It’s spooky season, and what better game (at least among the Goonhammer Historicals folks) to be playing than Silver Bayonet. This year, with the release of the Bones of Albion supplement and having binge watched the Sharpe TV series, we bring you a brief, three game solo campaign.
Unlike last years The Beast of Gevaudan, where we suggested you might not want to send a unit that you were overly attached through into the campaign, this year’s campaign takes the opposite approach.
The Beast at Bay. Credit: Variance Hammer Eric
It’s intended to be a fairly light introductory sequence, for new players or new units. In fact, when writing this, the unit I have in my head at the start isn’t a “Silver Bayonet” unit. They’re not yet familiar with the supernatural, though that will soon change. In that light, I would encourage your unit composition to lean more towards Grenadiers, Marines, Irregulars and the like, and away from Occultists, Supernatural Investigators, and Dhamphir. Similarly, I advise you to set out with a minimum of silver and salt weapons. The campaign is written to be nation-agnostic, though given the setting, British, French, and Spanish units are the most logical choices. And, before we get much further, the playtesting for this scenario has been light, and they may be rough around the edges. Please see them in the spirit they’re intended. We welcome feedback, and I’ll post notes and corrections as needed.
Oh Private Skillicorn, Hark to his fame, Provosts will run at the sound of his name, so come on you bold chickens, and you guinea fowl, you best watch your feathers, Skillicorn's on the prowl.
Scenario 1: Village Ambush
It is August of 1810, and a French offensive to retake Portugal is well under way. The lines between the French and Anglo-Portuguese army are permeable, and rebels, guerillas and deserters prowl the countryside. Your unit has been dispatched to investigate the disappearance of several small scouting forces, feared to be an indication that the enemy is closing in from an unexpected direction. Your men are tired, and hungry, and the mission presents an equally good excuse to forage in the countryside and the ransacked towns that dot the landscape.
Setup
The scenario is played on a 2.5’x2.5’ table, representing your unit entering a small village. A road should run from the bottom to the top edge of the board, with isolated trees and rocks giving way to a cluster of buildings, livestock pens, etc. at the top edge of the board.
Clue Marker Placement
Place five clue markers, one in the center of the “town”, and the other four no more than 12” away from the center point. Ideally, their placement should be balanced, in interesting locations, etc. Place a chicken (or appropriate marker) next to each clue marker, representing released flocks scattered throughout the “abandoned” village.
Once the clue markers are placed, deploy your unit within 6” of the table edge opposite the village. Then place four bandits within the village itself, preferably in cover or hiding in buildings. The scenario continues until there are no members of the unit still on the table.
Special Rules
Chickens: A model may pick up a chicken it is in base-to-base contact with by spending an action. Restraining a chicken requires a non-trivial amount of concentration, so a model holding a chicken can only take one non-movement action (i.e. they can only Shoot or Reload, even if they haven’t moved). A model can hold up to two chickens, though a second chicken precludes all actions other than moving. A model secures the looted chickens by moving off any board edge.
Clue Markers:
Ace of Diamonds: You find the body of a young English rifleman, hanging from a crudely erected gallows.
King of Diamonds: The badly mangled corpse of an English Provost.
Queen of Diamonds: The bandit leader appears from a random board edge (use the stat line for a Grenadier)!
Jack of Diamonds: Two Bandits appear from a random board edge!
Ten of Diamonds: A small crate of salt. Two figures in your unit that survive the battle may be equipped with salt bags.
A French Guard, alongside a Vivandierie, prepare to seize some feral chickens. Credit: Eric Lofgren, figures by Calvin at Nevermore Painting Studios and Russell Dudley.
Rewards
Units gain the following bonus experience points in this scenario.
