You Shall Not Pass

 When last we saw Prince Micheal and the retreating Roman excursion into Persia, they succeeded (barely) in capturing an oasis and seeing off the pursuing Sassanid force, elephant and all.  (18 months ago?? Really???) With July half over with no (zero!!) games played, I decided to wrap up the campaign with another little skirmish. The game was quickly set up and........a week later, after several aborted starts, I finally played out the 20 minute game over 2 days.   (Don't ask! Its just been 'one of those' months for our household.) 

The Romans have a slight advantage in numbers and quality, the Persians have a good defensive position.

The Roman advance is met by some Persian light cavalry, hoping to drive off the lighter Roman cavalry and flank the line.

The cavalry wings face off and watch for openings while the Roman infantry line hits the Persian levies manning the barricade and......bounce with losses!!
(In their defence, it had been a long, thirsty march...)

("psst! What happened to the artist? He's missing the good stuff! Well, GO FIND HIM before the end!" 

After some heavy fighting (trust me), the Roman cavalry dealt with their counterpart, and the Roman infantry managed to take the village and the barricade, and even, more or less, held off Ellie until the Persian morale broke. 

Yeah, its just been that sort of month so far but there's time for at least another game. The 18thC is over due, but, I'm not really in the mood so we'll see who takes the field when it happens.  

Hot Fighting On The Eastern Front

 Well, having done my outside chores early this morning, I envisaged an afternoon game. 

Yesterday, I gave the scenario some thought. My original idea was for a force of Persian infantry holding the pass with a cavalry force pursuing the Romans but that seemed too much like the last Persian game so I sent it back for review. The heat having drained energy and ideas, I settled on a straight larger force trying to break through a smaller force in a defensive position.

"Ready for a hot fight men?"

However, with a temperature over 30C in my room, and a reported Humidex ("feel like" due to humidity) temperature of 38C!, I decided that the game could wait a day or so!

Bring Up The Infantry

I have a rather crowded box of recruits for my Prince Valiant games so I try to paint at least a few figures for each game.

A new company of Sassanid Infantry.
(Oops..meant to add a darker wash over the flesh, I'll have to fix that. It was a super quick paint job.)

These recruits are yet another use of some of the 100  gold novelty figures I bought for $0.10@ nearly 20 years ago.

The table has been tentatively laid out and some troops brought out of storage.

Now to work out the details of the scenario.

Border Post

So close to home but there is one more obstacle to overcome....

A year and a half ago, we last saw the Duke, leading the remains of an expedition out of Sassanid Persia. At last, its time to find out what happened after that. 

Stay tuned......

Now That the Fog Has Lifted A Bit

Having had my 3rd or Booster anti-Covid shot on Tuesday, the after effects yesterday, including a rather fuzzy brain, meant a rather unproductive day. Still, one must do one's duty for community, family, and self so I don't begrudge the 1/2 lost day or the result of trying to be productive with a fuzzy brain. 

After a long pursuit, Lord Rosius, Satrap of Ballimont, caught up with the remnants of the Roman expedition. He had an uncanny feeling that he had been here before, in a dream perhaps, or another life? He shook his head, muttered a prayer and ordered his troops to advance.  

Today I'm more or less back to par and had a quick replay of my watering hole scenario using the updated, fog-bound, version  of the Gathering of Hosts rules that I had worked on yesterday. It went OK, fast with some tough decisions and moments of tension and choices outweighing luck, but obviously the rules were nowhere near ready or complete. Even I couldn't quite follow them and had to improvise.

The Hunnic mercenaries seemed rather reluctant to tussle with the Romans when not under his direct eye but their attempts to flank the enemy helped force them back sooner than they attended. If the mercenaries defending the watering hole would hold, he could wipe out this band of brigands!  

To skip over the details, it still feels like the right path for me to get to where I want to be, but they need a helluva lot of editing to make sense of them and I need to expand them with nice clear troop capability charts. I also need to guard against some bad habits such as tweaking things to conform to a pattern at the cost of a reduction in flavour and tactical options, and unintentionally hiding stray rules in introductions or thinly related places leading to questions like "what the hell was I thinking?" and "I thought I had...". 

It'll help if I go back to pairing simple core rules with army lists giving unit stats including any special rules, rather than working with generic movement and combat charts with scads of modifiers. Luckily I still have copies of several of those from the early versions of The Gathering of Hosts.      

