Well, Bretwalda is now over... Round 7 was the usual disaster I've experienced through most of the campaign. I played 'Mt Agned' against Pete's Romano-British and managed to lose a mighty defeat, largely through severe ill-luck, as Pete had several rounds of unfathomably good shooting that destroyed my skirmishers and reduced my Teulu to an ineffective mob...
So the campaign was effectively over. Phil and his Picts won it (no surprise there - he very rarely loses a wargame of any sort, especially WAB) The following week was the prize-giving accompanised by a final fun game. Here is the text I sent to the players before this final game:
Camlann - The Aftermath
“The battle of Camlann is over…Arthur and Medraut are slain, their warbands shattered, the survivors scattered.
Now, in the aftermath a few battle-shocked heroes and the pitiful remnants of their warbands scour the land, for, with such slaughter comes the chance for loot. Many famed artefacts are rumoured to lie in the countryside around the battle site. The right hero, with the right artefacts might even gain all that the great Arthur lost…”
This, then, is the scenario for Monday evening’s battle. Each player must provide a warband that meets the following criteria:
1 fully equipped major hero (Tribune, Tiern, Atheling, Mormaer, Curadh)
1 fully equipped minor hero (Decurio, Uchelwyr, Thegn, Champion, Toiseach)
Up to 72pts of comitatus warriors, (commanipulares, Teulu, Gedriht, Nobles, Fianna) equipped as you would normally field them please (so basically, that’s about 4 warriors…)
Up to 70pts of ordinary warriors (milites [NOT sagitarri], combrogi, Geoguth/Duguth, Pictish warriors, Ceithern) equipped as you normally field them, please. Romano-British players may swap up to 2 milites for sagitarri. Pictish players may swap up to 3 warriors for hunters. Irish players may swap one Fianna for a packmaster and may then swap up to 2 Ceithern for hounds. This gives an average of 9-10 ‘ordinary’ models for each player.
ALL warriors fight on foot.
Characters are newly-created for this game, so have no special attributes or items – this keeps the playing field totally level for all players in the campaign.
The game will use the basic movement, shooting and hand-to-hand combat mechanisms of WAB. However, ALL models move, shoot and fight as individual skirmish models. There are no ‘units’ as such.
When models lose their last wound to either shooting or hand-to-hand combat (most only have 1 wound , but heroes will have 2 each…) they are not necessarily dead, but a d6 is rolled and the following table consulted:
1-2: KNOCKED DOWN
The force of the blow knocks the warrior to his knees. Place the model face up to show that it is knocked down. Knocked down models may crawl 2” in their movement phase if able to actually move at all (i.e. not in combat). Knocked down models in combat may not strike back, so stand a VERY good chance of being killed in the subsequent round, unless the opponent is fighting other models at the same time!! They may stand up at the start of their next turn, but may only move at ½ speed and may not charge or run (assuming they can move at all). They may fight and shoot as normal. From the next turn, they may do everything as normal, assuming they haven’t been hurt again, of course!.
3-4: STUNNED
The force of the blow knocks the warrior to the ground. He is barely conscious and can do nothing…nothing at all! Place him face down to show that he is stunned. If the model is still alive at the start of its next turn, the player may turn him face up to show that he is now ‘knocked down’ with all the problems that go with that! If he survives, that model can recover as explained above in subsequent turns.
If a model is a hero or a comitatus model, he is assumed to wear a helmet and therefore has a 4+ save against being stunned. If he makes the save, he is assumed to be merely ‘knocked down’ (see above)
5-6: DEAD!
The force of the blow hits a vital spot and the warrior is slain! Remove him from the game!
This potentially keeps models alive a wee bit longer and reflects the very ‘individual skirmish’ nature of the game!
The object of the game will be to collect ‘loot’ counters which will be placed on the board by the umpire prior to the game commencing. Each ‘loot’ counter will be numbered and the umpire will declare what it is and how much it is worth as a player claims it.
To claim a counter, a player only has to move a model into contact with it in its movement phase. (Any model that happens to be fleeing may not claim a counter!!!) The number is then revealed, with the umpire informing the player what he has gained. Of course, some counters actually are not ‘loot’ at all, but something a weeny bit more interesting/sinister!!! All will be revealed as the game progresses!!
If a model is slain (i.e. is actually ‘dead’), it drops any ‘loot’ counters it is carrying. Any enemy model in base-to-base contact may immediately pick it up in their next turn assuming that they have not been charged by another model in the interim. In that event, the counter is simply placed back on the table.
Any model may, for sake of ease of game-play only carry one loot counter. Loot counters do not impede the model from moving, shooting or fighting!
Andy will umpire – depending on the number of players, we may run 2 games concurrently, as too many players on one table in this sort of game doesn’t work!!!
Game Turn:
1. Initiative dice: Play will proceed in order of dice scores, high to low.
2. Compulsory movement phase (for all non-player stuff).
3. Each player now goes through the following in the order of the initiative dice:
a. Recovery phase of ‘knocked down’ and ‘stunned’ models (i.e. turn them over/stand ‘em up...)
b. Usual WAB movement phase
c. Usual WAB shooting phase
d. Usual WAB HtH phase
Notes:
- There will be NO warband tests!! All models move and fight as the players wish!
- It is a fight to the death! There will be no leadership tests for losing models! Play continues until the umpire deems it a good time to stop, as he has no idea how long it will take to play each turn!!! Players may concede at any point if things are going awry for them!!Umpire’s decision on all things is final!!
There were only 6 players available for this game and I umpired. basically, we used an 8x6 table and placed thre small villages and church enclosure, various woods, a river, difficult groun, yada, yada and players diced for deployment, deploying 6" in. The table was coverd in 24 loot counters, face down. As a player moved in to contact, I revealed what he had 'found'. There were lots of cool loot, including Excalibur, the Cauldron of Herne, The Holy Grail, the Dragon-Sword of Hengest, plus treasure, etc, as well as ravening wolves, a bear, various peasants and skulking warriors. At the start of each game turn I rolled a D6. On a 4+, a random event occurred (of my choosing on the spot, actually) which included more wolves, peasants with waggons, wild boar, etc...
It was a fun game and the only changes I'd make would be to make the wolves and bears tougher, as they died too easily... As the game progressed, it sped up, as we simply allowed everyone to move in intitative order, then do their shooting and combat, otherwise it took too long to play a turn.
So...what did I learn from leading Bretwalda?
1. You can't please everybody all the time - lots of folk loved the campaign, but to others it was all wrong. I shouldn't get stressed by that....in future, I won't get so up tight!!!
2. It's a lot of work!!! A LOT of work...
3. It WAS worth it for the vast majority of players who did enjoy it.
If anyone wants a copy of the full 'Bardic Chronicles' poetry booklet, request it in the comment section, with your email address added and I'll send it, but be warned, it is a 5 Megabyte monster as I put some photos in it. Same goes for the final game notes and loot counter list (much smaller files those!!)
Next project: Writing a 'Raiding Season' style campaign (see Age of Arthur for Raiding Season campaign) based on the heroic poem Y-Gododdin (using Rosemary Sutcliff's amazing 'The Shining Company' as inspiration...)
Showing posts with label Bretwalda Campaign. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bretwalda Campaign. Show all posts
Saturday, 15 August 2009
Wednesday, 1 July 2009
Bretwalda, Round 4-6
Two posts in two days...what is the world coming to??
Anyway, here is the round 4-6 summary, plus the latest poetry...
Round 4: As Gavin had pulled out of the campaign, this left me having to field 2 warbands each week in doubles matches when everybody else played singles. So, in Round 4 I played Rob and Mark with their Saxons at the River Glein. Despite Loyalty and hatred, the main Teulu died to a man and I was unable to kill anything. Mighty victory to the Saxons. Shocking game: dreadful dice rolling and I was outplayed!!! Grim, grim, grim...
The Annals of Connaught
Darkness fell and the groans of the wounded and those about to die filled the air. Bloody slaughter it was - the last remnants of the Saxon host had gathered around their lord to make a stand on the hill. Conn'Ann and the Red Shields watched them satisfied that their men held the Roman buildings and had scattered the rest of the saxons to the winds. They wouldn't try coming down this road again! Conn'Ann had no use for buildings - he would take what he wanted and then burn it to the ground - let the ruins be a warning to all enemies of the fate that awaited them.