+1 experience point for killing three or more bandits
+1 experience point for each secured chicken
+1 experience point for killing the bandit leader
+1 experience point for discovering the corpse of the Provost
+2 experience points for discovering the hanged rifleman
Scenario 2: Witch of the Crossroads
With the fate of the missing units attributed to ambushing bandits, your unit pushes through the abandoned town, intending to gather more intelligence on the strength of the brigands in the countryside before returning to camp. Instead, as the sun is beginning to set, you encounter the site of a small but bloody skirmish – both English and French cavalry scouts lie dead at a crossroads.
The sole living figure is a middle-aged woman with a disconcerting aspect to her, who informs you, in broken words in your language (or perfectly fluent Portuguese) that she is seeing to the dead of this place, and that you should go back to your war.
If you heed her advice and turn back, your unit gains 4 experience points, and the campaign ends.
If not…
Setup
The scenario is played on a 2.5’x2.5’ table, dominated by a crossroads or other type of junction in the middle board, with the rest of the board made up of rocks, singular or small clumps of trees, abandoned wagons and other cover. If you happen to have a bunch of Napoleonic-era cavalry casualty figures, now would be the time to scatter them liberally across the board.
Place five clue markers around the board, representing freshly dug graves. One should be as close to the crossroads as possible, with the others 10” away from it in a rough circle.
Place the figure of the mysterious woman in the center of the table, then place two revenants within 6” of her, and three revenants, one on roughly the center of three of the four board edges.
All members of the specialist unit should then be deployed within 3” of the remaining board edge.
Special Rules
The unit’s goal is to escape off the opposite board edge. This is however the unit’s first encounter with the overtly supernatural, and there is much to be learned by those brave enough to weather the onslaught of the newly undead. The scenario continues until there are no unit members on the table.
Equipment: Cold Iron Hand Weapon, Holy Symbol, Oil and Torches
Subduing the Crossroads Witch: If a model from the unit reduces the Crossroads Witch to 0 Health with a melee attack, they can optionally choose to subdue the Witch, rather than kill her.
Rising Revenants: One Revenant appears in each turn during the Monster Phase if the Crossroads Witch has not been killed or subdued, and is above 6 Health. If she drops below six health, this increases to D3 Revenants, until she is killed or subdued. Place these on a randomly selected table edge, D6” in from the center of the board edge.
Clue Markers:
Ace of Diamonds: A saber from the workshop of Nicolas-Noël Boutet (one figure in your unit has an enchanted fencing weapon for the rest of the campaign)
King of Diamonds: A partially completed map of the surrounding area
Queen of Diamonds: A small silver cross pendant (one figure in your unit has a holy symbol for the rest of the campaign)
Jack of Diamonds: Unquiet Grave! Place a Revenant within D3” of the clue marker
Ten of Diamonds: Unquiet Grave! Place a Revenant within D3” of the clue marker
Two members of a French unit fend off a trio of Revenants emerging from a building near the crossroads. Credit: Eric Lofgren, painting by Calvin at Nevermore Painting Studios.
Rewards
Units gain the following bonus experience points in this scenario.
+1 experience point for killing three or more revenants.
+2 experience points for killing the Crossroads Witch
+4 experience points for subduing the Crossroads Witch
+1 experience point for discovering the partially completed map
Scenario Three: The Rifleman’s Ghost
Fighting their way out of the crossroads, the unit turns towards home under the cover of cloudy and moonless night, illuminated by flashes of distant lightning. Light raindrops patter against the rocks and dirt, and the promise of a warm campfire is the only thing keeping most of your unit on their feet. As they enter a clearing, they hear the voice of a young Englishman, frantically begging for help coming from a nearby gully that their maps indicate will lead toward home. Rushing to investigate, they find an ethereal figure of a young man who, despite his incorporeal nature, is being manhandled by a man in an English uniform similar to the slain provost from the village, who has a sadistic sneer to his features as he looms over the terrified ghost.
A few moments after the unit arrives, the strange scene breaks. The gaze of both figures turn to the unit, and they attack.