The mercenaries put up a stern fight but the Roman infantry cut them to shreds. The fighting in the centre had also been fierce and bloody for both sides. There was still a chance that one last charge could crush the Roman scum.

Lastly, I need to focus on the aim: simple, flexible rules, clearly written, which can be easily adapted to various "Shock Era" (to use Joe Morschauser's term), armies.  The resulting games should be quick to play with the emphasis on tactics (in the general sense) and a contest of wits, spirit and luck, between the players, with enough colour to inspire a story. 

Alas, it was not to be. The Huns declined to do more than shoot while on the right, some barbarian knight in Yellow, an ally or mercenary perhaps,  charged out with a few companions and slew one elephant while spooking the rest. With such a Hero, he could have won he thought to himself while ordering the trumpeter to sound the retreat.  

Is that too much to ask?

The Winds of Change

A new year, always as good  a time as any to revisit things. 

The Satrap caught up with the Duke before they reached the oasis. A running fight ensued. 

PS: For those who haven't noticed, if you click on the pictures you will get the large version.)

There was a time that I was all in favour of having just a few basic rule systems with adjustments for various periods but for much of the last decade I have been struggling to carry out a proposal to have a different style of rules for each collection of figures. This led to far too much time spent tweaking and re-tweaking too many sets of rules for too many collections (I refuse to say projects since I have no formal plans and no  goals beyond enjoying the process where ever it goes). 

The Roman cavalry managed to hold back the enemy's light cavalry but the Roman infantry had to turn and fight their pursuers before they could attack the Oasis. The Roman archers however, kept themselves busy by shooting arrows into the trees, the bushes, the pool....anywhere except the enemy! 

I don't "do" resolutions but do often think about time past, the present and the near future.  Last year I finally started on reducing the number of collections and figures my plan showed as active. Having been reluctant to let go of yet more beloved figures, I have been trying to get as many of my current collections as I could onto the table each year. Alas the only way to get anywhere near to that goal was by constantly changing horses with the usual result of not being able to really "get into" anything or get a proper campaign going, because I was always "flipping the channel". 

Casualties mounted on both sides but the Romans could not seem to get closer to the oasis.

For the the pre-musket era that Morschauser called the "Shock" period, I had three sets of figures and three sets of rules. The Elastolin Prince Valiant figures seemed to call for skirmish rules since I didn't have any. I don't really enjoy roleplaying or skirmish games as much as battle games, so I've struggled constantly with this! 

To be honest, I'm much happier just playing a simple conventional game and then using my imagination when writing up the blog posts to turn the game into a tale, adding motives, colour and so on as I write.  

For a time the balance hung by a thread but at last the Persians were starting to waver and the Duke was able to order a cohort of legionaries to clean the mercenaries out of the oasis. The Satrap decided not to risk an assault with what remained of his force.

So,  I have decided to  roll the clock back 5 years and resume my intention to use an updated version of the Morschauser inspired Gathering of Hosts rules to serve for the 25's, Prince Valiant and my 16thC 40's. 

Having played this scenario with constantly fluctuating rules, I'm now updating the rules to cover all three collections ranging from the 5thC to the 16thC as well as medieval fantasy which is how they began 5 years ago.   As soon as that is done, I'll replay the scenario.

And Now It Begins Again

 Happy New Year! Now, let the 2022 Gaming Season begin!

New Year's Breakfast Interrupted! The mercenaries guarding the oasis turn out.

The Duke, with Prince Micheal back in the saddle, and what remained of his army, were close to escaping into the mountains but they needed water. An oasis lay ahead, but glimpses of bright colours and the glint of steel showed that it was guarded. Behind, the Satrap's forces were close on the Duke's heels.

to be continued!

 

There's Something That Needs To Be Dealt With.....

 And Prince Micheal & I intend to deal with it, first thing in the New Year!

Wishing all my readers and their loved ones a safe and happier new year in 2022.

A Confused Affair

Like many a skirmish, only the vaguest stories bear witness to what took place during the long struggle to get the convoy to the town. (ie 10 turns played over 4 days with various rule changes)  Partly this was because of domestic distractions not to mention minor pain, a foggy head, and the like, but largely due to the unresolved uncertainties that I have about the style of the rules and desired "feel" for these Prince Valiant inspired games. 

