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

Hatti versus Hanigalbat Chariots Rampant Game

 

Side view of the table

Hittite force deployed

Mitanni force deployed

Hittite attackers advance

Mitanni chariots suffer casualties from shooting

Hittite chariots on the left flank
are destroyed by shooting

Hittite chariots

Hittite spearmen and guardsmen

Hittite spearmen and skirmishers

Last Saturday afternoon I played a solo Chariots Rampant game out in the shed with my 15mm Hittites and Mitanni. I've just been reading Trevor Bryce's latest book Hattusili, the Hittite Prince Who Stole an Empire, it's a fascinating read, highly recommended, quite a bit of it is speculative but very interesting none the less. Writing about Suppiluliuma I (1350-1322 BC) he says:

he undertook the biggest challenge of his reign - the annihilation of Hatti's arch enemy, the kingdom of Mittani. After a long, hard-fought war lasting almost two decades, Suppiluliuma succeeded in demolishing the kingdom, rounding off his conquests by capturing the last Mittanian stronghold, the city of Carchemish on the Euphrates. We are now in the year 1326 or thereabouts. A rump kingdom called Hanigalbat was all that remained of Mittani, and Suppiluliuma promptly converted it into a Hittite puppet state.

Trevor Bryce, Hattusili, the Hittite Prince Who Stole an Empire, Bloomsbury Publishing, London, 2025, p.17.

In my game the Mitanni chariots suffered early casualties from shooting but on the other flank the entire Hittite chariot unit was destroyed by shooting. The Hittite guardsmen charged the Mittani spearmen but retreated battered and at nearly half strength. On the Mitanni left flank the Hittite chariots charged and destroyed some skirmishers forcing the Mitanni spearmen to retreat and protect their flank. The Hittite chariots charged the spearmen but were forced to retreat, at this stage the game was evenly poised. The Hittite guardsmen and spearmen then both routed after failing courage tests. The Mitanni had repelled this Hittite attack.

Mitanni spearmen and skirmishers

Mitanni chariots and skirmishers

Mitanni spearmen and archers

Hittite guarsdmen charge Mitanni spearmen

Hittite guardsmen retreat battered
and nearly at half strength

Mitanni spearmen on the left
retreat to protect their flank

Hittite chariots charge the Mitanni spearmen
but are forced to retreat

The battle is evenly poised

Hittite spearmen and guardsmen rout,
the Mitanni have repelled the Hittite attack

Lion Rampant Crusader States Game - Raiding the Neighbours

 

Usama's cavalry advance on to the table

Hama's infantry sit tight on the island with the cattle

Lion Rampant unit cards

Hama's cavalry reinforcements arrive on the table

Usama's infantry arrive on the table

Hama's archers find their mark

On Wednesday afternoon Craig came over and we played a Lion Rampant Crusader States game out in the shed. The scenario was Raiding the Neighbours from the Lion Rampant Crusader States supplement (pp.101-106) with two warbands from the Syrian Principalities list. Usama's warband was attempting to retrieve stolen cattle on an island on the Orontes River, while Hama's warband tried to prevent this. The scenario is based on actual events in the memoirs of Usama Ibn-Munquidh (1095-1188).

It was a fun scenario but we got Hama's cavalry reinforcements wrong they all came on in turn two whereas they should have come on in dribs and drabs over several turns. In the end it probably didn't effect the result of the game that much because Usama's warband had terrible luck with their dice throughout the game and never really got going. Usama's cavalry were almost wiped out to a man by shooting but the infantry managed to launch a late counterattack but Hama's warband was able to hold on to the cattle.

Usama's warband has no luck with their dice

Units on both sides are whittled down by shooting

Shooting continues

Usama's cavalry are almost wiped out

Usama's infantry counterattack

Hama's warband holds on to the cattle

Lion Rampant Crusader States Game - Bloodbath in the Vines - Crusaders and Byzantines versus Syrians and Seljuks.

 

Crusaders and Byzantines deployed in the foreground

Syrians and Seljuks deployed

Crusaders and Byzantines attackers advance

Syrians and Seljuks advance

Byzantine horse archers cop a hammering

Azerbaijani warrior infantry charge
the Byzantine horse archers

Battered units retreat in the centre

Last Friday afternoon Craig and Robert came over and we played a Lion Rampant Crusader States game out in the shed. Craig commanded the Syrians and Seljuks with two 24 point warbands, one an all cavalry force and the other an all infantry force. Robert commanded a 24 point Crusader force and I commanded a 24 point Byzantine force. The scenario was the usual Bloodbath, the game proved to be fast and frenetic and very bloody indeed for both sides. 

The Seljuk horse archers quickly found their mark and almost destroyed the Byzantine horse archers in the first couple of turns. It was only a matter of time before both Byzantine units routed. The Crusaders did most of the fighting and only the Byzantine klibanophoroi (elite cavalry) really contributed. Casualties for both sides were very high, the entire Syrian and Seljuk cavalry force was eventually wiped out and both Crusader and Byzantine leaders were killed. In the end the Syrians and Seljuks just managed to hold on for a very brutal and bloody draw.

Most of the fighting is on the Crusaders' flank

Byzantine klibanophoroi line up a wild charge

Heavy cavalry casualties for both sides

Crusader knights charge again

Only Syrian and Seljuk foot remain

Game ends in a brutal and bloody draw