THE GAME THAT NEVER WAS: AN UN-BATTLE REPORT

 Figure-eye level view of the the scene of the non-action: you can spy the lone Quartermaster in the yard in front of the Inn.

 This last Friday was my club's February game night, and I had spent a good part of the last weekend plus the balance of my free time up until Wed of this week (more on that in a moment) putting together a 17th Century skirmish-level game using a modified version of Dropwing Games System's Reiver rules  (by Steve Winter).   This was going to be my first use of a Cigar Box Battle Mat This will also most likely be the game that I will be running at Huzzah! in May.

The premise for this bit of "small war" was that things had gone badly for one side in a battle, leading to the usual the panic in the baggage area. The baggage detachment bolts, taking every bit of transport with it, leaving the unfortunate quartermaster stranded, along with two guards who were too slow to get away with the rest (only the quartermaster is in these pictures).

Enter the players, each in charge of a file of dragoons or Croats, converging on said baggage camp to grab whatever they can--each player for himself.  This is the old "and then they abandoned the battle and looted the baggage camp" moment, a speciality of dragoons an Croats.  Among the barrels, boxes, and buildings, there will be stashes of stuff to be had. Being a very low level system, each player would run 6 figures, which would have a basic set of stats each (nothing very elaborate). Above, I had even gotten so far as to sort the figures for movement (each figure represented in mounted and unmounted mode).

Unfortunately, on Wednesday night, a shovel full of water-soaked snow got me--and I strained my lower back.  All work ceased on the game and instead I proceeded to indulge in some nice back spasms.  Given some nice muscle relaxers and doing a bunch of nothing (horizontally), I should be returning to normal operations in the next week (but never in time for the Friday game).   So, I'll be putting the finishing touches on the scenario and bringing it to the April club game night instead.  I'll be adding a few more trees and such for the actual game, but it doesn't need much more.  Thus ends my un-battle report, dear readers, until April.

Excelsior!