With the Hun Chieftain having unexpectedly driven back Prince Micheal's riders, wounding the prince in the process, the Persians pulled out all the stops, flipping the initiative and reaching the crossroad Oasis before the Roman light troops could get clear. A confused, inconclusive melee followed before the Roman light troops could escape. 

Every time I seem to have a set of rules that I think should work, I either play a particular scenario which doesn't work with some part of the rules so that I have to improvise or I find myself  not enjoying the way a new version works, or the "feel" just isn't quite right, or I've let myself be detoured by a harebrained idea like rewriting the rules to play on a portable hex grid suitable for playing in an institute in some uncomfortable future and thus need a good slap to the side of my head to bring me back to the task in hand. 

Ellie charges through into the Roman infantry. It turned out to be scary and not much fun for either side. (Never put your trust in dice son.)

There are also a few inner conflicts I have about mechanisms like armour saving throws vs combat modifiers for armour and fixed vs adhoc units that I need to sort since the answer to these love/hate/habit questions will affect the whole system but these are questions of preference and 'feel' rather than better vs worse. In other words I have to make up my mind.

It was an odd dice day for sure and the handful of light, but apparently tough, Hun light infantry along with the last Huns, held back the Duke's cavalry until the convoy could move clear. 

At the very least, having reviewed each Prince Michael game report and the rules used, and trying several minor variations during this game, I have identified most of the issues. I also have a pretty good idea of how the rules need to be structured to handle the sort of variety of scenarios and games that I want to play: flexible, not too simple or too complex, and not involving too many tediously repetitive die rolls or being too random or too predictable.  

After one last effort, and a short, inconclusive duel with the Satrap, the Duke waved his men back as they came into range of the artillery on the town walls. Rearing their horses, the opposing commanders saluted each other as the wagons rolled through the gates.
(The red discs indicate "wounds" on characters who can survive more than 1 hit.) 

Unfortunately for me, no one page quick reference sheet is going to do it. I need to sit down and write something more comprehensive and that is going to take me a while.

It has begun

 More tomorrow.

Milord, The Raiders Are Returning

 " They aren't the only ones approaching!  Turn out the garrison!"

Now we'll see how elephants fight.

Not a Shipwreck After All

I'm finally about ready to play. I rather liked my idea of a shipwreck followed by a prisoner rescue mission or a daring escape followed by an Anabasis but, once I realized that the game would be taking place while the Eastern Roman Empire still controlled the eastern Mediterranean including Palestine, Egypt and most of Anatolia, it got harder to come up with a storyline I could buy into even if I shifted the scene to the Black Sea. Rather than beat my head against the wall, I've decided to make it a Roman expedition across the Persian frontier for some purpose (tbd) and the Prince, might or might not tag along or make a cameo appearance.

Introducing the Persian "knights".

Along similar lines, I have struggled with my Persian knights. I had been wondering what to do with a number of medieval knights with barrel helms, big triangular shields and couched lances, not exactly typical Late Roman/Dark Age/Early Medieval stuff but the Persians had fully armoured lancers and some of them wore face masks, so I figured that this was going to be the easiest conversion to a Prince Valiant level of authenticity. I decided that removing the shield was more work than it was worth so I drilled a hole in one corner and rounded the bottom to look vaguely Eastern-ish, wrapped a scarf around the helmet, added a plume and then painted the front of the helm as a bronze facemask. 

Well, they are done, just not as well done as I had hoped. Partly this was a matter of needing to spend some money on new paints as several of my old dependable, no longer available,  colours finally came to the end of their  long life this summer and none of the replacements I've bought are satisfactory. But it was partly because I was a bit distracted and kept doing things like squishing the epoxy putty helmet plumes and scarves, which one can only do so often before you have to live with it or cut it all off and start again.

Much of this distraction was a side effect of why I've suddenly found hobby time in the middle of my busiest "get outside work done before the weather gets cold then snowy" season. In short, for about 3 weeks I have been suffering from what has now been diagnosed as a "Baker's Cyst" (nothing to do with flour, its named after the doctor who first diagnosed it ).   From the patient's POV this is a rather painful growth, the knee is one of the most  common sites so I went with that, which eventually bursts making the whole leg swell and hurt like...  I managed to hobble about aided by a walking stick and look after our pack of hounds but I admit that I was greatly relieved when my wife got back from her first week of dog shows since COVID and drove me into town to get a professional diagnosis. Didn't really need it by then since three of her friends read the symptoms she listed and all said that it sounded just like the Baker's Cyst they had had but it was good to get a professional opinion once the worst was over and much better than a potentially lethal blood clot.  So, I am slowly on the mend without intervention being needed......       

