Hunt for the Devil's Crown

The Devil’s Crown is a campaign for Fistful of Lead: Tales of Horror. The campaign is a series of 6 linked scenarios to be played in order. The outcome of each scenario has a direct effect on the next game. The player with the most Renown at the end of the campaign wins, and possesses the dark power of the crown.
The scenario book also has rules for a new faction: Gypsies! Sometimes against, sometimes with the Forces of Darkness.
And a printable catacomb for use with scenario book.

Find it here!

Campaign for the Kingdom: The Center Can't Hold

Last night we played one of our group's favorite games, our Campaign for the Kingdom. WE've been playing the rules for about 20 years, with lead just as old. This is a mapless campaign. The player with the most points, accrued by victories, is the Claimant. The player with the next highest, is the Pretender. First player to agreed upon total wins. In this case 12 points.
In the this battle, the Earl Rutiger was defending his claim to the throne from Ulric, Duke of the Black Isles. I played Rutiger, in absence of the real player.

The first few turns saw a cautious advance on both sides, players trying to hold their lines together. But, of course, there were a few commanders who got jumpy and the lines surged forward.
This game is a delicate dance of controlling your force's Battlelust. For the most part they will follow your orders, but different factors and terrible dice may send them charging forward, or cooling their heels. Too much aggression, they get tired. Too little they start thinking about those crops at home that need harvesting.
Then theirs the almighty Order Deck. The deck consists of Aces (or 1s), twos and threes cards, and a reshuffle card. The better the commander, the more 3s in the deck. The poorer the commander, the more 1s. After commanders have given orders to their troops and rolled to see if they obey them, then the Order card is revealed. This is how many actions your troops can make. The right card at the right time can be a game winner.
When our troops met, it started as a slap fight. No real casualties inflicted for a turn. Then, all hell broke loose.
For two straight turns in the middle, Rutiger and Ulric's troops slaughtered each other. No retreats, just a brutal bloodbath. Of my 6 units on the table, only one remained. That meant a loss of 4 more units would break us.

The flanks held. They managed to give as good as they got, and by the final turn it came down to each side only needing to inflict one more casualty.
A barrage of arrows ended it for us. Ulric claimed victory. Rutiger was beheaded (lost 2 points) and the victorious side received each gained a point along with a bonus point that can awarded to anyone, regardless of side. Ulric claimed it for himself. There was some grumbling among his troops for this move.

The dreaded Battlelust wheel

I'm really thinking of finally publishing these rules. They grew out of an older set of rules that we've long since added to and made or own. This would be a departure from the "Fistful" family, but a much needed diversion, and great set of rules for the right group.

Newest standings

Campaign for the Kingdom

I'm not posting any pics this time around. There wasn't enough time. The Claimant to the throne, Duke Archibald, took such a sudden and overwhelming loss, we didn't even have time for pics. It was a brutally one sided affair which doesn't happen very often in these rules.
But here's the results:

Now Rutiger lays claim to the throne of the Kingdom. But for how long?

The Grand Campaign: the Battle of Castle Woods

Last night was game 2 of an 11 game Longstreet campaign I am running with my 17-year-old son. In the first game, he brutalized me, but ended up getting punished in the post game. This game was payback...

I ended up outscoring him with my Reb cavalry. We randomly rolled the scenarios, which was a defensive battle at a walled farm. Knowing his propensity for ATTACK, I chose to be the defender, even though I would be understrength for 6 turns.

As anticipated, the Union hurled their greater numbers at the rebels. Due to some awesome terrain cards, I had created several choke points the Federal troops would have to pass in between. There I placed the cannons.
It was a bloodbath. The poor Ohio troops were destroyed, while the rest of the Union forces were slowly chewed up before turn 6 even arrived.
We only had a few charges, most of which the Federals won. But, it was too late.
Union lost 17 stands to the CSA 6.
The post battle round saw a Union promotion. The papers must have loved his bravery?
But camp fever slashed through both sides, again decimating the horse. US cavalry dropped to 2 stands.
However, new troops from back East bolstered the ranks once again with fresh meat.

Campaign for Kingdom Battle #2: The Beatdown

Duke Archibald, fresh from his last victory, took the field along with three allies against Horace, the Pretender, and his three traitorous friends.

The opening moves saw the various lords trying to keep their battle lines in formation, but as usual, a few broke ranks in spontaneous charges.
When the forces met, real pounding began on the flanks. In one turn, Sir Roderick lost four of 6 units to Ulric.

For whatever reason, poor pay, tribal loyalties, the pikemen on both sides never got in a lick. They all left after a few hits or arrows. The flanks quickly caved. By the time Horace got his troops in the center to fight, it was over. Half his army was gone,
After the usual executions and promotions, Archibald was feeling pretty good about his chances. Little did he know Sir Rutiger, his trusted lieutenant on the left flank, was already plotting his demise....

The Grand Campaign begins...

