Ilium: A Game of Heroes - Settlement Raid Game

Achaean attackers on the left,
Trojan defenders in the centre,
guarding the well

 

Opposite side

Achaean raiders with two heroes
and their contingents

Trojan defenders attack, the buildings, well and village
notable are objectives for the Achaeans

On Tuesday afternoon Craig came over and we played our second game of Ilium out in the shed. This time the scenario was a settlement raid with Achaean raiders attacking a Trojan village, their objectives were to burn buildings, poison the well in the centre of the village and capture the village notable ( a goat herder with a goat). The Trojans were to prevent this and the usual kleos (renown or glory) applies in the scenario for killing enemy heroes and stripping them of their armour etc. 

The Achaeans got off to a good start and quickly had two buildings burning. The game was level pegging and reinforcements for both sides arrived on the table in turn three. All heroes on both sides were heavily wounded but none were killed. It looked as if the game would be a draw but the Trojans just managed to hang on and win 3-2, as two buildings were undamaged and the well was clean.

Trojan reinforcements turn two,
two buildings are already burning!

Hector dashes ahead to protect the well

Reinforcements for both sides on turn three

All heroes are heavily wounded

Trojans just hang on to win 3-2

First Game of Ilium: A Game of Heroes

Aeneas and his Dardanians,
four warriors and two archers

Hector and six shield bearers

Last Thursday morning Craig came over and we played our first game of Ilium: A Game of Heroes out in the shed. I forgot to put the memory card back in to my camera so none of the photos I took actually turned out! It's a pity because it was quite a nice looking game with two hills, trees, goat herders and their goats, grape vines, a ploughed field and the Achaean and Trojan forces. I took extra photos of the Trojan force I used in the game to make up for this and have posted these with the game report. 

Craig had an Achaean force with three heroes Menelaus, Odysseus and Menestheus and their three contingents of promachoi (forward fighters). My Trojan force also had three heroes Aeneas, Hector and Sarpedon mounted in a chariot with Glaucus as his driver and their three contingents. The rules have stats for all the various heroes and their contingents, use D10 dice and random activations with tokens or cards. We played the Battle on the Plains scenario, which has six turns with reinforcements of a third hero and their contingent arriving on the third turn.

It proved to be a lot of fun and a very close game which could easily have gone either way. In the end I just managed to kill Odysseus and Menelaus, although both Aeneas and Hector were severely wounded. The game is won by the side that earns the most kleos (glory or renown) and by killing Odysseus and Menelaus in a duel I had three points to nil. I could have earnt more by stripping them of their armour and carrying it off the table but it was the sixth turn and the game was over. We both really enjoyed it and hope to play another game soon.

Sarpedon and Glaucus with four Lycian warriors

Goat herders and their goats

Trojan War Heroes

 

Hector, Paris and Aeneas

Agamemnon, Achilles and Nestor

Here are some Trojan War heroes that I've just finished painting. Figures are all Wargames Foundry sculpted by Alan Perry. Back drop photo is the of the reconstructed walls at Hatussa (modern Bogazkale). These Trojan and Achaean heroes will be handy for Midgard and Ilium: A Game of Heroes games. This is a Trojan War skirmish game by Nic Wright of the Irregular Wars blog which was recently released. We've got our first game of this organised for later this week, so some of the figures will see action then. If you're interested in the rules they're available as a 97 page, colour pdf on his site or on the Wargames Vault site.

Diomedes, Ajax and Odysseus

Parthians versus Late Republican Romans - Age of Caesars Saga Game

 

Parthians deployed

Romans deployed

Forces advance

Roman cavalry shoot at the Parthian cataphracts

Last Friday afternoon Craig came over and we played an Age of Caesars Saga game out in the shed.  My Parthians fighting Craig's Late Republican Romans, six points with the usual Clash of Warlords scenario. I seem to average a Saga game about once every two years, usually when there is a new supplement out. The Romans were the attackers and the two forces advanced to within shooting range. The Roman cavalry shot at the Parthian cataphracts then withdrew repeating this again in a later turn. 

The Roman ballista shooting was effective while the Parthian horse archer shooting was not. A Cataphract charge against a unit of legionaries on the left flank forced them to retreat and on the right flank the Cataphracts managed to destroy the Roman cavalry. The Cataphracts, worn down by shooting and combat, were destroyed. The Romans easily won the game when a legionary unit launched a Pilum attack to destroy a unit of horse archers, who were unable to evade like they would have historically. 

