The raid on the trading post, part one - Sharp Practice in Syldavia and Borduria

This game in set in the mid-18th century and is a clash between the two well-known (to readers of Tintin) imagi-nations of Syldavia and Borduria. The forces used will be some of my Essex Miniatures 15mm Syldavians and Bordurians, details of which can be found elsewhere on this blog.

I'll be playing this scenario this afternoon at the club, but I thought that I'd set the scene before the game. The scenario represents a typical raid by Bordurian Freikorps and regional forces against a Syldavian garrison protecting a trading outpost. Such raids were common along the borders between the two countries, even when they were not formally at war. It is a variation of Scenario Three “Defence in Depth” on p. 74 in the rulebook.

The image comes from the book and is copyright of the TooFatLardies

The book sets the scenario out thus;

INTRODUCTION

This game is a Battle. One side is attacking a position, which is held in depth.

DEPLOYMENT POINTS

Red has two Deployment Points for this game. His Primary Deployment Point may be placed anywhere in the red shaded Zone 1, a secondary Fixed Deployment Point in Zone 2.

Blue may place a Primary and Secondary Deployment Point within 6” of points 1 and 2.

Both sides may add other Fixed or Moveable Deployment Point if available.

OBJECTIVE

To win a victory Blue must capture Red’s Primary Deployment Point. If that is achieved, the game will end immediately.

TERRAIN & MINOR CHARACTERS

There are no specific terrain requirements for this scenario. Before the game begins, roll a D6 to see if any Minor Characters are present. On a 1 to 3 none are present, on a 4 to 6 two civilian Minor Characters is present. They have no objective but are simply conducting their everyday business.

I have made some changes to this basic scenario, which are outlined below.

Red are the defending Syldavians and Blue are the attacking Bordurians. Zone 1 represents the Trading Post itself and Zone 2 consists of a number of fields. The rest of the terrain is lightly wooded.

The Syldavian forces consist of;

3 groups of 8 Line Fusiliers (Status III leader and Status I leader, musician) from the Istow Regiment

2 groups of Jägers in Line (Status II leader) and 1 group of Jäger skirmishing light infantry (Status I leader) from the Strelec Regiment

2 groups of Pandurs in Line (Status II leader)

1 group of Pandur skirmishers (Status I leader), both from the Douma Pandur Regiment

1 ammunition wagon

1 water cart

Moveable Deployment Point

The Bordurian forces consist of;

3 groups of 8 Freikorps Schtroumpf Fusiliers (1 Status III leader and 1 Status I leader)

2 groups of Hajduks in Line (Status II leader)

1 group of Hajduk skirmishers (Status I leader) both from the Smederevka Regiment

1 group of Freikorps Schtroumpf Hussars (Status II leader, Musician, Colours)

1 group of Lancers (Status I leader) from the Kashkaval Regiment

1 ammunition wagon

1 mule train

Moveable Deployment Point

Minor characters

There are four groups of livestock animals in two pens behind Zone 2. These may be captured by the Bordurians. Each captured group must be accompanied by 1 Bordurian who can no longer fight in fisticuffs or shoot.

There are civilians in the trading post. These can also be captured by the Bordurians in the same way as the livestock. All of these are Peter Pig figures.

Until the two Tiffin chips have been drawn, the chips for the Syldavian Fusilier leaders will not be in the bag. This represents delays in the troops leaving their barracks and arriving on the field of battle.

Chips are allocated thus;

Syldavian forces (red)

Istow Regiment: 1 = Status III leader 2 = Status I leader

Strelec Regiment: 3 = Status II leader 4 = Status 1 leader

Douma Pandur Regiment: 5 = Status II leader 6 = Status I leader

Bordurian forces (blue);

Freikorps Schtroumpf Fusiliers: 1 = Status III leader 2 = Status I leader

Smederevka Regiment: 3 = Status II leader 4 = Status 1 leader

Freikorps Schtroumpf Hussars 5 =Status II leader

Kashkaval Lancers 6 = Status I leader

As I like to give my leaders names (in true Sharp Practice fashion), the leaders are;

Syldavia;

1) Oberst Maximilian von Taschentuch

2) Leutnant Antun Rizvanac

3) Hauptmann Adrijan Zrezek

4) Feldwebel Marko Krompir

5) Oberleutnant Stanislav Pokalca

6) Feldwebel Mitja Repa

Borduria:

1) Kapetan Dimitar Cantacuzene

2) Narednik Risto Morkov

3) Porucnik Petrov Gaba

4) Narednik Lazar Kopriva

5) Kapetan Alexios Doukas

6) Porucnik Mihail Xinomavro