Fistful of Lead

 

I've been reading Fistful of Lead rules by Wiley Games. They are geared for small forces with just 5-7 minis per player but can handle a fair number of players. At first glance I had reservations they may be cumbersome as both shock and wounds are tracked for each figure and I loathe much book keeping in games. After reading through though this seems easily tracked. The game runs on a card draw system that dictates order of figure activation and certain cards also provide bonuses such as a free weapon reload or heal a wound for example. While I generally like skirmish games with much larger forces like Dan Mersey’s Lion Rampant, Rebels & Patriots and Pikeman’s Lament, Fistful of Lead and their various period supplements might be a good game to start you off in a new period since you only need to paint up a few minis to start playing.

The pictures below are a travel game version of FFoL that I’m working on. When I have time, I hope to be able to drag it to the park or a game-a-thon. The minis are 15mm Blue Moon AWI and FIW figures I’m using as loyalist KRRNY and Albany County militia during the local raids of 1780 (also some farm families just trying to eke out a living and not get killed or taken hostage and dragged up to Canada) Wiley Games sells printed and PDF versions of their various rules and accessories. If interested: https://wiley-games.myshopify.com

 

 

 

Going after the Headless Horseman!

 His head has been found and the colonials will fight to keep the Headless Horseman from repossessing his melon! We had an entertaining Halloween Rebels &Patriots game today. We played scenario 1 with the objective being the Horseman’s freshly dug up head.  I played the Horseman and his minions while my buddy commanded the colonials. Battle Highlights included my right flank Jager skirmishers repeatedly failing to activate with back-to-back shake eyes rolls and retreating off the board While the left flank jagers advanced to the objective and managed to score a couple of points and recovering a modicum of honor for the jager corps. The Americans would win the day however, their withering fire mauling the Hessians, assuring that the Horseman’s head remained an isolated detachment for the time being.

The tide starts to turn against the Germans and losses begin to mount.(below)

By this point the Headless Horseman has lost his command and withdraws in defeat.(below)

  Farmer announces yard sale on used Hessians (casualties). Everything must go! (below)

...And I would have gotten it too, if it weren't for those meddling Americans! Oh well, maybe next year... Mwa ha ha ha -cough-  (below)

 

The Headless Horseman Scenario for Rebels & Patriots

Old Glory's General Nathaniel Greene figure lost his head for this conversion to the Headless Horseman. He'll have a starring role in a Rebels & Patriots Halloween scenario I'm putting together.

 

 

 

Elements of the New York Continental line join local militia and frontiersmen to fight the hated mercenaries, Tories and their supernatural champion,

 

 

Rangers of Shadow Deep

I recently purchased the Rangers of Shadow Deep rules. A very simple but entertaining dungeon crawl type of rules designed for solo/coop play. I have taken a few pictures of our games and some of the figures we are using with these rules.

Adventurers prepare for an expedition into the Shadow Deep. Conquistadors from Eureka miniatures and civilians from Reaper.

 

A friend's swordsman dispatches a zombie

 

 

Sigwald & company in the Shadow Deep

Battle north of Albany 1689 using Donnybrook rules

Battle north of Albany 1689

We used Donnybrook rules to play out a fictitious engagement in 1689 which has the largely Dutch local militia in open rebellion upon arrival of news of the Glorious Revolution against James II.

Units of militia seize the local fort. Upon hearing of  the approach of regulars from Albany the militia promptly abandons the fort, retreats west into the woods but then doubles back determined to fight after scouts report the approaching force is smaller than anticipated and the already gathered militia force also expects to be reinforced as word of the rebellion spreads. It's at this point that our battle begins with the duke of York's independent company guided by a party of Indians & loyal frontier militia arriving at the fort. They make their way off the beach forming a skirmish line to engage the onrushing  militia.The battle included a large running fire fight, infantry assaults and cavalry charges. Only after an entire day of fighting would the local militia grudgingly cede the field to the regulars.

 

Rioting civilian mobs and local militia men rush towards the approaching regulars, some manning the redoubt west of the main fort.

 

Local frontiersmen and allied Indians advance before the column of independent company soldiers. 

 

units of militia foot and horse rush forward.

 

After a fierce firefight a militia unit is routed 

 

Militia cavalry charges into a band of Mohawks, chasing them back into cover.

After the initial rebel assaults are repelled the regulars are eventually form a cohesive firing line. Their disciplined volleys take a heavy toll and repels the rebel attack.

 

Late in the day the rebels finally bottle out and fail their force morale check (by 1 pip!) The mobs retire  into the woods to lick their wounds and plot anew. 

Leisler's Rebellion

I found myself drawn back to the 17th century due to the advent of recent skirmish level rule sets: Blood & Plunder, The Pikeman's Lament & Donnybrook. I'm putting a table together for a game  of Donnybrook.

 The Independent Company of foot stationed at Albany

 The Albany troop of horse