Bob Finally does Silver Bayonet

Whilst painting Napoleonic figures like mad, to help enthusiasm I watched a lot of the old Sharpe Episoodes, initially on ITVX but found that problematic on loading so reverted to those avial on You Tube,  

One I had completely forgotten about was ‘Sharpes Gold’, Which had very little in common with the Novel other than Sharpe is in it and there was gold. 

But it had a back story that I felt really fit inot the Silver Bayonet setting with a few minor changes. It had Guerillas dressed very much in the style of Conquistadors, Aztec Gold and ritual sacrifice . 

So here is my attempt at a s 1st scenario for what will hopefully become a linked campaign .

Scenario 1 Bacontree

It is July !813 post the battle of Vittorio and Wellington is pushing the French back across the Pyrenees, an area rife with old legends and dark secrets. Various Guerilla and bandit bands operate in the area, although most only harass the retreating French , many are not so particular. One of the more notorious is led by El Pizza, a group who are reported to dress in Conquistador armor . Legends of a lost treasure ship, Aztecs gold , magic and demonic rituals surroud them , it is this in mind that various nations particularly the French, Spanish, and British have sent teams into the area to uncover the truth, including all armies exploring officers  

Some 300 years before a Spanish treasure ship foundered off the coast.It carried large amounts of gold Craven idols , temple statues and slaves taken from the Aztec priesthood. The ship foundered of of the coast of Spain between Donostia/San Sebastion and Biarrist,  Most of the crew perished but most of the Aztecs  survived  overpowering their former captors and dragging them with them into the nearby Pyrannees mountains were they resumed their human sacrifices of the few captured Spanish. Once they were safely established in the hills caves they returned and scavenged as much of their lost relics as they could, leaving very little for the Spanish when they eventually found the shipwreck. 

For the next few years  the Aztec Survivors preyed on the local population in revenge for the destruction their  Empire, continuing their rityual sacrifce on  any captives taken in raids.  only some 10 years later was a returning Conquistador commander  able to muster enough willing volunteers to hunt down and ambush the Priests during one of their raids. Although this destroyed for the time being the bulk of the marauders he was never able to find the the Aztecs hideout, so their families were still at large, though for a time the raiding did stop. Eventually it became apparent that descendants of the survivors still remained and occasional disappearances of travellers was reported , and were chalked up to the curse of the Aztecs, as it is told that the the last of the Aztecs priests killed in their final battle cursed the Conquistador with dieing  breath.

That is the legend told to locals, the trutb is far darker, tbere was a last battle, but rather than a gallant victory, the Spznish were ambushed and either killed in the fight or captured for a more grissly fate as ritual sacrifice. The Aztec Priests knew that despite their victory eventually they would be overwhelmed by the locals , so they dessed as tbeir former captors pretending to be saviors whilst continuing their rituals. Over the centuries this has bcome a ittle blurrec round the edges , Many of  El Pizza’s band do actually believe the legend,  which is useful for expandiing tbeir area of control in the region, only a core of  his trustrd luitenants from their original holdfast, sho can only be recognised by a aztec pendant that each wear.His forcd  core of the local Guerrilla movement in .They  still keep up the conquistidor pretence of t by still  wearing remnants of archaic  armour.

Scenario One ‘Bacontree’d the Ambusher Ambushed. 

Several of you army’s supply convoys has been ambushed by local bandits, a cavalry scout has just witnessed one not to far from your party and there is and opportunity to ambush the ambushers, so you have been dispatched to destroy this group and recover the army’s supplies. If one of the bandits can be captured, they may have knowledge of the whereabouts of a lost agent sent into the area. 

Table Setup  

Around the centre ft the table place a couple of ruined buildings leaving a clear path for the trail that the convoy followed along the centre line of the non-player deployment table edges. Place a hill along each of the player’s sides of table obscuring the players’ initial deployment. 

Along this trail, place various carts (or bits of scatter terrain) that are in the process of being ransacked by Bandits, Place 5 Bandits along by this scatter terrain keeping them with 4” of the centre line but at least 5” apart. 

Place 5 clue markers one in each ruined building and 3 along the centre of the table line marking the path. 

Once all clue markers are in place, each player rolls a dice, the highest rolling player picks one of the edges with no road crossing it, deploying up 2 “in and behind the cover provided by the hills . 

Special Rules 

Rewards 

+1 for each clue marker investigated  

=+2 fof killing Shadow Jaguar Warrior 

+2 for if the unit inflicts 3 or more casualties on the opposing unit .Do not count casulties from Bandits or shadow Jaguar Warrior 

+2 for finding papers and idol of exploring officer 

Postcript, played this last Sat and on the whoke it ran well , though need to edit the Shadow Jaguar warrior to fit in more with ghost rules. Specially as it survived game and eill return dan dan drrr!.

Apologies parficularly to Gerry for no lets play, what little free time we got during game, was taken up by having to watch a toddler!