20 May 2009. Scenario 23. Hostage Rescue (1) or '6 months in a Pirate Lair'.

This game was played solo using 40mm 19thC Fictional troops and Hearts of Tin

This scenario was obviously designed as a modern skirmish game. My first thought was to stay skirmish and switch it to Prince Valiant with a dragon ship substituting for the helicopters, but having HofT on the brain I thought perhaps a VSF balloon airship would do, but I haven't built any yet, so......steam boats on the river, the 19thC equivalent of helicopters.

It seems the pirates were upset by the capture of Freeport (see scenario 15) but not dispersed. The capture of Lord Dennis C Walts, an important officer of the Faraway Trading Company Fleet, and his Lady Veigh Enna, has led to a rescue mission led by Colonel Pointer of the Fencibles acting as Force Commander. The pirate garrison consisted of 4 companies of Spearmen, 6 of light infantry, and a light gun with 2 crew, all classed as Veteran Irregulars. Their starting position as well as that of the hostages was decided upon by shuffling and deploying cards which were not revealed until Red's forces were able to spot them. (In either words I treated all 4 potential hostage cards as real ones etc..)

The relief expedition which was carried on 2 unarmed river steamers, was composed of a company of Victoria Rifles, the grenadier companies of the Buffs and Green Tigers, a company of volunteers, a light rocket battery and a light gun, each with 2 crew. Once again the pirates proved to be both tough and lucky.

It is possible that the Red Queen's forces could have suffered a worse string of luck, but it wouldn't have been easy. On the right bank Colonel Pointer left the gun to batter the stone warehouse while he led the Grenadiers and Volunteers in a brave charge across the fields. Tripping over the muddy fields and evidently still seasick they did manage to drive many of the pirates back but cut down by cannister and gun fire and stoutly resisted in melee, they were surrounded and finally Colonel Pointer's twice wounded body was dragged off to join Lord Dennis in captivity.

On the left bank the Queen's troops did drive the enemy out of the first stone house and eventually inflicted serious casualties but suffered heavily themselves and barely a company's worth of troops ever re-embarked.
Stay tuned