The Silver Bayonet: A Wargame of Napoleonic Gothic Horror

Description

As the wars of Napoleon ravage Europe, chaos and fear reign and the darkness that once clung to the shadows has been emboldened. Supernatural creatures - vampires, werewolves, ghouls, and worse take advantage of the havoc, striking out at isolated farms, villages, and even military units. Whether they are pursuing some master plan or simply revelling in their newfound freedom is unknown. Most people dismiss reports of these slaughters as the rantings of madmen or the lies of deserters, but a few know better... In Britain, a secret award - the Silver Bayonet - is presented to those soldiers brave or fortunate enough to have faced these creatures and survived. Often, these survivors are swiftly seconded to a specialist unit and ordered to report to one of Wellington's exploring officers. Formed to root out and destroy the supernatural menace, these small units are tasked with investigating strange reports, scouring battlefields, and seeking out allies and artefacts that could stem the tide. Britain is not alone in this fight - the other great nations have their own units dedicated to the fight against the supernatural - but that is not to say that mankind is united in the face of the rising darkness. While the rising darkness is a common foe, and rival units may forge uneasy and fleeting alliances, patriotism and national interest will just as often pit them against each other in races for ancient knowledge or forgotten treasure. The Silver Bayonet is a skirmish wargame of gothic horror set during the Napoleonic Wars. Each player forms an elite band of monster hunters drawn from the ranks of one of the great powers. Riflemen, swordsmen, and engineers fight side-by-side with mystics, occultists, and even those few supernatural creatures that can be controlled or reasoned with enough to make common cause. The game can be played solo, co-operatively, or competitively, with players progressing through a series of interlinked adventures with their soldiers gaining experience and suffering grievous wounds, and their units triumphing... and falling in the face of the shadows. It is a game of action and adventure, where musket and sabre meet tooth and claw.

Joseph A. McCullough is the author of several non-fiction books including A Pocket History of Ireland, Zombies: A Hunter's Guide, and Dragonslayers: From Beowulf to St. George. In addition, his fantasy short stories have appeared in various books and magazines such as Black Gate, Lords of Swords, and Adventure Mystery Tales. He is also the creator of Frostgrave and Frostgrave: Ghost Archipelago, and co-wrote The Grey Mountains, a supplement for the Middle-Earth Role-Playing Game. His continued ramblings can be read at: therenaissancetroll.blogspot.co.uk

Horror games set in Napoleonic Europe, I'm pretty pumped for this. I think it's gonna be a lot of fun -- Ash Barker * GMG Reviews * "McCullough has proved his pedigree with his games so far... an interesting option for those of a more historical persuasion and those who like their horror and fantasy." -- , * OnTabletop * The rules are refined, matches are tense and tight, and the narrative side of the game can be as focused or supplemental as you like. Most importantly, this might be the best jumping-on point for those totally new to small skirmishers. -- , * Wargamer *