Late Achaemenid Persian Commanders

 

Here are two Late Achaemenid Persian commanders from the archives, that were painted about ten years ago. Figures are by Casting Room Miniatures and Essex Miniatures.

Seleucid Armoured Elephant

 

Here's another Seleucid armoured elephant and crew for my 15mm Later Seleucids. Figures are by Museum Miniatures with Veni, Vedi, Vici waterslide shield transfers. Below are two comparison shots with the Xyston Seleucid armoured elephant. The Museum Miniatures ellie is easier to assemble and paint.

Spanish Caballeros and Jinetes

 

Here are some Caballeros and Jinetes that I've finally finished painting, for my Spanish Reconquista army of El Cid. Figures are all Crusader Miniatures with LBM/Victrix banners. I'm working on some Spanish infantry for the army.

Battle of Hastings Midgard Game

 

Normans advance

Opposite end

Anglo-Dane javelin men attempt
to protect the flanks

Norman archers and crossbowmen
advance into the killing zone

Breton milites under Count Alan
launch a Thunderous Charge

Breton milites disengage

Bishop Odo urges on the infantry

Last Tuesday afternoon Craig and Garry came over to my place and we played a Battle of Hastings Midgard game out in the shed. Craig commanded the Anglo-Danes and Garry and I commanded the Normans, the armies were 500 points each. Rob and Andrew dropped in briefly as well. This turned out to be a very close and hard fought game which could have gone either way right up until the final turn. The Normans advanced and tried to wear the Anglo-Danes down with bow and crossbow fire before launching their cavalry charges. This had limited success and the Normans were forced to charge early with the cavalry to avoid being shot up by the Anglo-Dane skirmishers.

The Anglo-Dane huscarls and even the fyrd were a tough proposition with all the supporting units they had on the hill and the milites were forced to disengage and try their luck on the left flank. The early milites' charges gave the Normans a buffer of reputation tokens as heroes and units receive additional tokens for charging into combat. This was quickly diminished as Anglo-Danes charged down off the hill and broke Norman archer, crossbowmen and spearmen units. In the end the Normans managed to hang in there on the right flank, while William's milites on the left flank were able to destroy some Anglo-Dane skirmishers and half strength units to finish the game.

Anglo-Dane fyrd charge off the hill
Norman pueri counter charge

Breton and Norman milites try
their luck on the left flank

Anglo-Danes charge down off the hill
and break Norman infantry units

William's milites line up a charge on
slingers and a fyrd unit behind them

William's milites line up a charge on a
half strength fyrd unit on the hill

Count Alan's half strength milites support them,
only three units on the Norman left flank have survived

Anglo-Danes lose their final reputation token,
Normans win a hard fought game.

Reconquista Midgard Game

 

View of the table from the Almoravid side

From the Spanish side

Forces advance

Black Guard, Berber infantry and camels

Moors on the left flank

On Thursday afternoon Garry and Rob came over and we played a Reconquista Midgard game out in the shed. We were a bit rusty with rules as we haven't played a game since March earlier in the year. Garry was El Cid and commanded the Spanish attackers, while I commanded the Almoravid Moors. Rob watched and provided rule assistance, especially keeping track of all the different general, heroic and unit traits (pp. 66-74). We used the suggested 300 point army lists in the rules (pp. 102-105).

The Spanish caballeros charged on both flanks and soon had the Berber infantry destroyed and retreating. Single combat between El Cid and Muhammad Ibn Tashfin, the respective army commanders, saw both leaders wounded and reduced by two levels. The Spanish caballeros proved very powerful with their Thunderous Charge and were able to maintain their momentum destroying Berber infantry units. The Black Guard destroyed one unit of caballeros forcing El Cid to flee to another unit. Another caballeros unit was destroyed by Berber infantry but by then Moors had lost another unit and their last reputation token.

Spanish right flank and centre

Spanish Caballeros charge on both flanks

Berber infantry are destroyed and retreat

Spanish victory - another unit bites the dust!

Alvar Fanez alone heroically fights
the Almoravid camel riders

 

Almoravid Moor Additions

 

Here are a few additions to my Almoravid Moors to bring units up to strength. We've got a Reconquista Midgard game lined up next week so I've been painting these figures for that game. There's a skirmisher unit of Crusader Miniatures' Spanish archers, in the last photo. I'm working on Spanish cavalry and infantry at the moment but probably won't get that many finished in time for the game so will just use my Normans for these.

Command and Colors Medieval Crusades Game - First Ramla 7 September 1101

 

Initial deployment from the Fatimid side

Initial deployment from the Crusader side

Crusaders up close

On Sunday Gary, Rick and I met down at the Vikings Club in Lanyon for the Canberra Regional Wargame Group's monthly meeting. We played a Command and Colors Medieval Crusades game with the scenario, First Ramla 7 September 1101. Gary and Rick commanded the Crusaders and I commanded the Fatimids. The Crusaders, lead by Baldwin I, were outnumbered but had five command cards, four inspired actions tokens and moved first. The Fatimids, lead by Saad el-Dowleh, had four command cards and two inspired action tokens. 

The Crusaders played a Mounted Charge card in their first turn and charged the Fatimid infantry in the centre who were unable to evade. Gary and Rick's dice rolling was pretty good and the Fatimid infantry survived but had three hits on each unit. Subsequent turns saw the Fatimid infantry units destroyed and retreating. The Fatimids played a Mounted Charge card in response and were able to destroy two units of the Crusader knights. However with most of the Fatimid centre gone it was a very easy 6-2 win for the Crusaders. 

Crusaders' play a Mounted Charge card

Fatimid infantry are destroyed and retreat

Most of the Fatimid centre is gone

Crusaders win easily 6-2 victory banners