Thanks for all the kind comments gents. My mandatory overtime period is apparently ending this weekend, so I might catch up.
@Rhydderch--the scenario is based on THE GAUNTLET by Erik Johnson. Published in TC#21 pp. 19-21. We tweeked it to make it less deadly
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Dead Man's Hand--The Last Battle!Our Karribean campaign came to a bloody end on August 30. I sort of remember the battle. However, even though I know that the Old Guard, Undead and New Estalians failed our Curse rolls, I can't recall what the effects of the Curse were. Also we rolled 3 events during the game, but what those were is not apparent from the photos.
I do remember I chose the scenario because the Bay Watchers had rolled the exploration result that allowed them to place 3 warriors on the upper stories of ruins. Thus an underground battle would negate the roll. So we played--
The Lost Vault of TzunkiEach warband was searching for the entrance to a treasure vault guarded by the implacable saurus hero Slith Dan and his cohort of Lizardmen...
Naturally in the excitement of setting up the board, rolling for table sides and old battle wounds Mr L and I forgot that he had the ability to infiltrate in the scenario...
So we set up as normal for multiplayer battles. The Undead were still the lowest rated warband due to losing many veteran ghouls in the Temple of Doom the week before. This meant that the battle would take place at night...
The Old Guard entered from the west near 3 possible entrances to the Vault (of course I also chose to enter through a choke point that would funnel my crew into a killing ground...)
Said killing ground manned by New Estalians flush with my old handguns, a Tilean, dueling pistols, a Hochland Long Rifle and torches (the better to see Old Guard by...)
The Bay Watch entered from the south. They find the secret entrance to the Vault of Tzunki on the first turn cleverly concealed on the lowest step of the Temple of the Toad.
But the Undead entered from the east. The ogre and ghouls are on the pyrates immediately.
3 ghouls fall to a blunderbuss shot the next turn. (Mrs. Wolfgang trips in the dark attempting to kill the ogre)
Randi II enters the Vault
The Old Guard swing wide around the Bay Watch left flank instead of charging the New Estalians. At the time I justified it by thinking I would reach the entrance to the Vault. (I should have just fought the Estlians.)
As the New Estalians clash with Moonface and the rest of Hadji's rear guard at the gate...
Moonface is the first Old Guard to fall
3 skink archers are the first Lizardmen encountered. They snipe at the pesky New Estalians
And are shot down in turn
Then charged as the survivor lays helpless
Meanwhile back at the Temple of the Toad, the Undead smash the Bay Watch
Another skink appears, but meets the same fate as the others
Hadji and the rear guard continue to hold the gate
Over by the Temple of the Toad the Vampire cuts down Mrs Wolfgang, then is shot and wounded by Critter. Critter is next on the list!
Amazingly Critter is not killed! He fights on... and on. With the help of Dancia the time travelling witch (who casts
Age of Stone), Critter takes the T6 Vampire out of action!
But things look poor for the Bay Watch
The Old Guard crew formerly known as Baldy of the Baywatch (sword and pistol guy) is killed by his former mates
Slith Dan and his saurus warriors attack the Undead from the rear!
The Purple witch is killed
But the Old Guard stalk the last Bay Watch standing
Only Hadji and the Moor hold the gate
In the end the Bay Watch are slaughtered almost to a man as the Undead ravage across the battlefield and the New Estalians and Old Guard arrive from the north and west. Critter goes down before the swords of vengeful dregs. Randi is stalked by a dreg and a ghoul through the vault, until she can retreat no longer.
Slith Dan fails to kill the Necromancer and his saurus braves are held at bay by the ogre. (I had thought that the Lizardman guards would be a big factor in the game, but John was able to roll a string of 1s and 2s and only 3 groups of guards appeared over like 5 or 6 turns.)
- Jim L (aka Playtable) wrote:
- End of game I had 13 OOA and 2 warriors still on the board.
(Sigh) If we want, we can call the dead cabin boy Little Billy 4 (instead of Punk*)
Henchgirl gunner, Randy 2 also died in the Vault.
Hired sword warlock Wolfgang 5 died
L.G.T. Boatswain Critter was robbed!
And I forgot that I had rolled 6666 last game and should have had 3 heroes starting on top of the tallest ruins.
Oh well, just as well that they didn't.
*[The new cabin boy was apparently named Punk, but the model had been Little Billy for the last 2 campaigns--and for 3 incarnations in this campaign. New name, new model is how it should be!]
The Old Guard suffered the loss of
Baldy,
Fibjibbet the Warlock and
Hadji my LGT gunner.
The New Estalians claimed that none of their casualties died. Certainly no heroes went out of action.
The Undead suffered
the Vampire captured by his nemesis the Bay Watch!
The Purple Witch was killed by saurus braves. And some ghouls were shot or stabbed to death. The Undead do end the game in possession of the Vault's treasure! This brings to 4 the number of Lustrian artifacts recovered by the Undead over the campaign.
In the end it is Undead 4 artifacts, rest of players 0 artifacts. A Win for the forces of darkness even if the Vampire is lost.
Thus ends the saga of The Dead Man's Hand. Thank you very much to the players and to the readers of this forum!
Subject: Re: Pyrates of the Karribean VI.a--Dead Man's Hand 
Sat 29 Sep 2018 - 19:28
