Ebor Lard II Part One "Trumpton"

I had been looking forward to this event since I missed the first game last year. It is a celebration of all things Toofatlardies. So games include Sharp Practice and Chain of Command but not restricted to those.

Having seen the list I was particularly excited by a couple of the Sharp Practice games planned.

It was held at the Green Hammerton Village club and mobile coffee and hot butty van was on site, a very posh but also quite cheap van I have to say. So Mark and I had a cracking bacon butty and latte before heading in.

There were I think 7 games with each having 4 players and an Umpire, on the right as you enter a game of Kiss Me Hardy naval rules with some beautiful looking ships.

On the left a very built up and fabulously modelled game "The Trumpton Riots" promised much laughter.

Next was an absolutely fabulously modelled Helms Deep. This was huge but surprisingly light.

Against the far wall one of the key games I wanted to play a great fun looking Indian Mutiny Sharp Practice.

Next a 1940 Chain of Command run by Lardy Rich himself.

An amazingly modelled Roman vs Celts game, this was fabulous and I wish I had taken more shots of it. Sorry!

Lastly but by no means least a Maximillian in Mexico game, again using SharpPractice and the other game Mark and I were keen to play.

I collared John the organiser and he let me know that Mark would play Mexican Adventure in the morning and Indian Mutiny in the afternoon. I would do the Mexican Adventure in the afternoon but had the Trumpton game in the morning.

I have to admit to initially being disappointed as it wasnt a game I had planned to play. However I was soon to change my opinion.

This game was run by Simon from the Barnsley Association of Wargamers. The happy town of Trumpton has taken a turn for the worst with the repeal of the corn laws. The Corn grinders collective led by Windy Militant have risen up, they are supported by the Woodworkers and Allied Trades Society (TWATS for short) and are marching on the Trumpton town hall armed to the teeth with rifles LMG's, nail bombs and Molotov Cocktails.

The Mayor of Trumpton has called on the forces of law and order in the form of the regular army the Police, Fire Brigade and Trumpton Irregular Territorials (yes they are the TITS)

Rules were Chain of Command with activation based on Sharp Practice, I have included the briefing sheets of our side (I was Windy Militant)  In short we wanted to capture the town hall but destroying the enemies  force morale would do it too.

First to activate were the boys from the fort in their Humpety Bumpety army trucks, movement accompanied by the tunes from the TV show of course to much amusement. These were led by Matt Slade.

Then the TWATS turned up commanded by Kev, swarming around the band stand and ignoring the sign to keep off the grass..

My first unit of Corn- Grinders marched from the windmill ready to defy the Mayor and his forces of counter revolution.

And Snowie in charge of the TITS and other troops had the Fire Brigade mobilise from their station (Bizarrely with French accents, dont ask me, ask Snowie)

Out Pops Windies card and the whole of my force are deployed and ready to march.

We have a few sneaky tricks up our sleeve, heroes and heroines of the revolution ready to make the ultimate sacrifice to scupper the plans of the enemy. More of that later though.

The park is looking pretty busy now as Kevs forces are fully deployed, the bowls team and some dog walkers vacate the place quick sharp.

Snowies Bobbies pear around the street corner ready to read the riot act, very quickly and under their breath, before opening fire.

As the rest of the Bobbies and the TITS descend on the park green houses Kev's TWATS lob Molotov's at them and its first blood to the revolution.

My corn grinders are meanwhile marching triumphantly down the road, I cant seem to roll lower than a 5 and movement is brisk.

The Army in their Humpety Bumpety trucks slow down near the cross roads wary of an ambush, little knowing the danger lurks closer to hand.

The in-experience of the Corn Grinders is exposed, as they shot out in the open as they march down the road, two dead and a shock on the first unit and 2 more shock on the second.

The Firemen have advanced and opened fire with the Bobbies close behind in support.

By the greenhouses firing has become general and the Bobbies and TITS are having the worst of it. Much hilarity as the cars are turned, cried of "The TITS are out" and "The TWATS are at it again" were heard, not from me though you understand.

As the third truck passes the milk churns Thomas Tripp the milkman detonates a home made bomb. unfortunately it seems he had too much milk on his fingers and the wires are damp, leading to a small puff of smoke and not much else. Out on a limb by himself we dont see him lasting much longer.

The army boys pile out of their truck and poor Mr Tripp the milkman is no more.

