Last game before the summer break

Sadly, today was the last club day till September, as we break for August. Some will be at the excellent Claymore show next week, and we will all be at the Border Reiver show in Gateshead on 1st September. Despite the horrible yellow light in the hall, I will be taking pictures!

Still, enough of the future, today we played Sails of Glory, as Lawrence was back!

The game was between 3 74 gun ships on either side, we used the Royal Navy, the French used my solo system.

The terrain!

 Phil, once again dicing to be our commander!- put himself in the lead, in HMS Goliath, following was Lawrence with HMS Superb, and me following with HMS Spartiate.

The French (Le Swiftsure,Genereux and Le Berwick)  gained the wind advantage - how would they use it?

 My Spartiate was a tad slower than my squadron mates.

 As Goliath closed with Le Swiftsure, both sides saved their cannon fire till they could get a full broadside in, and instead exchanged musketry. The French were better!

The next move, I was the only one not engaged. Poor HMS Superb was sandwiched between Le Swiftsure and Le Berwick. 

The damage was amazing - HMS Superb, surprisingly, not coming off worst. 

Le Swiftsure was lightly damaged... 

Le Berwick was almost stripped of her crew. 

HMS Superb had 2 leaks. 

HMS Goliath had lost some crew, but was otherwise ok. 

My HMS Spartiate was next into action...

 ....against Le Swiftsure... 

...and poor Le Berwick. 

Le Berwick was afire and sinking. 

Le Swiftsure was suffering heavy crew casualties.

HMS Spartiate was as yet untouched! 

Genereux soon changed that! - though HMS Goliath stern raked Genereux for her trouble! 

HMS Goliath positioned herself to exchange fire with Le Swiftsure. 

 I managed to get HMS Spartiate into a bow raking position, and fired at the forlorn Le Swiftsure!

With her crew gone, and an uncontrollable leak, she was doomed. 

Le Genereux left the battle, and made her escape.

Damaged as she was, Le Genereux  could not face us alone. 

A Victory for the Royal Navy!.

I was too tired to carry on, but Lawrence and Phil had a couple of Frigate head to heads, and the RN under Lawrence were again victorious...well, one was rather easy as Phil managed to ram an island!

Good to play this great game again, its been a while!

Reiving the North

Today, with Lawrence still unavailable, Phil and I had a Dark Ages Skirmish (using my own Sword and Dagger rules) - I wanted to be Normans, but they are all metal and HEAVY! - so I brought my Anglo Saxons down to face Phil's Normans.

The table, from the Saxon side...

...Opposite, some Norman peasantry!

Next to them, some stout spearmen, considering Venison for supper? 

On his right, more spearmen, backed by their Lord and Knights, dismounted. (Must be Bretons!) 

Opposite, I deployed the Fyrd on a hill. 

My Ealdorman and his Hearthweru, backed by some Ceorls with bows and a sling.

 The game started as the Norman Crossbowmen shot at long range... 

...The Fyrd were singularly unimpressed! 

The Norman infantry advanced. 

 I advanced my Bowman, and moved the Fyrd to the right to face the Norman onslaught.

 The crossbowmen had another shot...

...this time wounding one of my men. 

 Half the Fyrd took a hill in front of the Normans, while the rest moved round the back to extend my right. 

 My archers moved round my left.

 One of their arrows lightly wounded one of the Mailed Normans.

Phil began to advance his crossbowmen, and massed his spearmen to attack the hill I was investing. 

 The Normans looked set to sweep my Fyrdir off the hillock before the rest could get into line with them. 

The Norman peasants were harassing the advancing Fyrd with slings.  

My archers were harassing the Norman spear line...  

 ...A lucky arrow killed one of them! 

Undeterred half of the Normans charged the hillock... 

 The other spearmen were momentarily shaken by the loss of a comrade, and stayed where they were! - the charging Normans -despite being outnumbered, quickly wounded several of the Fyrd!

 My overlap tried to slow the Normans attack.

The second Norman spear unit now charged - and my Fyrd were in difficulties. 

My Lord charged the Norman Lord, while my archers were left to amuse the Crossbowmen, who had finally rejoined the battle by climbing a rocky hillock. 

 The rest of my Fyrd began to arrive, would this save the day for me?

 On the left, my Saxon slinger was nailed by a crossbow bolt.

The Norman peasants were still shooting as my second Fyrd unit joined the melee on the hillock. 

 One of my Fyrd fell dead!

 The Saxon arrows were bouncing off the crossbowmens' mail coats!

The arrival of the rest of my Fyrd made the Normans rally back. 

Another Saxon bowman died to a crossbow bolt. 

Suddenly, My Lord was killed in battle with the Norman Lord, after he unsportingly brought some spearmen off the hillock to help him! 

 The rest of the Saxon Hearthweru disgracefully fled at his death!

 My shattered Fyrd were...dismayed...

 They fell back, the victorious Normans letting them go.

The Bowman had done very well, dodging crossbow bolts, but even they had had enough! 

That was a close battle! I had lost 5 to the Normans 8 dead, though I had many more wounded.

 Who cares, it was fun!