Fade To Grey

As I had not played Lion Rampant since 2021 and Dave since 2017! I decided to play a refresher game before we embarked on a linked game campaign in our post Roman Brittania setting.

We played the straightforward Bloodbath scenario from the rules and we only did one thing wrong rules wise, mea culpa. Here are some photos of the game a straight forward dark age slog no finesse or grand tactics in sight.

Prior to the month end I completed a battalion of Swiss for the Peninsular project, Front Rank figures.

That makes three battalions completed for the project so far.

Inspired by Dave Stone's description of his forth coming WWI rules, Zero Hour on Saturday I dug out some figures I started probably 18 months ago to complete. First up a sniper for the British, a Warlord WWII figure but who would know 🙂

Next a Renegade figure from a batch I bought at one of the Penkridge tabletop sales, didn't really need more German figures but at 50p a pop how could one refuse? I had converted one to be a musician inspired by a Peter Dennis illustration in the Cambrai Osprey book.

We will remain in the dark Ages for a 1066 game over at GHQ next week.

TTFN & KBO

An Unpleasantness At Soggas Bottom

 Sunday saw Matt join me for a Dark Ages game using Lion Rampant rules via Zoom.

Winter is coming and local Saxon Warlord Crumpus Fudd has got wind that the village at Soggas Bottom has some fine pigs ready for the taking so he has gathered his best warriors for a raid to steal said pork supply.

Soggas Bottom

The villagers have been made aware of the approaching Saxon horde and have armed the village militia with bows to hold back the raiders until the local levy arrive, not far behind them is local British Warlord Baldinus with his mounted and foot companions.

The uncharacteristic tardy advance of the Saxons (failed activations) gave the village militia the time to get in some telling archery on them meanwhile the first of the levy were arriving, the Lady Guinevere leading the first towards the villages open left flank.

Here they were swiftly engaged by the least tardy advance by Saxon warriors on that flank.

After some fierce fighting driving off one Saxon warband they were finally overcome giving both Saxon warbands a bloody nose. Over in the centre with the Saxon warbands dangerously close the village militia having taken its toll on them they beat an hasty retreat. They have bought time for the militia to come up behind.

The gap over on the left is filled with militia troops while Baldinus's mounted troops give support.

As the village militia prepare to fall back the levy form shield wall by the pig pens.

Seeing a gap left by the retiring archers the Saxons surge forward and engage the shield wall.

Bringing up the rear are Baldinus's hearth guard and his other warriors led by Arian priest Biccas.

Fierce fighting along the the line sees Crumpus and his hearth guard flee despite the intervention of himself and Senna the Saxon holy woman who like Biccas can give units within 12" a failed courage test re-roll.

A most enjoyable couple of hours gaming and chat, Lion Rampant is ideal for these sort of games.

The Saxons advantage of being able to traverse the boggy ground of Sogga's Bottom was negated by the early failed activation roles. This allowed the British to bring up their troops and form up in cover or form shield wall in the open.

Being fierce foot the Saxons are obliged to test for wild charges giving them little option in avoiding charging into the British in a lot of instances which limits their tactical options if the British can deploy advantageously. 

There lay the challenge for both sides, the British saved the pigs but alas there will be plenty of pork to go around this winter as casualties were grievous for them as well as the Saxons.

Till next time KBO.

