Pirates of Sartosa

DeafNala wrote:

What do you mean "one last time"? Are you going to end the campaign & break an Old Man's Heart?

Bad news--For a campaign cycle our group usually plays until 14 weeks have passed or a warband is ridiculous to play against. Next week will be week 13 our last island cruise.

Good news--we've all enjoyed the Sartosa setting so much we are going to re-boot and start over in June with new crews. For many that will mean new warbands, for example there might be a goblinoid invasion...

One of the problems with games that include character advancement is that eventually the game becomes unplayable. C'est la vie, eh?!
It IS, however, good to hear a new campaign will be unfolding in a couple of weeks.
Are you planning a GRAND FINALE?

I'm thinking about the possibility of 2 finales. One on the seas and the other in the alleys of Sartosa, well actually down by the docks...

VERY COOL! Sounds like an appropriately DRAMATIC conclusion to a WONDERFULLY imaginative & cinematic Campaign. OH BABY!

Last Orders: Level 2 becomes quite crowded and is the main battleground.







The Long Pier





Press Gang:




Warring Houses:
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A TRULY BEAUTIFUL & INSPIRING Gaming Table. This WILL be an oft visited post. Thanks MUCHO for sharing.

Week 13--Beware the 13th Week!

Hopefully we will have 6 players for our last battle. This week we had 5 players. A majority of votes cast were for playing scenarios that we had not encountered. I choose Wrecking and The Dragon's Teeth from the list of Island scenarios we had not played. The plan was for Wrecking to be the multi-player and for The Dragon's Teeth to be the 2 player.

The Dragon''s Teeth. The Dwarfs versus the Khorne Pirates. Weather: clear. There is no good match-up for the followers of the Blood God in this campaign, but the Dwarfs were definitely one of the worst. The Dwarfen shooting rules meant that several pirates were OOA before the Khorne ship moved. And once wreckage was encountered more warriors were shot as they recovered the cargo and survivors. Khorne routed at first opportunity. A hero was killed and several henchmen died as well. Mine Oncle didn't eat anyone although it spent most of its time attacking the Khorne ship once it was roused.

The Frenzied Mob. The Dwarfs versus the Khorne Pirates. Weather: rain. This fight took place at night which was slightly in the pirates favor. And there were villagers to draw the Dwarfs' fire. But the villagers were much better at defending themselves from pirates than Dwarfs and the Dwarfs were able to maneuver to cover the pirates advance and then the pirates were shot up. No word on casualties in this fight, but before the pirates charged there were no OOA Dwarfs... Dwarfs win.

Wrecking. The Ghosts, the Dons and the Maids. Weather: Dry followed by clear. The Ghosts had been buoyed past the Maids by last weeks victory. The Dons were the highest rated. The Maids were the underdog for the first game in weeks. The three pirates had encountered a wrecked High Elf ship or High Elves aboard a crippled Imperial carrack. The massed pirate shooting kept the Elves down and felled more than half of them permanently. Aenur dodged or just proved too hard to hit.

The Dons survived the fire from the other warbands fairly well. The Maids boarded the Elves first and lost their boarding party to Aenur. The Dons lost the first man to step aboard, but after he fell the rest of the lads swarmed aboard. Once boarding began warriors fell to fire from the Maids, who withdrew to the channel and blasted anything that moved aboard the stricken ship--usually a Don.

The Ghosts were relatively unscathed as well until they neared the Elven ship. Then they came under fire from the Maids and the Dons. Once they hugged the shelter of the wreck Lorenzo started to shoot up the raft and its occupants, but the Maids were unable to target the Ghost raft. The Ghosts spent many frustrating moments attempting to scale the sides of the wreck. Each warrior who succeeded was taken OOA immediately by Aenur or the murderous Dons.

The Maids and the Ghosts withdrew and left the wreck to the victorious Dons. 3 gibbets,a Bretonnian gunner and an Estalian crewman (a Khorne worshipper taken weeks ago) are killed. No humans are pressed. Each warband pressed one of the defeated High Elves. The Dons gain an elven cloak (WOOT!) and a useless Seer Stone.

Next weeks final battle will take place in Sartosa. More new buildings are promised.

Cool Report. I'm looking forward to the GRAND FINALE; hopefully the Camera Guy will show up!

Dwarfs vs Khorne

VERY NICE PHOTOS! Thanks MUCHO!