(Grahame Middleton, after a long and savage fight against Carl Fisher’s Saxons in the Old Roman Waystation scenario.)
Of The Fight At The River
And Uther did come to the fight at the river
Numberless the enemy host
From the Eastern and the Northern Seax
Heroic sword-song did come this day
In mighty carnage at the ford
Cut down, the dragon,
Cut down our lord
Carried from the field, sword red with the blood
Of a score score of heathen enemy.
May the bards sing of the courage of the Cymri
As death came among them.
All hail to Uther Blackheart
May his wounds heal
May his righteous vengeance
Smite all who oppose him.
(Andy Hawes, after a ‘right royal tw*tting' at the hands of Rob and Mark’s Saxons in the River Glein scenario…)
Round 5: pairing up with Rob, my destroyer from Round 4, against Richard Westley's Saxons and Reuben Turner's Welsh (the 'Faithless Warband of the Cymri'). We played Land Grab, my own scenario. I was lined up opposite Reuben and managed to catch him in a right old fix, my Teulu finally, for the first time in the campaign, doing what Teulu should do and killing all his Teulu, his slingers and a unit of combrogi. I lost about 8 models all game! Sweet! Rob did his bit too, killing virtually all Richard's army. Mighty victory of the mightiest kind!!!! That's better!!!!
Of The Second Fight At Duribrovae
Hail to Uthr the victorious,
Mighty lord of Cymri,
Protector of land and cattle,
His name is known across the land,
His praises sing through the mountains.
Death to the sons of Cystennin,
Faithless Warband of the Cymri,
Despoilers of women,
Craven curs,
May the bards ever sing of your treachery.
Hail to the Teulu,
Faithful Warband of the Cymri,
Protectors of their lord,
Of Cymri, land and cattle,
A hundred hundred fall to their spearsong
Of the Faithless Warband of the Cymri
None remains,
Spear song shatters their treachery,
Swift swords strike black hearts from the breast
For the carrion crow and the raven beak.
Hail to Uthr the victorious,
Mighty lord of Cymri,
Protector of land and cattle,
His name is known across the land,
His praises sing through the mountains.
(Andy Hawes, after his Welsh warband (allied with Rob’s Saxons) faced Reuben’s Welsh (allied with Richard’s Saxons) in ‘Land Grab’ and where Andy’s Teulu (comitatus) finally managed to kill something…errr…no…make that ‘kill EVERYTHING!!!!’)
The Annals of Connaught
Mighty was the valour of Niall the Bard. The enemy champion stood in the ford daring all before him. Conn'Ann put on his war gear to teach this upsart a lesson but Niall stepped forward begging his lord for the chance to show his skill at arms. The contest raged long and hard - blow for blow Niall struck before a cruel trick from his foe brought him down. What glory can the enemy gain from beating a bard? Songs will be sung of Niall and his courage that day whilst the name of the enemy is not remembered.
(Grahame Middleton, who ‘heroically’ sent his bard to fight (and die) in the single combat in the ‘Bassas Ford’ scenario which ended in a bloody draw!)
And so to Round 6 on Monday: Due to another person pulling out (sigh...) and two not being able to make it we played 'proper' doubles. - no using 2 warbands for me this week! Huzzah!! I was paired with Dan who was using Romano-Brits against Reuben (again!) and Grahame's Scots Irish, who are ridiculously effective in this campaign.
We played Cat Coit Celidon and we attacked. It was all going well until my combrogi, who had spotted a gap in the enemy line and were rushing forward to exploit it, failed a warband test and had to charge some slingers, who fled, leaving them open to attack from all and sundry. Despite suggestions that we really should avoid fighting and just get off table as per the scenario, Dan cheerfully walked into a stand up fight with Grahame's kick-ass Fianna....with predictable results!!!!
My Teulu then got embroiled in a slog with Reuben's, with my ASB killing his ASB in a challenge, my Uchelwyr fighting and killing his General and his Teulu dying to a man..well, one was left!! I then hunkered down in the far corner of the table so my general couldn't be caught and killed, thereby denying the enemy a mighty victory... Great game, but grim result!!
The Caledonian Forest
Hail to Uthr the Mighty,
Heroic lord of Cymri,
Protector of land and cattle,
His name is known across the land,
His praises sing through the mountains.
Death to the sons of Cystennin,
Faithless Warband of the Cymri,
Despoilers of women,
Craven curs,
May the bards ever sing of your treachery.
Cruel ambush in Celidon woods
In treacherous alliance with men of Connaught
The host of Gethin waits
Faithless Warrior
Son of a craven dog
May the bards sing of your cowardice
A warrior named Derfel,
Clad in gleaming iron in the front rank,
Wearing the brooch of his people
Sword reddened with traitor’s blood
Death to the son of Custennin,
May his spirit never know God’s Grace and Glory.
A warrior named Dogmail
Clad in gleaming iron in the front rank,
Carrying the Dragon of the Cymri
Death-dealing sword-song
Now the Faithless son of Custennin
Gluts black-beaked ravens in Celidon.
And the band of Uther returns to its people,
Roman allies avail them not,
Many Cymri lie forever in Celidon
Their bones bleach under Northern snows
Many the tears, loud the lamentation
May the bards sing to their memory.
(Andy Hawes, after failing to exit a single model as the attacker in the Cat Coit Celidon scenario and after virtually all Dan’s allied Romano-Brits had died after being suckered into fighting Grahame’s killer Fianna comitatus…Ugh!!!)
The Annals of Connaught
The enemy were spread across the fields and woods - the last remnants of those thinking themselves Roman were dead or fled - the Red Shields had put them to slaughter. Conn'Ann had relied on his allies to deal with the leader of the enemy alliance and valiantly they engaged the foe. Few of the enemy escaped as they were swept from the field but their base cur of a warlord kept his head as he ran away. Thus are destroyed all who would stand against the mighty Conn'Ann.(Grahame Middleton - The same game from the victors’ point of view…)
Round 7 in 3 weeks...the final round!!! Watch this space!!
Anyway, here is the round 4-6 summary, plus the latest poetry...
Round 4: As Gavin had pulled out of the campaign, this left me having to field 2 warbands each week in doubles matches when everybody else played singles. So, in Round 4 I played Rob and Mark with their Saxons at the River Glein. Despite Loyalty and hatred, the main Teulu died to a man and I was unable to kill anything. Mighty victory to the Saxons. Shocking game: dreadful dice rolling and I was outplayed!!! Grim, grim, grim...
The Annals of Connaught
Darkness fell and the groans of the wounded and those about to die filled the air. Bloody slaughter it was - the last remnants of the Saxon host had gathered around their lord to make a stand on the hill. Conn'Ann and the Red Shields watched them satisfied that their men held the Roman buildings and had scattered the rest of the saxons to the winds. They wouldn't try coming down this road again! Conn'Ann had no use for buildings - he would take what he wanted and then burn it to the ground - let the ruins be a warning to all enemies of the fate that awaited them.
(Grahame Middleton, after a long and savage fight against Carl Fisher’s Saxons in the Old Roman Waystation scenario.)
Of The Fight At The River
And Uther did come to the fight at the river
Numberless the enemy host
From the Eastern and the Northern Seax
Heroic sword-song did come this day
In mighty carnage at the ford
Cut down, the dragon,
Cut down our lord
Carried from the field, sword red with the blood
Of a score score of heathen enemy.
May the bards sing of the courage of the Cymri
As death came among them.
All hail to Uther Blackheart
May his wounds heal
May his righteous vengeance
Smite all who oppose him.
(Andy Hawes, after a ‘right royal tw*tting' at the hands of Rob and Mark’s Saxons in the River Glein scenario…)
Round 5: pairing up with Rob, my destroyer from Round 4, against Richard Westley's Saxons and Reuben Turner's Welsh (the 'Faithless Warband of the Cymri'). We played Land Grab, my own scenario. I was lined up opposite Reuben and managed to catch him in a right old fix, my Teulu finally, for the first time in the campaign, doing what Teulu should do and killing all his Teulu, his slingers and a unit of combrogi. I lost about 8 models all game! Sweet! Rob did his bit too, killing virtually all Richard's army. Mighty victory of the mightiest kind!!!! That's better!!!!
