Dark Elf First Battle

 The Dark Elf Army that appeared in yesterday's post got their first taste of combat today with a quick game of Dominion of the Orc. They were pitted against a veteran force of Dwarves.

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a newly formed wargaming unit or army will suffer defeat on their debut. Would this fate await the evil Elves?

The attacking Dark Elf Army comprised two heavy infantry units, one heavy cavalry unit, one archer unit, a giant spider and a sorcerer. The defending Dwarf Army consisted of three heavy infantry, one cavalry, one crossbow unit and a wizard.

 During the early phases of the battle the magic users concentrated on supporting their combating units. Both sides began to take hits.

Axe wielding Dwarves destroyed the Giant Spiders, however not before the monster's poison affected their slayers (I have made the spiders hit on 5 or 6 but always poison a unit they are in combat with, -1 on the latter's future throws). 

A good number of poor dice later, the Dwarves had the edge over their foe.

Finally, the Dark Elf force admited defeat and grudgingly withdrew allowing the Dwarves to quaff much ale and sing about gold and the like. The old maxim has proved to be true.

Heading for battle (hopefully soon)

 Very little to report recently due to work demands and a short trip to dear old Blighty (visiting family). I have however painted another very small army for my very small fantasy games. 

My Dark Elf Army is made up of virtually all Irregular Miniatures figures from the 10mm Fantasy and Historical ranges (apart from the Magic User in the last pic that is from Pendraken). The Giant Spider is from Irregular's 6mm Fantasy range - it's still fairly giant though!

I'm hoping to start a Mini-Campaign using Dominion of the Orc this Autumn, time allowing.

Once again the picture quality isn't great - we're in the grips of another Storm and it's very overcast.

Heavy Cavalry

Heavy Infantry and Archers

Wizard & Giant Spider

I hope to have some more news soon.

Collaborative Campaign Turn 21 (Year of the Tenacious Bee)

 A fairly quiet Year across the known world, with Picenia still getting used to the idea of internal strife and the loss of Therissa (more on Picenia below) and Zigura adjusting to a new King of Kings.

Map at the end of Turn 20

In early Spring there was the regular incursion of "barbarians" from Inconnu into Northern Zigura. Fortune favoured the Zigurans as the region was being visited by General Evaskiwk. On receiving news of the barbarian's arrival in the region, Evaskiwk marched his force to their camp and attacked at dawn. The barbarian's scouts raised the alarm just in time and the two sides gave battle (apologies for the pictures that are rather dark - the sun was just coming up after all).

Early in the action the Ziguran regulars had the upper hand and it looked like they would roll straight over the invaders

Fate had other ideas and General Evaskiwk was serious injured leading from the front and had to be taken from the field

The Zigurans fought on and as the sun came up it was the barbarians who suffered defeat and fled.

Most valuable unit in this battle were the (recently added) Ziguran Cataphracts. The game was played with Dominion of the Spear (with In House rule for Commander Units).

***

News from Picenia (courtesy of Mark Cordone):

Although there was nominal peace in the north, it was only a temporary pause in hostilities as all parties tried to improve their positions.

Picenia:  Multiflavus reluctantly accept the dictatorship for the year of the Tenacious Bee as there was much work to do if Picenia's fortunes were to be restored.  The first order of business was the reorganization of the army, and the recruitment of new troops.  He forged ahead with this task with tireless determination, and succeeded in getting the Senate to vote  heavy, but one time only taxes to pay for it.  This met with only minimal resistance, even though he insisted the Patrician class should bear the bulk of the burden.
With the funds thus raised he replaced the loses of the past few years, and began the process of building a new fleet.
The Senate also voted him a Triumph, he delayed celebrating it for as long as possible, but it took place in the Eighth month of the year.  He also had the unpleasant and difficult problem of what to do about Rionach.  Personally, he was quite taken by her courage, intelligence and tenaciousness, but this was to prove to be her undoing.
He offered her the opportunity to submit, and be granted an estate outside the city and citizenship and patrician status if she accepted.  This she refused to do, but not until she asked for time to consider the offer, then attempted unsuccessfully to escape.  The offer was made again, and it was made clear to her that refusal would mean her death.  She refused.  Multiflavus then offered her the opportunity to avoid execution by suicide.  Again she refused.  Although Multiflavus was saddened by her actions, he had tremendous respect for her courage and honor.  Rather than have her strangled at his triumph, he granted her the highest honor possible and sentenced her to beheading.  She was placed in a guilded chariot right behind his and secured with golden chains.  At the end of the procession she ascended the scaffold with her head held high.  Before placing her head on the block she pronounced a curse for Picenia and all her people, then met her death with honor.  Needless to say, this put a damper on the celebrations, but this suited Multiflavus as he then made a memorable speech about the difficult road ahead, and the need for Picenia to put aside it's internal differences and pull together in this time of great trial and hardship.

