Saturday, July 30, 2016

Wars of the Roses: Knights

  Also recently emerged from the dusty depths of the Lead Pile are 2 small units of Knights from the era of the Wars of the Roses. I had purchased quite a few of these Old Glory figures during a 40% off sale 10 or more years ago. The plan was to use them as Lanze Spezzate (literally, "broken lances") and similar non noble, lance armed extra heavy cavalry, such as were often found serving as mercenaries during the Great Italian Wars of the early 1500's. I figured that the somewhat outdated armor made sense for less than wealthy soldiers of fortune. I painted a few of them, but frankly these aren't the best of Old Glory's work, and the lack of much ornamentation made them, well, kind of dull, in addition. On the other hand, it makes them quite quick to paint!

   Ultimately, these new troops will principally fill their planned role as auxilliary EHC for my Italian Wars armies. For the immediate present, though, they will also be used as Knights/EHC for my Catholic Crusader forces, as they were  in my recent Hussite Wars game. Their armor style is a bit too "modern" for the 1420's, but with the WotR being only about 25 - 50 years after the end of the Hussite Wars, it isn't that much of a stretch either. Because I am not planning on actually using these troops for any Wars of the Roses games, I haven't worried about painting them to match any of the various factions or nobles of that conflict, aiming more to have them be able to fit in to the earlier and later eras that I do plan to utilize them for.


Red, white and green color scheme.


Although that makes us think of Italy today, that followed from the Napoleonic Wars, not earlier. It is in fact more suggestive of Hungary in the Medieval period, which, not coincidentally, was one of the big sources of Crusader troops during the Hussite Wars. 


I used the same colors for the horse furniture to jazz the unit up a bit. 


Not a bad effect overall, I'd say!


Also by Old Glory, this unit of EHC Knights with swords is certainly more dynamic looking!



Here I have gone for a blue and yellow color scheme.


Once again, I think the final effect is quite satisfactory.

Thursday, July 28, 2016

Miscellaneous games seen at Historicon 2016

The following are  an assortment of random shots that I took during the convention,. I can't say anything much about the games themselves, just that the tables looked interesting!


There were 4 games run on this table over the course of the show, all set in Russia in 1812, using the "Et sans Resultat" (ESR) rules.


I believe this one is the attack on Smolensk, with 15mm figures. 


Skirmish level WW2, I think?


One of several shots of the "Charge of the Light Brigade" at Balaclava.


"Half a League, half a League, half a League onward..."


Russian guns and cavalry await the Light Brigade near the end of the "Valley of Death'.


The 30 foot long table was marked off with the position of the Light Brigade at various time intervals during their famous charge. 


WW2 action. Nice looking table, although an era I have no interest in gaming whatsoever!


More WW2 action. 


A very attractive game, put on, obviously, by the League of Augsburg. 


Ahoy ye swabies!  Arrrr!


A very nice table set up by the Wargames Illustrated table near the entrance to the dealer Area. Northwest Frontier?


15 mm Napoleonics?


The green felt border around the smaller "Wilderness" playing area looks good. 


Alternate History Napoleonic Wars - French intervention in the War of 1812!


Great looking game, if an unusual premise!


Wild and wooly game in  Shangrila (?)


I have no idea what is going on here...  but it's eclectic!


Follow the Red, Red Brick Road.  Looks like a bit of almost everything!


Some kind of Orky types??


Lovely looking table!


Don't recall the era or setting, but I see camels and bowmen.... 


More 15mm Napoleonic action with the ESR guys.


Another nicely done table; ? medieval. 


Great (but rather Late)  Italian Wars; table looks rather more than a bit longer than necessary to me, though. 


Now THAT'S what I call TENTS!


A large scale "Battleship" style game, with miniatutres.


Nicely done terrain here!


Kid friendly game set up, with a cameo of my old wargames freind Dave Sweet. By the time I got a chance to catch up to Dave to chat, he was off to somewhere else!

Monday, July 25, 2016

Ye Who are the Warriors of God - To the Strongest! at Historicon 2016

    I ran a second game with the To the Strongest! rules on Thursday night at Historicon. We had a great group of guys for this game, including a return player (Dave). Once again we had eight players for six slots (due to walk ups), but I had planned for that, so it worked fine. I used 2 decks of 80 cards each per side to keep things moving.


The Catholic "crusaders" move forward to assault the Hussite Wagenburg. Their figures are a pretty eclectic and not necessarily contemporaneous mix of 25/28mm Minifigs Alexander Nevsy range Teutonic Knights, Old Glory Wars of the Roses range, and Pery Hundred Years War Agincourt range, and even a few Hinchliffe figures. 


Hussite players - from left to right are Ted, Will, Roger, and David. The Hussites are mostly Old Glory (especially the 10 War Wagons), with some recent additions of Kingnaker (1st Corps) figures painted in the past few months, as previously documented here on the blog. 


Catholic players - ?? Greg, Dave, Ralph, ?? Frank.


