‘Our poor fellows dropped around us in every direction. In the activity of the officers to keep the men firm, and to supply them with ammunition of the fallen, you could scarcely avoid treading on the dying and the dead. But all was firm… Tho’ alone, our fire never slackened, nor were the men in the least disheartened… Our colonel, major, every captain and 11 subalterns fell; our King’s Colours were cut in two, our regimental ones had 17 balls through them.’
– Ensign Benjamin Hobhouse, 57th (West Middlesex) Regiment, at Albuera, 1811
Basic Information and Concept
The Forlorn Hope is a game set during the Peninsular War, firmly based in the real world, but featuring a fictional scenario that could have occurred during that conflict.
The game will run over three days, from Friday Evening to Sunday Lunch, and will be fully catered by our on-site chef for those who purchase a meal ticket, who will be producing thematic and immersive meals handpicked for this game. This is not reenactment; we will not be critiquing the authenticity of your belt buckle! Costume is aspirational, however the aesthetics of the Napoleonic period are very striking and thus should be thought of as equally important to the name and traits of the character you wish to play. While primarily a game focused around combat roleplay, there will be several plotlines aimed at non-combat players, playing into themes of intelligence-gathering and intrigue, as well as Bridgerton-esque politics, social deduction and Austen style ballgowning.
We can now confirm the event will return again in 2024 – for an early spring event on the 23rd-25th February, and in summer on the 12th-14th July.
The Forlorn Hope is inspired by media such as Sharpe, The Monuments Men, Master and Commander, Hornblower, Waterloo (1970), and Holdfast, as well as the historical background of the Peninsular War.