Elsewhere, Anaxander and Gauius Epidus Marullus, former governor and now self appointed king of Therissa met and hammered out a defensive alliance.  Although neither really trusted the other, both felt it would be mutually beneficial when Picenia resumed hostilities.  Both felt Therissa would be the target, and Marullus felt a second front would be an advantage, and Anaxander hoped it could be used as leverage to draw the rest of the Tetrapolis into the war.

***

A grislily end for the unfortunate Rionach. What happens next is in the hands of the dice, and kind contributors!  

The Siege of Thalasus - Hyboria Ladder Campaign

 In which King Conan arrives at his objective...

The Western Nemedian town of Thalasus

Arriving at Thalasus, Conan found the town, unsurprisingly, closed and well defended. The Aquilonians sent heralds to parley with those on the walls, offering to withdraw without fight if they send out the King's concubine. No such undertaking was to transpire. Grinding his teeth, Conan gave orders for the siege to begin.

The game was played once more with Dominion of the Spear; the defenders received the defensive position bonus. Readers are urged to suspend their disbelief and assume that the attackers have long ladders, grapnels and the like. As the defenders were in cover they had a slight numerical disadvantage. 

As the attackers advanced, a sortie by Nemedian knights sallied forth and fought the Aquilonian knights, quite successfully; however, they were soon overwhelmed.

The battle was inevitably one of attrition; waves of attackers stormed the walls and both sides suffered grievous losses.

By the latter part of the day, it became obvious that the Aquilonians would, once again, have the better of their foe.  

In a lull in the fighting, a postern gate opened and Governor Prudentius emerged to surrender the town to Conan.

Having secured Thalasus, Conan demanded the return of his concubine, only to discover that she had been spirited away by persons unknown during the previous night! "Smells like a plot twist to give the author an excuse for a second campaign", growled Conan. And so it was.

In his rage, the King ordered the citizenry leave the town. Thalasus was then torched (after the treasury had first been emptied of course).

The Aquilonian army marched home and Conan sent out his spies to attempt to discover where his favourite concubine had been taken.

It is three months later, and a heavily guarded caravan wends its way through Turan heading for the Sea of Vilayet...

The Battle at Castle Desespero - Hyborian Ladder Campaign

 The next "rung" of the ladder that confronted Conan, King of Aquilonia, was an attack on a defended place. The place in question was the ruins of Castle Desespero.

Conan's scouts reported that a force of Nemedian Knights, Regulars and some mercenaries had taken control of the ruined castle and now threatened the Aquilonians' flank or rear if they were not confronted. Taking personal command of part of the army, Conan marched swiftly to remove the threat.

In terms of the Dominion of the Spear rules, the ruins represent the Nemedian left flank and the occupiers gain a defence bonus.

Sir Malvolio (nearest camera on the left) led the Nemedian force,
 as far away from his opposing number as possible!
Conan led the attack on the ruins.

Castle Desespero saw the majority of the early fighting, as Conan and the Aquilonian infantry stormed the crumbling walls, quickly removing the defenders.

Attention then turned to the other wards. 

The Nemedian centre inflicted early casualties, however with Conan now able to out flank them, they were not going to last long. The Nemedian Knights gave a good account of themselves, but the writing was once again on the wall. General Malvolio and the remaining Knights made a tactical withdrawal, better to fight another day.

The Battle at the Crossroads - Hyborian Ladder Campaign

 The next rung on the ladder was to be a battle at either a Crossroads (1-3) or River crossing (4-6). A 1 was thrown. The game played using Portable Wargame Ancients.

