Ned's Big Adventure

Edward Burlington Bt.,/ foreground right.

Sorry, but, here  is yet another adventure in Jimland that I played back in the middle of May and have just got around to writing up. After a rather successful previous adventure I decided to employ a new Expedition leader as they get 28 point to allocate to their initial skills rather than the normal 25 (doesn't sound like much, but it's very worthwhile in the context of the game. The previous 'leader' (Frederick Cartington) was only a temporary one, standing in for the deceased Charles Biddlesstone.

 So, once more, from the Journal of Frederick Cartington:

Three Soldiers join the expedition

"Ned, has changed a lot since our University days, very "Gung Ho" as the saying goes. After a very rousing speech made to our expedition (just wait until he learns what "Viboko" means!) we set off from Jim's Landing with a full compliment of bearers, five soldiers and Ebor the Scout, Horatio the Interpreter, Doc Cleghorn, myself and Ned. With enough food for 12 days or so, trade goods for the unwelcoming types and cash in hand for extra food, should we need it, spirits were high."

The enlarged Column

 "After making our Way North to the river we encountered three soldiers who asked to join our expedition for no more than food. Ned took it as a good sign and welcomed them, I immediately thought of the food situation"
"Our now enlarged column crossed the river and headed north to follow the river once more, encountering some friendly Natives and discovering some form of Antelope no-one could recollect seeing previously,"
We spent a day trying to find a way out of the jungle before finding the river again and proceeding North into swamps; the drums in the night were of course laughed at by our soldiery. As we once more travelled North we were set upon by some not-so-friendly Natives."

The opposition, nine bowmen

The column adjusts to face the enemy (successful scouting)

Those who can move forward (slowly) ...

...and are met by the local wildlife...

...that obligingly die quickly.

The column forms a firing line

The natives continue to filter through...

...and suffer greatly...

...at the hands of the pretty formidable firing line.

A soldier is shot !

All this shooting attracts a lioness (it left the table next turn!)

The shooting takes its toll and the natives flee

 "The natives were quickly dispatched, sadly for the loss of a single soldier. We headed North into yet more swamp and hostile Tribal Natives. Ned once more used his tactic of "Guns to the Front", a tactic I don't agree with, though it has its merits."
"The Natives were once more no match for our numbers and after a brief fight they too fled"

Three natives to the south and four to the north

They've go a long way to go...

Long enough to get the column ready

The natives break cover to the south and...

... to the North. The outcome is predicactable.

"On making camp we discovered three loads of Trade goods had been stolen and I mentioned to Ned that the food situation wasn't looking good"
"We spent the day in this accursed swamp, losing a bearer to the conditions and being unable to find a way out of it. The next day we once more had trade stolen and were still stuck in this swamp, the food situation was looking bleak I thought, with barely 4 days' of rations left."
"With our eyes upon a distant peak we found a way out of the swamp in a south-westerly direction, a refreshing change being in the mountains and away from the dreaded swamp. The discovery of a river source, though intriguing, had to be left for another  day as we headed South east only to discover all our remaining food had gone bad. I hunted sufficently that all had something to eat"
"The discovery of a new plant species (inedible) did nought for our morale as game was scarce and everyone suffered a day without food."
"Ebor, scouting out ahead of the expedition  warned us all of a brushfire sustaining only minor burns that didn't seem to bother him.
"Returning to Jim's Landing was largely uneventful, with alternate days of successful hunting, the loss of 2 bearers and a soldier (the victim of yet another fiendish Native trap) not offset by the discovery of a few fossils. "
"I declared the expedition a success, though Ned was not convinced and had been sullen and unapproachable throughout these last few days."

I think this whole expedition had taken about 2 hours and though the skirmishes were tricky for the natives, it was the journey back that held the most tension. I did wonder at one stage if the party was ever going to get out of that bloody swamp before starving to death!

In other news, I'm continuing to grudgingly paint more figures (the last of those destined for Jimland) and some card for a Pirate game that is looking more and more likely to be played solo.
Next week I'll either writeup the second of  Ned Burlington's expeditions or (more likely) show my newly painted figures  (Painted of course in the TWD style I use).

That's all then for this week, thanks for taking the time to visit and of course all comments are both welcomed and appreciated.