Pyrates of the Karribean VI.a--Dead Man's Hand

YET ANOTHER COOL LOOKING GAME! Any drinking establishment that serves the Living Impaired deserves what they get. Some really SPLENDID minis along with Mr.L's FANTASTIC tavern make for some INSPIRING photos. OUTSTANDING STUFF!

Spectacular! I am going to be looking over your reports again VK as I think my next project will be a big pirate table for next year's Trumpeter's convention and your posts are great inspiration.

Thanks for the kind words.

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Spectacular! I am going to be looking over your reports again VK as I think my next project will be a big pirate table for next year's Trumpeter's convention and your posts are great inspiration.

I was going to recommend some old threads, but the whole photobucket thing has made stuff from 3 or 4 years ago a photoless wasteland.  Still we have done a bunch of pyrate campaigns...
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A Skirmish in Torktuga
Kevin was feeling a bit beat on, so I thought I would pile on.  Oh well.

The firing squad of crossbows




I rolled the event Shore Patrol for the second game in a row!  This time the patrol entered in my deployment zone...


The final confrontation


Ricardo y Ricardo's last shot.  No wounds.  Both Mary Ann blunderbusses and that dueling pistol toting Captain shoot back...


The game ended a draw by store closing, but the Old Estalians suffered 2 ooa and 2 killed.  Guido the Tilean Marksman was killed by the first shot of the fight (pesky eagle eyed gitz!) and Ricardo, who had lost a point of ballistic skill to the Pirate Curse, fell to the last volley.

The Old Guard still manage to find 3 dueling pistols and a lot of gold, but no one becomes a hero to replace Ricardo.

The Mary Anns only had one model ooa.  He got better.  The Mary Anns gain +2 underdog bonus and walk away with lots of gold.  Gitz!

Back to the Seas and Jungles for our next games.

GOOD LOOKING GAME! You might not have all the old photos, but you are still using the same BEAUTIFUL scenery plus some OUTSTANDING new stuff. The games may be even more photogenic now. GREAT STUFF!

Agreed -- this thread alone is a rich vein of piratical inspiration. Yo-ho-ho, &, if I may add, a bottle of rum.

Dead Man's Hand--Exploration of the Hinterland

Beware the Tall Grass
I forget who wrote it, but there's a Jurassic Park style scenario of cold ones attacking warbands in the tall grass called The Prey. Its a pretty bloody scenario, but I've been tweaking it over the years. I may have gone too far...

The idea is that two warbands (the Old Estalians and the Bay Watch in this case) are fleeing from an unspecified previously encountered threat. They find themselves in a sea of grass. Ahead they can see a ruin jutting up out of the grass. Using the ruin as a landmark the warbands start toward it. But they hear growls from the grass around them. Then the screams begin...

Usually when we play this scenario, the Bay Watch would draw the most attention from the dread Cold Ones (since certain players are renowned for their ability to roll a 1), but on this day the raptors preferred Estalian flesh. (At least Arabian flesh, as Ali bin Ali the Merchant was attacked first. Well he was attacked three times, but the warband's heroes saved him each time.)






The pest came in waves (the Cold Ones appear at the beginning of each player turn. You roll for each warband member who is one ground level. On a roll of a 1 a Cold One attacks!)


The Bay Watch encountered fewer of the Cold Ones (perhaps because I put a piece of climbable terrain on the board..




The few raptors encountered are overwhelmed by pyrates


Al Bobo killed a couple of the pests


The Old Estalians battled on




The end is near. One of the Bay Watch has reached the ruin in only 4 turns (which is how you win the game).




The Old Guard have killed many Cold Ones, but could not reach the ruin in time


Al Bobo saves the Merchant for the third time...


The Bay Watch win a game! (This has happened several times this campaign, but is always a new experience to be savored.) They lost their new Warlock (Marvin?), who was killed by a Cold One.
The Bay Watch skin two of the beasts (80 gcs!) and pocket various other treasures. Then they sail back to Torktuga to hire a new Warlock.

The Old Guard lost no one. Hadji the gunner becomes a hero! And the Guard sail to Torktuga to trade. Sadly losing the race to the ruin meant that they could not skin any of the cold ones they had killed. However, the Estalians manage to collect enough treasure to pay all of the Hired Swords (55 gc!) and acquire new supplies.

More adventures to come--

HURRAY MR. L! a Unique experience to be savored indeed!

Sir Von Kurst I truly love your work.

Von Kurst wrote:

Von Kurst wrote:

Von Kurst wrote:

You have so many fantastic pictures throughout this thread, it is truly a gold mine (read: treasure chest) of inspiration on all things piratey. I love the dockside battles (as well as the jungle scenarios of course!) and am thrilled with the fact that all your buildings seem to have removable tops, with tons of minute details on the inside for your warbands to crawl through!

