First Game of Border Wars - Reiving by the Big Rock

 

Eliots on foot and mounted Armstrongs advance

Eliots fire their pistols

Armstrongs charge in to combat

Last night we played our first game of Border Wars out in the shed. It was a 70 point game with an all foot force of Eliots taking on all mounted force of Armstrongs settling the score (Scenario 1 - To the Death p.64.) by the Big Rock. The families advanced eager to get stuck in. Shooting saw both leaders wounded but undeterred the Armtrongs charged in to combat. This didn't go well and in subsequent turns, all of the Armstrong soldiers were killed, while only a single Eliot soldier was dispatched. A Jeddart Staff armed Eliot soldier cut down an Armstrong hero, leaving the Armstrong leader, wounded and alone, facing surrender or a valiant death.


It was a pretty quick game, about an hour, twenty minutes in playing time. Inevitably as a first game we missed a few things and got a few things wrong. Border Wars is quite a detailed set of skirmish rules with lots of dice activation D10s, D8s and D6s as well as cards - Special Actions, Heroic Actions and Special Events. The families are divided in to three levels - Leader, Hero and Soldiers with individual card profiles and stats which are modified as the game progresses with tokens. There are also skilled characters, civilians and livestock - the object of all the reiving. Quite a bit to absorb and ponder but hopefully another game next week will make it all a bit clearer.

It doesn't go well!

Armstrong hero is cut down by
a Jeddart Staff armed Eliot soldier

Armstrong leader faces surrender or a valiant death 

Sumerian Archers

 

Here are two units of Sumerian Archers I've just finished painting. These are mainly Warlord/Cutting Edge figures from their Early Household Archers pack but two Eureka figures have snuck among them. I have another batch of twenty four of these based and primed to bring my archer contingent up to strength for my Sumerian armies.

Today in the mail I got my order of the Gangs of Rome Two rules and accessory set, see photo below. The rules are a beautifully illustrated, 192 page hardback book. Look forward to revisiting these rules, painting the plastic gangs and mobs and assembling the Sarissa villa. Tomorrow night we have our first game of Border Wars, the Flags of War Border Reiver skirmish game, lined up so it will be interesting to see how that goes.

Minoan Bull-Leapers

 

Here is a set of Minoan Bull-Leapers that I've just painted. The figures are by Eureka Miniatures who have just released some great civilian additions to their Bronze Age Greeks range, which are very handy for camps, not just in the Bronze Age but much later as well. Below is the Fresco of the Bull-Leapers in the Herakleion Archaeological in Crete on which it was based. The fresco was originally in the eastern wing of the Palace at Knossos. The photo below that is of bronze spearheads and a boar tusk helmet in the Herakleion Archaeological Museum. In 2009 we went to Crete and visited a number of Minoan Palace sites, including Knossos, Phaistos and Agia Triada, as well as the Herakleion Archaeological Museum, all incredible!

Border Reivers on Foot

 

Flags of War

Colonel Bills and Wargames Atlantic

Here are some Border Reivers on foot that I've just finished painting. Figures are a mix of Flags of War, Colonel Bills and Wargames Atlantic plastic Conquistadors. I now have enough mounted and foot figures to try out a game of Border Wars, the Flag of Wars' skirmish rules. I still have plenty of Reivers, civilians and stock to paint for this period with more of the superb Flags of War models, as well as the Timeline Miniatures ones.

Group shot

Sumerian ADLG Game - Lagash versus Ur Revisited

 

Forces deployed - Lagash on the left, Ur on the right

Opposite end

Shooting commences

Armies close

I haven't played a game with my Sumerian armies for about two years, so thought it was high time to get them out on the table again. Last Thursday afternoon Craig came over and we played a Sumerian ADLG game out in the shed. We diced for sides and I commanded the army of Lagash and Craig commanded the army of Ur. Both armies are very similar and could really represent any Sumerian city state. The spearmen of the army of Ur have copper helmets and copper studded cloaks as depicted in the Standard of Ur in the British Museum. The spearmen of Lagash have copper helmets, crossed leather belts on their upper bodies with long spears and a front rank of axe armed shield bearers with large shields as depicted in the Stele of Vultures in the Louvre.

I had already deployed the armies on a small 6 x 4 foot mat to save time and Craig was the attacker and moved first. The armies advanced within shooting range and exchanged missile fire. I charged on the left flank with my battle cars and in the centre with my spearmen and royal guard axemen. A protracted combat ensued which was soon joined by units on both sides on the Lagash right flank. Craig had terrible luck with his dice in the game and couldn't take a trick in combat. Some games are just like that, as I had experienced recently in our Second Bedriacum, Strength and Honour game! Gaps appeared in the Ur line, a commander was killed in combat and before long the army of Ur had broken. 

Combat in the centre

Battle cars in combat on the Lagash left flank

Gaps appear in the Ur line

Army of Ur breaks

Bronze Age European Chariots

 

Here are two Bronze Age European chariots with crew and two chieftains on foot. Figures are by Wargames Foundry. I will use these figures as Celt, Iberian and Balkan tribes to fight Sherden or Shardana, Sea Peoples and Mycenaeans.

Tlaxcallan Command and Archers

 

Here are some Tlaxcallan command stands and archers. The command figures with vine and crane banners are by the Assault Group and the archers are a mix of Assault Group and Wargames Atlantic plastic Aztecs that have head bands and feathers added. The Tlaxcallans were enemies of the Aztecs and allies of the Conquistadors. A great resource on the appearance of the Tlaxcallans is the Lienzo de Tlaxcala, an online version of which is available on the University of New Mexico's Digital Collections site.

Macedonian Hypaspists

 

Here's a guest post by Garry with some Macedonian Hypaspists he's just painted. Figures are a mix of Essex Miniatures and A&A Miniatures with LBM shield transfers and banner.

Border Reivers

 

Here are some mounted Border Reivers that I've just finished painting. Five are by Flags of War and three by Colonel Bills (the big chunkier figures). Flags of War have just released more Border Reiver figures through a Kickstarter, their entire Border Wars range are fantastic detailed figures. I will use these for their Border Wars skirmish rules as well as Never Mind the Billhooks Deluxe.

Second Bedriacum/Cremona Strength and Honour Game

 

Vitellian and Flavian legions deployed with
the Via Postumia in the centre of the table

Opposite side of the table

Opposing legions fight beside the
embankment of the Via Postumia

Vitellian auxiliary cavalry optimistically advance

Last Wednesday night I went over to Rick's place and we played a 2mm Strength and Honour game of Second Bedriacum/Cremona. We diced for sides, Rick and Gary commanded the Flavian forces led by Marcus Antonius Primus. I commanded the Vitellian forces who were leaderless as their general Aulus Caecina Alienus had been arrested for plotting to defect to Vespasian. The two sides had similar armies with the Vitellians possessing a slight advantage with an extra legion and breaking on 18 points, instead of 17. We both rolled well on the auguries and had four points each. The battle was fought at night and there are a number of special rules in the scenario to emphasise the chaos of night time combat.

It certainly was chaotic and from the start of the game the Vitellians were unable to take a trick. In most combats they rolled a one or two and when a four, an advance, (the best result) was rolled it was immediately cancelled. Both units of Vitellian cavalry were pushed back off the table resulting in disaster cards and the set back cards steadily mounted through out the game. No surprises then when in turn six the Flavians called Homunculus Est and the Vitellians were broken on twenty points. It was a frustrating game for the Vitellians but it was good to get the troops out, use the terrain I'd made and play the scenario with an historical result.

A Vitellian legion has the advantage of two supports

But no result!

Chaotic night time combat

Vitellian legions break