Of The Second Fight At Duribrovae
Hail to Uthr the victorious,
Mighty lord of Cymri,
Protector of land and cattle,
His name is known across the land,
His praises sing through the mountains.
Death to the sons of Cystennin,
Faithless Warband of the Cymri,
Despoilers of women,
Craven curs,
May the bards ever sing of your treachery.
Hail to the Teulu,
Faithful Warband of the Cymri,
Protectors of their lord,
Of Cymri, land and cattle,
A hundred hundred fall to their spearsong
Of the Faithless Warband of the Cymri
None remains,
Spear song shatters their treachery,
Swift swords strike black hearts from the breast
For the carrion crow and the raven beak.
Hail to Uthr the victorious,
Mighty lord of Cymri,
Protector of land and cattle,
His name is known across the land,
His praises sing through the mountains.
(Andy Hawes, after his Welsh warband (allied with Rob’s Saxons) faced Reuben’s Welsh (allied with Richard’s Saxons) in ‘Land Grab’ and where Andy’s Teulu (comitatus) finally managed to kill something…errr…no…make that ‘kill EVERYTHING!!!!’)
The Annals of Connaught
Mighty was the valour of Niall the Bard. The enemy champion stood in the ford daring all before him. Conn'Ann put on his war gear to teach this upsart a lesson but Niall stepped forward begging his lord for the chance to show his skill at arms. The contest raged long and hard - blow for blow Niall struck before a cruel trick from his foe brought him down. What glory can the enemy gain from beating a bard? Songs will be sung of Niall and his courage that day whilst the name of the enemy is not remembered.
(Grahame Middleton, who ‘heroically’ sent his bard to fight (and die) in the single combat in the ‘Bassas Ford’ scenario which ended in a bloody draw!)
And so to Round 6 on Monday: Due to another person pulling out (sigh...) and two not being able to make it we played 'proper' doubles. - no using 2 warbands for me this week! Huzzah!! I was paired with Dan who was using Romano-Brits against Reuben (again!) and Grahame's Scots Irish, who are ridiculously effective in this campaign.
We played Cat Coit Celidon and we attacked. It was all going well until my combrogi, who had spotted a gap in the enemy line and were rushing forward to exploit it, failed a warband test and had to charge some slingers, who fled, leaving them open to attack from all and sundry. Despite suggestions that we really should avoid fighting and just get off table as per the scenario, Dan cheerfully walked into a stand up fight with Grahame's kick-ass Fianna....with predictable results!!!!
My Teulu then got embroiled in a slog with Reuben's, with my ASB killing his ASB in a challenge, my Uchelwyr fighting and killing his General and his Teulu dying to a man..well, one was left!! I then hunkered down in the far corner of the table so my general couldn't be caught and killed, thereby denying the enemy a mighty victory... Great game, but grim result!!
The Caledonian Forest
Hail to Uthr the Mighty,
Heroic lord of Cymri,
Protector of land and cattle,
His name is known across the land,
His praises sing through the mountains.
Death to the sons of Cystennin,
Faithless Warband of the Cymri,
Despoilers of women,
Craven curs,
May the bards ever sing of your treachery.
Cruel ambush in Celidon woods
In treacherous alliance with men of Connaught
The host of Gethin waits
Faithless Warrior
Son of a craven dog
May the bards sing of your cowardice
A warrior named Derfel,
Clad in gleaming iron in the front rank,
Wearing the brooch of his people
Sword reddened with traitor’s blood
Death to the son of Custennin,
May his spirit never know God’s Grace and Glory.
A warrior named Dogmail
Clad in gleaming iron in the front rank,
Carrying the Dragon of the Cymri
Death-dealing sword-song
Now the Faithless son of Custennin
Gluts black-beaked ravens in Celidon.
And the band of Uther returns to its people,
Roman allies avail them not,
Many Cymri lie forever in Celidon
Their bones bleach under Northern snows
Many the tears, loud the lamentation
May the bards sing to their memory.
(Andy Hawes, after failing to exit a single model as the attacker in the Cat Coit Celidon scenario and after virtually all Dan’s allied Romano-Brits had died after being suckered into fighting Grahame’s killer Fianna comitatus…Ugh!!!)
The Annals of Connaught
The enemy were spread across the fields and woods - the last remnants of those thinking themselves Roman were dead or fled - the Red Shields had put them to slaughter. Conn'Ann had relied on his allies to deal with the leader of the enemy alliance and valiantly they engaged the foe. Few of the enemy escaped as they were swept from the field but their base cur of a warlord kept his head as he ran away. Thus are destroyed all who would stand against the mighty Conn'Ann.(Grahame Middleton - The same game from the victors’ point of view…)
Round 7 in 3 weeks...the final round!!! Watch this space!!
Wednesday, 8 April 2009
Bretwalda Bardic Chronicles, Volume 3
The usual round of poetry after the battles:
“Shield brother fought brother for the bridge.
Rushing to gain first glory
Geoguth stand atop it.
Throw spears to keep the foe back.
The horse of the Romans rush forward across the ford
Their regret is great as they flee straight back
Jeered by our own brave Britons who chase them back.
The river runs with blood as warriors wade in
Hacking with axe and sword.
One brave Decurion holds, fights on
Horseman against horseman – to kill the enemy General.
Saxons flee – ashamed to fight, their leader will not stand.
Rash Geoguth fall back – too rash to hold
To be replaced by measured fighting men.
The bridge is held, the ford cleared
The river runs bloody.
Roman Christmen, sword brothers did not shame us.
But our Saxon brothers shame we Anglians.”(Carl Fisher, whose Angles, allied with Romano-British fought off a Romano-British/Saxon alliance on the River Glein)
The Annals of Connacht :
The enemy camp was looted and their warriors lay strewn across the hillside. It was a hard fight but Conn'Ann had caught them off guard in the mists of early morn. Many were the heroes made that that day and many were laid low. The enemy had trusted his Welsh allies to his cost - when things started to go awry they had turned and vanished into the mist like the cowardly curs they were. The enemy hearth troop were cut down as they stood and Niall the bard will sing long after of their bravery - we salute a gallant foe. The Saxon warlord fled across the hillside but was hunted down and dispatched as he ran. Of all our host who fought so well that day there is one who shall be sung about in our halls above the rest - Black Fang - Conn'Ann's favourite warhound. Many times did the enemy try to slay him but such was his skill and ferocity that none could touch him. He will sleep at his master’s feet and have his fame known throughout Eire.(Grahame Middleton, whose Scots/Irish, allied with Saxons, achieved a mighty, but bloody victory in the Dawn Attack against a Saxon/Welsh alliance. The hound, Black Fang, survived being in combat with about 10 Welsh combrogi, who resloutely managed to not hit or wound him at all!!!!!!)
Of The Fight At Durobrivae
Tidings have come from the Civitas of Durobrivae,
Where Picti and Cymbri of Gwynedd did stand in mighty alliance,
Of killing by heroes in great ferocity of strife.
Where Einar, king of Mercians, did fall in mighty tumult of war,
Roman allies availed him not.
Now ravens glut on his warriors’ bones.
Uthr, Blackheart of Gwynedd,
Arrayed in gleaming iron in the front rank,
Wearing the brooch of his people,
Threw back armed uprising of Roman and Saxon.
The Heathen are departed,
Driven back toward the briny sea
Before the great champions of the Cymri.
A man called Ceredig, a noble youth,
Fearless in the fight at the village,
Cut down in his glory by Saxon Lord.
Cymri warriors cry ‘vengeance.’
Though lacking bright mail-coats,
Death-dealing with blade and spear
And hatred most strong, they drive the Barbarians to flee.
Now black-beaked ravens glut on Saxon bones.
Artorius Castus, Roman Lord
Lines arrayed in gleaming iron
On high ground shieldwall forming.
They dare not come to the fight.
Like women, craven curs, they stand at bay
Arrow storm no match for Cymri spear-song.
Now the bards sing of their misery.
Hail to Uthr the Victorious,
Mighty Lord of Cymri,
Protector of land and cattle,
His name is known across the land,
His praises sing through the mountains.