Well done sir

Thank you gents!

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I love the dockside battles (as well as the jungle scenarios of course!) and am thrilled with the fact that all your buildings seem to have removable tops, with tons of minute details on the inside for your warbands to crawl through!

On behalf of the committee, I thank you. There used to be some WIP threads of Jim L's buildings, but photobucket has eaten them.

The Haunted Wreck
The New Estalians tried to claim an old wreck that the Mary Anns had found. This did not end well for anyone...

One of the dread Lustrian crocodiles takes a mercenary


The pyrate rafts have been shot up


The New Estalians fled with lots of warriors ooa.
2 died of their wounds. (including a gunner with a blunderbuss)

The Mary Anns made the mistake of boarding the wreck without reading the scenario... The Undead pyrates rise to repel boarders and do a pretty good job of it. (Chris had been rolling poorly as his warband, but became a killer as an undead pirate.)

The Mary Anns' Captain suffers madness and becomes stupid. It is possible that Flagguy dies again.
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The Trail of Death
The New Estalians encounter the Bay Watch on a narrow jungle trail... At night, in the dark, because the Bay Watch have 7 crossbows.

The Bay Watch advance


Mrs Wolfgang is attacked by cold ones! But the crew save her


The Estalians struggle through the darkness

Jim L wrote:

Chris made it night and we could see 14".
I was about to shoot 7 crossbow shots into one hero and beat another hero up with Little Billie III and Mrs. Wolfgang.
Then I got a call and had to go. I think he was lucky I had to leave.
Chris killed Gunner Finn (blunderbuss guy)
But one of Chris' gunners died and I looted his handgun.
Opened a crate and rolled 61 Found a Medicine Chest. Saving it for a hero injury re-roll.

HOORAY for the Deadites!

X Marks the Spot
A Hidden Treasure variant with a deadly ending

There are many lost treasures in the Karribean. The Mary Anns happened to have a map...

The Mad Captain charges Jaun de Plama II (big sword, top of photo)


The assembled firing squad awaits the outcome


The Mary Anns have the treasure. Can they escape in time?


Bad things are happening to the Mary Anns


The photographer had left the building, but a brawl broke out around the fight between Juan and the Mad Captain. Captain de Guzman personally rushed to Jaun's defense, while the Mad Captain was joined by a henchman.

The Old Guard had more depth to add warriors to the fight, eventually the Mary Anns rushed off the field with the treasure. But both the Mad Captain and his henchman were out of action. Both died of their wounds.

Despite managing to 'find' every possible reward in the treasure chest (and roll the maximum amount for each) AND collect a +2 underdog bonus, the Mary Anns vow to return to Altdorf to use the treasure to build a tomb for the Mad Captain. (Having not rolled a lads got talent hero for the entire campaign and failing to get one again after the death of the Mad Captian may have had a bit to do with this decision.)

The Old Guard lost no one. They captured one Marienburger, but the fool refused to join the crew and was sold to the galleys of the Doge (of Trianto, I think). The Old Guard capture some goblin raiders, press one and put the rest to the sword. Eventually all the loot was sold at Torktuga.

Coming soon--The Lost Temple of the Slann

I was trying to imagine what sort of tomb the Mary Anns would build. It would look like Beetlejuice's grave but more elaborate in my imagination.

The Lost Temple of the Slann
The Old Guard defend a ruin from the rapacious Bay Watch and New Estalians

I was feeling kind of bad about last weeks scenery boards.  They were kind of boring to play on and didn't look much better in photos, so this week Jim L suggested we play on one of the scenery mats the store provides (he also wanted to use the whole six feet for a three player game, that got vetoed pretty quick.)
Same scenery, but it looks so much better...

Anyway the Old Guard were the highest rated again. Just like they have been for the I don't know how many games in a row.  So they ended up stuck in the middle.
The big snake is a temple guardian that has been tamed by the Old Guard.
On the first turn the event embarrassed pathfinder is rolled (a pathfinder hired sword is found caught in a trap in the middle of the ruin...)


The New Estalians travel through the jungle and lurk on the heights to the west








The Bay Watch lurk to the east






The Big Belly the pressed goblin snipes a Bay Watch hero out of action!


The Guardian blocks the entrance


A nimble hero stalks Big Belly


Melee on the avenue of Frog Sphinxes


The Old Guard flee with 7 out of action, including the guardian...


New Estalian snipers on the heights above


The Bay Watch hide from the snipers above (and forget the blunderbusses to the north...


