Andy wondered why I was so quick to post up the report of last week's I Ain't Been Shot Mum game... Obviously it had nothing to do with my stunning victory and to prove that here is a battle report from a game last year when Andy and I decided to refight the Sharp Practice Escort Duty scenario he'd umpired the previous December. This time with my brave Italian soldati were attempting to stop Andy's Spanish rabble from escorting a rather mysterious empty looking wagon across the table...
Ranging ahead of the wagon was the legendary (in his own mind) El Vibora with his scruffy band of Guerrillas...
The wagon escorted by Capitán Manzanas and his somewhat smarter blue coated Fusileros...
Flanked by Teniente Estiércol's Cazadores.
With no sign of any enemy the Spanish resolutely marched down the road followed by the mysteriously empty looking wagon.
¡Caracoles! (as I believe they say in Spain), Tenente Baresi and the rather dashing Volteggiatori of the 1° Reggimento Fanteria Legger appeared on the Spanish flank...
Swiftly followed by the 4° Fanteria di Linea led by the heroic Capitano Rossi.
Ever a man of action, Capitano Rossi ordered his Fucilieri to fire at the Spanish Fusileros escorting the wagon.
Three Spaniards fell dead whilst the survivors accumulated Shock.
There was more woe then for the Spanish as Primo Corporale Zoff with his line Volteggiatori arrived on the battlefield and also took the opportunity to fire a volley at the wagon escort.
Three more Fusileros dropped dead though the remainder staggered on carrying varying amounts of Shock.
The surviving Fusileros quailed as the 1° (Real Italiano) Cacciatore a Cavallo under the command of Sergente Altobelli cantered onto the field of battle.
With the Italians massed on the Spanish flank, Teniente Estiércol's ordered his outnumbered Cazadores to try and cover the wagon and escort.
The escort Fusileros deciding to bravely face the Italians...
Leaving the mysteriously empty looking wagon under the guard of El Vibora with his Guerrillas who themselves took a pop at the Volteggiatori...
Managing only to inflict a point of Shock on the Italian skirmishers.
The Italian Fucilieri fired another volley at the Spanish Fusileros...
And more of Capitán Manzanas' men fell dead, the Shock piling up on the survivors.
A crows-eye view of the battlefield at this stage shows the Spanish predicament, not helped by the failure of Teniente Fuego to get his brown-coated Fuslieos anywhere near the action!
Of course the Spanish cause was not helped by some amazing token pulling that 'somewhat' favoured the Italians! :D
Using the four flags Capitano Rossi ordered his Fucilieri to fire again at the Spanish Fusileros...
The group led by Capitán Manzanas breaking, leaving the remaining groups to wonder where their officer had run off to with his priest in tow.
The second group of Fusileros subsequently group broke Manzanas had run through them!
Meanwhile the Fanteria Legger Volteggiatori under Tenente Baresi started to trade fire with Teniente Estiércol's Cazadores...
The Spanish Teniente being wounded and knocked down by the unerring Italian musketfire!
The line Volteggiatori then fired at the sole remming group of Fusileros...
Who fell back to the edge the vineyard...
The Italian musketfire spreading and killing the nearby Guerrilla leader El Vibora!
Now Altobelli! Now is your chance! The Sergente then led the 1° (Real Italiano) Cacciatore a Cavallo forward to run down the remaining Spanish. Avanti mio Cacciatore!
Unfortunately the cavalry charge was a bit half-hearted, the Cacciatore not covering much ground, allowing the remaining Fusileros to fire a volley into the cavalry causing a lot of Shock...
Fortunately the Italian army was accompanied by a Cantiniere...
And she gave the cavalry some suitable encouragement - Avanti, figli d'asini! Reducing their Shock by 3.
Ensuring their subsequent half-hearted charge just about rode down two Fusileros.
However it left them exposed to the sole remaining group of Fusileros.
Who fired and shot down Sergente Altobelli!
The remaining cavalry deciding they'd had enough fun for the day and retreated down the road to a safer locale where no one was shooting at them.
At long last the brown-coated Fuslieos arrived and Teniente Fuego ordered them to fire a volley at the 1° Reggimento Fanteria Legger Volteggiatori...
Inflicting some Shock on the finely clad Italian light infantry skirmishers.
Having found a little courage (probably from his hip flask of Brandy de Jerez), Capitán Manzanas then took control of the leaderless Guerrillas and the rather mysterious empty looking wagon...
Spotting this, Primo Corporale Zoff ordered his Volteggiatori to open fire on the Spanish group.
And three more Guerrillas bit the dust!
As if things could not get worse for the Spanish, Tenente Conti then arrived with the Granatieri of the 4° Fanteria di Line...
The Grenadiers levelling bayonets and charging into the Cazodores!
They smashed the Spanish skirmishers apart, however in the process Tenente Conti sadly fell to a desperate sword thrust from the previously wounded Teniente Estiércol.
This defeat though saw the Spanish Force Morale hit zero handing victory to the brave forces of the Kingdom of Italy!
Now to find out what is hidden in the mysteriously empty looking wagon...
We have concluded the Escort Duty is a hard scenario to try and win for the escort party as the advantages are mostly with the attackers. In addition the Gods of War(gaming) were certainly not with Andy this night, especially with the infamous brown-coated Fuslieos not activating often and not getting into battle until it was too late. That said it was still an fun evening of dice rolling and banter (largely at Andy's expense).
