TUDOR VILLAGE FOR EN GARDE PART 2

Here's some photos from the game I played with Colin. He took the English, trying to escort the Arch Deacon of Carlisle across the table, whilst my Scots were trying to kidnap him for ransom. It was a fun game, but once the fighting started we realised that we had spookily matched up exactly the same figure types! Colin had sent his leader down one flank with 2 rank 2 sword and buckler men, my leader was on the same flank with the same companions. He had sent a matchlockman out on the other side of the village to try and outflank me, I'd done the same. He used his rank 3 deputy and his halbardier to rush the churchman down the centre road, I'd put the same in reserve to block the centre road!

It was evenly matched, with various minor wounds on both sides, until I cut down the English  rank 3 swordsman. The prelate made a run for the end of the village, with my veteran in hot pursuit. I caught up with him right at the table edge and knocked him unconscious, hoisted the churchman over my shoulder and legged it out of the village.

TUDOR VILLAGE FOR EN GARDE

I've just set up for the first outing on my new gaming mat with En Garde. It's the new Open Field mat from Ceri Design http://www.ceridesign.com/

I'm really pleased with the look of it, I think it's an improvement on their previous design. I also picked up some of their cobbled roads and fields, which work well. So here is a sleepy little village, somewhere on the English/Scottish border, just before the Reivers come to town.

I'll try to post some pictures of the table in use later this week.

I tried a 3-player scenario for Osprey's The Pikeman's Lament. I've played the rules several times now, but Mark had only played it once before and it was Henry's first time.

The premise is a group of German mercenaries in Polish service have decided it's more profitable to make off with the Polish pay chest, rather than actually fight to earn their pay. A Polish company of mixed troops have set off in pursuit and cut the mercenaries off from their escape route. However, at this moment a Ottoman raiding party shows up. It's a basic scrap over the loot!

The treasure is in a wagon which starts off in German hands. To move the wagon (6") a unit must be in contact with it. If the unit in contact retires or routs the wagon remains in place. The Germans want to get the wagon across the table from the north edge and off the middle of the south side. The Poles start in the SE corner and the Ottomans in the SW corner, they need to get the wagon off from their respective corners.

The Forces

Poles
1 x Winged Hussars - Elite Gallopers
1 x Dragoons - Dragoons
2 x Cossacks - Raw Gallopers
2 x Musketeers - Shot

Germans
2 x Cuirassiers - Elite Trotters
1 x Pikemen - Pike
2 x Musketeers - Shot

Ottomans
1 x Janissaries - Forlorn Hope
2 x Musketeers - Shot
2 x Tartars - Dragoons
1 x Balkan Foot - Commanded Shot

Unfortunately the game was so interesting that I forgot to take any photos after the initial set-up!

                                               The table viewed from the West

                                               The German Mercenaries

                                                         The Ottomans

                                                               The Poles

It was a game of strange dice throwing. A lot of double 1s early on meant several retreats and one of my Polish shot units were called away in turn 2! The Ottomans, on the other hand, rolled a lot of double 6s and ended up with 3 heroes, 2 of which were in the janissary unit as well as the officer, so their morale was very hard to break.

Initially The pikemen advanced, protecting the wagon whilst the Poles and the eastern half of the Germans rushed towards each other and the Ottomans and the rest of the mercenaries hung back (failed command rolls). The Poles moved a unit of shot into a wood to cover their flank against the Ottomans, sent the Cossacks off to try and flank the wagon, whist advancing the other shot and dragoons in front of the hussars. At this point my cunning plan went up in smoke as the screening shot promptly disappeared (double 1 activation again!). The Cossacks were eventually destroyed by a combination of  cuirassiers and a unit of shot well placed on a hill. Rather than get shot to pieces the Cossacks made repeated charges, but the cuirassier's armour was too much for them and they only killed a couple of the enemy for the loss of both units.

The Ottomans finally got moving and managed to catch the other cuirassier unit in a crossfire with the janissaries and both Tartar units. However the combination of good German armour and poor quality Turkish gunpowder meant it took that several turns of shooting to whittle the cuirassiers down to half strength. In turn the Germans made three successful caracole attacks against a unit of Tartars, but each time either failed to inflict casualties, or else the Tartars morale held, so they were unable to charge home. Right in the centre the Polish shot and a couple of Ottoman units spent their time exchanging gunfire with very little to show for it.

