'Prisoner Snatch'
A Flintloque Scenario by Steve Blease.
A small section of Orcs on piquet duty find a surprise waiting for them in the woods...
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Introduction
Having the time for a game is often a headache for even the most dedicated Flintloque gamer, and a consideration I often find has prime importance these days. Whilst I like to sit and plan out most scenarios I run, throwing in red herrings and lots of devious problems, on occasion I don't have the time. This scenario occurred out of having two gamers (Simon and James) just deciding that they fancied a game one evening and giving me only the time that it took to walk up the stairs to the game room to think up a plot...
Intelligence is the Key
Intelligence gathering is an important aspect of any war, and surely no less so than in the Catalucian War. Exploring Officers and Intelligence Agents on both sides desperately try to seek out any advantage they can by analysing the enemy's dispositions, plans and supply routes.
However, whilst elite units such as the 105th Rifles go on dangerous missions behind enemy lines, and brave Exploring Officers ride deep into hostile territory, one of the easiest ways to gather basic tactical level intelligence (and sometimes if you are lucky, strategic information), is to simply send a raiding party across no man's land, knock an enemy soldier over the head and take him back for interrogation behind the safety of your own front line. So that's what we did...
The scenario is very simple, takes minimal time to set up and can be fought out by a variety of races. Given its nature I would suggest the exclusion of cavalry and elite units, this is the sort of operation ideally undertaken by regular line infantry units.
In our game we had reduced section of six Orcs on piquet duty patrolling a stretch of fordable river that formed the boundary between Elf and Orc lines. The player spread out his figures as per his mission (piquet duty), keeping his section leader somewhat deeper and away from danger.
Ten Elves embarked on the mission and swiftly targeted an individual Orc who could only receive minimal support from his colleagues. Half of the Elves spread out in a half moon formation to form a screen for the remaining Elves who rushed the unfortunate Orc, whose only shot missed terribly. To take the Orc prisoner, the Elven player had to engage him in hand to hand combat and declare before rolling his die that he was attempting to take the Orc rather than kill him.
Four of the Elves grabbed the Orc at once and the outcome was not really in doubt (though one got a nasty black eye when pushed back) and two carried their prize back to their lines whilst the remaining Elves formed a screen to protect them.
The Orc player was totally confused by the whole game and did not inflict one casualty on the Elves, who did their job perfectly. Overall the game lasted about thirty minutes.
Thinking about variations, this would make a good game against a defender controlled by the GM, or with the attackers stumbling upon the preparations for a major enemy attack. Whatever, this simple scenario can provide the gamers with a quick fun diversion when time is at a premium.
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Webmaster's Notes
Originally published in Issue 3 of Orcs in the Hills this 'short scenario' was published on Orcs in the Webbe on the 11th December 2007 as part the 2007 Advent Calendar.
It was absent for several years due to a prior regeneration of the website not transferring everything over correctly, the wrong has now been righted and it returned on the 11th November 2014 as part of Orcs in the Webbe's ongoing Flintloque Archive Project.
In 2007 Flintloque Reloaded was the current ruleset and I re-wrote and expanded the scenario to fit its more formulaic scenario format. However, the aim of the Flintloque Archive Project is to present the original articles so the article above is presented unmodified for your reading pleasure.
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