Eldritch Horror. How I saved the world.

Every year on Halloween, we gather to play Eldritch Horror. This time, there were four players once again, with Alexander taking on the role of the main investigator. The other players—Alasdair, David, and I—were tasked with assisting him in solving three mysteries that were intended to help save the world. We had played three games so far (not four, as I had initially thought), and the game we were about to play was meant to finally lead us to success.

Alexander led us brilliantly, but it was my character, Silas March, who truly thrived in the adventure. He closed several gates, defeated numerous monsters, and most importantly, solved two out of the three mysteries. To be honest, my success was largely due to effective rerolls and some helpful cards, which made everything much easier, and my rolls were excellent. The last mystery was solved by David, and as a result, the world was saved—at least until next year...

Villa sullo Stagno di Como, 1505.

Every year, we hold a game showcasing our Italian Wars collections. Sunday is ideal for this, as setting up an army can be time-consuming. This time, I decided to incorporate my small collection of fifteenth-century armies, which I had never used on the table before, despite having them for quite some time. We played using the Pike and Shotte rules.

SCENARIO: Michael Schneider
UMPIRING: Michael Schneider

SCENERY: Michael Schneider, Bartek Żynda, SESWC

FIGURES & MODELS: Michael Schneider, Bartek Żynda

1. Forces.

FRANCE

(Michael)

The King Of France

French Infantry Brigade

1 x Pike Block

1 x Crossbows with Pavises

1 x Light Gun

1st Swiss Infantry Brigade

1 x Pike Block

1 x Halberdiers

1 x Double Handed Swords

2 x Arquebusiers

1 x Light Gun

2nd Swiss Infantry Brigade

1 x Pike Block (large)

2 x Arquebusiers

1 x Light Gun

Italian Infantry Brigade

1 x Pike Block

1 x Double Handed Swords

1 x Light Infantry

1st French Cavalry Brigade

1 x Gendarmes

1 x Men-At-Arms

1 x Light Cavalry

1 x Light Gun

2nd French Cavalry Brigade

1 x Gendarmes

1 x Men-At-Arms

1 x Light Cavalry

1 x Light Gun

Italian Cavalry Brigade

1 x Men-At-Arms

2 x Light Cavalry

HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE

(Bartek, Tim)

Holy Roman Emperor 

2 x Heavy Guns

3 x Bowmen

1st Infantry Brigade

1 x Pike Block (Large)

1 x Double Handed Swords

2 x Arquebusiers

1 x Medium Gun

2nd Infantry Brigade

1 x Pike Block

1 x Double Handed Swords

2 x Arquebusiers

1 x Medium Gun

3rd Infantry Brigade

1 x Pike Block

1 x Double Handed Swords

1 x Spanish Light Infantry

1 x Arquebusiers

1st Cavalry Brigade

1 x Gendarmes

1 x Men-At-Arms

1 x Light Cavalry

1 x Light Gun

2nd Cavalry Brigade

1 x Gendarmes

1 x Men-At-Arms

1 x Light Cavalry

 

2. The Game.

It began quite passively. I positioned a large pike block to cover our right flank, anticipating an attack from the Italians. However, they seemed reluctant to engage. They pretended to launch an attack but then retreated. As a result, my centre was able to operate with much greater freedom.

In the centre of the battlefield, an artillery duel first erupted, followed by a series of hand-to-hand combat encounters. Eventually, the pike blocks joined the fray, where the Germans began to dominate, slowly overpowering the French and Swiss forces. After some time, the French centre was completely overwhelmed. Feeling confident, the Germans sent units that had been stationed in the camp to support the remaining imperial troops still engaged in battle.

Eventually, the Italians advanced, but they encountered my large pike block. After a prolonged fight, the Italians were defeated and forced to retreat. The battle was nearly won.

The most interesting events occurred on our left flank, where the main cavalry forces of both sides engaged in battle. Our primary concern was, of course, the French gendarmes. The German cavalry struggled against them, but they were not entirely without hope. Tim started off bravely, charging the French with half of his cavalry. He won the first clash with the gendarmes, but in the second round of fighting, he was forced to retreat. Unfortunately, he didn't activate the second cavalry brigade to support the initial attack. Both sides regrouped for another charge and this time the French dominated the Germans. Ultimately, after suffering several losses, the Germans had to retreat to their original positions and regroup. Fortunately for them, the battle had already been decided, and further attacks were deemed unnecessary. The French then ordered a general retreat.

It was nice to see our Italian Wars collection displayed on the table. This time, none of our guns exploded, which had been a common occurrence in our previous games. The French cavalry once again demonstrated itself to be an indestructible unit. Additionally, we built a fairly large table for the game, and interestingly, one-fifth of it was not used at all. At least we had no complaints about lacking space to manoeuvre our larger units. The next game will probably take place next year, possibly with more units. We'll see how it goes.

3. Links.

MICHAEL:

https://meneken.blogspot.com/2024/10/1505-fictionale-battle-at-road-to-villa.html

FLICKR:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/asienieboje/albums/72177720321612101

Cruel Seas: The Agent OOSplash.

Last Thursday evening at our club (SESWC Edinburgh), we played Cruel Seas. Tim prepared an intriguing scenario in which one side aimed to take over an agent from a neutral freighter while the other sought to prevent it. Before the game, we rolled a die, which determined that the British would attempt to capture the agent while the Germans would work to stop them.

SCENARIO: Tim Chant
UMPIRING: Tim Chant

SCENERY: SESWC

FIGURES & MODELS: Tim Chant

1. Forces.

ROYAL NAVY

(Alasdair,  Mike, Peter, Tim)

2 x FAIRMILE D. 

2 x VOSPER MTB I

2 x VOSPER MTB II

KRIEGSMARINE

(Andy, Bartek, David, Michael)

3 x S-38 class

3 x S-100 class

2. The Game.

We planned to stay relatively close to the freighter and follow its course, concentrating most of our forces on its starboard side. Our mission was to engage the heavier British boats, while Michael would act as a distraction, drawing the fire from the lighter boats toward himself. The British chose to split their forces, sending part of them around the island to tackle the Germans with the remainder.

Finally, a fight broke out. Peter's and Mike's boats opened fire on Michael, who returned the favour. Soon, the rest of the German boats joined in. Both sides were taking damage. However, our biggest concern was the two Fairmile boats—one led by Peter and the other by Tim. We decided to concentrate our fire primarily on these boats, and it began to prove effective. There was a collision between Tim's and Michael's boats, resulting in severe damage to both. Michael managed to survive, but Tim came under fire from Andy and David's boats. Eventually, one fewer British boat was left in the battle.

Soon, Peter's Fairmile was also destroyed, but the Germans paid for it by sinking one of the S-38 class boats. Alasdair then joined the action with his plywood boats and began carrying out the mission. To take over the agent from the freighter, it was necessary to sail alongside it at the same speed for a turn. Alasdair managed to do this, and just when the British were certain of victory, the Germans emerged from behind the freighter. Most of the salvos were inaccurate, but the last salvo from my 37mm gun sank the boat with the agent. In this way, the Germans proved to be the winners of this encounter.

3. Links.

SESWC:

https://www.facebook.com/Seswc.co.uk/posts/954613603362638

FLICKR:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/asienieboje/albums/72177720321510467