War of the Rings: Assault on Edoras.

Last Thursday, we played a scenario prepared by Alasdair, in which Saruman’s forces stormed Edoras, defended by the Rohirrim. We used the War of the Ring rules for this game.

SCENARIO: Alasdair Watson
UMPIRING: Alasdair Watson

SCENERY: Alasdair Watson, SESWC

FIGURES & MODELS: Alasdair Watson

1. Forces.

ROHAN

(Bartek, Ben, Tim)

Theodred's Knights (Theodred, Standard-Bearer, 16 riders)

Erkenbrand's Riders (Erkenbrand, Standard-Bearer, 10 riders)

1st Eomer (Captain, Standard-Bearer, 16 riders)

2nd Eomer (Captain, Standard-Bearer, 16 riders)

Royal Guard Cavalry (Déorwine, Standard-Bearer, 10 riders)

Royal Guard Infantry (Captain, Standard-Bearer, 46 soldiers)

Bowmen (40 figures)

SARUMAN'S FORCES

(Andy, David, Michael)

To be updated soon...

2. The Game.

In our game, the hosts of the White Hand were set to lay claim to Edoras. First, they must break the mighty walls of the king’s city. To that end, the trolls, with a grim company bearing a great ram of iron, had to win their way to the gate and shatter it. The riders of Rohan were sworn to stand against them and let it not come to pass.

Beneath a brazen clang of horns and the deep rolling of drums, the hosts of war leapt forward to their doom. The Rohirrim, proud horse‑lords of the Mark, swept on like a rising wind over the plain, and soon the space between the armies was no more than a bowshot. Then the air grew dark with feathered shafts; arrows hissed and whistled, and the foremost orcs toppled lifeless to the trampled earth.

Most grievous was the ruin among the wolf‑riders, for the Orc cavalry upon their vile varg-steeds withered beneath the storm of Rohan’s bows. Yet still they pressed on, snarling and shrieking. Then the warriors of the Mark set their purpose in one accord: to cleave a path through the rearward ranks of the foe, to hem them in as with an iron ring, and to leave none of that fell host to trouble the green fields of Rohan again.

Upon the green fields before Edoras, the design of our battle was swiftly undone. On the leftward wing of the Rohirrim, where Theodred, son of Théoden, held command, his household knights rode hard against a second company of orcish riders astride their foul Vargas-beasts. Yet fortune turned against them. Pressed by sheer numbers and black malice, the riders of Rohan were driven back in disorder.

Rallying to their lord’s call, they wheeled about and charged once more. But even as their spears fell, a knot of returning orcs upon Vargas swept in upon their flank, while a grim line of pikemen advanced before them. Hemmed in on all sides, the horsemen found no clear path to break free.

Then, from behind the shielding ranks of the enemy, there came a bitter hail of iron. Arrows from crooked bows and cruel crossbows fell upon the knights of Rohan, glancing from helm and hauberk or finding chinks in mail. Amid the cries of men and the harsh laughter of orcs, the field grew dark with peril, and the fortune of Rohan seemed ill indeed.

Yet the sons of Eorl were not dismayed. More fiercely still did they fall upon the orcs, above all upon the right wing where I rode at their head. I spurred my steed against those foul creatures, and in bitter hand-to-hand strife, we overthrew the black horsemen and broke their mounted ranks. Then the riders of the Enemy were driven back in confusion toward the rear of their own press.

There they faltered and were forced to halt and gather again, and this was far other than the stroke they had purposed. Meanwhile, the riders of my company and of Tim’s swept through the midst and the left, hewing down the orcs without stay. The light waned and time grew short, yet still the gates of Edoras stood fast. Thus, in that hour, the Rohirrim prevailed, and victory was theirs. 

3. Summary

Alasdair hadn’t run many games before, especially not ones this large, but in my opinion, he did quite well.

As for the game itself, I would have let the forces of evil start a little closer to the ramparts of Edoras, so they’d be easier to reach for players who weren’t familiar with the rules; explaining everything took quite a bit of time. Our tactic of breaking the enemy’s flanks was partially successful, but it forced the enemy to stall rather than push forward.

We didn’t manage to kill a single troll, which would have been both spectacular and incredibly difficult. We also didn’t have a single dwarf or elf to help us…

Overall, the game was very engaging, and we’ll definitely return to Middle-earth for another battle.

4. Links.

SESWC:

https://www.facebook.com/Seswc.co.uk/posts/1102295478594449

FLICKR: 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/asienieboje/albums/72177720334067717/

By Fire and Sword: Potocki & Wiśniowiecki

Some time ago, Wargamer released the first supplement for the second edition of its rules, By Fire and Sword, covering the Khmelnytsky Uprising and its first phase (spring–summer 1648). This coincided with the closure of Wargamer UK, so to avoid future customs issues, I bought a large number of sets and have only now slowly started painting them. The first on the painting table are the new sets for the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. To keep things manageable, I’ve decided to break the project down into even smaller steps. The first two commanders to be painted are Hetman Potocki and Jeremi Wiśniowiecki. All the components are from Wargamer.

