Red Counter, Yellow Counter

Reiver game last night and as always there were a few twists and turns.
The scenario was reasonably straight forward. Jason was returning from market with a small group of reivers and a cart loaded with goodies. John was going to market herding a couple of stands of cattle with his herdsman and five friends. Mark was lying in wait for Jason to retrieve the value of goods in lieu of his stolen attle. Dve was lying in ambush hoping to get back his stolen cattle. Andy was on the run from the March Warden and needed to hire himself out to any of the other players. I was the March Warden chasing the outlaw Andy.
So the two ambush players were given fifteen counters, five each of three colours but with only one colour representing their five men. These were placed on the tabletop in advance of the game. All players knew they had to get across the river.
Mark had his men scattered along the sunken road. Dave bunched his men in a field below a rise at the head of the valley.
As Jason ambled along the road Mark spung his trap. Unfortunately for him his men had only brought along wooden swords and failed to register any kills on the cart guard. Jason seemed to have given his men some advanced sword training and soon cut down the ambushers.
John moved his cattle across country and headed for the ford. Dave was a little put out to find that rather than being an ambushing force his men now had to sprint across several rocky outcrops to cath his cattle.
But the reason for the title? Well Andy rode into the village area and approached one of the counters. Taking Mark outside of the game room he proceeded to plead his case and ask for help. Of course the last question he asked was "By the way what does the counter represent?" In reply - "A pot hole". Nobody home Andy. In response and in what seemed a hostile act to Mark, Andy rode into the adjacent field and rustled the horses grazing there. Naturally Mark reacted and tried to shoot down one of the outaws. Unfortunately his shot went wide and the reiver was ridden down. Andy of course then tried to renegotiate with Mark to little avail.
Later he tried to hitch himself to Jason and the cart. Only by this time the Warden was hot on his heels and he fled leaving his men to their grisly fate.
John was the only player to get his objective completed. Dave never really got close enough to stp him - although we all wondered why you set an ambush as far from the enemy objective as possible.
Jason would have completed his objective if the March warden hadn't taken his hiring of the outlaw as complicity in thievery and detained him.
Another fun game and one I hope the participants enjoyed playing as much as I enjoyed organising.


Dates for the diary:

Monday 19th March - Renaissence game with the Spanish taking on the French.

Monday 26th March - War of the Spanish Succession and the Maritime Powers (this time under my command!) are faced by the combined forces of Louis XIV & the Elector of Bavaria.