With both children growing way too rapidly (one in college, one almost finished with high school), I decide to slow things down a bit a host a one on one Civil War campaign with the Boy. It's a chance to spend some time together and share one of my first loves in wargaming: the American Civil War.
I decided on Longstreet, as it provides a crisp, concise campaign with lots of character and it's easy to learn. Time to dig out my ancient 15mm ACW armies.
We created our forces, 3 infantry units, 1 cavalry unit and a battery of cannons, All Eager Recruits. We randomly created our personas.
Me: Col. Cletus Wayne Guthrie, a politically savvy up and comer who raised a regiment of native troops, the 1st Missouri Volunteers (the Ozark Zouaves, even though only a half dozen men actually have the fancy outfits).

The Boy: Eustus Marshal, a hot headed cavalry officer commanding a group of Northern Aggressors.
We randomly created the battlefield and and scenario per the rules. Marshal would be the defender and I would be on the attack.

I divided my forces and sent my cavalry charging down the turnpike to capture one of the objective, the small town of Prairie Landing. It was decided all battles for the campaign would be named after local housing divisions...

They were assisted by a unit of infantry. It was risky move I would later regret.
The rest of my troops moved solidly forward, forced into a deeper formation due to terrain. This limited my opening volley, but not the follow up charge which sent the Pennsylvania troops reeling back. This would be a push over....
Then Marshal swung his cavalry around and rode hard at my flank, including a still limbered battery. I blew through my best cards keeping him at bay, including throwing an unspotted swamp in the way.

Meanwhile, his other troops had recovered and were steadily blasting away my poor Arkansas troops.
The only satisfaction I got was cutting his other flank to pieces trying to cross a stream to capture Prairie Landing.
The turns quickly blew by along with my losses. My untested troops were holding, but dying in droves. At least they died on native soil.

The victory for Union was complete. I lost 21 stands to his 9. UGH!
The post battle process followed.
Thanks to my political connections, despite my horrific loss I was promoted as did the Boy.
We regained some losses as men trickled back into camp. But a few of my units dropped from Eager to Cautious after "Seeing the Elephant". Our post battle camp losses were terrible. My once 10 strong units were dropped by to 7, 7, 6 and 5. The Union fared little better.
But, our Campaign cards helped a little. I was given a Veteran unit from back East to bolster my losses while Marshal got a few new rifled guns.
As 1861 closed, it was great fun. We have 8 more games together, and hopefully some good memories.

New Year, new Campaign for the Kingdom!

The King is dead. No doubt poisoned by his craven brother, Edwin. The kingdom is an uproar. Half of the nobles swear loyalty to Edwin, while the other half claim the deceased king's nephew Archibald is the rightful heir.
They meet at dawn on field of battle.

The rules of choice, as always, is a modified version of Flower of Chivalry. And as always, it was fun nail biter oil the end.
The battle started with a wild charge by Edwin's army. The mounted knights broke ranks and flew ahead of the rest of the army. They were cut down by arrows and mercenary handguns. 3 units down, 9 to go.
The center of Edwin's line crumbled early on, while Archibald's right cracked.
My corner of the battlefield, commanding the Pretender's left flank, was a mess. My men failed to follow a single order until the very end. Meanwhile, my opponent rumbled forth in a single block, looking very trained and professional until the very end.

My rival, Roderick, Baron of Westgate, was one move away. He risked a charge order, hoping Edwin would draw at least a "2" from the Action deck. This would give him one action to move to contact, and one to fight. It wasn't really that risky. Edwin is a Brilliant commander and had mostly 3s and 2s in the deck.
The Reshuffle card came up. This acts as a 2 action card before the deck is reshuffled. I was doomed. My men stoically awaited their fate, almost as if they were made of metal...
But, Roderick was out of Edwin's command range, this meant that he had to make a command roll, or risk getting one less action than the rest of the army. Roderick, being brilliant, needed an 8 or less on a d10.
9!
This meant his troops only got 1 action. Since he had ordered a charge, his men crashed into mine but had no actions left to fight. Right into my spears and pikes.
Our turn. Archibald draws a much needed 3 Action card. That means since I'm already in contact, I roll 3 dice for each unit. Four, count 'em, four of Rod's units destroyed. Victory for Archibald.
Victory points were awarded to our side. An extra was given to Ulric, the noble holding the enemies center. Turns out he had a deal with Archie before the battle to not fight that hard...
Edwin was captured, and met the fate of all traitors.

But, the war was fall from over. Rumor has it, one of Archibald's nobles had married one of the former king's daughters in secret, and now awaits to claim the throne!

Campaign for the Kingdom: The Final Battle

The War has raged for months. Years. Sometimes we forget. Nobles have risen to power, only to fall. Last night we were able to finally declare a winner at the Battle of Blood River.

Lionel, Baron of Stonekeep faced off against Duke Horace of Dunharrow with their allied nobles.
Lionel was able to get his troops across the river first and force a double team on Horace's left flank. There might have been some duplicity by Horace's right flank commander. We'll never know.

It was a clear victory for Lionel. Rarely do these rules give it up a one sided victory.
All hail King Lionel! But for how long.....?

 The game went fast enough, we were able to play a game of Flick 'Em Up!