(Andy Hawes, after the Welsh/Pict alliance carried the day in Land Grab - the original name of the scenario that won the ‘best scenario’ competition on the WHW website recently)
The 'Land Grab' scenario worked really well again. The Romano-Brits took the high ground on the right flank opposite the watchtower, while the saxons took the left opposite the village. The Welsh/Pict alliance mixed and matched its units, deploying the combrogi with 'hatred' in skirmish formation to rush the village in turn one. The Pict noble and Welsh Teulu formed a solid battle line in the open ground centre, flanked by Pictish warriors. The remaining combrogi deployed in skirmish formation on the extreme left, tasked with destroying the Romano-Brit archers.
The Pict hunters and welsh Pagenses used 'concealment' to deploy next to the watchtower and in the woods to the very right of the Romanoi-Brit deployment.
The battle was decided by three things:
1. The 'hatred' combrogi taking the village and destroying the saxon skirmishers (also with 'hatred' ) who attacked them AND the Geoguth who followed them up! This was helped by Ady (Saxon commander) throwing the worst 'wound' dice I have seen in ages two rounds in succession, allowing skirmishing Welsh to win a combat against the formed Geoguth, chasing them off the table!
2. The solid wall of Pict nobles and Welsh Teulu, who finally tempted the Gedriht to charge. The Gedriht contained a pagan priest, as did the Pict nobles, so Phil (Pict commander) having lost several men, and knowing that he was certain to lose the combat (but with his own priest allowing him to be stubborn) , decided to kill the Saxon priest, so the unit were no longer stubborn, allowing the Welsh teulu flank charge that was looming for the next turn its chance of succeeding. So he targeted the priest with everything in base contact and killed him. Saxons no longer stubborn...Welsh flank charge next turn DEVASTATED the Gedriht, who were chased down and slaughtered. Dead Saxon king, centre won!!
3. The Romano-Brits staying on the hill too long. They did eventually come down, but only at the point where the Gedriht charged, meaning that the Welsh Teulu to their front could ignore them and flank charge the Gedriht. In the final turn, the Romano-Brit Commanipulares could reach the palisade, but hadn't enough movement to cross it and contest the objective.
All in all, a great fun round.
“Shield brother fought brother for the bridge.
Rushing to gain first glory
Geoguth stand atop it.
Throw spears to keep the foe back.
The horse of the Romans rush forward across the ford
Their regret is great as they flee straight back
Jeered by our own brave Britons who chase them back.
The river runs with blood as warriors wade in
Hacking with axe and sword.
One brave Decurion holds, fights on
Horseman against horseman – to kill the enemy General.
Saxons flee – ashamed to fight, their leader will not stand.
Rash Geoguth fall back – too rash to hold
To be replaced by measured fighting men.
The bridge is held, the ford cleared
The river runs bloody.
Roman Christmen, sword brothers did not shame us.
But our Saxon brothers shame we Anglians.”(Carl Fisher, whose Angles, allied with Romano-British fought off a Romano-British/Saxon alliance on the River Glein)
The Annals of Connacht :
The enemy camp was looted and their warriors lay strewn across the hillside. It was a hard fight but Conn'Ann had caught them off guard in the mists of early morn. Many were the heroes made that that day and many were laid low. The enemy had trusted his Welsh allies to his cost - when things started to go awry they had turned and vanished into the mist like the cowardly curs they were. The enemy hearth troop were cut down as they stood and Niall the bard will sing long after of their bravery - we salute a gallant foe. The Saxon warlord fled across the hillside but was hunted down and dispatched as he ran. Of all our host who fought so well that day there is one who shall be sung about in our halls above the rest - Black Fang - Conn'Ann's favourite warhound. Many times did the enemy try to slay him but such was his skill and ferocity that none could touch him. He will sleep at his master’s feet and have his fame known throughout Eire.(Grahame Middleton, whose Scots/Irish, allied with Saxons, achieved a mighty, but bloody victory in the Dawn Attack against a Saxon/Welsh alliance. The hound, Black Fang, survived being in combat with about 10 Welsh combrogi, who resloutely managed to not hit or wound him at all!!!!!!)
Of The Fight At Durobrivae
Tidings have come from the Civitas of Durobrivae,
Where Picti and Cymbri of Gwynedd did stand in mighty alliance,
Of killing by heroes in great ferocity of strife.
Where Einar, king of Mercians, did fall in mighty tumult of war,
Roman allies availed him not.
Now ravens glut on his warriors’ bones.
Uthr, Blackheart of Gwynedd,
Arrayed in gleaming iron in the front rank,
Wearing the brooch of his people,
Threw back armed uprising of Roman and Saxon.
The Heathen are departed,
Driven back toward the briny sea
Before the great champions of the Cymri.
A man called Ceredig, a noble youth,
Fearless in the fight at the village,
Cut down in his glory by Saxon Lord.
Cymri warriors cry ‘vengeance.’
Though lacking bright mail-coats,
Death-dealing with blade and spear
And hatred most strong, they drive the Barbarians to flee.
Now black-beaked ravens glut on Saxon bones.
Artorius Castus, Roman Lord
Lines arrayed in gleaming iron
On high ground shieldwall forming.
They dare not come to the fight.
Like women, craven curs, they stand at bay
Arrow storm no match for Cymri spear-song.
Now the bards sing of their misery.
Hail to Uthr the Victorious,
Mighty Lord of Cymri,
Protector of land and cattle,
His name is known across the land,
His praises sing through the mountains.
(Andy Hawes, after the Welsh/Pict alliance carried the day in Land Grab - the original name of the scenario that won the ‘best scenario’ competition on the WHW website recently)
The 'Land Grab' scenario worked really well again. The Romano-Brits took the high ground on the right flank opposite the watchtower, while the saxons took the left opposite the village. The Welsh/Pict alliance mixed and matched its units, deploying the combrogi with 'hatred' in skirmish formation to rush the village in turn one. The Pict noble and Welsh Teulu formed a solid battle line in the open ground centre, flanked by Pictish warriors. The remaining combrogi deployed in skirmish formation on the extreme left, tasked with destroying the Romano-Brit archers.
The Pict hunters and welsh Pagenses used 'concealment' to deploy next to the watchtower and in the woods to the very right of the Romanoi-Brit deployment.
The battle was decided by three things:
1. The 'hatred' combrogi taking the village and destroying the saxon skirmishers (also with 'hatred' ) who attacked them AND the Geoguth who followed them up! This was helped by Ady (Saxon commander) throwing the worst 'wound' dice I have seen in ages two rounds in succession, allowing skirmishing Welsh to win a combat against the formed Geoguth, chasing them off the table!
2. The solid wall of Pict nobles and Welsh Teulu, who finally tempted the Gedriht to charge. The Gedriht contained a pagan priest, as did the Pict nobles, so Phil (Pict commander) having lost several men, and knowing that he was certain to lose the combat (but with his own priest allowing him to be stubborn) , decided to kill the Saxon priest, so the unit were no longer stubborn, allowing the Welsh teulu flank charge that was looming for the next turn its chance of succeeding. So he targeted the priest with everything in base contact and killed him. Saxons no longer stubborn...Welsh flank charge next turn DEVASTATED the Gedriht, who were chased down and slaughtered. Dead Saxon king, centre won!!
3. The Romano-Brits staying on the hill too long. They did eventually come down, but only at the point where the Gedriht charged, meaning that the Welsh Teulu to their front could ignore them and flank charge the Gedriht. In the final turn, the Romano-Brit Commanipulares could reach the palisade, but hadn't enough movement to cross it and contest the objective.
All in all, a great fun round.
Tuesday, 7 April 2009
Pics from Round 3
Not great quality and few close-ups (cos they all came out blurred...bah!!!!!), but a few shots from our round 3 games last night. You'll all be pleased to hear that the Welsh/Pict alliance managed to secure a mighty victory after a hard slog. I think, to be fair, we only managed it because the Romano-British player in the alliance facing us delayed his assault by one or two turns..had he come off the hill a turn or two earlier, the Pict Nobles and Welsh Teulu would not have been able to gang up on the Saxon Gedriht and it would have been a very different story! Anyway, full report (including poetry) to come later. For now, some pics...