The Age of Caesars is a really attractive supplement with great photos and illustrations. It includes faction rules and battle boards for Caesar's Legions, the Parthians, Imperial Romans, Spartacus Slave Revolt, Germans, Dacians, Sarmatians and Palmyrans. As well as additional rules for Gauls, Britons and mercenaries, so plenty of new and old factions for the Saga enthusiast to game with.

Cataphracts charge the legionaries

Roman cavalry shoot again

Cataphracts are worn down, Romans win easily

More Samnite Cavalry

 

Here are some more Samnite Cavalry that I've finally finished painting. The figures are all Crusader Miniatures, a mixture of armoured and unarmoured riders, with LBM shield transfers. They're nice figures that paint up well but not quite as good as the Aventine ones I painted a few years ago. I still have quite a few infantry figures to paint for this army.

Samnites versus Camillan Romans Midgard Game

 

Romans deployed

Samnites deployed

Forces advance

Samnite cavalry on the right flank

Equites charge, Samnite cavalry countercharge

Last Sunday Gary, Rick and I met down at the Vikings Club in Lanyon for the Canberra Regional Wargames Group's monthly meeting. We played a Samnites versus Camillan Romans Midgard game. I commanded the Samnites, who were the attackers, and Gary and Rick commanded the Romans. The two forces advanced cautiously, opting to advance in single moves to avoid breaking up the line. There was the usual cavalry combat on both flanks, when the equites charged and the Samnite cavalry countercharged. 

The Romans won the cavalry combat but were at half strength leaving them with limited options. In the centre the skirmishers exchanged missile fire, the Samnite javelin men and slingers charged and managed to destroy three Roman leves units. The Samnite infantry charged and had some initial success, even accounting for the equites on the Roman left flank. The Roman infantry were eventually able to win the combats and once the Linen Legion on the Samnite left flank broke, the Samnites had lost their last reputation token.

Cavalry combat on both flanks

Samnite cavalry are destroyed

Linen legion guard the flank

Linen legion break on the left flank

Roman equites break but the Samnites have lost

Thracian Noble Cavalry and Infantry Command

 

Here are some more armoured Thracian noble cavalry and two Thracian infantry command stands that I've finally finished painting. The cavalry are by Crusader Miniatures and Newline Designs, the infantry command stands are by Aventine Miniatures. I'm working on more infantry for my Thracians, later Hellenistic Thracian peltasts with rhomphaia, in both 15mm Xyston figures and 28mm with Aventine and Crusader figures.

Iuka 1862 Valour and Fortitude Game

 

Initial Union deployment

Initial Confederate deployment

Confederate forces advance

Union forces also advance,
some battalions though the fields.

Turn three sees all the Union brigades on the table

It's pretty congested at the Union end of the table

Can the weight of Union numbers win the day?

Confederate artillery battery is deployed on a hill,
Union cavalry threaten the Confederate flank

Last Sunday Craig, Gary, Rob, Rick, Chris and I met down at Vikings Club in Lanyon for the Canberra Regional Wargames Group's monthly meeting. We played our first ACW Valour and Fortitude game, the scenario was Iuka 1862. We actually played a game of this battle about two years ago with the Osprey rules With Hot Lead and Cold Steel but the V& F game was quite different with rules and also a different take on the actual scenario. Craig, Gary and I commanded the Union brigades, Rob, Rick and Chris commanded the Confederates. The Union and Confederate forces contested the road, the main objective in the game. 

The Union forces suffered early losses and struggled to make headway. The terrain, inexperience (most Union brigades were rated green), and congestion of their forces hampering their attack. The Confederate artillery battery deployed on a hill, was effective and proved a thorn in the Union side the whole game. The Union forces eventually had some success, their weight of numbers began to tell, and the game was in the balance. In the end the Confederates managed to hold on and win the game.

Confederate and Union forces contest the
road the main objective in the game

Union forces suffer early losses

Union artillery battery is deployed

Confederate artillery battery proves effective,
a thorn in the Union side the whole game

Terrain and congestion of forces hampers the Union attack

Union forces finally have some success

Game is in the balance

Confederate forces hold on and win the game