Tuesday, 11 December 2018
R.I.P. Tilly
Today we had to let go of our lovely 14 year old black greyhound lady "Silly" Tilly. It was a privilege and joy to be her host for 9 years.
Friday, 7 December 2018
The Battle of Onomatopoeia 423 BC
This Thursday we fought a battle the Classical way – Greek Hoplites, 28mm, Hail Caesar with some useful add ons for Phalanx (a bit toned down), Othismus (push of pike and drift of units), Hoplitodromos (free run of hoplites(+1d6") OR one sweeping advance once) ... I brought my newly painted Plastic Greek army and Mike brought his old "dusted" Metal Greek army and we fought just to test and and see how it would develop. Later Bart joined my Spartans, as for the lack of cavalry in the game, I had to give him the King and his bodyguard.
The Deployment was slowly (I-go-You-go) and fairly classical as well, light skirmishers and horses at the flanks the hoplites in the middle. Mikes Athenians would take the 1st turn, both parties "prayed" and got a dice worth of units that they could change in positions before the start.
Then we slowly ploughed forward. Initially the skirmishers were fighting, and like a hay fire, they were quickly used up. Then the "line" of moras, more or less consistently, clashed in the middle. In my add on, Phalanx is a status, one can loose by movement (vs simple command test, that does not bind blunder or command to stop). Also the Phalangites would move always one inch to the left (apart from the spartans of course). I must say it worked! In contrast to my strategy, or the lack of it. My army befell the fate of all new armies, it got slowly hacked to pieces!
Even Barts cavalry attack went downhill, so that at the end just the Bodyguard of the Spartan King and himself were fighting agains all the odds. Heroic they took down even the mega-phalanx of the Thessalians! And one unit after the other of Mike‘s old army ... the tide seemed to have turned ... but too good to be true, the Spartans were encircled, shaken with 6 stamina points and near the table edge surrounded by enemies and lots of missle troops ... but Bart would not have it ... alas we must close up because of the time ... still, he refused to be beaten ... in truly spartan way, even if a bit delusional. He probably has to hear about Iphicrates - maybe the next battle!
We had a lot of fun and agreed that this will be repeated another time for sure ... maybe Olpae or Delium ...
The Deployment was slowly (I-go-You-go) and fairly classical as well, light skirmishers and horses at the flanks the hoplites in the middle. Mikes Athenians would take the 1st turn, both parties "prayed" and got a dice worth of units that they could change in positions before the start.
Then we slowly ploughed forward. Initially the skirmishers were fighting, and like a hay fire, they were quickly used up. Then the "line" of moras, more or less consistently, clashed in the middle. In my add on, Phalanx is a status, one can loose by movement (vs simple command test, that does not bind blunder or command to stop). Also the Phalangites would move always one inch to the left (apart from the spartans of course). I must say it worked! In contrast to my strategy, or the lack of it. My army befell the fate of all new armies, it got slowly hacked to pieces!
Even Barts cavalry attack went downhill, so that at the end just the Bodyguard of the Spartan King and himself were fighting agains all the odds. Heroic they took down even the mega-phalanx of the Thessalians! And one unit after the other of Mike‘s old army ... the tide seemed to have turned ... but too good to be true, the Spartans were encircled, shaken with 6 stamina points and near the table edge surrounded by enemies and lots of missle troops ... but Bart would not have it ... alas we must close up because of the time ... still, he refused to be beaten ... in truly spartan way, even if a bit delusional. He probably has to hear about Iphicrates - maybe the next battle!
We had a lot of fun and agreed that this will be repeated another time for sure ... maybe Olpae or Delium ...
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| Initial deployment |
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| the Delian line |
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| The Peloponnesian line |
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| First peltasts skirmishing |
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| The Spartans in phalanx advance (the white tokens will someday be exchanged to shields) |
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| The Delian line in chaos |
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| The Spartan Bodyguard attack the cavalry!!! |
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| Spartans allies holding the line |
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| The spartans suddenly stop moving ... |
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| the Delian pick the Spartan allies apart |
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| ... one after the other ... |
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| ... but the Spartans (the lacedaemoni) |
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| still don‘t move ... |
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| The Delians push for victory – but still Bart fails his command |
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| ... until they are isolated |
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| the Spartan allies melt away |
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| ... and retreat ... |
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| ... to no avail ... |
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| and then they crush on the last men standing |
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| The Spartan king |
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| And his Bodyguard |
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| the noose gets tighter |
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| still ... they never break ... |
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| ... Bart insists that they had a chance ... |
Sunday, 2 December 2018
The greeks are coming!!!!
"Timeo navali ludos propter taedium adferunt!" - Last week was AGM, an annual affair of great international excitement which would impact on to the time left for gaming that very evening ...
We played a naval game, Post Captain, which turned out to be even more breath taking than the administrative prelude of that club night. I haven‘t read the rules, so I won‘t judge them, they might be terrific - unlike the capability of my club mates of explaining them to me. Apparently I took the wrong turn at the beginning and couldn‘t catch up with the rest of the "party" (and I use the term here in the widest possible meaning).
... coming to the announcement of the day:
the upcoming 28mm, Classical Greek clash (using Hail Caesar and some new useful rules to test ...)
the army is slowly collecting itself on a nice new printed mat ... figures are plastic Warlords and Victrix ...
We played a naval game, Post Captain, which turned out to be even more breath taking than the administrative prelude of that club night. I haven‘t read the rules, so I won‘t judge them, they might be terrific - unlike the capability of my club mates of explaining them to me. Apparently I took the wrong turn at the beginning and couldn‘t catch up with the rest of the "party" (and I use the term here in the widest possible meaning).