Dark Age Campaign Preparation

The plan this week was to play an Eastern Front game using Battlegroup rules, Dave has been a tad crook, so I thought we would play a small Dark Ages game to try out the new stats for the Saxon warriors, a kind gent on the Lion Rampant FB page shared.
Using the warrior stats last time was a disaster, wild charge and low armour value gave them little chance even with a 3+ attack value.
We will be using the campaign system from Dux Brittaniarum, and Lion Rampant for the fighting, although we will use the random movement and force morale from Dux B and leaders can move between units at greater risk as in our previous games.
Dave was well enough to pop over over so I set up an encounter game, being a clash between two raiding parties.
The revised stats worked better but while we were playing and having to look up things we were forgetting, we both thought why don't we use Neil Thomas rules has we know them well now, the game ground down to a draw, both sides unable to capitalise on each others weakness. This gave us time to mull over a few things we could change to use NT rules instead of Lion Rampant.
I have since made a few tweeks but nothing drastic, I have also incorporated the random dice movement and will also use the Dux B force morale.
I forgot to take any pics of the game, but they would just be like Mexican food the same figures but arranged differently :~)
In the meantime here is Penda Fudd and his bannerman re-based together with his campaign profile, I have decided to multi base the figures for the project, singles were not too bad when planning to use Dux B with six figure units, but twelve is just a pain, I was fed up with them falling off  the movement trays so they are being based for NT rules, but we will only have three bases per unit.

Penda Fudd

Age 21, tall and strong, son of a peasant, simple and thrifty 

The next game here will probably be a try out of Neil Thomas rules for the campaign, although games are a hit or miss affair in the run up to Christmas, I hope we will get the next game of Battlegroup in before the year end, which reminds me I must get more paint on Rawnstadt.

Progress so far, slow, very slow, but sure.

TTFN

The Harvest Is Saved

The Lord was with us today for we thwarted the attempts of Penda Fudd and the Saxon invaders to burn the harvest we had toiled long for during the summer months.
We thought that our lone body of men left to guard the crop would be overrun but the advance of Penda's force was slow, being held up by the slow advance of his bowmen, if he had known how ineffectual they would be later, he would have left them behind I am sure.
We were unable to stop them reaching the haystack, but the Saxons were not very adept at creating fire, or the crop was damp, for they were unable to set it alight. So intent on burning were they that they did not realise that our bowmen were slowly whittling their number down until it was to late, when they did they then lost heart and retired. The Saxons were able to burn the cart that was full of hay, but were unable to reach the storehouses, being held at bay by our stalwart spear men. So brave and adept were they, that the hearth guard of the great Baldinus himself were not needed to send the Saxons scurrying back to their conquered lands.
We will eat well this winter and then take the fight back to the Saxons in the spring and with the good Lords help reclaim the land that is rightfully ours.

Dawn, The Guard Stand To

They Later Pull Back To Defend The Store

The Saxons Attempt To Burn The Stack

The Other Troops Head For The Cart

Baldinus Moves Up In Support

The Cart Burns, But The Saxon Attack On The Store Is Repulsed

Heroes Of The Hour, The Bowmen of Baldinus

We again used Lion Rampant with the same modifications from last game, but also added a rule that the Saxon Duguth, due to being more experienced and wise could, if they had to charge due to the Wild Charge rule, re-roll in an attempt not to.

The last post for a couple of weeks as I am away on holiday next week.

TTFN

Saxons Triumphant

The forces of Penda Fudd continued their advance into the British territory of Powys today. We used Lion Rampant rules with the Dark Age modifications. We dispensed with the 3" proximity rule for friendly units and utilised the rule for leaders suggested in the UTube video by RossFigurePainting.

This allows the Leader to be an additional figure, that can also join other units within 12" at the end of his sides activations. The unit he has joined can re-roll any failed activation dice roll, to counter this advantage it also becomes easier for him to become a casualty. When a unit he is with receives casualties you roll two D6, if -
The unit has two casualties, a roll of 2 or 3 he is one of the casualties.
The unit has three casualties, a roll of 2,3 or 4 he is one of the casualties.
The unit has four casualties, a roll of 2,3,4 or 5 he is one of the casualties.
The unit has five casualties, a roll of 2,3,4,5 or 6 he is one of the casualties.
And so on

It was a hard fought action, the British archers failed to cause any real problems failing most activations whilst Dave's attack dice despite only needing a 3+ were similarly poor. The British were however eventually being worn down, the loss of their leader being the final straw, the remaining units retired from the field.

Figures are mainly Footsore with the odd Foundry and Gripping Beast figure for good measure.

TTFN