In the centre the pikemen braced themselves to defend the wagon, but a combination of shooting from the Polish Dragoons and an Ottoman shot unit, plus the charge of the Winged Hussars, swa them routed. At this point the dice gods turned against the Mark and in no time, all he had left was a two-man cuirassier unit, which included his officer. I had an intact unit of dragoons, a unit of shot with one casualty and my officer, the only survivor of my Winged Hussar unit! Henry's Ottomans looked horribly healthy, one unit of Tartars was down to half strength and he had lost half a dozen or so infantry from various units, he hadn't lost a whole unit yet.

My officer rushed forward as the Ottomans closed in and grabbed the wagon horses, leading them off under intense (but inaccurate) fire. Luckily I managed to get my dragoon behind him just before the Tartars could reach the wagon. All that remained was for my dragoon and shot to hold off the Tartars and remaining cuirassiers for a couple of turns to allow my office to get off the table with the loot!

A great game which everyone enjoyed. The Ottomans poor early activation and rubbish shooting made it look like it was going to be a two-way game at first, but once they got going they nearly swept the board. It was only luck (and the good armour of Elite Gallopers) that allowed my officer to grab the loot and escape.

Next was lunch, with a cold beer in the sunny garden, followed by a fun game of En Garde. Happy days!

LOST CITY PULP WITH THE MEN WHO WOULD BE KINGS

We recently played a 3-player game at the skirmish level with TMWWBK, although the scenario would work with up to 5 or 6 players.

The three factions were German, Belgian and Mercenaries. They each had three units, 2 regular infantry and 1 veteran regular infantry, command and leader abilities were rolled as usual.

Background
Following the map stolen from the renowned British archaeologist, Professor Mortimer-Whining, you have discovered the mysterious lost city he was excavating. You are not interested in the scientific value of this ancient site, just how much loot you can get away with.

A minor obstacle to your path to riches is that the local tribes are still up in arms over the Professor’s defilement of their sacred site. They are determined to kill any outsiders that dare to enter the city. You need to grab as much loot as possible and escape before the natives arrive in force. Preferably leaving your rivals empty handed to face the wrath of the outraged tribesmen.

Markers
Each of the 8 markers represents a possible piece of valuable loot. In order to search the marker a unit must spend a whole turn using a Stand To action. Having searched a marker, the player draws a chit from the pot and the treasure marker is removed.

1= Success, an item of value! Roll 1d6 loot at the end of the game. (4 Markers)
2 = Ambush. Place a unit of tribesmen up to 6” away from the searching unit, with a LOS (must be closer to the target unit than any other). (3 Markers)
3= The Lion’s Den. A disturbed lion immediately attacks the searching unit.
Attack 3d6 4+, 6 wounds. Auto action is Attack. Unless killed, the lion will remain in place and automatically attack any unit that moves within 4” of it’s den. (1 Marker)

Loot
Treasure can be carried by a unit at no penalty (a unit cannot carry more loot markers than it has figures). If a pinned unit retreats or routs off table it will drop the loot before moving.
At the end of the game roll 1d6 for each loot in the player’s possession (+1 for each loot removed from the table). The highest score is the winner!

Tribesmen
An unengaged unit of tribesmen will move towards the nearest enemy unit in sight, using cover if possible. If it is within 8” of an enemy, it will attempt to Attack.


We had great fun playing this, especially as the Belgian player managed to trigger all 3 of the ambushes on his own troops!

Some in-game pictures.

Lost City for Pulp and Frostgrave

I have a reasonable collection of assorted ruins that I've used for all kinds of things from Stargate to Middle Earth, much of which have been collecting dust in the loft for a few years. In the past year or so I've been getting good use out of them for Frostgrave set-ups on a 3x3 board.

Recently I've also been playing The Men Who Would Be Kings quite a bit and that's made me want to play some pulp-inspired games in a mysterious Lost City environment. TMWWBK works very well for these types of  games using the "skirmish level" in the rules, basically half sized units.

So I dug all my ruined terrain out to see what I could put together on the tabletop. I've also been inspired by MalcyBogaten's amazing Lost Jaffa City on the Lead Adventure Forum. I need for more ceremonial entrances and arches, plus some more imposing grand stairways.

The whole city

                                              Intrepid explorers discover the Lost City

                                   The native porters fall silent as they move through the ruins

What will they discover?

                                                      What's that by the river?

They are not alone!

Winter War 192......? Part 8

Some more scenery just in! I was thinking of making some fences for Canada, but then I saw that Emperor Toad's Emporium  did snowy rail fences for just £7 for 4 pieces, so I ordered a couple of sets. They took a while to arrive, but then they are handmade to order, and now they are here I'm really pleased with them. The website is http://emperortoadsemporium.com/

I can't wait to use them in a game and a bargain for 14 quid for the lot!