This is a scenario that will give some real battlefield problems that can be used in any period. You have the task of taking a raiding force through hostile country and destroy an enemy storehouse. The area is guarded by three units hidden at separate locations. Initially they will be out of sight and will not appear until after the raiding force has move on to the table. Any type of terrain will do, providing there are at least three positions that might be considered suitable to hide groups of figures. These might be farm building, woodland, hilltops or stone walls etc. As your troops arrive at the starting point you can see the storehouse at the far end of the table among various other terrain features. Your objective is to get to the storehouse before alerting the guards. The most likely places are around the storehouse, the farm building or hiding in any of the woodland you have placed on the table. The number of possible ambush sites depends upon you and obviously you must take into account the type of troops you will be using in the ambush itself.
When traveling through any hostile country there is always the chance of attack when least expected. So at the beginning of each game move a set of percentage dice is rolled. If the score is fifty or less, then one of the three defending groups is activated. Continued this process each move until all three groups are revealed. If the raiders reach the storehouse before any of the defenders are revealed, then all the three groups will be alerted in the same move and brought into action. When a defending group is activated, roll two normal dice to determine at which strategic point they are located. It will be noted that the most important place they might be found are numbered 6, 7 or 8. They are also the numbers most lightly to be scored when rolling two normal dice. Seven being the most likely number is used as the site of the objective. The entry points around the edge of the table have the numbers with the least chance of being scored. The lowest are the nearest to the raiders entry point and increase in value the closer they get to the storehouse.
Should any raiding party occupy any of these entry points and a defending unit is activated on the same position, then the defending unit will dice again for one that is unoccupied.
THE RAIDERS ORDERS
They are to enter from the far side of the table and proceed to the storehouse. On arrival they are to destroy the building and its contents and return to their base the way they came. When the raiders move onto the table, some thought on how they should be deployed will not go amiss. Flank and rear guards will come into their own as the raiders can make surprise attacks from any of the surrounding positions.
THE DEFENDERS ORDERS
All defenders are instructed to prevent the raiders from reaching the storehouse. Any group reaching or activated on the site of the storehouse will hold the position until the raiders have been driven from the area. Defending troops will always attack the nearest enemy troops. If the raiders are more than one formation, they will attack the nearest.
NUMBER OF FIGURES
I suggest the total defence force is one third larger than the raiding force. So if there are 24 raiders, there will be three units of defenders of 12 figures each. I have tried out this game many times and it always has a new twist each time I play. The raiders can be Romans, Confederate cavalry or modern commando group. Whatever the period, it makes a good solo game.
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