Ronin game: Escort

My third Ronin game against Frances - this time, the Escort scenario from the North Star Magazine website, modified slightly to suit the story arc of our trilogy of games.  This will be a pic-heavy post.  In the previous game, Lady Ishida Mitsu's sister, Sakura had been kidnapped by the villainous Yakuza 'Black Hand' gang (played by Frances).  Lady Ishida ('the Red Widow') has used her influence as a member of the Samurai class to rouse the local villagers to one last act of resistance against their Yakuza oppressors.  Sakura is being escorted to the Yakuza hideout for ransom, & my Peasants (with a little help) were to attempt a rescue en route.

We upped the points value to a larger game again - 150pts each this time.  This allowed a bit more variety in our factions, & enough points to hire some mercenary swords for our generally poorly-skilled fighters (especially for my lowly mob of Peasants).  Frances's Yakuza - escorting Sakura to their hideout - consisted of a Lieutenant & five Thugs with a katana (sword) each; two Thugs with a matchlock & katana each; two Ruffians with ararebō (cudgels); plus two hired Ronin, one with a katana, wakizashi (short sword) & Kenjutso (sword skill) attribute, & the other with a nodachi (great sword), wakizashi & Powerful (extra strength) attribute.

Facing these Yakuza, my Peasant force consisted of Lady Ishida & her loyal Yojimbo (bodyguard), each with katana, wakizashi, & Kenjutso; Bokusui the Warrior Monk with bō (quarterstaff), & the Acrobatic & Bōjutsu attributes; two Peasants with bamboo yari (spears); & eight Peasants with improvised weapons (farming tools).  I had also hired a swordmaster, Kuma ('the Bear').  He was a notorious drunkard, but said to be possessed of prodigious fighting skills in the art of Niten ('two swords').
My force was deployed into the board a little, with Bokusui leading a pair of Peasants on my left flank, & in the street in the centre I arrayed Lady Ishida, her bodyguard, the two yari-armed Peasants, & five tool-armed Peasants.  Finally on my far-right flank I placed a single Peasant, to waylay any Yakuza who might try to sneak round the back of the smaller building. My hired Swordmaster, 'Kuma', deployed in the corner of the saké bar (the two-storey building), nursing a hangover, destined to enter the fray at an opportune moment...

Frances deployed her Yakuza with her two matchlock Thugs on the road in the corner of her board edge on her right flank.  They were accompanied by a line of three katana Thugs & the Lieutenant.  On her left flank, she arrayed her remaining two Thugs, two Ruffians, & her two hired Ronin, one of whom was escorting their prisoner, Sakura.  The Ronin were Frances's most skilled figures, the equal in threat to Lady Ishida & her bodyguard.

The game began with the Yakuza group who were escorting Sakura advancing through the crop field. I swept my main force down the street to the T-junction to cut them off, with my Peasants leading the charge, & Lady Ishida bringing up the rear.  The Yakuza Thugs with matchlocks further up the street opened fire, & a lucky musket ball struck & killed Lady Ishida's bodyguard!

Frances deftly maneuvered her Thugs past the barn & through the crop field to smash into the side of my charging force.  This cut-off the only Peasant to make it near to Sakura, meaning he was easily cut down by one of the Ronin who was guarding her - while the remaining Peasants were waylaid in a swirling melee by the marauding Thugs.  My Swordmaster 'Kuma', who had already stumbled to the door of the bar, chose this point to burst outside, both swords flashing in the sunlight, to lay-into the Yakuza who threatened Lady Ishida.  This once again left Ishida in a one-on-one combat with the Lieutenant.

I hastily dashed two Peasants around the back of the house, but they had a hard time of it facing the two Ronin, Thug, & two Ruffians who were guarding Sakura.  I followed them up with my Warrior Monk, Bokusui, but he couldn't make it round the house before one of the Ronin had already started slicing through the unfortunate Peasants.  Bokusui himself was then slain with surprising ease by the barefoot Ronin in the ragged kimono!

Meanwhile, on Frances's far-right flank, & raced a pair of Peasants behind the bar, along the edge of the board, to challenge her matchlock men.  This fight opened with one of the Peasants & Thugs simultaneously Stunning each other with blows to the head.  They were barely a match for the Thugs though, & the Yakuza gunners drew their katanas & soon dispatched them.  My hired  Swordmaster predictably fared much better, dicing through Yakuza in an effort to reach Sakura.  However, Frances moved her second Ronin (the fancily-dressed one with the nodachi!) to block him.  A pair of Peasants piled in alongside 'Kuma' to face this giant-sword-wielding mercenary...

Meanwhile, Lady Ishida had slain the Yakuza Lieutenant in a close-fought duel, & seeing her sister Sakura being led away through the house, she ran with another two Peasants round to the field at the back of the building, desperate to cut off their escape.  Frances carefully positioned her Yakuza who were escorting their prisoner, sending her Ronin out the back door first to block one Peasant, while her two Ruffians & a Thug shoved poor Sakura along towards my board edge.  On the other side of the house, Frances's nodachi-armed Ronin fought ferociously, his great sweeps of his massive blade holding my Swordmaster at bay & felling the two Peasants.  While my Swordmaster managed to avoid injury, the Ronin only suffered a Stun in all this fighting, preventing my best figure from getting near Sakura.  Near the end of the game, Frances dashed her matchlock gunners from their sniping position, & one can be seen here heading for 'Kuma' (the puff of smoke in this case indicates that he needs to reload his gun, not that he has just fired).


Having cut-down the Peasant who dared face him, the Ronin guarding Sakura ran off the board edge just before the two Ruffians also escaped with Sakura.  The Thug in that group had blocked Lady Ishida, who Grieviously Wounded him in her fury at not being able to rescue her sister.  At the very end of the game, my mallet-armed Peasant was exchanging blows with one of the Ruffians, Wounding him, & being Stunned himself.  Another victory for Frances!  3/3 games in this trilogy won by her!  Despite my tally of losses, I really enjoy these three games, & especially this finale - my favourite Ronin game so far - which had lots of tactics & a cinematic drama to it.


Final score
Yakuza: 15.5 Victory Points
Peasants: 6 Victory Points