Marvelous Marvin II tries a sneak flying attack (which fails)


The Old Guard put too much faith in numbers (22).  I frittered away my numerical advantage early by sacrificing pawns.  Then the survivors couldn't hold off the hordes.  Snark (a pressed Smuggler) and Big Belly deserted in the rout.  Ben Gum the Bounty Hunter was shot in the back by the treacherous Bay Watch.  Edwardo was killed by his former crew-mates the New Estalians and Gunner Emilio was captured by the Bay Watch.  He refused to serve under Captain Flashy and was sold to the galleys.  (The Bay Watch recover their stolen rusty pistol as well.)

The Old Guard would have been lost in the jungle, but Chris reminded me that the grateful pathfinder joined the warband and with his expert guidance the Old Guard found a Cheating Merchant to trade with.

The Bay Watch may have lost a couple of men (including their pesky Tilean), but captured a blunderbuss in addition to their lost rusty pistol when Emilio surrendered.  The Bay Watch now have 3 rusty pistols that they have taken off the corpses of marooned sea dogs in the exploration phase.  As far as i know Mrs Wolfgang and Bratz II both recovered.   The Bay Watch gain +2 Underdog bonus and trade in Torktuga.

The New Estalians lost a gunner killed.  They attacked a goblin flotilla in exploration and captured 3 goblin swabs (and some loot).  Finally they landed at Torktuga to trade.
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In other news it was revealed during a shooting phase that the Bay Watch are not Sartosan Pyrates (as defined by the Sartosan Campaign setting) as was previously thought. They are in fact a Wastelander Privateer warband (also a warband from the Sartosan setting).

Coming soon--Savage Orcs versus the Undead

The scenery makes the game a cinematic experience. WONDERFUL STUFF!  

Awwh, one warband down... As ever, great reports!

Also, I didn't notice any problems with the battlefield in the treasure hunt... but I'll admit the next board looks a lot better.

Very inspiring AAR as usual Von Kurst. I agree about the visual appeal of this last game- it looks great.

Thank you very much everyone!
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A Muletrain
The Undead attempt to escort a mule train through the territory of the Red Jaw White Skullz  

This was a Sundayheim game so photos did not happen.  Here is an old shot of the Red Jawz (From Pyrates of the Karribean III)


It had been awhile since I played the Red Jawz and I forgot most of their best tactics. (well really any tactics)  So the ladz blundered through the jungle, tripping, falling and beating each other up.  I placed the best archers where they could not shoot and put frenzied orcs too close to the Undead so that they would get shot or charge in piece meal.  

The orcs got beat up bad and fled.
Og Og da Nutta died.
Club Club died too.
The tribe found a sunken canoe and salvaged 4 teef from it.

With typical Undead luck, John rolled a 3 on the Supply Source chart and got lost in the Jungle even though he won.  The beaten orcs managed to find a friendly merchant and replaced one of their losses.

Since the Undead are lost, next weeks games will be in the Jungles and on the Seas.

While it isn't the actual game, the photo is a BEAUTY.

Thanks Al.  I can't figure out who took the photo, since the 2014(?) game also happened on Sunday.

Dead Man's Hand---Bungles in da Jungles

Mostly it was my real life bungling.  I left my roster at home, which is now an hour round trip away from the store.  

So instead of starting early and getting a few games in, we managed 2 games.

Mule Train (with photos)
The New Estalians slack off guarding a mule train.  The Old Guard tries to make them pay.

As I've said before, there really is no reason to play this scenario as written.  But I'm lazy, so we do.  Chris always releases his mules as the defender.  So mules run back and forth during the fight.  Which is pretty entertaining, too.

Even though Chris has a deadly combo of an LGT gunner with a Hochland long rifle, with the skill hunter AND a Tilean with eagle eye and quick shot AND lots of dueling pistols, handguns and four blunderbusses; Chris still fears my Tilean with Initiative 4, my 5 handguns, 2 blunderbusses and a bow and longbow...  

So it was a night ambush in a rocky pass.  Since all of the combatants were human, no one could see more than 11 inches.  

Mules running amok in the New Estalian lines


The ambushers clump up listening to the chaos


Off camera--A Carnivorous Plant event attacks Francisco. He and Almah chop the plant to pieces and find 4gc.

We got close.  The New Estalians got 2 blunderbuss shots off to start the ball.  The Old Guard returned fire.  Then we got closer.  




One of the mules is represented by 2 skink bearers.  These two are blocking my lines from being charged or shot this turn.  Good job mules!