That Wagenburg will be a tough nut to crack!


On the Hussite right, their limited cavalry have trotted out from the safety of the Wagenburg to engage the advancing crusaders. As they are both outnumbered and outclassed by their Catholic opposition, this was perhaps not the wisest move, but it is one way to see how the game plays!


Battle is joined in earnest!  4 of the Wagons have artillery mounted on them (6 box range), 4 have Crossbowmen (3 box range), and 2 wagons have Handgunners (2 box range). All are "Deep" units taking 3 hits to eliminate. Physically, each "Wagon" unit is represented by a Wagon with one stand of missile troops within (except the Gun wagons), behind that 2 stands of missile troops of the same type as the wagon riders, and behind that 2 stands of melee infantry (usually flail men).


The Hussite Right flank cavalry were swept aside with little difficulty, and the wagon line is now under heavy attack! The Hussite artillery in the open, which I have rated as Organ Guns, had better hope they get good Hit cards or they wont be much more than a rest stop for that Cavalry!


On the Hussite Left, Dave has held his small cavalry force back while he waits for the Knights to break themselves on the walls of the wagon fortress. I have used supply wagons for the Hussite camps, with added fortifications to shelter some defending (cheap) light Infantry Crossbows and Handgunners. 


The Hussites bare making the most of their shooting power and rally actions, as their line holds firm. Ralph's Catholic infantry command has hung back after turning an Ace ( = no move) for their first activation attempt three turns in a row! ted has wisely swapped positions with hi Organ Guns and Militia Halberdiers. 


However, the Sergeants blew right through them anyway. "Shock lances are nice!", they observe. Meanwhile, disaster- the Wagon line has been breached by the Brother Knights!


Ralph's men turn a FOURTH Ace! It seems his men think it is the job of the knights to slay heretics, not theirs!


The next turn, they finally start to close, while the Hussite Organ guns, even playing 2 Hit cards per activation, seem to have little effect on the enemy!

Not surprisingly, the sergeants ride down the guns at their next opportunity, whilst the Knights break through and head for the Hussite Camps!  Things are looking petty grim for the men of the Chalice!


However, on the left side of the wagon line, David's patience has paid off,. The attackers are fully engaged and being ground down, so he judged it time to send forth his small cavalry force to sack the Catholic camps, and moves out his own organ guns, supported by the less than well trained civic militia of Prague. 


Six camps in a row = 18 victory medals... IF David's men can scoop them all up before the Hussites break themselves
!

A Hussite camp falls to the Brother Knights, while the right flank wagon holds out against incredible odds!

The Hussite Cavalry, sweeping around the catholic rear, has sacked 2 Catholic camps already (scratch built tents were used for most. 


David moves up his organ guns to shoot more knight, and distract them, as the Catholics attacking the front of the wagon line are thinning progressively. The Hussites, however, are running low on ammunition...


Some Catholic knights, with their general attached, are happy to oblige, running the uppity peasants through with ease!


David's heavy cavalry have snapped up two more Catholic camps, while his Light cavalry faces down some light infantry crossbowmen detailed to interfere with the their Glorious ride. This brings the Catholic army to zero victory medals, and they break of the attack.  Game over!

This was a tense, close, hugely fin game. If you haven;t checked out To the Strongest, I recommend the rules for your consideration. Simon is having a worldwide post free sale on the print edition of the rules this weekend (until midnight Monday July 25th, UK time).

We pretty much played the War wagons as written in the rules, except that they needed a 6+ to hit in melee (until they were disordered), instead of 8+. There was some  limited movement o the wagon units after the Crusaders broke through in spots. 

I personally find the Hussite rebellion fascinating, militarily, religiously, and culturally. I have done a detailed presentation of my Hussite figures, with a lot of history included, in my as yet incomplete Hussite Wars series on this blog:



Hussites
CMD
Description
Save
Spec/Ammo
Pts
VMs
1
Attached General
2+

4
2
1
Cavalry - Lance
7+
Shock
9
2
1
Light Cavalry, Raw - Lance
8+
Shock
4
1
1
Command Cost, Demoralized


17
3
2
Attached General  Heroic
3+
Replay
5
2
2
War Wagons - Guns
7+
Mv/Cover  6
13
3
2
War Wagons - Crossbowmen
7+
Mv/Cover  6
13
3
2
Light Infantry, Raw, Handguns
9+
2
3
1
2
Heavy Infantry Polearms, Raw
8+
2 Handed
5
2
2
Organ Guns, Raw
8+
5
6
1
2
Hero

Replay x 1
1
-
2
Camp w/ 2 sides fortified


3
3

Command Cost, Demoralized


49
8
3
Attached General, Heroic
3+
Replay
5
2
3
War Wagons - Handgunners
7+
Mv/Cover  6
13
3
3
War Wagons - Guns
7+
Mv/Cover  6
13
3
3
War Wagons - Crossbowmen
7+
Mv/Cover  6
13
3
3
Light Infantry, Raw, Crossbows
9+
2
3
1
3
Hero