Hetman Mikołaj Potocki

First up, I’m showcasing Hetman Mikołaj Potocki’s base and a scene from his final defence at the Battle of Korsun (May 26, 1648), where he was captured by the Tatars. I originally planned to build it on a 4 x 4 cm base, but a carriage model and four infantry figures would have made it look too crowded, so I decided to combine the base with a G2 tray, which increased the total surface area and gave the figures more room. I’m very pleased with the result.

Jeremi Wiśniowiecki.

The second base I painted was the Jeremi Wiśniowiecki set. That’s where the first problem arose: I got two Jeremi miniatures in the set, but no standard-bearer! Luckily, I’d bought a cossack-style cavalry set with spears, so I took one miniature from it and converted it into a standard-bearer. Then I randomly checked a few more sets, and it looks like I’ll have to make a list of issues and send it to Wargamer headquarters, as I can’t replace a few missing pieces. But that’s not the main point here. I decided to paint the standard-bearer’s horse in the colours of the horse from the Stockholm Roll, where it’s actually white and red. It looks great. The standard itself is from the set.

The painting process didn’t go entirely smoothly—there was one major mishap. Normally, I start by priming the figures with a spray can, then bathe them in a wash, dry-brush them with white paint, and only then begin applying the remaining colours. This time, there was no wash bath and no drybrushing. I’m not sure why—probably because I was in a hurry. As a result, painting was much more difficult, and the final effect wasn’t quite what I was aiming for. I think I should take a step back, relax a bit, and then slowly move on to my next project. That will be Czarnecki’s soldiers, where I’ll combine Czarnecki’s base with cossack-style cavalry armed with spears.

Pike and Shotte: Peasant War.

This time, it’s the game we played last Thursday. It had been a while since we depicted the Renaissance on our tabletop, so it was time for another one. Michael prepared a scenario and used his collection of miniatures for this game. It was wonderful to see this colourful variety on the table again. We used Warlord’s Pike & Shotte rules for the game.

SCENARIO: Michael Schneider
UMPIRING: Michael Schneider

SCENERY: Michael Schneider, Bartek Żynda, SESWC

FIGURES & MODELS: Michael Schneider

1. Forces.

Der Schwäbische Bund

(Bartek)

Georg, Truchsess von Waldburg (9)

1 x Mounted Nobles

1 x Mounted Light Horses

2 x Pike Block

2 x Arquebusiers

1 x Light Horse gun

1 x Medium Gun

4 x Wagons

The “Raubritter” (Robber baron), The Black Mob

(Tim)

Goetz v. Berlichingen  (9)

Captain Florian Geyer  (8)

1 x Pike Block

1 x Light Horse Gun

The “Schwyzer” (The Swiss)

(Jimmy)

Georg Heppenstedt  (8)

2 x Arquebusiers

2 x Halberdiers

1 x Gun Light Hackbut 

 

The Monks

(Michael)

Abbot (7)

1 x Monks

The Peasants

(Alasdair, Andy, Ben)

Thomas Muentzer (9)

1st Peasant Brigade

Faehnlein Monk 1  (7)

1 x Slingers

1 x Archers 

2nd Peasant Brigade

Faehnlein Captain 2 (7)

2 x Peasants with Double Handed Weapons

 3rd Peasant Brigade

Faehnlein Captain 3 (7)

2 x Peasants with Halberdies

4th Peasant Brigade

Faehnlein Captain 4 (7)

2 x Peasants with Handweapons

5th Peasant Brigade

Faehnlein Captain 5 (7)

2 x Peasants with Improvised Weapons

6th Peasant Brigade

Faehnlein Captain 6 (7)

2 x Peasants with Improvised Weapons 

2. The Game.

In our game, there were four main factions: a German count, who was transporting supplies to a nearby fortress and was also responsible for protecting the local abbot and the village next to the abbey; German and Swiss mercenaries, who hated each other; and a large host of peasant rebels.

The German count could form an alliance with either group of mercenaries, but not with both, as their mutual hatred made that impossible. The count faced a very difficult task: to win, he had to hold on to his possessions. Points could be earned for wagons, cannons, and buildings.

My column advanced across the table, but unfortunately at a very slow pace. The problem was the excessive number of units under my command. The probability of a failed order was very high, and that was my Achilles’ heel. I quickly formed an alliance with Tim, which meant I now had to keep an eye on Jimmy. While Tim always honours his alliance commitments, Jimmy is like me: he can’t be trusted. Therefore, I decided to watch him closely and direct additional military forces toward his position.

Meanwhile, the peasants sprang into action. Alasdair attacked Tim but was driven back, while Andy began plundering the abbey. Afterwards, he decided to sack the village. I could not allow this, and my noble cavalry intercepted his unit. In hand-to-hand combat, the peasants not only managed to hold their ground through three consecutive melee engagements, but also forced the cavalry to withdraw. The village, however, was temporarily secured.

