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Saturday, 26 October 2019

Fury of the Normans!

Today, we had (at my instigation I might add!) - a Medieval skirmish game (using my Sword and Dagger rules).
As we hadn't done it since...I can't properly remember! - we did a Norman v Norman game. As we had 4 players (Lawrence, Phil, Rhys and myself) I suggested we use 4 200pt forces.
Unfortunately Phil's Normans turned out to be a bit infantry shy, so he used about 3 times the number of Knights allowed in the list! I thought it would be interesting to see how the points system balanced the game!



I deployed on our right, with bowmen mixed in my shield-wall.
Lawrence, my ally today, had 5 crossbowmen covered by 5 swordsmen, a small spear unit and some axemen. Both of us kept our Knights at the rear. 
Phil, opposite Lawrence, had a small but armoured spear force, flanked by his horsemen and 4 mailed crossbowmen. 
Rhys, opposite me and behind a hill, had 4 archers, 4 crossbowmen and 10 spearmen, and another 8 cavalry. 
Phil paints pretty Normans, to be sure! 

The battlefield, the good guys --Lawrence and I on the right. 
As attackers, I started moving my infantry forward to contest the hill with Rhys. 
Lawrence also moved forward, placing his Crossbowmen on a small hill. 
My archers loosed a few shafts as they advanced, and lightly wounded one of Phil's spearmen!  
They continued to advance, though - as did Rhys on his left.
Rhys occupied the hill facing my spearmen. 
Phil had some peasants - 3 of them with slings, who tried to filter round Lawrence's left. (whoo-scarey!) 
Phil brought his horse forward supporting his spearmen, leaving his crossbowmen to shoot at long range. 
My archers shot at them,and lightly wounded a horse! 
My men could not see Rhys' men yet. 
Both Lawrence and I advanced our Knights, to try and overwhelm Phil's Knights before he could unite them with Rhys's. 
Phil retreated his Knights as our men closed, and summoned Rhys's to join him.
 Lawrence's crossbowmen shot at the advancing enemy...
...Phil's returned their bolts... 
...with interest! One of Lawrence's crossbowmen fell dead. 
My archers, despite outnumbering Rhys's 2:1 only managed to lightly wound one of them! 
Rhys's men had the wind with them, lightly wounding a mailed spearman (!) and one of my archers! 
One of Lawrence's spearmen was light wounded by more long ranged crossbow shooting. 
One of Lawrence's crossbowmen...
 ...found a mark! 
Only a horse!, the dismounted man joined his spear block. 
Finally, my archers had a little luck, killing one and wounding another of Rhys's bowmen. 
 They returned shots and killed one of my spearmen!
More shooting from my men wounded more, but their morale held!
 Rhys now advanced his crossbowmen...
 ...one of my Knights was wounded!
 Another of Rhys's archers died, but still they held!!!!
Finally, both lines clashed,The enemy horse combined with their infantry in a massed charge! - my spears had the worst of it at first. Two enemy knights burst through them! 
A large melee of knights began around a hoar tree. 
Phil's heavier men pushed into Lawrence's spear line. 
 In the cavalry melee, one of Lawrence's knights cast down an enemy knight!...
...but elsewhere, our knights were being overwhelmed. 
 Lawrence's crossbowmen, now without their shielded front line, began to take losses.
Lawrence's spearmen managed to hold Phil's men, but with loss. 
 Rhys's Knights attacked Lawrence's Lord, wounding him and one of his Knights...
 ...but my Lord was disabled and captured for ransom - effectively ending the battle!
Ah, the ignominy!

Fun game though!

Saturday, 19 October 2019

Windu and Ahsoka!

Today we had a game of Star Wars skirmishing, again in the Clone Wars universe.
The scenario was based on a couple of episodes from the Clone Wars series...

A Jedi ship carrying Mace Windu, Ahsoka Tano, a squad of Clone commandos and a squad of Clone Troopers, led by Captain Rex, is forced to crash on a Separatist planet.

 Almost all the ship's equipment is destroyed. All the passengers escape, along with a single droid. With no communication equipment, their outlook is bleak.
A deserted Mining Guild facility is near the crash site, together with a power generator on standby. Ahsoka suggests the droid's short range communicator (with some modifications) -could be boosted by a lot of power, such as that available in the mining facility, enabling them to call for help.

The mining facility...
...viewed from the line of approach for the Republic force. 
 Lawrence took Rex, and several tough soldiers of the 501st.
 Rhys, a fan of Samuel L Jackson, took Mace.
 Phil took the Clone Commando team.
 I took a late version of Ahsoka.
Rex, the clones and Ahsoka were detailed by Mace to go down the flank and get the droid to the power station.
Mace, and the Commandos went down the centre, to attract any hostiles in the facility.  
 Phil decided to split his team...
... but kept them in eyesight. 
I, as Ahsoka, advised Rex to stay on the near side of the defensive wall for now. 
The Clone Commandos couldn't see any hostiles... 
...suddenly, a group of Battle Droids appeared. 
 They advanced firing at the 2 Commandos in the open.
 One of them was saved by his armour!
 Mace attacked the Droids...protecting the isolated Commandos...
...and made short work of them. 
 The ruckus alerted the facilities defenders, and more Droids approached over the spoil heaps.
They advanced steadily, while the Commandos went to ground in the buildings... 
...as did Mace. 
Hey...where did they go?...cowards!
 From the centre of town, some Super Battle Droids came up in support. 
Ahsoka having moved with the Clones towards their objective, Force ran to engage them. 
The Clones, crossing in the open, could have suffered badly from their fire, had she not. 
Two of the Commandos took an observation position on a roof. 
Mace stood behind the building where the other two Commandos were hiding. 
Ahsoka was 'off her game' and only downed three of the four Super Battle Droids... 
...She soon corrected that oversight! 
One of the Commandos dropped a grenade out of a window...
Ha, missed me!
 ...a second bomb finished the last Droid off!
 Another group of Battle Droids was spotted by one of the Clone Commandos. 
 The Commandos opened fire.
Down the main street, two Destroyer Droids rolled... 
 ...before deploying and shooting at the Clones on the roof.
 More Battle Droids spotted the Clones.
 (Ahsoka was reconnoitering the way ahead.) 
 The Clones returned fire on the Battle Droids.
The Clone Commandos were finishing off the last of the other group. 
 Mace was having trouble fighting the Destroyers!
Coming, Master Windu! 
With Ahsoka's help, the Droidekas were quickly silenced! 
Rex finished off the last of the Droids attacking them. 
Ahsoka finished off a last errant Battle Droid. 
 The Two Jedi cleared the area around the Power Generators.
 The Clones escorted the Droid forward...
...and with the Commandos formed a cordon as the Droid approached the Generator. 
 Job done!
 and soon, Gunships were on their way!