Things not going too well for the Militants, lets hope the TWATS can help us out.

The first section of Corn-Grinders leg it into an adjacent field to escape the fire from the forces of law and order.

Two sections of the army boys now start to advance over the fields towards the Corn-Grinders. Oh dear, things dont look too good.

My last section of Corn-grinders decide that they will avoid the fighting at the front and have a go at capturing the first whilst there is nobody there and accordingly set off through the woods.

Back at the park and Kev is doing all the fighting for our side with the TWATS. The lead section of soldiers is lined up one side of the park fence with the boyes crew on the other side. Both sides start to take damage.

So far force morale is doing OK, the destruction of the Boyes team however sees us start to move down the scale.

The TITS and Bobbies have taken serious damage from the TWATS and both leaders are down, the Mayor heads over to help, however heroine of the revolution Mrs Crocket the flower seller has an improvised explosive device next to the monument amongst the flowers, given how badly the last one went I defer to Kev to run this one. Again the roll of a 1 and the connections are damp, as the Mayor runs away a Benny Hill style chase takes place with Mrs Crocket and her smoking bouquet.

Next move and Mrs Crocket is drawn but this time the explosive flowers go off causing serious injury to the Mayor and leaving just a pair of smoking clogs and a single white rose where Mrs Crocket used to be.

This is particularly bad news for Snowies TITS and Bobbies who are currently leaderless.

Back to the Windy Militant front and the other unit of Bobbies advances past the firemen, however the first unit of Corn Grinders is now in position lining the hedge and unloads a withering fire amongst the startled police men.

A second unit of Corn-grinders tries to pass into the woods to advance on the fort but is shot up by long range fire from the Bobbies causing some shock.

The petrol bombs hit the TITS and Bobbies again causing even more casualties and the collapse of the chimney. They are looking very shaky indeed.

But more of the army boys have turned up with their commander and start laying down fire on the TWATS.

The commander of the Boyes team is finished off but the regulars take more casualties in the process and are looking pretty shaky, more of the TWATS are heading their way firing as they come.

Things are starting to hot up now and the finale cant be far off as all sides are taking casualties with the army boys heading to cut off my Corn Grinders advance on the fort.

The Firemen advance to line the hedge on the flank of my Corn Grinders first unit putting them in a tight spot,, do they turn to face them and fire from the open field or charge in and hope for the best.

Kev's TWATS fire into the army boys again needing sixes to hit, he gets 3 out of four and the forces of law and order are forced to a test. Kev needs to roll anything higher than a 2 and they break and we are one step nearer to winning..........he rolls a 1.

To be fair he has done most of the fighting so far and his dice have been great up to that point.

 

Meanwhile Snowie chuckles as my Corn Grinders charge the Firemen, he has played Chain of command before and clearly he knows whats coming, its probably just as well that I dont.

A fairly brief melee later and whats left of my Corn Grinders rout back shaken and with significant casualties to go with their pile of shock markers. I wont be doing that again.

Windy Militant surveys the damage whilst puffing on his pipe (Next to the petrol pump!) and wonders what to do next. Things are not looking too rosie.

Our force morale is looking very shaky, but then Kev has some look breaking the TITS and Bobbies and suddenly everyones force morale is shaky.

Matt decides to advance his army boys so they can fire into the Corn Grinders in the wood, unfortunately he rolls a double 6 and blunders straight into a melee. Unfortunately for whom we are about to find out.

As there are two units of Corn Grinders next to each other they both fight and have the bonus of being attacked. The first round of melee is a draw and I breath a  sigh of relief, straight into a second round and this time, with only 5 army boys left, the Corn Grinders win, just.

The Corn Grinders have had a severe mauling but the Army boys break and the enemy force morale is suddenly down to one, perhaps we could snatch victory from the jaws of defeat after all?

My first unit fall back again and mange to get into the cover of the wall around the wind mill. They are not coming back from this I feel.

Meanwhile Kev fires again at the army boys and finishes off the last man in the unit, at automatic minus 1 on the moral table and hurrah, we have won.

No thanks at all to me and my Corn Grinders blundering about the place getting shot up, the Trumpton Militants have won the day.

Despite my reservations this has turned out to be one of the most fun games I have played in ages, massive thanks to Simon for running the game and to Matt, Snowie and Kev for playing and being good sports.

We will visit Part II the Mexican Adventure very shortly. See you soon.