Arnor Project Update

 In November of last year (where did those 6 months go?) I posted a couple of pictures of Orcs I'd been painting for a little project set in Tolkien's Lost Realm of Arnor (Middle Earth 1500ish years before the War of the Ring). 

I have (finally) got round to painting some men of Arnor to oppose them. Again they are from Copplestone Castings and are about 10mm size. As to be expected from Mark Copplestone, these are very nice figures.

I have more to paint but enough finished for a small game to get things started.

Update to the last Hyboria Post

 As a little update to my last post regarding Campaigns in Hyboria (or similar), below are some images of my recent tinkerings with siege rules. As a starting point I've used Dominion of the Spear (DotS) but will adapt the conclusions for the Portable War Game. My interest in sieges is due to working on an "Ancients" Campaign setting (ImagiNations) which is home to fortified cities - while sides will be encouraged (by the risk of plague, famine etc) not to hide behind fortifications, the need may arise for some simple rules to game attacks on a city or fort.

Siege Engines

Attacking the Walls or Defenders with Engines in my first adaptation for DotS. I later decided I wanted to show which units were actually manning the battlements

The assumption is that the Siege Engines are far enough back to be replaced by Infantry once the walls are breached.

Battering Rams

Attacking a Gate with a ram operated by Infantry

By this stage I had decided that the only Defenders that could engage with the sieging army would be Archers (or other Infantry missile types) who would be positioned on the battlements.

Likewise only Archers could be attacking the defending units until a breach is made.

Non missile infantry could possibly defend a gateway that is equipped with meurtriere (murder holes).

Once the gate is breached the Infantry discard the ram and are fighting like normal.

This is very much a work in progress, so any ideas for Sieges in DotS or PW will be warmly received!

Down on the Farm

 The following game was played a few weeks ago and has been neglected due to other distractions. The inspiration was a game I read about on the very nice The War Crow blog. It's a Fantasy game but could be played as a couple of bands of hill tribesmen or brigands fighting over resources..?

Situation

Times are tough in the Mountains. Both the Orc and Goblin tribes have seen a shortage of available food. Pushed to the edge they have been forced to raid the valley dominated by men. A foraging party from each tribe has coincidently arrived in the vicinity of the land farmed by Barley Moe and his sons at the same time. 

Objective

The objective of both parties is to finish the game with sole occupancy of the farm. The objective of the humans is the same (just seems less likely).

Minor objective: Kill the other side's leader.

Human force: Archers will fire at nearest enemy unit or weakest if more than one is nearby. Humans will fight any enemy entering the farm complex.

Rules

I used a gridded variant of OHW rules, with 3-hits. I wrote them for the game, and then discovered an almost identical set I'd written a year ago... 

The game set-up as planned

The actual board and starting positions

Both sides started with 5 infantry units, two cavalry, two archers, a Commander and retinue and a Troll.

Orcs rush from the hills towards the farm, as the Goblin force
boils out of the forest.

Fast moving "Cavalry" clash - Orcs on wolves, Goblins on Wild Boar

The Goblin cavalry is quickly swept aside..

but the Goblin Infantry is a tougher opponent 

The Forest Troll has got into the Farmyard!

Fighting intensifies as both sides smell fresh food

The Farmer and his sons have fallen. A few labourers with bows fight on

The surviving Goblins hold the farm

but not for long. Orcs and a Cave Troll reduce their number

The remaining Goblins leg it for the forest with empty bellies...

The Orc's achieved both Major and Minor objectives and win the day (and the Farmer's supplies).

A Hyborian Sandpatch

 I've been keen to try out some additional rules for Dominion of the Spear that were posted by Mark Cordone on, I believe, The PW Facebook Page (I don't have a link for this but a kind reader may be able to provide one!) I played a couple of games this morning using scenic variations. The "sandpatch" for the games was on the PC, though could easily have been on paper. They worked well and at some stage will be tried out with actual figures...

The setting for these games is Hyboria, an old favourite of many gamers, and was inspired by recent communications with Martin S. and  posts on mutazoid's blog, both of whom have been running campaigns using Hordes of the Things rules.

The Kingdom of Ophir has launched a three-pronged attack on its Southern neighbour, Koth.

The first battle was fought on the edge of the Khorshemish Forest - this was a standard DotS game to remind me of the rules. Units for both sides were based on descriptions in Appendix 1 of Royal Armies of the Hyborean Age. Unit initial positions were randomly generated.

Koth (in white) was represented by a unit of Royal Horse Guard (Elite Armoured), a unit of Chariot Archers (Armoured), a unit of Spear armed Infantry (Armoured) and a unit of Archers. Ophir (red) had a unit of Royal Guard (Elite Armoured), a unit of mounted knights (Armoured), a unit of Spear armed Infantry (Armoured) and a unit of Archers. Slight variations of these units appear in the other two battles also.

Opening positions 

Mid battle

Ophir victorious

The second battle saw action across a fordable river. No penalties for missiles but a -1 penalty for hand to hand fighting in the river. 