The Arabian Merchant and his bodyguard capture the skink bearers!  The end is near


And Al Bobo and Enrico attack Julio


The New Estalians fail a rout test with 2 heroes and 4 or 5 henchmen ooa (including 2 blunderbusses!)
No one dies.  Two Swords rolls Survives Against the Odds...  The beaten New Eastalians retire to trade in Torktuga.

The Old Guard win!  Hadji hates Julio for stabbing him while he was down.  The Old Guard capture one mule, rob some more goblins in Exploration and retire to Torktuga.  As usual rolling for scenario rewards is less than lucrative.  The Old Guard make more money robbing goblins than stealing mules...(although I forgot to sell the mule!  Hmm.)
The Old Guard fail to find any blunderbusses for sale...
But the Old Guard are rich, so another Hired Sword may join the ranks...

Coming soon--The Ghost and the Darkness

YET ANOTHER cinematic moment! The scenery& minis make a FINE backdrop for the tale of daring deeds. GREAT STUFF!

Did you move or did the store relocate?

Thanks Al.
I've moved a couple of times in the last year. I am always the same distance from the store from work, but didn't realize how far away home had gotten. I tend to dawdle on the way home, I guess.
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The Ghost and the Darkness
The Undead and the Baywatch tangle with some deadly Sabre-tooth Tigers in a night-time jungle skirmish.

The tigers target the weakest warrior (or henchman group) in each warband. (Which can be scary if you meet them early in a campaign for Mercenaries and Pirates because that's going to be a hero... Undead usually don't care because there is often a zombie to sacrifice.)

In the Baywatch's case the weakest link was their hired Beggar. The Darkness attacked early


Nearly dragged the git to his doom. (Models taken off the table are eaten.)


Mrs. Wolfgang, Floppy III or IV and that guy with a club tried to save him


They defeat the tiger, but alas, the beggar is ooa, too.


Meanwhile the Ghost attacks a Dreg! Many warriors come to the rescue.


Then the Vampire falls upon the Bosun! (In the distance you can see that the Dreg has been rescued.)


A firing squad eliminates the Vampire in turn

Jim L wrote:

Night time range of vision 8” for me and 14” for the Undead. That was brutal, I got 3 shots off.

Silly Beggar.
He went ooa when the Darkness jumped him, but was rescued from being drug off the table.
Well, he died anyway!
A Dire wolf died, too, I think.

Silver arrows took the vampire ‘s Lucky Charm, Captain Flashy's crossbow took a wound off, then the superior powder in the blunderbuss took him ooa. 😃
The Vampire suffered the -1 movement leg injury.
So now he’ll only be able to sprint 15”.
The Ghost only knocked down a Dreg before the kitty was ooa.

But I had 4 ooa by the next turn and failed my rout test. Rolled a 9 and my leader hasn’t had an advance on that yet. Undead win!

Amazingly, everyone made it back to civilization to trade. The skirmishes next week will be in Torktuga.

Mr. L's luck or lack thereof holds true. The SPLENDID looking terrain & miniatures also continue. WONDERFUL STUFF!  

Von Kurst wrote:

Thanks Al.  
I've moved a couple of times in the last year.  I am always the same distance from the store from work, but didn't realize how far away home had gotten. I tend to dawdle on the way home, I guess.

I was about to send off a surprise package, but something told me you might have changed your address. This might be another example of God taking care of Fools, Drunks, & Little Children.  

With everything that's hiding in that jungle to kill people, I'm beginning to wonder why people spend so much time there...

Great reports once again!

Thank you for the kind comments.  

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With everything that's hiding in that jungle to kill people, I'm beginning to wonder why people spend so much time there...

The Karribean used to be much deadlier, but I've had to tone it down in recent years.  Ah well...

The Governor’s Daughter
A Piratical Variation of The Lost Prince(ss)

John could not make game night, so the three of us soldiered on...

The Most Esteemed Fraulien Gertrude Eloise Erma von Hausen felt trepidation in her snowy breast.


It was happening AGAIN.  She had finally slipped her loathsome chaperones and escaped into the town for a bit of ENTERTAINMENT.  But she was LOST again!  Her silly maids had wandered off into this wretched crowd.  She could see no familiar faces.  Everyone looked so VULGAR, so common.  So absolutely TERRIFYING!

It had been a clear sunny day when her party set out from Father's ship, The Emperor's Hammer.  The boat ride had been DISTRACTING and QUAINT.   It had been such a LONG time since the unpleasantness of those HORRIBLE Sea Gitz and that AWFUL Mr. Borgutt; then that Cathayan pirate, Cheng Fo, then, well, the list was horribly LONG. The Karribean had DECLINED so much in the last few seasons.  Still she expected Pappa to sort the situation out in due course.