My suspicions about Jimmy proved correct. At one point, he turned toward me and launched an attack. He managed to destroy one of my pike blocks with arquebus fire, but the determined charge of my noble cavalry and the accurate fire of my arquebusiers put his units in serious danger. Furthermore, an attack by the monks on his cannon caused him to lose it. Unfortunately, in the meantime, Jimmy attacked my convoy and managed to hijack one of my wagons, a move that proved decisive in the game.

The final chapter of this game concerned the fate of Tim’s battalia. For most of the game, it stayed in a hedgehog formation, which effectively protected its flanks. At one point, Tim decided to attack Andi’s peasants, forcing him to change formation. Alasdair seized the opportunity, attacking the pikemen with his peasants from the flank and rear. Tim’s entire battalia was destroyed in the ensuing melee, but this had no impact on the outcome of the game.

Ultimately, the game concluded with a victory for the peasant–Swiss alliance, largely due to the Swiss capturing and hijacking one of my wagons.

3. Summary

After the game was over, I concluded that I shouldn’t have moved the wagons forward at all, since crossing the table’s long diagonal was impossible. Instead, I could have formed a wagon train, deployed the heavy artillery, and established a solid defensive line with some of my units. The cavalry could have played a similar role to the one it had in the game, only more effectively, keeping all potential enemies at bay. Perhaps one of the units could have captured the village, but with so many enemies, it would likely have been defeated. And then I would simply have had to let the German and Swiss mercenaries slaughter each other in peace...

4. Links.

SESWC:

https://www.facebook.com/Seswc.co.uk/posts/1102295478594449

FLICKR: 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/asienieboje/albums/72177720333943172

Black Seas; West Indies Campaign: How to lose a game in just a few simple steps: the guide.

My life has become quite busy lately, so I’ve had less time for blogging. My wargaming life has also become very busy - which is a good thing - but it has affected how regularly I post. It’s time to fix that, and today I’m reporting on a game we played two weeks ago.

Jimmy ran another game from his West Indies campaign. This time, the French were out to attack a larger convoy. I’ve decided to present what happened on the table as a brief guide to losing a game. Please take it with a pinch of salt.

SCENARIO: Jimmy
UMPIRING: Jimmy

SCENERY: SESWC

FIGURES & MODELS: Jimmy

1. Forces.

ROYAL NAVY

(Ben, Jimmy, Michael)

2 x Frigate

2 x Large Merchant

2 x Medium Merchant

MARINE IMPÉRIALE

(Bartek, Jimmy)

1 x Brig (Privateer)

5 x Brig

2. The Game.

Step One: Have a crazy tactic!

The French were once again on course to intercept a British convoy. This time, the convoy’s security detail was much closer to the convoy’s units. Instead of using the tactics that had proven effective in previous games, the French decided to cut across the convoy’s course, scatter it, and then try to compel enemy ships to surrender. I also had a plan in mind that could hasten this outcome. It was very risky and could have cost us several units. But whatever—it’s a campaign game, after all, and we don’t need to worry about future games, right? Right?

Step Two: If you spot your mistakes, don't correct them!

The French, moving ahead of the approaching convoy, exposed themselves to heavy fire from the British guns. Several times, the British managed to Crossing the T, forcing some vessels to strike their colours. Order was restored briefly, but only for a moment. As they continued on a course that crossed the British line, the French repeatedly collided with and damaged their own smaller brigs. In this way, they lost their greatest advantage - speed - and soon found themselves trapped.

Step Three: Use a highly risky weapon, again and again.

It was time to use the tactic I’d planned: hot bullets. Using such ammunition carries a certain risk, but it also has a good chance of setting enemy ships on fire. As for the risk, you might also start a fire on your own ship—but who cares?

So I decided to open fire on the British merchantmen passing in front of me. And what happened? I started a fire on my own ship. The blaze caused massive damage, so, not wanting to risk losing her, I withdrew her from the battlefield.

Step Four: Withdraw? There is no option!

The French situation was becoming increasingly complex, and to make matters worse, they decided to conduct several boarding raids. Although they initially grappled with enemy ships, the situation continued to deteriorate, and more French vessels eventually surrendered to the British or were sunk.

Step Six: If you're going to lose, do it hard!

By this point, the convoy was largely safe, but one French brig remained, determined to add a final blemish to the British victory. David’s brig captured one of the British merchantmen, closed to boarding, and forced it to surrender. It seemed that at least one British vessel would fall into French hands, but no. Nearby, a British frigate boarded the prize, compelled the French crew to surrender, and briefly recaptured the lost ship.

Ultimately, the battle ended in a decisive rout of the French squadron. Of the six ships, one fled the battlefield, one was sunk, and four surrendered, all without a single British loss. The French position in the West Indies was becoming increasingly precarious...

3. Summary

In this game, the French made a lot of mistakes, so the British had just one task: to advance steadily and stay out of the way. The French were bound to lose this game on their own. Sometimes games unfold like that.

4. Links.

SESWC:

https://www.facebook.com/Seswc.co.uk/posts/1102295478594449

FLICKR: 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/asienieboje/albums/72177720333958123