gaming thoughts

A feud between Border clans would be a kickass skirmish level miniatures campaign. You'd have a relatively limited number of participants who'd increase in ability (or get crippled or murdered) over the course of the campaign; resources as goals (sheep, goats, cattle, prestige, more farmers you can extort); bastell houses; interference from the authorities. The terrain (largely treeless, but walls and swampy ground channel movement). I'm now imagining that between every two or three scenarios, you get to reacquire men/horses and weapons, as more young Borderers come to maturity (alternatively, decide to serve as Border Horse in Ireland) and as your clan acquires more money thanks to blackmailing the local farmers. The slow rate of fire (equipping your Borderers with more than one pistol is still point balance stuff) means melee will happen.

Here's how I see the campaign playing out;

a. Initial cattle or sheep raid

b. Feud based on any losses in a - simply a bigass skirmish between two forces

c. Market day! Three player scenario. Under a flag of truce the English and Scottish Judges of the Peace have come together to review cases including anything resulting from a or b, above. Our heros have decided that this is a perfect time to murder each other, but can they do so without being wiped out by rather understandably cranky Elizabethians? (They did decide to shiv each other during a mandatory ceasefire, after all...) I'm thinking about footing here being a big open area but furniture, civilians and wandering livestock as a way to add terrain complexity.

d. Captured! Two player scenario. As a follow up to c, the authorities have imprisoned one of the Lairds and some of his best men and you've decided to liberate them. Enclosed dungeon scenario; chokepoints are really important here.

e. An alternative final scenario could pit the two sides against each other at a fortified manor house.