First, two views down the tables. There were three multi-player games, each with 2 against 2. We played 'Dawn Attack', 'Land Grab' (my own scenario) and 'River Glein'..
Rob Farley's Saxons (Warlord plastic Celts with GB Saxon bucklers and some GB Saxon cavalry) on the Dawn Attack scenario (defending)...
Grahame Middleton's Scots/Irish attacking on the Dawn Attack scenario
Pete Irving's Romano-Brits, allied with Ady's Saxons on the Land Grab scenario...
Phil Freer's Picts and my Welsh, facing Ady and Pete on Land Grab...
Gavin Parnaby's Romano-Brits on the River Glein...
First, two views down the tables. There were three multi-player games, each with 2 against 2. We played 'Dawn Attack', 'Land Grab' (my own scenario) and 'River Glein'..
Rob Farley's Saxons (Warlord plastic Celts with GB Saxon bucklers and some GB Saxon cavalry) on the Dawn Attack scenario (defending)...
Grahame Middleton's Scots/Irish attacking on the Dawn Attack scenario
Ady Roxburgh's Saxons on the Land Grab scenario...
Pete Irving's Romano-Brits, allied with Ady's Saxons on the Land Grab scenario...
Phil Freer's Picts and my Welsh, facing Ady and Pete on Land Grab...
Gavin Parnaby's Romano-Brits on the River Glein...
Gavin's allies (Richard Westley's Saxons) lurking in the village on the River Glein...
Saxons and Scots/Irish clash in the Dawn Attack...
Hope that gives a feel for what was going on...
Cheers
Andy
Sunday, 5 April 2009
My 'Bretwalda' Warband...
As it was sunny this afternoon, I took a few pics...trouble was, it was too sunny, so apologies for the pic quality!! It's been a while since I photographed outside and I'd forgotten that 'bright overcast' is a far better bet than 'bright sunshine'....
So, here's what I use for 'Bretwalda'. It's a fairly typical warband. 4 characters , a unit of comitatus, two units of ordinary warriors and a few skirmishers.
I was a bit limited in troop choice, ,cos most of my 'Arfur' figs are at James Morris' house, after he collected them for me from GW HQ the other week (they were there for photographing for WAB 2.0, although whether they'll make the cut...??? Who knows??)
So, anyway, my Welshies for Bretwalda...gathered by the Ford ready for battle!
Another view of the whole warband...
The Teulu...note the spiral shield patterns - a design 'borrowed' from Professor Guy Halsall's rather splendid Romano-British army...
The heroes gather in the front rank of the Teulu....
The heroes gather in the front rank of the Teulu....
Close-up view of the characters with their repainted shield designs...
Round 3 of Bretwalda is tomorrow, where I team up with my mate Phil and his evil Picts who kicked my ass last week. We are fighting against a Romano-British/Saxon coalition, although I don't yet know the scenario, as I'm not drawing those til all lists are in..am still waiting for two, despite requesting them in last week...
For anyone thinking of running a similar campaign, here's a warning. Don't expect people to actually email lists in ahead of games, cos they won't....well, some will...probably most, but there will always be some who can't get it together in time... Drives me mad and utterly buggers up the organisation of everything...
Tuesday, 24 March 2009
Bretwalda Round 2: An Irish Tale and info for Round 3
Here is Grahame Middleton's Scots/Irish offering after the death in battle, and subsequent roll of something other than a one on the 'wounded character' table of his general Conn'Ann (the barbarian...groan....of Connaught)
Mighty Conn'Ann slips and falls in the blood of the slain and a groan goes up from the Red Shields of Connacht. Enraged they become and their blows are as a hailstorm upon the enemy as they slay their hated saxon foes without mercy - see how the Saxon prince turns to flee as his hearthtroop is cut down around him and watch as the craven cur is cut down as he runs. Their standard is taken and their booty is ours.
What is this? Conn'Ann rises as if from the dead, shakes his head and strides back towards his men - more beloved of them than ever before - surely they are now invincible!
Annals of Connaught
And here is the info for what we are doing in Round 3...
"After the battle there comes a time for the healing of hurts and making of alliances. Across the rivers, beyond the hills, beyond the Great Roman Wall, and across the windswept Western Sea, alliances are being made...warlords and warbands combining ready to recommence the campaigning season.
Does your warband dare face the future alone...unsupported...?? No, it is a time to place old feuds aside, to open up the mead-hall to your erstwhile enemies, making pacts and alliances over the feasting!! It is a time to share resources, to replenish the supplies, to heal the wounded and to gather strength for the struggle to come..."
Round 3 will see multiplayer games, comprising alliances of two players, each taking on another alliance, using multi-plyaer scenarios from the Bretwalda book.
For Round 3 alliances, you will fight alongside your opponent from Round 2, against an opposing alliance drawn randomly by my wife sometime this week!! You will find out which scenario you are playing days before Round 3 takes place and AFTER you have submitted your army list for Round 3.
Special Round 3 Alliance Rules:
Players should ignore the rules for selecting an overall general in any scenario in the book. The warlord who won last week's battle will be army general in the alliance, even if he has lower leadership than his ally!! This is because he won and is therefore boss!!!! In the event that Round 2 was a 'bloody stand off', then you can use the rules in the scenario you play for identifying who is the general. All other rules ref sub-generals, army standards, etc, are as the multiplayer rules in the scenarios in the book for all players!
In the lull between battles, warriors who were wounded have been well tended by those skilled in healing, both from their own and their ally's forces. This, and the good food and hearty drink of the alliance feasting, go a long way towards healing the warriors' hurts! At the beginning of the Round 3 game, after deployment and before the first game turn, players should roll a D6 for any unit or character who is suffering any type of wound from Round 2 that may affect their fighting ability (e.g. 'minor wounds' for units and any wound for a character.) On a roll of 4, 5 or 6, the wound has been healed and the unit/warrior fights at full capacity...Don't say I never do anything nice for you!!!! :-)
Hopefully the players will appreciate this and enjoy the new challenge of a multi-player battle!!
Hopefully, some pics after the next Round's battles, if I can get away from my own game and from umpiring the others!!
Mighty Conn'Ann slips and falls in the blood of the slain and a groan goes up from the Red Shields of Connacht. Enraged they become and their blows are as a hailstorm upon the enemy as they slay their hated saxon foes without mercy - see how the Saxon prince turns to flee as his hearthtroop is cut down around him and watch as the craven cur is cut down as he runs. Their standard is taken and their booty is ours.
What is this? Conn'Ann rises as if from the dead, shakes his head and strides back towards his men - more beloved of them than ever before - surely they are now invincible!
Annals of Connaught
And here is the info for what we are doing in Round 3...
"After the battle there comes a time for the healing of hurts and making of alliances. Across the rivers, beyond the hills, beyond the Great Roman Wall, and across the windswept Western Sea, alliances are being made...warlords and warbands combining ready to recommence the campaigning season.
Does your warband dare face the future alone...unsupported...?? No, it is a time to place old feuds aside, to open up the mead-hall to your erstwhile enemies, making pacts and alliances over the feasting!! It is a time to share resources, to replenish the supplies, to heal the wounded and to gather strength for the struggle to come..."
Round 3 will see multiplayer games, comprising alliances of two players, each taking on another alliance, using multi-plyaer scenarios from the Bretwalda book.
For Round 3 alliances, you will fight alongside your opponent from Round 2, against an opposing alliance drawn randomly by my wife sometime this week!! You will find out which scenario you are playing days before Round 3 takes place and AFTER you have submitted your army list for Round 3.
Special Round 3 Alliance Rules:
Players should ignore the rules for selecting an overall general in any scenario in the book. The warlord who won last week's battle will be army general in the alliance, even if he has lower leadership than his ally!! This is because he won and is therefore boss!!!! In the event that Round 2 was a 'bloody stand off', then you can use the rules in the scenario you play for identifying who is the general. All other rules ref sub-generals, army standards, etc, are as the multiplayer rules in the scenarios in the book for all players!
