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Saturday 24 June 2017

Vikings return

Today, we had a rematch after THIS GAME - where my Vikings had driven Lawrence from his village.
Being the Earl of Sneakiness, rather than try to retake his lost village, he decided to take one of mine back!

The peaceful village of Sparvatling...
...little more than a few houses surrounding a sacred grove. 
 The Raiders would approach from the other side of the stream.
I placed Ragnarr, Lagatha and co near the shrine. 
...behind a group of spearmen.
Ian Legg, playing his first game, took my previously victorious commander, and held the right. 
Lawrence brought some archers and slingers over the stream opposite me. 
Not wanting to get their feet wet (!),  his Lord and his other men crossed at the bridge.
Phil had his lovely Viking figures on Lawrence's left... 
...flanked by 4 slingers.
I took my men down the road into town to try and engage Lawrence. 
I sent a block of spearmen round the flank. I hoped these would move his archers and allow Ragnarr to engage Lawrence. 
Ian advanced on Phil, leading with his powerful knights and archers. 
Lawrence crossed the stream unopposed. 
His missile troops were ahead on the hill overlooking the town. 
 Phil's men moved across the stream. 
My flanking spearmen advanced up the hill opposite the archers... 
...neither side could see the other. 
In the centre, Ragnarr took cover to support either the centre or flank attacks. 
 Lawrence was careful, and slowed to allow his forces to mass on my side of the stream.
Phil reached the outskirts of the village opposite Ian. 
His slingers moved to try and get into shooting range of my archers. 
Ian's force looked very powerful, forcing Phil to rethink facing them. 
Covered by his missile troops, Lawrence advanced cautiously into the village. 
Phil moved his main body to join him and overwhelm me. 
My archers were not able to hit anything, and were taking light wounds from long ranged shooting from the hill. 
 My flanking force, hoping to engage before Phil could reinforce Lawrence, charged through the enemy archers into Lawrence's more numerous spearmen.
I moved my Vikings characters to try and attack Lawrence's now isolated Lord. 
Ian now realised Phil was going to support Lawrence, but took time dressing his lines instead of hurrying to support me!
Phil had reached the scene of action, and decided to send troops through the great hall. 
My archers..finally!...managed to wound 2 of Lawrence's archers!- but a lucky arrow from Lawrence's archers wounded Ragnarr in return! 
 My initial attack on the flank failed to make headway, and the greater numbers of Lawrence's men began to tell.
Ian's force now began to move more quickly in my support. 
 My brave spearmen made one last valiant effort to break Lawrence's spearmen.
My archers were now shot down by Lawrence's bowmen... 
...My flanking spearmen broke and ran...
...Ragnarr tried to stop Phil's Berserkir coming through the hall... 
...but was killed first blow!
I shouldn't be surprised, Ragnarr dies every time I use him!

Its like Kenny in South Park!

Never mind, fun game!

Saturday 17 June 2017

Roland attack!

Today, we had 3 players, Lawrence, Phil and myself, and having no time for another game to be planned, we had a couple of fun games of Wings of Glory WW1!

Our opponents, run by the solo system - 3 Roland 2-seaters.
 We had a flight of Escadrille Lafayette, 3 brave American pilots in their Nieuport 28's!
We raced forward - we had set up nose to nose with the Germans - I being out on the right flank, trying to separate one Roland from the other two, so we could focus our fire on it. We know from experience two seaters are most dangerous when they can combine the fire of their rear gunners.
Lawrence went nose to nose with the lead Roland... 
 ...the Roland missed, but the Roland's rear gunner was killed, a good start for us!
 Phil took some rudder damage from the purple Roland.
Lawrence got sandwiched - but only took light damage from the rear gunners. 
The green Roland caught me with a sharp turn, and damaged my engine.  
We turned to try and get a bead on the nippy Rolands... 
I got a point of damage on the pink Roland, his rear gunner missed Lawrence. 
Green's rear gunner hit my engine again!...
 Down I went! 
That is the first time ever a double engine hit has downed one of our planes! 
I took over the dark Roland, without a rear gunner! 
Phil was chasing the pink Roland... 
 He caused 3 and took 0 from its rear gunner.
 Lawrence tried to join Phil, taking 2 more damage from the pink Roland, I was trying to turn my dark Roland onto his tail, I SO missed having my rear gunner!
As I got a potential shot, Lawrence turned to take cover from the green Roland! 
 The green Roland's rear gunner hit Phil.
 As Lawrence turned to avoid my pursuit, the green Roland rear gunner caused yet more damage on him! He was having a good day....!
 Lawrence moved after green, but pink turned again and the 2 Rolands focused their fire!
Phil and I were ... out of position! 
Pink now turned behind Lawrence and got a crushing short range hit. 
 Phil was stalking green, and my dark Roland was turning to join in against Lawrence...
No need! Poor Lawrence's plane fell from the sky... 
 Phil made a rapid escape!
We were so unlucky! - surely another try would be more successful? 

Game 2:

The same 3 Rolands!
We randomised our position...and ended up nose to nose again! 
Lawrence, this time, cut right to outflank the Germans. 

I took a point of damage from pink, phil one from the dark Roland's rear gunner. I was in the dark Roland's dead zone! 
 I ended up on top of the pink Roland, Phil got shot by 2 Rolands, but had no damage!
 He fired under the pink Roland... 
...and damaged the green Roland! Good flying Sir! 
 Lawrence was chasing the green Roland, but was out of range.
I 'Immelmanned' to get a shot, but got hit and set afire.
Lawrence was still a-comin' !
I chased into the mass of Rolands, Phil Immelmanned to join me. 
 Phil and I were braving the rear gunners as we chased our respective 2-seaters.
Green next turned right, and caught Phil as he went by... 
 Poor Phil! - he reincarnated as I had last game, and took over a Roland.
Lawrence found himself between 3 Rolands! 
 2 engine hits, and down he went! -
-   After never coming across the double engine damage in our games before last game, and then getting it in 2 games is astonishing!
I shuffled the damage decks, honest, guv!

Ah well, 2 games and 2 defeats, maybe we are doomed!

Never mind!