They had landed simply enough with Pappa’s Marine guard of fifty STALWART lads plus Gertrude's maids and made an EXPEDITION into the Totktuga, the pirate port. So sad that the name was so APT.  Still the day would have been delightful except for those FOOLS, her maids.  WHEREVER could they have gone?   This crowded market was really the WORST!  It was quite IMPOSSIBE to see anything.  One feared these louts would take LIBERTIES.  Suddenly, Gerturde heard the sound of gunfire! All around her she could hear cries of terror.  Gertrude was certain some one was being MURDERED!  Getrude was shoved and PUMMELED.  It was UNACCEPTABLE!  

Before the game started all of us made our Curse test.  Chris failed his roll.  He rolled the result that allows your opponent to cast the spell Curse.  He also rolled to choose which opponent would control the curse.  Chris rolled Jim L (and a free pass from that worry   )

The Bay Watch started from the north... Crossbows and handguns stayed on the upper stories of the Officer's and NCO clubs (why such club's exist in Torktuga has been a question upon which Mr L is silent).  Blunderbusses and swordsmen (and women) braved the (invisibly) crowded street.  Marvelous Marvin II has 'flown' to the roof of the United Pirate Shipping building where he threatens to do nothing.


The Old Guard approach the market from the south.  They occupy the Three Sisters in the center and the old Port Authority building to the east.


At the beginning of Jim L's second turn a giant spider (which is really a giant crab) appears in the New Estalian's flank.


The street has cleared.  All the blunderbusses and swords have occupied the United Pirate Shipping building.  Marvin II (on the UPS roof) is trying to hide and cast spells at the same time, which encourages discussion and the reading of rulebooks.


The appearance of the Crab/spider and a missile attack on the ogre sends the crowd scrambling for cover.  They trample most of the New Estalians who are nearest the Crab/spider.  Oops!


The panicked crowd trample most of the Old Guard crew in the open as well. (But the dread Crab/spider is far away from the Old Guard...)


A brave Wastelander takes custody of the Governor's Daughter.


Brave but out of action after the Old Guard's handguns speak. (Fortunately, any shot that hit Gerty failed to wound.)


[Through out the battle we all forgot the random movement rule for Gerty.  She obligingly stayed stationary, out in the open for most of the game.]

Another Wastelander braves the open to control Gerty. (Most of the Old Guard's guns are being reloaded.)


Eventually the New Estalians gain their feet and attack the Crab/spider.




Gerty and her captor make it to the door...


Intense missile fire is directed against the New Estalians to cover them.






But the Old Guard's guns are re-loaded.  (And the Old Guard's gunners are out of sight or out of range of the Bay Watch and New Estalian guns and crossbows)




The Bay Watch fail a rout test, with one hero, Marvin and several henchmen out of action.

After some grumbling about "Crab/spiders" and "ungrateful louts" and "hey, weren't you cursed?", a Crab/scorpion is produced from the bottomless (but, alas, crab-less) collection of 'random encounter' models Jim L brings to game night.

After 4 turns of failing to wound the Crab/spider, the New Estalians immediately kill the Crab/scorpion.


Endgame.  Three gunners, the ogre bodyguard and several other crew are out of action for the New Estalians.  The Old Guard have two wounded heroes surrounded.  Will Julio (the pistolier in black) attack Almah as she lies helpless?  Or will he rush to his Captain's aid?  Or will the New Estalians just flee?




The New Estalians either flee voluntarily or fail a rout test.  18 hours later I can't recall.  Either way, the Old Guard win!

The Bay Watch, surprisingly, (especially to Jim L) have no one die.  The Bosun suffers a miss a game result from his wound. The Bay Watch use all of their searches to find a rare 8 Holy Relic. (In order to pass at least one rout test.)  Opening a cargo crate nets them a Blank Flag.  The warband also gains +1 Underdog bonus for fighting the 435 rated Old Guard.

The New Estalians lose a Gunner with a blunderbuss and the goblin swab (who looked a lot like a Tilean duelist.)  The New Estalians also gain a Blank Flag.  They find a replacement Blunderbuss almost immediately.

The Old Guard win.  As usual the scenario rewards are a bit sparse (which could be the Governor's displeasure for the number of times Gertrude was hit by shot and bolts meant for her kidnappers.)  The crate of clothing found in Exploration helped the warband meet payroll for the five Hired Swords.
The Old Guard fail to find Bugman's ale or Ithilmar armor.
Almah does gain 'connections' (immunity from being imprisoned or executed by the Imperial council) which can be taken as a token of a father's gratitude.