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| This picture perfectly sums up the thrills of the game - the one on the left was mine... |
the upcoming 28mm, Classical Greek clash (using Hail Caesar and some new useful rules to test ...)
the army is slowly collecting itself on a nice new printed mat ... figures are plastic Warlords and Victrix ...
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| The Spartan King and his men |
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| The Kings bodyguard |
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| The Athenian Allies |
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| More Athenians |
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| Athenian peltasts |
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| More athenians and some light Hoplites |
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| More lightly amoured Hoplites |
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| More peltasts and slinger |
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| The Thessalian Cavalry |
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| The whole lot ... |
Saturday, 24 November 2018
1512 The Battle of Kümmerling - the Venetians can move AND win!!!
Last Thursday we decided to play 28mm, Pike&Shotte, French and Italian Wars, I said we but old Angus lazily didn‘t read my e-mail and forced after, a miserable whinging tantrum, half of my miniatures off the table (unforgivable for any red blooded wargamer!). For "more room to maneouvre", which in the end we didn‘t, as you do not get the Napoleonics out of this lot.
So Angus and Bart (who claimed Verona, he wore a Verona T-shirt, as Pro-Venice ???) were on the side of Venice and on the other side, me, Mike and Alisdair were fighting for good old Maximillian, to restore a German North Italian Kingdom.
This battle proved to be the firsts in many things, firstly Angus actually did move with his Venetians (and that also successfully) and secondly Barts cavalry superiority was broken by Mikes gallantly charge of the Imperial Horse.
So the Cavalry formations duly advanced to the middle ground and first fights started to erupt. In the centre it was just the usual shooting and standing and waiting until something happened.
I charged Angus cavalry and lost and he charged back and I lost more and from there it pretty much unravelled and went downhill, as I couldn‘t let go to charge still - stupid, but fun. In the end my complete flank (including the officer) was eliminated and left Alisdair is a somewhat pickeled situation - sorry, Alisdair, it wasn‘t your fault!
On the other side we had seismic event as well, as Bart‘s usual cavalry charge did not plan out as he probably hoped for. Mike beat him, but could not capitalise on his success for the sake of the whole battle. In the end as the opposing forced encircled the doomsday awaiting Landsknechts in the middle, I supposed a daring "follow me" charge including the Emperor! I know you shouldn‘t involve royals in combat, but it was at the end of our time that night so ... well another devastating miserable dice rolling ended the life of Maximillian and his dreams of a northern Kingdom of Italy. We got utterly beaten to the last man. Congratulations to the Venetians!
Scenario and Venetian forces by Alsheimer Angus, except some few arquebusiers from Bart, which made their first appearance and promptly killed the Kaiser!
Imperial forces by me.
... maybe I need a weekend game of Italian Wars next time ...
So Angus and Bart (who claimed Verona, he wore a Verona T-shirt, as Pro-Venice ???) were on the side of Venice and on the other side, me, Mike and Alisdair were fighting for good old Maximillian, to restore a German North Italian Kingdom.
This battle proved to be the firsts in many things, firstly Angus actually did move with his Venetians (and that also successfully) and secondly Barts cavalry superiority was broken by Mikes gallantly charge of the Imperial Horse.
So the Cavalry formations duly advanced to the middle ground and first fights started to erupt. In the centre it was just the usual shooting and standing and waiting until something happened.
I charged Angus cavalry and lost and he charged back and I lost more and from there it pretty much unravelled and went downhill, as I couldn‘t let go to charge still - stupid, but fun. In the end my complete flank (including the officer) was eliminated and left Alisdair is a somewhat pickeled situation - sorry, Alisdair, it wasn‘t your fault!
On the other side we had seismic event as well, as Bart‘s usual cavalry charge did not plan out as he probably hoped for. Mike beat him, but could not capitalise on his success for the sake of the whole battle. In the end as the opposing forced encircled the doomsday awaiting Landsknechts in the middle, I supposed a daring "follow me" charge including the Emperor! I know you shouldn‘t involve royals in combat, but it was at the end of our time that night so ... well another devastating miserable dice rolling ended the life of Maximillian and his dreams of a northern Kingdom of Italy. We got utterly beaten to the last man. Congratulations to the Venetians!
Scenario and Venetian forces by Alsheimer Angus, except some few arquebusiers from Bart, which made their first appearance and promptly killed the Kaiser!
Imperial forces by me.
... maybe I need a weekend game of Italian Wars next time ...
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| The Venetian Carroccio |
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| Bart‘s Veronese Flank |
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| My Imperial right flank |
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| Mike‘s Imperial left flank |
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| Alisdair‘s Imperial centre |
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| My German Gendarmes d‘Ordonnance |
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| The imperial guns with a view to Venice |
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| Angus Stradioti and some |
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| The start of the collapse of my flank |
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| The Spezis form the lagoon surrounding the rest of my Horse |
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| The Venetian centre behind Pavises of my own design ... |
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| Mike‘s Pike and Doppelsöldner |
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| Alisdairs Pike and gun |
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| The hand of God (and the devil, uncertain in the background) |
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| Mike‘s Imperial Gendarmes d‘Ordonnance take on the Men-at-arms of Venice |
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| ... which were led by Bart ... but to no avail ... |
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| Alisdairs Pike in Hedgehog already and still the dices are rolling ... |
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| Angus Horse surrounding the centre due to the non-existence of my flank |
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| is a hedgehog on its own really safe? |
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| ... not in front of so much guns and crossbows ... |
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| Even Mike's success vs Bart's Cavalry (!!!) didn‘t elevate the situation |
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| The last all out charge with the Emperor ... went wrong – finis! |
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