Fog of War -A Hero is Born!

 

Fog Of War

The sixth game in our Ruckus campaign, Fog of War, had everything that you want from a wargame. It was a tense, close game, packed with action and a true Hero emerged from the fray!  

Fog of War The Story so Far Two armies meet in a pitched battle early in the morning, in a thick, dense fog. In the confused melee, friend fights friend and cries of Treachery fill the air. One flank gives way, there is a pursuit over miles of heath and in the befuddled aftermath, small groups of soldiers, unsure of what has happened or who to trust, seek their enemies in the cold mist.

Set Up. The table represents a broad heath, with scattered clumps of shrubby vegetation, the occasional tree or broken wall. There should be three or four areas of Bad Going- small copse, bogs and marshy areas, thorn brakes or similar of about 4”x 4”

Special Rules-

Wrapped in Fog. Organise each Retinue into Spears before deploying on to the table. Take the Playdeck cards, one for each Hero and the two bonus cards and deal them on to the table, one to each corner, and one half way along each table edge. Deploy each spear within 6” of the appropriate card, add a “Skirmisher and Artillery” card as a Fog card and reset the deck.

Who Goes? The Fog has dense patches but is gradually thinning as the morning passes. Let there be three weather Conditions.

Clear Air -Normal missile ranges and visibility, Command Range is normal.

Light Mist- Visibility is reduced to 12” Archery at Short Range only

Dense Fog -Visibility/missile range is reduced to 6” Command Range is reduced to 3”

 Add a Fog Card to the deck. Use a “Skirmisher and Artillery “card for this. Each time it is turned up roll a d6.

1 -The Fog gets thicker- Clear Air becomes Light Mist, Light Mist becomes Dense Fog

2-4 The Fog remains the same

5,6- The Fog is lifting- Dense Fog become Light Mist, Light Mist becomes clear air

The game starts with Dense Fog.

Friend or Foe? There is a risk of mistaken identity, the cries of treachery have unsettled the soldiers and everyone is being very cautious.

Special Event Cards- Include 4 sixes in the deck.

Confusion to the enemy!  The six =Ambush! Roll a d6 1-3 = 1d3 archers 4,5=1d2 Bills 6=one Squire with Deadly Blade and Duellist skills. The “Ambushers”, confused, angry, displaced soldiers from either side of the battle are coming “out of the fog” Place them 6” from an opposing character. Shuffle an Ambusher card of the appropriate colour into the Playdeck.

Winning the Game- This is a straight forward fight! Players win by forcing their enemy to flee or, in the one of game only, by capturing or killing the enemy Lord.

We dealt the Playdeck cards as described which meant that Edward Fitz Henry, de Lynne squire deployed between Squire Thomas Payne and Captain John de Barre. De Barre’s other Squire, Robert Guiscard, deployed on the Western edge of the field uncomfortably close to Sir Thomas de Lynne and his nephew Ralph.

Grim as it was for Fitz Henry, things soon took a turn for the worse as in the first turn I pulled a Special Event Ambush card! Two confused angry bill men appear from behind a wall and advance menacingly on the hapless squire

I forgot to take pictures initially, this is in the first turn and Fitz Henry is in the middle of the bottom of the picture. To his right is Thomas Payne and in the bottom left corner is de Barre. From behind the wall two angry bill men appear.

Sensing an early victory, Thomas Payne advances with his spear

Sensing an early victory, Thomas Payne advances with his spear

The French connection-Robert Guiscard moves to cut off the other de Lynne spears

the de Lynne faction advance through the swirling fog

the bigger picture. De Lynnes advance from the bottom of the picture

Fitz Henry bottom middle is surrounded! 

Undaunted he charges the Thomas Payne who is universally hated by all the de Lynne family

The opposing archers exchange a flurry of arrows

Fitz Henry wounds Payne (Red counter) but Payne manages to break his armour (Pink Counter)

Fitz Henry repays the compliment!

And then finishes him off!

Paynes Retainers, in Blue and White, become feckless without their Hero to lead them. Fitz Henry’s men are also Feckless as he has moved beyond the three-inch Command Range, reduced from it’s normal six inches due to the thick fog!

The debarred Retainer make short work of the de Lynne archers

sensing a quick victory, Sir John charges the battered Squire only to have HIS armour broken and he takes a wound

Fitz Henry wounds de Barre again! Things look desperate for the battered Lord

The wily old knight has a trick up his sleeve though, he pulls a “Cunning Stunt” and dives back and rolls out of the way of FitzHenrys weapon

Faithful Retainer Edmund Stock is next to be attacked, showing some mean skills he blocks two attacks from the crazed Squire and with a flick of a Billhook wounds him!

fellow bill man Wilfred Mogg steps up to support him

      Their luck runs out! Snake eyes v double six, the brave, loyal Stock bites the dirt

Mogg out of the way, Fitz Henry charges de Barre, who, enraged at the loss of his old servant “No one buffed armour like ol’ Stock!” dispatches the squire with a savage blow

“Take that! You absolute bounder!”

 

The confused bill men, finish off FitzHenry’s  Bill man 

Meanwhile, on the other side of the field….

 Robert Guiscard is feeling a bit lonely..

Hooray! I draw another Special Event and it’s another Ambush! This time a befuddled Man at Arms staggers out of the fog!

Having lost both of his archers to shooting, Guiscard has joined his Captain. Sir John, has the Commanding Presence skill and is easily able to Command all the Retainers. The fog has lifted, visibility and bow range has increased to twelve inches.

“Come on then! Come and have a go” they bravely shout from behind their wall

Ralph de Lynne takes on the errant Man at Arms who is skilled as a Deadly Blade and Duellist …

… Ralph minds it not, he is quickly taken out of the game although he wounds Ralph in the fight

Sir Thomas shouts his war cry “Ooh I am sooooo angry, I could kick a dog!” And charges!

He takes down Wilfred Mogg. A confident debarred is not concerned. He has half a dozen Retainer with, he will have this rabid dog shot down in the next turn…

Perked by God! Sir Thomas charges a second time…

 

Twice wounded, armour half off the battered de Barre has no chance. Seeing their Lord fall his men quit the field leaving de Barre for dead! 

This was an excellent game! The scenario worked well, there were a few surprises and a narrative around one Heroic character. Single handedly Edward Fitz Henry destroyed the de Barre Retinue, killing one Squire taking out, two retainers and wounding Sir John twice! He gains eight Valor Points!

Rolling for Fate after the game Wilfred Mogg and Edmund Stock were both killed. Sir John really was left for dead on the field which decides our next scenario …Back from the Dead!

Look out Fitz Henry…there is a price on your head!