The Wrecking
The dons set out:


over-loaded rafts


The Ghosts - some raft, the hired Wizard swims, The Gibbets walk on the bottom
fireing lines are left on the islands.


The Ghosts and the Merry Maids come from oposite sides


The Dons and the Merry Maids keep the island between them
The poor High Elves get shot to pieces.


All 3 hit the ship at about the same time
but The Gibbets have a hard time climbing back out of the water.
Aneur has trouble deciding who to kill first but ends up going for the big guy




The Ghosts wish they could pass more initiative tests
and end up getting shot up while just standing there.

OH BABY! That's COOL! probably the only thing I LOVE as much as minis & terrain IS photos of minis & terrain.

Don't forget gameplay with friends!

playtable wrote:

Don't forget gameplay with friends!

Very true; the commaraderie & good fellowship aspect of gaming is the stuff of cherished memories. Happply for moi it's those memories that color all the Battle Reports now that I no longer have a gaming group.

Week 14--Capture the Flag!

The various pirate crews converged on the waterfront to settle the overlordship of Sartosa once and for all. The Ghosts approached from the north nearest the Blowhole. The Khorne raiders took the southern docks and the Greatship Stormstalker. The Maids occupied the storehouses and residences to the east. The Dons occupied the old brewery and the lower manor in the northwest. The Dwarfs took over the ruin of the old shipwright's house to the southwest.

The Ghosts were reinforced by an Orc Captain and goblin swabbie and Jeremiah Bane. The Khorne Raiders gained a swivel gunner and Kromwell. The Maids had received a Dark Elf assassin and a Tilean Marksman as well as the support of Fleur Mab. The Dons had identical reinforcements and Estella Mab. (The Mab sisters were assumed to be feuding at the moment.) The Dwarfs had also gained a Dark Elf and a Tilean Marksman as well as Redbeard the Sea Dragon Slayer.

A brisk wind caused everyone's hopes to rise as the dreaded Dwarf crossbow line was at -2 to hit! Shooting in general was ineffective although the Khorne swivel gunner fell to the Maids first volley. Most everyone but the Dwarfs and the Maids had to move to occupy shooting platforms and except for the battle between the Maids and the Khorne worshippers massed missile fire did little.

Khorne braved a crossfire from the Dwarfs and the Maids to close with the lissome lasses. The Maids sent their Ogre to entertain the frenzied chaos lovers. A blood bath ensued. The Dons found themselves caught between the Ghosts and Dwarfs. The Dwarfs did fire a few missiles at whichever Maid or Raider could be seen, but in the main the Dwarfs dueled with the Hanged Man, Senor Luigi and Lorenzo. Many knocked down and stun results were achieved. All of the Don's blunderbusses were fired for the result of a knocked down Dwarf warrior, a knocked down Ghost warlock and a stunned Slayer.

Redbeard cut through the Dons new High Elf and Rodrigo, but he fell to a charge led by Bigtoe Highhat. The Ghosts over ran the Old Brewery. Richardo and Jorge held out and prevented the Don's flag from being captured, but Blackwater and Bane had Jorge trapped and Richardo was surrounded in the brewery courtyard unable to lend any support. Estella was overwhelmed by the Ghosts hired Ogre.

After 2 1/2 hours of play, time was called because of the store closing. No flags were actually captured, but Jorge and Richardo were surrounded and cut off from the Don's flag. The Maids claimed the most kills, followed closely by the Khorne Raiders as the two had spent the game fighting over a vacant lot. The Dwarfs had the fewest losses (Redbeard!). The table was gorgeous and we all spent the rest of the evening looking at the details on Playtable's newest creations!

In the interest of getting as many games in as we can before Real Life breaks up our group, we are going to reboot next Thursday with starting warbands and a new chapter in the bloody history of Sartosa. (Cue music and sunset.)

And now for the final battle:

Warring Houses X 5.



Due to set-up...The Khorne go right and charge into The Merry Maids.


The Merry Maids come out to meet them,


and they attack each other with great vigor;


the battle was bloody!

The Dwarfs also threw a few stray shots into the back of the Khorne Raiders.

The Dwarfs both hold ground and meet the Dons on their left.


The Dons both hold ground (flag in the red building on the left)
and go after the Dwarfs on their right.


Shoot them.
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Dwarfs are hard to take out of action.


The Ghosts take possesion of The Blow Hole


and hold ground and (having no one on their left) go right and attack the Dons.