Replay x 1
1
-
3
Camp w one side fortified, 2 Ammo


3
3
3
Command Cost, Demoralized


51
8
4
Attached General, Heroic
3+
Replay
5
2
4
War Wagons - Handgunners
7+
Mv/Cover  6
13
3
4
War Wagons - Guns
7+
Mv/Cover  6
13
3
4
War Wagons - Crossbowmen
7+
Mv/Cover  6
13
3
4
Light Infantry, Raw, Crossbows
9+
2
3
1
4
Hero

Replay x 1
1
-
4
Camp w one side fortified, 2 Ammo


3
3
4
Command Cost, Demoralized


51
8
5
Attached General, Heroic
3+
Replay
5
2
5
War Wagons - Guns
7+
Mv/Cover  6
13
3
5
War Wagons - Crossbowmen
7+
Mv/Cover  6
13
3
5
Light Infantry, Raw, Handguns
9+
2
3
1
5
Heavy Infantry, Raw, Polearms
8+
2 Handed
5
2
5
Organ Guns, Raw
8+
5
6
1
5
Hero

Replay x 1
1
-
5
Camp w/ 2 sides fortified


3
3
5
Command Cost, Demoralized


49
8
6
Attached General
2+

4
2
6
Cavalry - Lance
7+
Shock
9
2
6
Light Cavalry, Raw - Lance
8+
Shock
4
1
6
Command Cost, Demoralized


17
3

TOTALS


234
(34)


Medals  = Total divided by 3
Reserve Ammo = 1 chit for every unit that can fire, plus 4 additional ammo purchased

Demoralized Command = Lost ½ of Victory medals

Catholic Crusaders
CMD
Description
Save
Ammo/Spec
Pts
VMs
1
Att General Mtd Heroic: Vignolles
3+
Replay
6
2
1
Knights, Lance (Sergeants) Shock
6+
Sv +1 FireD
11
2
1
Knights, Lance (Sergeants) Shock
6+
Sv +1 FireD
11
2
1
Light Cavalry, Crossbow, Raw
9+
2
4
1
1
Camp


1
3
1
Command Cost, Demoralized


343
5
2
Att General. Mtd, Heroic Gr Master
3+
Replay
6
2
2
Later Knights, Lance, Veteran
(Household/Brother Knights)
SHOCK
5+
Sv +1 Mele
Sv +1 Fire*
Sv +1 FireD
16
2
2
Later Knights, Lance
SHOCK
6+
Sv +1 Mele
Sv +1 Fire*
Sv +1 FireD
14
2
2
Knights, Lance  SHOCK
6+
Sv +1 FireD
11
2
2
Camp


1
3
2
Command Cost, Demoralized


48
6
3
Att General Heroic (Bishop)
3+

5
2
3
Spearmen
7+

7
2
3
Spearmen
7+

7
2
3
Crossbowmen
8+
6
7
2
3
Light Infantry Crossbowmen, Raw
8+
2
3
1
3
Light Infantry Crossbowmen, Raw
8+
2
3
1
3
Light Infantry Bowmen, Raw
8+
2
3
1
3
Camp


1
3
3
Command Cost, Demoralized


36
6
4
Attached General
2+

4
2
4
Javelinmen (Throwing axes)
7+
ShockMissil
7
2
4
Crossbowmen
8+
6
7
2
4
Dismounted Knights
2 handed weapons
6+
Sv +1 Mele
Sv +1 Fire*
Sv +1 FireD
14
2
4
Light Infantry Crossbowmen, Raw
9+
2
3
1
4
Light Infantry Crossbowmen, Raw
9+
2
3
1
4
Light Infantry Handgunners, Raw
79+
2
3
1
4
Camp


1
3
4
Command Cost, Demoralized


32
7
5
Attached General, Mounted
2+

5
2
5
Later Knights, Lance
SHOCK
6+
Sv +1 Mele
Sv +1 Fire*
Sv +1 FireD
14
2
5
Later Knights, Lance
SHOCK
6+
Sv +1 Mele
Sv +1 Fire*
Sv +1 FireD
14
2
5
LC Bow Raw (Hingarians)
9+
2
4
1
5
Camp


1
3
5
Command Cost, Demoralized


38
5
6
Attached General, Mounted
2+

5
2
6
Later Knights, Lance
SHOCK
6+
Sv +1 Mele
Sv +1 Fire*
Sv +1 FireD
14
2
6
Later Knights, Lance
SHOCK
6+
Sv +1 Mele
Sv +1 Fire*
Sv +1 FireD
14
2
6
LC Bow Raw
9+
4
5
1
6
Camp


1
3
6
Command Cost, Demoralized


38
5

TOTALS


235
33

Medals  = Total divided by 3
Reserve Ammo = 1 chit for every unit that can fire
Demoralized Command = Lost ½ of Victory medals