First Game of Pillage

 

Vikings initial deployment

Irish initial deployment

Irish warriors

Irish slingers

Irish chieftain and warriors

Irish warriors

Last Sunday Rick, Gary and I met down at the Vikings Club in Conder, for the monthly meeting of the Canberra Regional Wargame Group. We played our first game of Pillage, a new set of Dark Age/early Medieval skirmish rules written by Guillaume Rousselot. The English version has just been published by Victrix and is available as a 131 page pdf or hard back rule book that is beautifully illustrated. We diced for sides and played a pitched battle with Viking and Irish forces of about 1020 gold pieces which is the point system used. Each side had a chieftain with two traits, there are no fixed unit sizes, with movement, shooting, combat and morale done with individual figures. Rick said many of the basic mechanics of the rules are derived from the Middle-Earth Strategy Battle Game.

We deployed twelve inches in from the table edge to speed things up. The Irish had a slight advantage in numbers with twenty seven figures, while the Vikings had twenty four figures who were more heavily armoured. The Vikings also had a berserker, banner bearer and figure with a war horn. The two forces closed with Irish slingers and Viking bondi archers shooting. Irish warriors charged the Viking bondi on the right, after several round of combat, the Irish warriors were destroyed. On the Viking left the bondi archers shot at the Irish warriors, forcing them to charge, eventually picking them off with bow fire. Back in the centre the Viking hirdmen formed into shieldwall to reduce shooting casualties against the Irish slingers. The hirdmen advanced in shieldwall and were charged by the Irish chieftain and warriors. Eventually the more lightly armoured Irish warriors were ground down by the hirdmen, losing more figures after failed morale tests.

This wasn't a very satisfying or balanced first game of Pillage, the Irish didn't have much of a chance. The rules are very simple which may appeal to some but for me they are far too simplistic. There are more nuanced and satisfying skirmish sets already available with Lion Rampant, Saga and Barons' War. There is no index in the rules and specific rules are hard to find. There are also typos in the rules and QRS with the armour class abbreviations, some of these still have the French rather than the English version. The faction lists have limited options with the Irish, Scots and Picts lumped together but have no option for cavalry, while the Welsh have no option for armour. There is a generic list of costs so you can choose your own force regardless. 

Forces close

Bondi archers shoot

Irish warriors charge Bondi

Bondi archers pick of the remaining Irish on the left

Irish warriors charge Viking hirdmen
who are in shieldwall

Irish lose more figures from morale tests,
Vikings clear winners

Lake Trasimene 217 BC - Command and Colors Ancients Game

 

Initial deployment from the
Roman side along the Lake

From the Carthaginian side

Numidian cavalry skirmish on
the Carthaginian right flank

Last Tuesday afternoon I played another solo Command and Colors Ancients game out in the shed. The scenario was Lake Trasimene 217 BC, Hannibal's famous ambush of the consul Flaminius and his Roman army. The Carthaginians had six command cards, while the Romans start with two but this is increased to three, then four in their second and third turns. The Carthaginians had a good hand of cards, including two Double Time cards, but this did not play out as expected! They played the first Double Time card on the right flank and the Gallic warriors charged in to combat. The Romans fought back well and at the end of their turn had destroyed two Gallic warrior units.

The Carthaginians played the second Double Time card on their left flank attacking with their heavy and medium infantry, led by Hannibal himself. This time they managed to destroy two Roman units and with momentum advance, managed to position themselves to continue the combat. The Romans countered with their cavalry and Triarii,  destroying both Carthaginian heavy infantry units and killing Hannibal with a leader casualty check roll. The game was tied at 5-5 victory points but the Carthaginians played it safe and attacked a wounded Roman infantry unit with their Gallic cavalry on their right flank to secure victory. It was a Pyrrhic victory really for the Carthaginians with Hannibal dead.

Carthaginians play a Double Time
card - Gallic warriors charge

They play another Double Time
card on their left flank

Carthaginians win 6-5 victory points
but Hannibal is killed in combat!

