Fierce, Huge and Bloody

The first game that I blogged about, back in January 2010, was a refight of Marathon. In the lead up to the game I included a post about my earliest inspiration (click) , the book Stories of Great Battles by Robert Webb. The 1st chapter, called "Rejoice! We Conquer!", was about Marathon, the 2nd, called "Fierce, Huge and Bloody",  was about Chalons.

I couldn't help but think about that old book as well as Hal Foster's Hun Hunter episodes of Prince Valiant while looking at my newly expanded "horde" of Elastolin Huns (ok 2 dozen but still, lots of fur).

An engrained image of what ancient warfare really looked like: catapults hurling fireballs while armoured  Roman infantry fight Huns in fur. (From Stories of Great Battles)

Now as it happens, a copy of Simon MacDowall's new book on Chalons (Catalaunian Fields ad451) is currently en route to me. Its over 40 years since Simon & I cut our wargaming teeth on WRG 3rd ed and knowing him I don't expect his version of the battle to resemble my childhood one.  Still, taken together, it just seems like a good time for some Elastolin Roman vs Hun skirmishes with Gothic and other allies (Vikings, knights and others) for both sides. 

Fur bikinis and a BBQ, what more could one ask?

At the very least it will get a game on the table while I decide what to do with the enlarged collection in the long term.