Fistful of Lead: Horse and Musket at Recruits Part One

Here's the first of two posts about our games at last weekend's Recruits. We played 4 French and Indian War-era games of Fistful of Lead: Horse and Musket. The scenario (map above, changed a little from the map I posted last week) featured two units of 5 colonial militia defending an abandoned farmstead from an Indian war party of 3 units of 5 warriors. 

The goal of the Indians was to burn the settlements. An Indian could start a fire by using two actions in the same turn while next to a building. 6 Fires would burn down a building and each burned building was worth 10 victory points. The militia was outnumbered but each Indian killed was worth 2 victory points while each militia man killed was worth 1 to the Indians.

In addition, Indians could capture a militia man that failed his rally roll within 12" of a warrior - both men leave the field but the captured militia man is worth 2 victory points.

Each unit leader had a randomly chosen trait, 3 to 2 odds it would be positive! The woods and the low stone wall were light cover while the buildings were heavy. The Indians started in the 3 wooded corners, the militia in the open between the buildings. I may have unbalanced an ostensibly balanced scenario by starting the militia outside the heavy cover of the buildings, but I presumed that players would want to maneuver some and mebbe pick their own cover. . . but more on that later.

Views of the table; you can relate them to the map above.

Game One was Friday night. We had 7 players - the scenario was built for five - so we added a unit of French Marines to the Indian side and Rangers to the Colonials. The game turned a bit chaotic as I let everyone but the militia choose their entry points within the woods, but out of visibility (6") of enemy units. 

No fires happened but the French and Indians won Game One by killing all their opposition!

Game Two kicked off bright and early Saturday morning and featured 5 players that all knew the rules already. The militia did a good job of using the heavy cover of the buildings. Note the removable roofs that make for some funky photos, but are great for game play. However, the game ended in dramatic fashion when the main house collapsed in a blazing inferno with the last three militia inside! The Indians win again.

Games Three and Four in the next post : )