This clash of arms game tracks the life and times of grognards as they hopefully rise through the ranks during the 20 years of Napoleon’s wars in Europe. Mike, Phil, Bruce and Darryl played.
We started in 1805 as Chef de Brigade just as the wars in Austria began and went straight into the campaign. Bruce heroically challenged the Austrian duellist champion, a true giant of a man and expert fencer to a duel. Unfortunately he was gravely wounded and missed the forthcoming battles. Phil and Mike fought at the front lines whilst Darryl was placed in charge of supplies at the rear. Mike took a bad wound.
Next Bruce and Mike recovered whilst Phil contracted lung fever and watched his already poor health fall further. Later Phil was the only one to take a wife, the daughter of a wealthy and influential French Aristocrat. The others chose to take mistresses except Mike who had little success with the fair sex unless of course he paid for which he contracted the Pox.
Darryl went carousing gloriously but then lost face when he overhead a fat merchant insulting the Emperor and simply slinkedaway.
Darryl by now had certainly earned the reputation of a cad and a bounder Chef Blackadder being his name but he was strong and healthy plus an expert duelist after some lessons. Also wherever he went he caught the notice of Napoleon and was successful in his military endeavours.
Phil in contrast caught the eye of Napoleons female relatives but had bad luck with his health. Plus he suffered an unlucky wound in the build up to the next campaign missing out on the ensuing action, catching more lung fever and falling from his horse. However thanks to his marriage he soon became the wealthiest Grognard.
Mike concentrated on military matters and was always in the thick of the action though he too fled from the fat merchant. Bruce though continued to be promoted to positions such as the Staff and the Reserve always gaining glory and experience wherever he went, being in the right place at the right time to capture Napoleon’s notice without fail. His expolits duelling the famous Austrian Champion preceeding him in fame and honour and then his success at the capitulation of Danzig being especially a highlight. Darryl of course excelled at the peace negotiants at Tilsit and generally avoided any risk whatsoever. Phil missed out on the Christmas Party being wounded.
Finally the heroes gathered for the final campaign of the session. Phil took part in a famous duel as a second and challenged the cheating opponent’s second to a duel. Unfortunately it turned out to be Darryl himself just returned from fencing lessons and in excellent health. He made short work of Phil who also earnt Napoleon’s displeasure for his troubles. Fortunately it was just a scratch. As this was a peaceful turn not much happened and all the players managed to be promoted to the rank of Major with Darryl of course being the Senior Grognard at the end. Both Darryl and Bruce looked well on the way to reaching the rank of Colonel whilst Mike wa not far behind. Phil too was close but his ailing health would require him to spend yet another year at the health spa with his wife away from Paris thus slowing his progress again.
Another successful game of this narrative campaign in the Napoleonic era.
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