ranks, 8 line infantry 2 highlanders and 2 light hussars are wounded and are removed from the field in the transport cart. They will not be fit to take part in the next battle.

Ensign Heaving -Pyle is taken prisoner.

Points to consider

What happens when a leader is KO’d? Can he be hit again?

The capriciousness of the system. The High landers levelled on turn one and didn’t fire until turn 5. The light dragoons deployed and did nothing but get shot up and rout. Got to live with it I guess, or find another game!

The 12 pdr dominated the game. Once the shock began to pile up on the British line, they were unable to return fire and involuntary withdrawals became inevitable. The 51^st has grown to a 4-unit formation, maybe larger units require subordinate commanders to help reduce shock.

The scenario “all-out attack” became more of a forward defence in depth. The scenario, combined with the terrain gave the French a massive advantage from the outset. The exploring officer gives a marvellous (possibly overpowered?) return for his cost.

The Campaign.

The French retain initiative. Prendergast plays the Cavalry Screen Card to buy time, one static campaign turn. Couchet being a rotter forgoes the chance to follow upon his victory because he chooses to loot the farm house.

Support options

By the rules, the campaign continues with unchanging support until the end. I feel while that might be right, it will make for a short, very one-sided campaign. Therefore, the light dragoons are dismissed back to Brigade. They are replaced by an engineer group with cart. The Major General sends corporal Nathaniel Scrote, level one leader, with a strongly worded missive concerning Prendergast’s future if he does not turn things around. Hulse also sends a physic, Dr Mordecai Peeps, and recalls the unfortunate exploring officer.

The French opt to change nothing, except maybe the execrable wine discovered in the farm house, reserving the option to do so if they are required to play the cavalry screening option in future turns.

The British recovery turn

Dr Peeps gets to work, of the 8 injured British line troops, 3 make a full recovery, 4 remain injured and one dies. Of the highlanders one recovers and one remains wounded. The French wounded fails to recover.

The British line will be missing one group, killed and wounded for the next encounter, the highlanders one wounded and the French leger also one wounded.

The engineers will have time to construct defences.

my Spanish Village