In the lull between battles, warriors who were wounded have been well tended by those skilled in healing, both from their own and their ally's forces. This, and the good food and hearty drink of the alliance feasting, go a long way towards healing the warriors' hurts! At the beginning of the Round 3 game, after deployment and before the first game turn, players should roll a D6 for any unit or character who is suffering any type of wound from Round 2 that may affect their fighting ability (e.g. 'minor wounds' for units and any wound for a character.) On a roll of 4, 5 or 6, the wound has been healed and the unit/warrior fights at full capacity...Don't say I never do anything nice for you!!!! :-)
Hopefully the players will appreciate this and enjoy the new challenge of a multi-player battle!!
Hopefully, some pics after the next Round's battles, if I can get away from my own game and from umpiring the others!!
Thursday, 19 March 2009
Bretwalda Round 2: A Saxon Tale
After my poetic (ish...and very heavily..ahem...'influenced' by an actual poem...) efforts, here is a belter of a poem from fellow cub member Carl Fisher. Carl (with his Angles) was fighting my variant of the Mt Agned scenario against Dan Phillips' Romano-British...
Read and enjoy...
The battle of Mount Agned - a fragment in translation:
In this way King Eni royal brother to Rædwald,
Lord of warriors and ring-giver to men,
Won eternal glory in battle with sword edges
The sons of Tytila of Anglia, befitting their noble descent.
Defended their land in battle against each hostile people,horde and home.
The enemy perished,
Christmen and Roman,fated they fell.
The field flowed with blood of warriors,
from sun upin the morning, when the glorious starglided over the earth,
till that noble creation sank to its seat.
There lay many a warrior by spears destroyed; weary, war sated.
The East-Saxons pushed onwardall day;
in troops they pursued the hostile people.
They hewed the fugitive grievously from behind
with swords sharp from the grinding.
The Angles refused not hard hand-play to any warrior
who came fated to fight.
Death came to many, horse and man.
Banners were broken over the whales back.
The hill too small to hold the dead entombed
Covered with the dead.
Running over the grass we sought them, slew them.
Front and rear we hewed then,
Hemmed them in and brought them low.
Death upon death, though arrows fell like rain.
They left behind them, to enjoy the corpses,
the dark coated one, the dark horny-beaked raven
and the dusky-coated one,
the eagle white from behind, to partake of carrion,
greedy war-hawk, and that gray animal
the wolf in the forest.
There spirits join the old ones on their stone road.
Trapped in death, watching the hill from afar.
Never was there more slaughter
on this island, never yet as many
people killed before this
with sword's edge: never according to those who tell us
from books, old wise men.
How cool is that??? Marvellous stuff and indicative of a mighty Angle victory!!
Round 3 will be different: It will be multiplayer games with Round two's protagonists joining forces to fight against another pairing. In this way, each multiplayer force contains a winner and loser from Round 2, thereby attempting some sort of balance to each Round 3 game. I also have an idea for some random events which may occur for Round 3 as well...
Still, I can't reveal too much yet as one Round 2 game is yet to play. That will happen next Monday, after which the draw for Round 3 will occur!
Read and enjoy...
The battle of Mount Agned - a fragment in translation:
In this way King Eni royal brother to Rædwald,
Lord of warriors and ring-giver to men,
Won eternal glory in battle with sword edges
The sons of Tytila of Anglia, befitting their noble descent.
Defended their land in battle against each hostile people,horde and home.
The enemy perished,
Christmen and Roman,fated they fell.
The field flowed with blood of warriors,
from sun upin the morning, when the glorious starglided over the earth,
till that noble creation sank to its seat.
There lay many a warrior by spears destroyed; weary, war sated.
The East-Saxons pushed onwardall day;
in troops they pursued the hostile people.
They hewed the fugitive grievously from behind
with swords sharp from the grinding.
The Angles refused not hard hand-play to any warrior
who came fated to fight.
Death came to many, horse and man.
Banners were broken over the whales back.
The hill too small to hold the dead entombed
Covered with the dead.
Running over the grass we sought them, slew them.
Front and rear we hewed then,
Hemmed them in and brought them low.
Death upon death, though arrows fell like rain.
They left behind them, to enjoy the corpses,
the dark coated one, the dark horny-beaked raven
and the dusky-coated one,
the eagle white from behind, to partake of carrion,
greedy war-hawk, and that gray animal
the wolf in the forest.
There spirits join the old ones on their stone road.
Trapped in death, watching the hill from afar.
Never was there more slaughter
on this island, never yet as many
people killed before this
with sword's edge: never according to those who tell us
from books, old wise men.
How cool is that??? Marvellous stuff and indicative of a mighty Angle victory!!
Round 3 will be different: It will be multiplayer games with Round two's protagonists joining forces to fight against another pairing. In this way, each multiplayer force contains a winner and loser from Round 2, thereby attempting some sort of balance to each Round 3 game. I also have an idea for some random events which may occur for Round 3 as well...
Still, I can't reveal too much yet as one Round 2 game is yet to play. That will happen next Monday, after which the draw for Round 3 will occur!
Wednesday, 18 March 2009
Went the day well...??? Did it f***!!! :-)
Hmmm...yes....well... Round two of the Bretwalda campaign. My Welsh against my mate Phil and his Picts. Yes, this is the Phil that I've wargamed with for 15 years and have beaten about 5 times!!!!
So, I was present at his mighty victory and my Warlord was slain in a challenge. So, with the old adage, 'roll anything but a 1' on the post game sequence wounds table, what did I do???? Yup, you guessed it!! One dead Warlord!!!! Only one so far in the campaign...Great!! At least it proves that, as organiser, I'm not weighting anything in my favour!!
So, in true Bretwalda tradition... A Poem!!!! Borrowing heavily from the 6th Century Northern Welsh poem about the death of Urien Rheged, where a warrior returns to the kingdom with the head of his slain Lord, here is my lament to my fallen king, Cunedda, Dragon of Gwynedd!!!
A Lament for Cunedda
A head I hold in my hand
Protector of Cymri
Proud Lord of Gwynedd
A head I hold in my hand
Of Fair Cuneda,
Unflinching on the war-field
A head I bring upon my horse
Head of Cunedda the Dragon
Glutter of ravens black
A head I bear from the field of slaughter,
Upon his jaws a foam of blood
Woe to he who so struck my Lord
A head I bring to the burial place
From the field of woe and slaughter
Woe be to Gwynedd from this day
A head I bear upon my shoulder
He who slaughtered Saxon-kind
Now a litter-burden to the resting place.
Caer Leon saw his fall
In fierce combat with the Lord of the North
Now ravens feast on my Lord’s breast
Hail to Cunedda
Pillar of Prydein
He was the shield of his people
Deadened my heart
My soul is broken
To funeral field we bring our Lord
A gentle Lord’s body we bury today
A cairn we raise above him
Mighty hero of Gwynedd
The feast hall silent
The mead-song stilled
Now rest, Cunedda, brave Lord and king
So in Round 3 I have to elect a new Warlord from my retinue.
It was a bugger really, as I so nearly had the scummy Pictish blightas!!! Bloody stubborn due to bloody Pagan Priest and curse my inability to roll wound dice!! Three rounds of combat in a row I hit with all attacks in that challenge and caused only one wound in all three rounds of combat!!! Bum, bugger, Arse, Feck, etc....
Full battle write up later in the week if I can shake the hideous throat infection that has plagued me since Tuesday....
So, I was present at his mighty victory and my Warlord was slain in a challenge. So, with the old adage, 'roll anything but a 1' on the post game sequence wounds table, what did I do???? Yup, you guessed it!! One dead Warlord!!!! Only one so far in the campaign...Great!! At least it proves that, as organiser, I'm not weighting anything in my favour!!
So, in true Bretwalda tradition... A Poem!!!! Borrowing heavily from the 6th Century Northern Welsh poem about the death of Urien Rheged, where a warrior returns to the kingdom with the head of his slain Lord, here is my lament to my fallen king, Cunedda, Dragon of Gwynedd!!!
A Lament for Cunedda
A head I hold in my hand
Protector of Cymri
Proud Lord of Gwynedd
A head I hold in my hand
Of Fair Cuneda,
Unflinching on the war-field
A head I bring upon my horse
Head of Cunedda the Dragon
Glutter of ravens black
A head I bear from the field of slaughter,
Upon his jaws a foam of blood
Woe to he who so struck my Lord
A head I bring to the burial place
From the field of woe and slaughter
Woe be to Gwynedd from this day
A head I bear upon my shoulder
He who slaughtered Saxon-kind
Now a litter-burden to the resting place.