Setup
The scenario is played on a 2.5’x2.5’ table, intended to represent a shallow gully carved out by a long-dry river. Rocks, fallen trees, and other debris should impede, if not completely block, the unit’s ability to exit from two sides of the board. The only way out is through.
Place six clue markers around the board no less than 8” from one another.
Place the figure of the Rifleman’s Ghost on the clue marker closest to one of the open board edges, and the Supernatural Provost (use the rules for a Changeling) within 10” of him. The unit deploys within 6” of the other board edge. If you subdued the Crossroads Witch in the last scenario, deploy her model within 2” of a figure in your unit. She must always remain within 2” of this unit.
Special Rules
The unit’s goal is to escape off the opposite board edge – headquarters must be informed of the strange and unnatural happenings of the day. The scenario continues until there are no unit members on the table.
The Rifleman’s Ghost
[table id=124 /]
Attributes: Allergy to Enchanted and Salt, Chilling Touch, Ethereal, Indefatigable, Indestructible, Soul Shear
Equipment: Rifle
The British Rifleman - as deadly in death as he was in life - faces his French foes. Credit: Eric Lofgren, figures by Eric Lofgren and Calvin at Nevermore Painting Studio.
Hell of a Night: Light rain, darkness, and occasionally dazzling flashes of lightning make for hard fighting. All shooting attacks suffer a -1 penalty. After six turns, this increases to a -2 penalty as the downpour worsens.
Don’t You Recognize Me!?: English Riflemen must pass a courage check (TN 10) to fire on the Rifleman’s Ghost. Similarly, the Rifleman’s Ghost will not fire on an English Rifleman unless there are no other eligible targets.
Laying the Ghost to Rest: Each clue marker investigated contains a small object relating to the man’s life – a small keepsake, a button from his uniform, a letter from a loved one, etc. A figure that has investigated a clue marker can spend an action to destroy the object. Doing so will do two damage to the Rifleman’s Ghost.
Enemy of my Enemy: If the Crossroads Witch is accompanying your unit, she will attempt to cast Enchant Weapon on an eligible member of your unit when she is able to do so. If she does so, she becomes an eligible target for both the Supernatural Provost and the Rifleman’s Ghost.
Rewards
Units gain the following bonus experience points in this scenario.
+2 experience point for killing the Supernatural Provost
+1 experience point for wounding the Rifleman’s Ghost
+2 experience points for killing the Rifleman’s Ghost
+2 experience points for killing the Rifleman’s Ghost using only the Laying the Ghost to Rest special rule
If the Crossroads Witch was subdued by your unit and survives this scenario, she may be recruited into your unit at a cost of twenty-seven.
Aftermath
Your unit, battered and harrowed, returns to camp and disperses – some to the surgeons to see to their wounds, some to a priest to unburden their souls, and some simply to their tents to sit in quiet solitude and try to come to grips with what has happened.
A report is delivered to your senior officer, and what evidence you have is handed over. You leave their tent with the distinct feeling that you may just have ended your career, but what you have seen demands telling. There is something terribly wrong here.
Two months later, a Colonel arrives in camp and summons both you and the survivors of your unit. Your country requires your service, and he has new orders for you. As he departs he wishes you luck and good hunting and when you meet his gaze you know that he has seen what you have and this is no ordinary assignment.
Art from The Silver Bayonet. Credit: Brainbug Design
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The Beast at Bay. Credit: Variance Hammer Eric
A French Guard, alongside a Vivandierie, prepare to seize some feral chickens. Credit: Eric Lofgren, figures by Calvin at Nevermore Painting Studios and Russell Dudley.
Two members of a French unit fend off a trio of Revenants emerging from a building near the crossroads. Credit: Eric Lofgren, painting by Calvin at Nevermore Painting Studios.
The British Rifleman - as deadly in death as he was in life - faces his French foes. Credit: Eric Lofgren, figures by Eric Lofgren and Calvin at Nevermore Painting Studio.
Art from The Silver Bayonet. Credit: Brainbug Design
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