Monday, September 10, 2018

The Pearl of the Antilles - Haitian Revolution AAR #5 Plantation Oiseaux Moelleux.

Major Chevrolet stumbled into the grounds of the Oiseaux Moelleux Plantation to find Gareth Chasse standing on his manicured lawn staring at the ragged troops now filling his orchard.

"Duport is lost, you ran away Major and you brought Bosou Delaroo here to my door. Get out of my sight I will deal with him myself!"
"Maurice fetch me my hounds".......

 

No sooner had he yelled his orders, African drums and chanting could be heard from the hinterland, the women walked out from their huts and looked towards the tree line. Delaroo was coming to free them.


After his victory a few days before Bosou Delaroo knew he held the initiative he had over 70 men under his command including the plantation slaves in the barns and huts spread out across the coffee fields. He had amassed muskets from the fleeing Guard Nationale and from the Spanish and planned on burning Oiseaux Moelleuxto the ground killing any whites he could lay his hands on.



Major Chevrolet called his men to stand to. Ordering them to line the low stone wall of the Orchard, he was out numbered but was keen to avenge his fallen men from the last bruising encounter. Besides with Chasse watching his every move, he needed his men to put up a good fight or he would be back in chains.


The slaves of Oiseaux Moelleux saw their chance for freedom and broke out of their chains, grabbing knives and sharpened sticks from their hiding places and rushed to join the attack.


Gareth Chasse seeing his flanks being turned, called forward his Cuban handlers and their war hounds, they had not been fed for a number of days and were straining on their chains.


Corporel Houlte ordered his men up stairs in the plantation house to getter angle on the mob of slaves threatening the left flank, he had never been upstairs in the house and certainly not in the bedrooms, as he fired a musket shot towards the advancing slaves a flash in the pan caused the drapes to catch fire which soon began to engulf the whole room.


Meanwhile on the right flank Chasse sent his dogs forwards having seen more of his property break free and pour out of the barn looking to over throw their masters he needed to teach them a lesson. Major Chevrolet was powerless to support the ensuing melee he was heavily involved in a long range fire fight with Delaroo in the centre of the table.


The slaves rushed forward head long into the snarling dogs neither side looking to give any quarter.
In the coffee fields, both man and dog fell.


The slaves broke and ran their force morale falling backwards as they fell back to the cover of the barn. With the house now well ablaze Delaroo ordered his men to fall back.
He had wanted to be the one to torch the plantation but he was pleased with his days work even if he had not been able to drive off the French, who now only had ruins to defend.


Sharp Practice at it's best, random events caused the fire and the first chapter end the following turn caused the building to collapse in on itself. The plantation was destroyed without an attacker getting within 100 yards of the building.

It was nice to get some new toys on the table even if the new house was burnt to the ground and most of the dogs were killed, the curse of fresh painted stuff lives on.

Talking with the guys at the club, there is enough interest to create a wider campaign with French, British, Spanish, Plantation Owners, Freemen of Colour and Slaves Armies to make for an interesting background, with perhaps some part players over the web if people are interested?

20 comments:

  1. Great to see both the dogs and the plantation house on the table:)

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    1. Cheers Steve, lets hope next time they last a littlelonger now the first game is out of the way.
      Stu

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  2. Nice report the curse indeed! I must get a game in with my Children of the Fields cast to prevent the same fate happening to them!

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  3. Great report Stuart - but I can sympathise with your feelings about the defenders causing your wonderful plantation mansion to burn to the ground! I hope the campaign scenario is flexible enough to allow the same building to reappear in a different guise in future games!

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    1. It certainly will be RR given how long it took me to get it out of the bag and on the table.
      Cheers
      Stu

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  4. the curse of newly painted figures got moved to newly painted terrain

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    1. I am not letting Henrik in the house again :-)

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  5. Love it! Who makes the slave quarters?

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    1. Peter they were from a vietnam range back in the 90's the name escapes me. Now sadly not available and the molds were never sold on.

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  6. Splendid looking game and a very unique period great to see something different 😀

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    1. Thanks Matt, thanks for stopping by.
      Cheers
      Stu

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  7. Good game Stu and well told in your AAR! Champion work!
    As usual good figures and props make for great pictures.
    Can I see a future WW II game with Soviet anti tank dogs?

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    1. Captain I already have a reputation for gaming odd periods, that might be step to far...... although ---- hhhmmm Stop it :-)
      Cheers
      Stu

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  8. Guy's
    Thanks for your comments, I am in the process of pulling together a map based Sharp Practice campaign if anyone is interested in taking control of a faction, please drop me a line.
    Cheers
    Stu

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  9. I'm late, I know...splendid and unusual!

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