More Numidian Elephants

 

Here are two more Numidian elephants and crew that I've just finished painting. The figures are by Crusader Miniatures. Below are a few comparison shots with the Victrix Numidian elephants. I still have more infantry and Victrix Numidian cavalry with zebra and giraffe hide shield transfers to paint but a game with them isn't too far off.

Hittites versus Gasgans Chariots Rampant Game

 

Gasgan attackers deployed on the left,
Hittite defenders on the right

Gasgan force

Hittite force

The two sides mostly advance

Gasgan guardsmen, light infantry and slingers

Gasgan light infantry and archers

Gasgan chariots, light infantry and slingers

Last Tuesday afternoon I played a solo Chariots Rampant game with my 15mm Hittites taking on my recently painted Gasgans/Kaskans. The Gasgans were the attackers and had a slight points advantage but the Hittites had more chariots. The two sides advanced and after a couple of turns, were in shooting range. The Hittite chariots charged the Gasgan guardsmen who were warrior infantry, armed with bow and two handed axes.

The guardsmen retreated but then charged the Hittite chariots in their turn. The guardsmen failed a courage test and routed. The Gasgan light infantry then charged the half strength chariots and wiped them out. It was getting pretty messy in the game, the shooting activations were definitely less risky than combat. When the last Gasgan light infantry unit failed its courage test and routed, it was victory for the Hittites.

Shooting commences

Hittite chariots charge the Gasgan guardsmen

Gasgan guardsmen charge the chariots in their turn

Gasgan light infantry destroy
half strength Hittite chariots

Shooting is less risky than combat!

Gasgan light infantry charge Hittite spearmen

Hittites are victorious

Gasgan Infantry

 

Slingers

Guardsmen and archers

Gasgan warriors

Group shot with chariots

Above are some 15mm Gasgan or Kaskan infantry that I've just finished painting. The figures are all by Khurasan Miniatures. I now have enough figures, with the two chariots I painted earlier in the month, to try a Chariots Rampant game against my 15mm Hittites. Below are some photos of the Warlord 28mm Gasgan/Kaskan warriors I painted a few years ago. 

Warlord actually have quite a few later Anatolian highlander packs with at least two packs of warriors, as well as packs of archers, slingers and javelinmen. For the chariots you could use their light Hittite chariots and swap or convert the crew. These figures are more fully clothed with fleeces, pelts and cloaks which seems more likely as the Pontic Mountains region where they lived is at a high altitude and snow can occur even in the summer months. The highest peak there is Kackar Dagi 3,397 m (12,917 ft) and would have been covered in snow in the winter!

Trebbia 218 BC - Command and Colors Ancients Game

 

Initial deployment from the Roman side

Carthaginians with Mago's ambush 
visible in the top left, off the table

First blood to the Romans!

Mago's ambush attacks the Roman rear

Romans Darken the Sky
destroying two units of slingers

Cavalry join the ambush

Roman right flank collapses

Last Tuesday afternoon I played a solo Command and Colors Ancients game out in the shed. The scenario was Trebbia 218 BC with Hannibal's Carthaginians fighting a Roman army, under the consul Sempronius Longus. Both sides had the same number of command cards but Mago's ambush really made it a tough scenario for the Romans. The special rules for the ambush meant any leadership card played after the Carthaginian player's first turn could be used for this. In my game an I Am Spartacus card was played, five dice rolled, two leader symbol results meant any two units of choice could be used. 

Two warrior units attacked the rear of the Roman infantry. Polybius says (III.74) the troops used in Mago's ambush were Numidian infantry and cavalry but I only read this after the game and had used Gallic infantry and cavalry for the ambush. The Romans played a Darken the Sky card and destroyed two units of slingers. Mago's ambush once launched was devastating with the Roman right flank collapsing. Despite this the Romans fought back well and it was only once a combined attack in the centre of Gallic and Spanish cavalry and infantry that the Roman centre collapsed as well. In the end the Carthaginians won a hard fought game 7-5 victory banners.

Side view

Roman centre is under pressure too

Gallic and Spanish cavalry attack

Spanish infantry join the attack in the centre

Roman centre collapses

Carthaginians win a hard fought
game 7-5 victory banners