Caer Leon saw his fall
In fierce combat with the Lord of the North
Now ravens feast on my Lord’s breast
Hail to Cunedda
Pillar of Prydein
He was the shield of his people
Deadened my heart
My soul is broken
To funeral field we bring our Lord
A gentle Lord’s body we bury today
A cairn we raise above him
Mighty hero of Gwynedd
The feast hall silent
The mead-song stilled
Now rest, Cunedda, brave Lord and king
So in Round 3 I have to elect a new Warlord from my retinue.
It was a bugger really, as I so nearly had the scummy Pictish blightas!!! Bloody stubborn due to bloody Pagan Priest and curse my inability to roll wound dice!! Three rounds of combat in a row I hit with all attacks in that challenge and caused only one wound in all three rounds of combat!!! Bum, bugger, Arse, Feck, etc....
Full battle write up later in the week if I can shake the hideous throat infection that has plagued me since Tuesday....
Wednesday, 4 March 2009
Getting 'In The Spirit' of our Arthurian campaign
Here are a couple of poetic renderings, by myself and by a fellow club member Pete Irving following our round 1 games. Pete plays with Romano British and composed a very 'Heroic' missive about his game against a Saxon warband playing my very own 'Drustan and Essylt' scenario, where the objective of the game is to capture the lady Essylt and her serving maid...
"Lo, wreaking red-ruin upon the Saxon dogs who had defiled his true love, yea, did he slay one band of a hundred, breaking them before his fury and shattering his first beaten sword, yea did he slay a second band of a hundred, breaking them before his rage and shattering his second beaten sword, yea, did he challenge the third band and ripped out the vile Saxon Warlord's spleen with his bare hands, and he slew another hundred in his anger but three hundredth-and-first's dagger found his back and Lord Castus fell upon a mound of enemy before the gates of his true love's hall. And she, held by a kinsman, lamented for the loss of her lord.... the brave Artorius Artorius (so good they named him twice) Castus. "
(Pete Irving)
And here is my own, written in the style of a Welsh poem of late Antiquity (a la 'Y Gododdin', etc) Note the...ahem....'heroic' twist I managed to put upon what was in essence an uneventful game!!!! Sheer genius, I reckon... :-)
Cattle Raid
And the Lord Cunedda,
Dragon of Gwynedd
Did come unto the fight
Protector of the land
Of Cymri and their cattle
Blades bright, banner flying, men of Gwynedd come to the war-field
Saxon slaying follows the mead-hall song
Lo Dogmail,
Of sword bright, of mind cunning
Did draw the enemy on by feigning flight
Thrice cunning, thrice running
Yet turning
To take up again the fight
And Cymri youth
Too poor for the sword-song or spear
As David to Goliath did their storm of death fall
Saxon Hearthguard bleed and die
Death falling from the heavens
Now Cunedda,
Shield-splintering dragon of the West
Calls his Teulu
Forward to the foe
Saxon Hearthguard bleed and die
Caught in mighty onrush
Now wounded and in pain most mighty
Cunedda’s anger knows no bound
Swords flash
Spears fly
Shields splinter
Saxon Hearthguard bleed and die
Flee in mighty terror
Hail to the Lord Cunedda
Warlord victorious
Dragon of Gwynedd
Protector of the land
Of Cymri and their cattle
(Andy Hawes)
Expect more as the campaign continues... :-)
"Lo, wreaking red-ruin upon the Saxon dogs who had defiled his true love, yea, did he slay one band of a hundred, breaking them before his fury and shattering his first beaten sword, yea did he slay a second band of a hundred, breaking them before his rage and shattering his second beaten sword, yea, did he challenge the third band and ripped out the vile Saxon Warlord's spleen with his bare hands, and he slew another hundred in his anger but three hundredth-and-first's dagger found his back and Lord Castus fell upon a mound of enemy before the gates of his true love's hall. And she, held by a kinsman, lamented for the loss of her lord.... the brave Artorius Artorius (so good they named him twice) Castus. "
(Pete Irving)
And here is my own, written in the style of a Welsh poem of late Antiquity (a la 'Y Gododdin', etc) Note the...ahem....'heroic' twist I managed to put upon what was in essence an uneventful game!!!! Sheer genius, I reckon... :-)
Cattle Raid
And the Lord Cunedda,
Dragon of Gwynedd
Did come unto the fight
Protector of the land
Of Cymri and their cattle
Blades bright, banner flying, men of Gwynedd come to the war-field
Saxon slaying follows the mead-hall song
Lo Dogmail,
Of sword bright, of mind cunning
Did draw the enemy on by feigning flight
Thrice cunning, thrice running
Yet turning
To take up again the fight
And Cymri youth
Too poor for the sword-song or spear
As David to Goliath did their storm of death fall
Saxon Hearthguard bleed and die
Death falling from the heavens
Now Cunedda,
Shield-splintering dragon of the West
Calls his Teulu
Forward to the foe
Saxon Hearthguard bleed and die
Caught in mighty onrush
Now wounded and in pain most mighty
Cunedda’s anger knows no bound
Swords flash
Spears fly
Shields splinter
Saxon Hearthguard bleed and die
Flee in mighty terror
Hail to the Lord Cunedda
Warlord victorious
Dragon of Gwynedd
Protector of the land
Of Cymri and their cattle
(Andy Hawes)
Expect more as the campaign continues... :-)
Monday, 2 March 2009
Just Started My Arthurian Campaign
Well, it finally happened...the start of my Arthurian campaign entitled 'Bretwalda' at my wargames club.
The campaign is a 'skirmish' affair consisting of 800pt warbands using Paul Leach's (of WI mag articles fame) 'Character-Heavy Skirmish warbands' idea. I have tweaked it slightly and have popped it below for your perusal:
· Each army (called a ‘Warband’) is 800 points.
· It must contain 3-5 characters chosen from your retinue (9 characters, up to 700pts, basic costs paid only: up to 1 priest character and up to 1 bard character allowed in the retinue). You may take as many of each type of character as you can afford for the battle. The army must be led by a hero (Romano-British Magnate or Tribune; British/Welsh Tiern; Saxon Atheling; Pict Mormaer; Scots-Irish Curadh.) This hero will be referred to as your Warlord. Those armies where the warlord character has Leadership 8, may pay an extra 25pts to give the Warlord Leadership 9. Please note that you don’t have to field the original named warlord in every game, but you must field one character as a warlord who counts as ‘army general’ for that game.
· You may field one of your heroes as an Army Standard Bearer to represent your Warlord’s personal standard. Any character who is upgraded in this way must pay 15pts to do so as per the army lists. Please note that only character types allowed to upgrade in this way as per the army lists may be chosen as an Army Standard Bearer.
· Up to 550 points may be spent on units. A unit may number between 5 and 20 models. Units may have a leader and musician if they pay 5pts for each as indicated in the army lists.
· Units may have standards (5pts each as normal) under the following conditions: With the exception of the Romano-British (they get standards for free to represent their supposed more 'military' as opposed to 'warbandy' nature), the number of standards in the army is limited by the number of Tiern, Atheling, Mormaer or Curadh models in the army. You may have one unit standard for each of the afore-mentioned heroes. Please note that an army standard does not count towards this maximum.
The lists are basically very similar to those in Age of Arthur, but simplified so that there are less choices , e.g. there are two types of Saxon army, one of Welsh, etc. I also added a point of toughness to the Romano Brit decurio to make him more survivable in the 'challenge-fuelled' environment of the battles.
The scenarios are adapted from Age of Arthur and Siege and Conquest, (except for one I wrote myself based on the legend of Tristan and Iseult) but set on 4x4 foot tables. There are multi-player scenarios for 2 players each side and these come direct from Age of Arthur except for the one I wrote which won the recent Scenario competition at Warhammer Historical.
