From the Unicorn to the Palace...

Scenario: The Musketeers: von Messing, Scharfe, Fischer and Hofler, are to escort an incognito VIP from the Unicorn coach house across a market square to one of the palace entrances.

---oXo---

Von Messing is introduced to the VIP...

Von Messing leads off with Scharfe, Fischer and Hofler with and the VIP in the middle ...

Trouble ahead, two swordsmen block their way...

von Messing and Hofler take them on...

and push them back allowing the VIP, Scharfe and Fischer to move towards the market square...

von Messing downs one, while Hofler wounds the other badly....

As they move into the market square they are set upon by three more swordsmen, directing them is the infamous Hook, by his size is Schwerter ( a mercenary with two swords).... Hofler hangs back and keeps and eye on the VIP while the others are busy ....

Scharfe badly wounds one who falls back; von Messing downs one, but Fischer is just holding off the other.; Hofler and the VIP edge into the square

Two more swords arrive to support the Hook, the two Zwilling sisters....

Schwerter moves into the attack and engages von Messing, the musketeers (with the VIP behind) are being pushed back into a corner by some market stalls....

Scharfe finishes off a badly wounded man and then crosses swords with one of the Zwilling sisters; von Messing is only just about holding his own against the 'two sworded' Schwerter ....

The musketeers have the edge,  Scharfe and von Messing fight Schwerter, with Fischer tussling with the other Zwilling sister.

Schwerter is downed....

Scharfe, Fischer and Hofler take on the Zwilling sisters and the Hook; while von Messing leads the VIP through, a wounded swordsmen makes a brave attempt to block the way....

The Hook has had enough and runs off, the Zwilling sisters also withdraw....

von Messing deals with the swordsman who blocked his way easily...

the VIP is passed into the care of the palace guard....mission over

Setting up for a 'Musketeers' game....

Having re-organized a few things, my 40mm 'musketeers' game figures have been moved into a single box.

Before they find their way to a suitable cupboard/shelf for storage, I decided to setup ready for a game to use them...a chance to get the civilians out as well as well as the market stalls.

After the Hook .....

The four musketeers - Von Messing, Scharfe, Fischer and Hofler (and their servant Limburger); have been sent to capture the Hook with some extra support from the Kings Musketeers.

They've located the Hook in a yard adjoining the residence of the Count de Monet on the outskirts of the town of Kleingeldstadt. Its early in the morning and ......

---oXo---

The Hook gives instructions to some of his gang who have just got up, he has ordered someone to go inside wake to up the others and get them moving....

The four musketeers have left the cover of the inn...

Von Messing has sent four of the Kings Musketeeers round one side and two around the other...

They hurry to get in position....

by the entrances towards the back of the yard area...

as Von Messing leads 'the four' and their servant towards the gate ....

The four musketeers enter the yard, Big George tried to stand in their way, von Messing gave him a dazzling display of swordplay at which the Big George took a couple of steps back...

The rest of the musketeers moved into the yard from the other entrances ...

Hofler skewered a man who ran out the building, badly wounded he fell to the ground.

More of the Hook's men come out of the barn to confront their attackers...

The Hook urges his men on as all the musketeers cross blades...

Three more of the Hooks men come out of the nearest building to join the fray ....

The fighting continues.....

Scharfe keeps Big George at bay as the musketeer brethren get drawn further into the fight... (some of the Hook's men are down and a couple are badly wounded and are hanging back..)

Hofler always impulsive, weaves his way through and attacks the last man between him and the Hook.. as Scharfe and Fischer take on Big George, von Messing deals with the man with the red sash...

slowly the Hook and his crew are being forced to the back end of the yard ....

von Messing takes a step back as Limburger swipes the man in the read sash with his trusty cosh - leaving him somewhat dazed

By the barn one of the Hooks men has had enough and exits via the back gate, while the others badly wounded fall back...

Hofler has a clear path to the Hook; Big George holds off Scharfe and Fischer, with Two Swords keeping a musketeer at bay...

Hofler takes on the Hook ...

Limburger chases away the man in the red sash .....

Big George having been wounded and von Messing is keeping him in check, as Scharfe &  Fischer take on Two Swords....

Hofler has wounded the Hook and is pushing him back towards the barn ....

The Kings musketeers, with some wounds, are keeping a couple of the Hook's men occupied...

The Hook makes a break for it and runs into the barn, Hofler follows ....

Before he can reach the Hook, Hofler is distracted by one of the Hook's men who comes up behind him; Hofler un-phased turns to face him, as the Hook makes his escape....

Hofler makes short work of the man who attacked him, but the Hook is nowhere in sight ...

Outside in the yard, the Hook's men are surrendering ... as they are outnumbered and badly wounded ...

It's all over, the gang is broken and a number of them have been detained - but their leader The Hook as escaped and is still at large ...

---oXo---

Resulting casualties form the afray ...

The Hook and his gang

• The Hook - 2 wounds and escaped into the woods. ... (he'll be back no doubt !)
• 6 of his gang made a run for it after taking two wounds (three wounds and you are down dead ...)
• 3 of his men were captured (with two wounds each), including Big George and Two Swords.
• 5 men dead

The Musketeers

• The Four: von Messing one wound; Fischer, Scharfe and Hofler ok
• The Rest (6 in Tabards): 2 Ok, 2 with 1 wound and 2 with two wounds.

Rules Used : My own Simple Combat Rules