Battle begins

In the balance

Ophir victorious once more

The third battle featured a partly defensive arrangement for the Koth army. Mounted troops were deployed outside of the defended village. The infantry were given a defensive bonus.

 

Initial positions

A third victory for Ophir

Despite the defences, a conclusive victory for the forces of Ophir over those of Koth. The rules and additions have again proven themselves as a useful way of deciding battles when a speedy resolution is called for. 

Rescue - A Fantasy Forces Skirmish Game

 Thanks to Martin S for suggesting a go at Fantasy Forces, a "light-weight" (their words) skirmish type game aimed at introducing new players to the hobby. Consequently it's nice and easy and doesn't tax the old grey matter too much. I did find it involved a lot of dice rolling but all the measuring was done with a single 20cm bit of card, so that was easy to remember (ignore the grid on the board). 

So I dug out a few single based figures and had a play. Friar Bernard has been kidnapped by some Hollywood-Vikingesque raiders and is being held hostage in a ruin. Sir Percy rounds up some "volunteers" to help in the rescue.

The bad guys are found

 

Bill the Bow takes down a raider

and another

and another!

Bill's luck runs out

The Good Guys didn't have it all their own way

Sir Percy takes out a raider

before dueling with Godwin Greybeard, the enemy Leader

Sir Percy and "Friend" celebrate his success 

A Delaying Action

 A short report follows regarding one of the ongoing actions on the fictional continent of Uqbal during Albionia's Colonial Wars.

General Gallagher has been instructed to lead a force to relieve the beleaguered garrison at Wundah-Wahl. The shortest route involves crossing an area of desert with a single Oasis situated two-thirds of the way. This water hole is essential for the mission as Gallagher's men are marching fast with no supporting transport. Unfortunately they arrive to find the Oasis held against them.

The objective for the Albionian force is to defeat the smaller force of tribesmen in 10 turns. The tribesmen need to delay the enemy and do as much damage as possible. The rifle armed regular troops have better range but are out of water and cannot afford to wait too long. The less well equipped tribesmen benefit from some cover but cannot exchange fire until the soldiers get relatively close.

Gallagher risked casualties and advanced on the left and in the centre, whilst his right fired at the tribesmen hiding in the thorn bushes, from a safe distance.

The Naval Brigade got in close and took hits and were eventually withdrawn in favour of regular infantry, though not before they had inflicted casualties on the enemy.

On the right the tribesmen were slowly being picked off leading to a mad rush to close quarters by many of their number who were only armed with swords. The Indran Colonial Regiment met them with fixed bayonets.

On turn 9, General Gallagher led the Guards towards the surviving tribesmen. At this point the locals had had enough and they began to break and run.

A success for the Colonists who are now able to recuperate and move on.

Encircled

Today's offering is a one-off game between those old adversaries Army Red and Army Blue. I used for inspiration Scenario 4 from Scenarios For All Ages (Grant and Asquith), Encirclement or Breakout.

Setting

A column from Army Red has gone too deeply into Blue territory and has become encircled by a far larger enemy force. Sending out scouts under cover of darkness, Red's General identifies a weak spot to the West and determines to attempt a breakout at first light.

Mechanics

I used the Portable Wargame but with reduced movement as the scenario really calls for a much larger playing area. I started off with 30% EP but dropped it as the game progressed as I deemed that the Red force was determined to evade capture and would fight on. The objective was for Red to get at least 3 units plus the C-in-C off the board by the 12th turn, using either the North, East or West sides, as South would take them further into Blue territory. As Blue's force was twice the size of that of Red, I burdened them with a Poor Communication handicap: When rolling for turn initiative, Blue had to throw a d8 to determine how many units could move that turn - all could fire and melee.

The encircled Red force at daybreak

Leaving some of his men to slow down the enemy, the Red General moved West; his scouts had reported that only two battalions of Grenadiers blocked the way and he felt confident that he could push straight through them. Meanwhile Red's artillery was involved in a duel with some of Blue's guns and Heavy Cavalry beset Red's remaining infantry.

Blue's tenacious grenadiers block the way West 

Despite the Red General's confidence, by late morning Blue's Grenadiers held on, his artillery was destroyed and his rearguard was involved in a fighting retreat that would soon join the main force.

Finally one battalion of Blue's stubborn Grenadiers broke, though the second was still stopping Red's Hussars from making headway; however more of Blue's units were approaching from the East.

Red's two potential escapee Units stopped at the board's edge to give covering fire for the rearguard - two units escaping would not be sufficient for victory and it looked like the Hussar's were not going to make it, so all hope was pinned on the third Infantry unit breaking away from Blue's attack.

With the enemy closing in, Red was forced to advance one unit again to try and extricate the Rearguard..

Red's Hussars eventually lost the will and broke and Blue closed in on the beleaguered Red force.

Dwindling numbers make Red's escape unlikely!

At the close of day Red's losses were too heavy to affect a victorious breakout. A few stragglers from the raiding force made it back to Redina, harried all the way by Blue's cavalry.

Defeat for Army Red!