Basically, we will play 7 campaign rounds. Each round has 6 campaign points up for grabs - mighty victory = 5 pts/1pt; close-run victory = 4pts/2pts; bloody stand off 3pts each. Each week, players are randomly drawn against each other, with winners always being drawn agianst winners and losers ahgainst losers to give every player a decent chance of winning each week.
At the end of each battle, there is a 'post-battle sequence' which gives bonuses to winning/surviving characters and units and penalties to losing/dying ones. Also, this is where character advantages are gained. You can't pick them in basic lists in this campaign.
So far, we had round 1 last week and, apart from some arguments afterwards via email about one players very cunning tactics, and it being 'not fair' it went very well!!
If anybody wants the players' booklet, I have it on PDF and am happy to email it out to fellow WAB forum users for personal use or internal wargames club use only. No publishing it anywhere!!!!
So, over the next few months, I will let you know how I get on. Although I'm organising it, I'm playing as well - there's no danger of me winning so I may as well join in!!!
My round 1 was a variant of 'Cattle Raid' from Siege & Conquest, where one has to basically escort a load of cattle off one's own table edge while avoiding the enemy.
My warband consisted of 2 Tierns (gen and ASB) and 2 Uchelwyrs. I had 13 Teulu on foot, plus 16 Combrogi, 14 combrogi and 6 sling armed pagenses - a fairly typical sized warband. My opponent fielded late Saxons and had 2 Athelings (gen and ASB) 2 Thegns, a unit of Gedriht, 1 of Duguth, 1 of Geoguth and a few javelinmen. So actually, we were very evenly matched!!
The whole battle was one of frustration... the cattle in their random movement proceeded to spend all game in the way. We couldn't get round to drive them off the table and couldn't attack each other cos they were in the way. My opponent had a mega round of javelin fire which caused my Uchelwyr 'Dogmail the Bright Sword' and his unit of combrogi to panic and flee (he'll be re-named 'Dogmail the Yellow Bellied' for the next game!!) They failed to rally for 2 turns before their 'run for the woods' made them succeed at what would have been their 4th round incapable of rolling 7 or less on 2 D6!!!
My moment of 'glory' came when my slingers shot the crap out of the Saxon gedriht, leaving my Teulu with a fighting chance of beating them...which they did in the ensuing combat (despite the Saxon Atheling inflicting a wound on my general who had challenged him and failed to wound despite having the charge!!!), but I didn't pursue, as doing so may have exposed my flank to the Duguth...except that the bloomin' cattle wandered across blocking the charge...
At close of game, I'd won, but only a close-run victory putting me solidly in mid-table obscurity. I didn't do any better in the post-game sequence, rolling mostly 'no effect' for my troops and characters...this won't do me so well in the next game when I'll be facing armies who gained some far better stuff...
Round 2 happens on the 16th March... I'll post some pics of my warband when I get a mo, as it contains a few figures you've not seen and I've re-painted some shields on some of my troops to give them a more 'Welsh' look - am especially pleased with the spiral designs on my foot Teulu!!!
Cheers
Andy
The campaign is a 'skirmish' affair consisting of 800pt warbands using Paul Leach's (of WI mag articles fame) 'Character-Heavy Skirmish warbands' idea. I have tweaked it slightly and have popped it below for your perusal:
· Each army (called a ‘Warband’) is 800 points.
· It must contain 3-5 characters chosen from your retinue (9 characters, up to 700pts, basic costs paid only: up to 1 priest character and up to 1 bard character allowed in the retinue). You may take as many of each type of character as you can afford for the battle. The army must be led by a hero (Romano-British Magnate or Tribune; British/Welsh Tiern; Saxon Atheling; Pict Mormaer; Scots-Irish Curadh.) This hero will be referred to as your Warlord. Those armies where the warlord character has Leadership 8, may pay an extra 25pts to give the Warlord Leadership 9. Please note that you don’t have to field the original named warlord in every game, but you must field one character as a warlord who counts as ‘army general’ for that game.
· You may field one of your heroes as an Army Standard Bearer to represent your Warlord’s personal standard. Any character who is upgraded in this way must pay 15pts to do so as per the army lists. Please note that only character types allowed to upgrade in this way as per the army lists may be chosen as an Army Standard Bearer.
· Up to 550 points may be spent on units. A unit may number between 5 and 20 models. Units may have a leader and musician if they pay 5pts for each as indicated in the army lists.
· Units may have standards (5pts each as normal) under the following conditions: With the exception of the Romano-British (they get standards for free to represent their supposed more 'military' as opposed to 'warbandy' nature), the number of standards in the army is limited by the number of Tiern, Atheling, Mormaer or Curadh models in the army. You may have one unit standard for each of the afore-mentioned heroes. Please note that an army standard does not count towards this maximum.
The lists are basically very similar to those in Age of Arthur, but simplified so that there are less choices , e.g. there are two types of Saxon army, one of Welsh, etc. I also added a point of toughness to the Romano Brit decurio to make him more survivable in the 'challenge-fuelled' environment of the battles.
The scenarios are adapted from Age of Arthur and Siege and Conquest, (except for one I wrote myself based on the legend of Tristan and Iseult) but set on 4x4 foot tables. There are multi-player scenarios for 2 players each side and these come direct from Age of Arthur except for the one I wrote which won the recent Scenario competition at Warhammer Historical.
Basically, we will play 7 campaign rounds. Each round has 6 campaign points up for grabs - mighty victory = 5 pts/1pt; close-run victory = 4pts/2pts; bloody stand off 3pts each. Each week, players are randomly drawn against each other, with winners always being drawn agianst winners and losers ahgainst losers to give every player a decent chance of winning each week.
At the end of each battle, there is a 'post-battle sequence' which gives bonuses to winning/surviving characters and units and penalties to losing/dying ones. Also, this is where character advantages are gained. You can't pick them in basic lists in this campaign.
So far, we had round 1 last week and, apart from some arguments afterwards via email about one players very cunning tactics, and it being 'not fair' it went very well!!
If anybody wants the players' booklet, I have it on PDF and am happy to email it out to fellow WAB forum users for personal use or internal wargames club use only. No publishing it anywhere!!!!
So, over the next few months, I will let you know how I get on. Although I'm organising it, I'm playing as well - there's no danger of me winning so I may as well join in!!!
My round 1 was a variant of 'Cattle Raid' from Siege & Conquest, where one has to basically escort a load of cattle off one's own table edge while avoiding the enemy.
My warband consisted of 2 Tierns (gen and ASB) and 2 Uchelwyrs. I had 13 Teulu on foot, plus 16 Combrogi, 14 combrogi and 6 sling armed pagenses - a fairly typical sized warband. My opponent fielded late Saxons and had 2 Athelings (gen and ASB) 2 Thegns, a unit of Gedriht, 1 of Duguth, 1 of Geoguth and a few javelinmen. So actually, we were very evenly matched!!
The whole battle was one of frustration... the cattle in their random movement proceeded to spend all game in the way. We couldn't get round to drive them off the table and couldn't attack each other cos they were in the way. My opponent had a mega round of javelin fire which caused my Uchelwyr 'Dogmail the Bright Sword' and his unit of combrogi to panic and flee (he'll be re-named 'Dogmail the Yellow Bellied' for the next game!!) They failed to rally for 2 turns before their 'run for the woods' made them succeed at what would have been their 4th round incapable of rolling 7 or less on 2 D6!!!
My moment of 'glory' came when my slingers shot the crap out of the Saxon gedriht, leaving my Teulu with a fighting chance of beating them...which they did in the ensuing combat (despite the Saxon Atheling inflicting a wound on my general who had challenged him and failed to wound despite having the charge!!!), but I didn't pursue, as doing so may have exposed my flank to the Duguth...except that the bloomin' cattle wandered across blocking the charge...
At close of game, I'd won, but only a close-run victory putting me solidly in mid-table obscurity. I didn't do any better in the post-game sequence, rolling mostly 'no effect' for my troops and characters...this won't do me so well in the next game when I'll be facing armies who gained some far better stuff...
Round 2 happens on the 16th March... I'll post some pics of my warband when I get a mo, as it contains a few figures you've not seen and I've re-painted some shields on some of my troops to give them a more 'Welsh' look - am especially pleased with the spiral designs on my foot Teulu!!!
Cheers
Andy
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