R&P – Clash of the Cabbages.

Due to some personal obligations, I have been slacking in my game running activities. I am also getting ready to go on a road trip and would be away from the gaming table for a bit. As such, I decided I needed to run a Tuesday game for the group, one way or another. I did not have time to do a full scenario, so I decided to try something with Rebels and Patriots.

I got the idea while shopping at Micheals for some spray adhesive and fake plant bits for terrain. I walked through the isle that had puffs. Looking over, I saw a set that was two shades of green. They reminded my of the cabbage patches I just finished painting, so I got my game theme. It would be a scavenger hunt for cabbages. I bought two packs of puffs and my other stuff and was on mission from there.

The scenario would be between two raiding forces. Each was sending out parties to look for food. The bases was that there was a strong thunderstorm and both sides had lost their food stores and needed to forage to keep operating. A bit of a fun pulpy game, with a wargaming touch. Nothing too serious, just a good time throwing dice with buddies.

I set up the four cabbage patches in the middle of the board. I also thought in my newly completed chicken coup, so there would be eggs too! I had four players, so I broke them into sides (Indians and Cote de Bios vs Rangers and Light Infantry). The players would collect points, based on the food stuffs they captured and their casualties received and given.

If they took less than thirty percent casualties, they would get two points. If they took thirty percent casualties, they would give their opponent two points. Each three cabbages taken would give one point and each egg taken would be one point.

The number of items would be figure dependent. So, each figure could hold up to three cabbages and six eggs.

One cabbage would go into a haversack and would cause no hinderance to the figure. Two cabbages would have no impact on melee, but would reduce shooting to hit on sixes. Three cabbages would reduce both melee and shooting to hit on sixes. If the figures melee’d or shot, they would have to drop any cabbages they were carrying (except the one in the haversack). It would take one inch of movement to pick up each cabbage from the ground or out of the cabbage patches.

The eggs were a little different. I figure could carry up to six eggs in their haversack (it could not have a cabbage too). It would take one inch per egg to pick them up off the ground or from the coup. If the figure fired their gun, D3 eggs would break. If they got into combat, D6 eggs would break. If they got taken out, they would drop their eggs where they fell.

Each cabbage patch had twenty five cabbages. The chicken coup had fifty eggs (unknown to the players at game start) and one chicken.

I set up the table with the objectives on the center line of the table. The edges would be covered by light woods. All units would set up outside twelve inches from the center road. We rolled off who would set up the first unit and who would go first. Each side set up their troops and we got started. As both sides had light infantry, the terrain was mostly for aesthetic. However, it did limit long range fire.

The game was a fixed eight turns with a variable ending that could extend it for fourteen (per the standard game rules).

It looked like the colonists plan was to work the flanks and go for the cabbages and pincer the French. The French plan was to concentrate on the left and center and beat the facing colonist forces and grab the stores later in the game.

Both sides followed their plan, with the colonists grabbing the first thirty six cabbages and pulling those unit back into safety quickly. The other units tried to grab more stores, but got pinned by fire. The French went easy with their shooting and got some hits here and there (all units were only six figures to limit shooting effect).

The colonists managed to get to the chicken coup early, but were eliminated by fire, from concentrated fire. The game then devolved into a shoot fest. When the smoke cleared, each player had lost one of their four units. With the game getting late, the French made a run for cabbages and eggs on turn seven. They grabbed everything that was not nailed down!

The British realized what was happening and tried to get more cabbages and shoot down the French carrying away all the eggs and the chicken! They managed to cause a few more casualties and grab a couple of cabbages. The French were hoping the game would end quickly, but the roll kept game play going for four more turns. The British tried to make up their disadvantage, but in the end could not overcome the points collected in eggs.

The game ended with the each force loosing one unit, so the thirty percent casualties did not apply. They got their two bonus points for not taking enough casualties. Both British players had twenty five cabbages. So eight points each for those, for a total of ten points each and twenty for the side.

The French had more of a split result, with the Indians getting fifty cabbages, so sixteen points for those. That with the lack of casualties gave them eighteen points. The Cote de Bios had less than thirty points of casualties, so had two points for that. However, they managed to get fifty eggs and the chicken, so fifty five points, plus the other two gave them fifty seven points. This made the French side the winners with seventy five points and the Cote de Bios the king of the match. They would be eating well that night!

• Manteuffel