Prudentius, Governor of Western Nemedia, had received reports of the approaching Aquilonian army and sought to cut off its advance. Not having a military background, the Governor was determined to keep out of the action.

Initial Positions - Aquilonia to the East

King Conan was determined to swiftly brush aside the Nemedian force and march on towards the town of Thalasus where, if his spies were correct, his favourite concubine was being held captive.

The Aquilonians advance

Knights' cross swords whilst arrows fly

Facing the ferocious Aquilonian onslaught, the Nemedians fell back and were becoming enveloped.

 

With Aquilonian arrows beginning to fall among his bodyguards, Prudentius mounted his horse and making his excuses to his Captains, insisting they hold the road as long as possible, he prepared to vacate the battlefield...

 The Nemedian army reached Exhaustion Point (set at 50% as is my preference for Fantasy games) and the Governor high-tailed it, bound for the fortified town of Thalasus.

Another victory for Conan. Can he be stopped? Seems unlikely.

Hyborian Mini Campaign - the Battle at Pevia

 In a previous post, King Conan defeated an Army of Nemedia, slaying its Commander, Baron Panatone. In today's installment we find the Aquilonian Army marching deeper into enemy territory, until their advance is blocked by another Nemedian force at the village of Pevia.

Conan and the advance guard of the Army of Aquilonia

The Nemedians were led by a Brythunian mercenary, General Dubalclix.

The Nemedian defenders

The battlefield contained the village of Pevia, and its open fields, and the surrounding pasture (the Waste). The locals, having sent their women and children into hiding in the nearby hill country, took up position defending the village itself, in the main with improvised weapons and rudimentary defences. 

Assuming the villagers resolve would be weak, Conan used Archers, after a mass volley, to storm the barricades at Pevia, concentrating his Knights and foot on the Nemedian regulars.

The ensuing melee was brutal, and there soon were casualties on both sides.

The peasant defenders proved to be tougher than had been imagined and held on while the main armies clashed, fell and were scattered.

The Aquilonian ranks began to thin and Conan found himself leading a company of Archers against some stout Nemedian pikemen Captained by Dubalclix himself.

Units on both sides broke but the defenders appeared to be getting the upper hand.

The King suddenly found himself in combat with the Mercenary General. With a single mighty sweep of his sword, Conan slew the Brythurian and his mount.

The Nemedians, seeing Conan and his remaining Knights advancing in wrath, fled the field leaving the well-stocked village to the Aquilonians. 

A further tarriance in Hyboria

 The following game represents the opening move of a new campaign set in Robert Howard's Hyboria. The Campaign mechanism and rules will be set out in the next post. As far as the setting is concerned, the situation is as follows; A coup in the Court of Nemedia has replaced the King. The new ruler, Count Ortagines has a deep aversion to Conan, now King of Aquilonia, and sends agents to capture the King's favourite concubine (whose name, typically, is not recorded). Conan, in a blood thirsty rage, leads an army to the Nemedian border...

Map found somewhere on the WWW

The first game is a simple pitch battle, the result of which will lead on to the next. Apologies for the rather dark pictures; it's rather dark this morning!

For the Aquilonian Army I am using a 10mm force that was painted for a different Campaign completely but will suit. The figures are mostly Irregular Minis. Conan is a Mark Copplestone figure.

For Nemedia, I went prospecting in the foothills of the Lead/Plastic Mountain Range and unearthed a few figures and quickly slapped some paint on them; the Nemedians are supported by some Mercenaries. 

The game:

The opposing armies glower at each other and trade insults

The Aquilonian Knights punch a hole in the Nemedian line
Conan faces the Nemedian General, Baron Panatone

The Nemedians suffer further casualties. Conan and the
Baron are in single combat - this can only go one way...

The Baron falls and the day is won

So, Aquilonia wins the first battle and Conan is now on the way to vengeance.

A piece of good news, for me anyway, is that Irregular Miniatures 10mm ranges are being produced again; currently the Fantasy and Medieval ones are available, but I am assured that all the 10mms will be out next year. I hope to make a few Very Small Armies for further Hyborian Escapades in the near future. See HERE for the resurected Irregular Minis.