Blood & Plunder - Surprise extra Demo day.

So. After Easter and my last post, I thought it would be calm with demoing Blood & Plunder for some time... I was wrong, and last wednesday, I ran an impromptu demo day. Got in two demo games, and a third personal one against a friend (not quite counting that as a demo, since he's supposed to know the rules by now). Still, that's a solid 4-5 hours of demoing, discussing lists, the history around it, good and bad ideas, and so on.

For some fun and variety, I brought along a variety of forces, one for each one of the major powers (a mix between privateers and militias).

First battle, English Buccaneers against French Caribbean Militia. Both players were completely new to the game, but got advice from some more experienced players (although in one case, "more experienced" in the sence that any positive number is greater than 0).

For ease of use, we ran the buildings as impassable, but the tunnel out front as providing cover, as well as the entire area inside the various barrels and boxes as providing cover (and being Rough).

The Freebooters found a nice hidey-hole while exchanging fire with the Boucaniers, at least initially.

Meanwhile, on the flank, there were some skirmishing around the field, but surprisingly few casualties.

And it all ended with a massive brawl in the middle. Annoying when it happens "all the time", but for demos and peoples first time, it's quite acceptable, especially when the road to get there is a teaching experience. In the end, the english stood victorious, and everyone had fun.

 Next up, once again English Buccaneers against some quickly repurposed (and unpainted...) Pike & Shotte Swedes, as Swedish Militia. Since none of us had any great ideas how this would work, it was quite interresting.

We got quite close to "standard" deployment, with two firing lines opposing each other (and mostly not seen thanks to terrain, with the important exception of the swedish Medium Cannon.

The cannon caused significant casualties, as well as being a psychological threat by being so far away and yet able to hit things so easily (I won't run a cannon in demo games again, unless it's naval combat, nor will I allow it to be used if someone brings one). In the end, though, the english Freebooters managed to work themselves close, and after charging the pikemen (dangerous, but it worked out), they also managed to charge the cannon, kill all it's crew, and then turn their guns on the swedish Militia. Thus, they managed to win the day, barely. Sometimes, it's good to be generalists.

Swedes should not be underestimated, for all that they die like flies to shooting. And cannons are nasty, until they suddenly aren't (usualy because their crew gets acute iron poisoning).

But still, another nice and fun game, unpainted minis aside. And I know for certain that the English player have already ordered rulebook and a starter set.

/Fool Out