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Some try to sneak in the back but the Dons are waiting.
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For the first time in the campaign, the Ghosts remember to walk through walls,
and invade the house
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Cool Report & WONDERFUL photos. With the promise of a new swashbuckling campaign, this is a FANTASTIC ending to a GREAT series of Tales. WELL DONE!

Personal Note: Doesn't reality JUST suck!?

To Be a Pirate King

The cavernous hall of the Tavern-on-the-Wall was nearly empty. Captain Lorenzo de Lupo sat at his usual table and glowered at the room. The Tavern-on-the-Wall had been losing business ever since the Blow Hole had opened. Everyone knew it, but to see it with your own eyes was something. Ha! Lorenzo could remember getting thrown out of this place, it so crowded that he land on a pile of drunks outside the door… He ran a hand across his chest, felt the nagging ache of the old wounds. Si, he had been stabbed that time…

El Captain he was now! Master of his own damn ship! Lorenzo spat and touched his shark’s tooth amulet. He looked around the nearly empty room… Juan Uno was not here tonight. Juan the One, one-eyed, one-legged…one mean bastard for all that he was the youngest man aboard. Juan was getting ideas. The young always did--new ways, new waters, new--something. Get rid of the Old Man! Lorenzo smiled, a gap toothed grin. He was five maybe six years older than Senor First Officer Juan. Lorenzo took a long draw on the cigar, poured some more rum. The bell of his blunderbuss covered the main door. The big gun laid casually on the table. He had checked his crossbow with the bouncer, but a little gold meant he kept the gun. A little gold and the presence of the Hanged Man at his back, even ogres backed up a bit for the crook-necked warlock.

Lorenzo looked at the two parchments on the table. He picked up the first with its heavy seal. El Patron was no happy man. Sad in one so rich that he just want more. “Rumors of piracy… Dereliction of duty…” “Drunkenness...!” Rumors! They’d been pirates since that fool Don Esteban De Gutzman sailed from Estalia! What he think they do with a fine ship like the Valeria Rojas? Fill her with cotton? So he fight in the Orc’s little war? Make El Patron good money. What he care, who they kill? “Withdraw the support of My Good Name…surrender to my agent…” Lorenzo rolled his eyes, emptied the flagon and picked up the second letter.

It wasn’t addressed to him, but the tavern keeper had passed it along since Don Esteban wasn’t going to read it. “My Esteemed Cousin…” Those De Gutzmans got pups everywhere! Lorenzo scanned the letter. This one was from somewhere near Marienburg… Lorenzo wondered if he knew Bernard Gustermann. “Our noble Uncle… empowered to take command of your ship…” The cheek of the bastard! Take his cousin’s ship! In Sartosa! With pike, pistol and cutlass and 20 or 30 stout lads, perhaps!

Lorenzo looked at the date on the letters 3 and 5 weeks ago. Time for this “agent” and this “cousin” to be here with a good wind… Well Gustermann was mustering a fleet for Lasheik. Maybe it was time for a change…

"Senor Man!" Lorenzo called as he rose from the chair, "time to hoist anchor!"

Near the bar the skeletal warlock drained a flagon of something. Lorenzo never drank with the man, no one did. But together they crossed the room toward the main door. Lorenzo collected his crossbow and crossed back around behind the bar and left through the kitchens. He paused by the back door and re-lit the blunderbuss' slow match. He tossed the cigar in a slop bucket and nodded to the Hanged Man.

The warlock opened the door and stepped into the night. Lorenzo followed quickly but stepped to his right as the door closed. Lorenzo looked to the mouth of the alley and gave a slow whistle. There was no answer.

Inside the Tavern-on-the-Wall no one moved when the night erupted with the roar of a blunderbuss. There were no answering shots but there was a long scream that faded away to sobbing and then silence. A large man with a dark, full beard crossed down into the main room from the landing above. He walked to the bar and laid a hefty clinking bag on the counter.

"Thank you for delivering my letter," he said in Reikland accented Tilean to the barman. "And you were correct, he always stepped to his right when he passed through a door." The bearded man smiled a deadly smile. He left by the front door.

Alas Lorenzo; we'll not see his kind again...except, of course, for ALL those blood stains out in the alley . ANOTHER fine tale; the new campaign is starting off in the FINE tradition of its predessor. WELL WRITTEN!