Now, back to the border between the East Roman and Persian Empires, patrols clash and then..........

Well, not a big force but I can add some more Huns and at least there is room for some more Persian conversions if it goes well.

Stay tuned!

Introducing.......

Ummh, well I don't actually have a name yet, or a name for the fortified city he is governor of....but apparently, according to Wiki, (yeah OK remember that this collection is inspired by a Saturday illustrated strip about a wandering prince "in the Days of King Arthur")  during the Sassinid era, the title Satrap wasn't reserved for provincial governors but was sometimes used for positions of authority as low as governor of a fortress or city, which is what this noble warrior is. 

I'm not asking for name suggestions but will consider any that are made.

I'm still working on the story line and scenarios but I'm pretty sure that there will be at least one scenario including at least one ship, it'll probably have to involve the Black Sea rather than the Mediterranean if its going to involve 5thC Persians. The Eastern Roman Empire will also have a role to play. 

Yeah, I know, those are 16thC Turkish infantry escorting Ellie but they are factory painted Elastolins so I'm not about to chop them up to make pseudo Persians, besides they fit well enough considering Foster mixed Romans and medieval knights with Saxons, Vikings, Attila's Huns and North American tribes. 

 

Just need to finish up my Persian knights..errr....Clibinari, and some Persian infantry, maybe hire some more of my Huns, then I'll be ready to work on an opening scenario.

The Making of a Satrap

OK, I  don't know if the Sassinids called their regional governors Satraps or something else but that's what I'm going to call my Persian commander, once he's done that is.

This Persian commander began life as an Elastolin knight. He almost became some sort of Romano-British  cavalryman but today I countermanded the order. His chainmail will be returned to his legs and arms, his helmet will get a plume and a scarf and a spare cloak will fly behind him. He will also get an escort of clibinari or armoured Persian noble lancers with plumes flying and so on. 

These, plus a few light infantry to escort the elephant, and some Hun mercenaries, should be enough for an initial skirmish to test the waters for a minicampaign. 

In The Nick Of Time

"and in this corner, raring to fight:"

As expected, I screwed up the shield  design. I had made a mental note not to use metallic paint because, not only am I challenged when it comes to painting patterns but  the cheap brands I use can be hard to control when painting designs. Then I promptly forgot. I also forgot that the locating plug was square instead of round so the other side is skewed. I could paint over the shields but....it ain't going to happen. 

I tried to think of things to make them look more Persian but alas, once an ad 5th/6thC Persian put on mail and a helmet, they just didn't look all that different. Still, if the guys they are fighting haven't figured out that the elephant is one with the enemy, they probably don't have much hope anyway. 

Now, why just in time? Is there a battle coming? Nope, not soon anway, I need to paint my Persian General and Elite cavalry, and some infantry. No, its because something else arrived:

We have work to do!!

"Aux pots camarades!"  (sic)

Ollie: Progress Report

Managed to do some assembly this morning and painting this afternoon.

Tomorrow I'll add the shields and cases of feathered javelins and 2 crew. 

Not bad so far I think and it distracted me from the pains in my knee and calf! 

Dealing With A White Elephant

 Its time has come!

Nearly 20 years ago, while looking for affordable Elastolin Landsknechts on ebay, I  came across this Germania resin kit of a Carthaginian war elephant.  Well,  I had no need of one but I mean it was a 40mm WAR ELEPHANT! and at a price I shouldn't but could afford. 

Since then it has snoozed in storage, occasionally coming out to look at me or hang out on a shelf while I tried to decide whether to send it to 19thC India or ..... hmm. Building 40mm ancient armies was a no go but enough Sassinids for a Roman/Prince Valiant style encounter soon became an option as that collection just kept adding to itself despite orders to the contrary. A raid of some sort? A shipwreck and rescue maybe?

I'm ready to resume painting  and all of my remaining collections are table ready for at least a small game so it seems like a good time to start doing some of the different and interesting, if only occasionally useful, bits that I've long wanted to do.

My handful of small slim Elastolin Turks look like bearded children next to my tall stockier French Rev troops so I've decided to use my homecast Turks for my Egyptian campaign. Given Foster's drawings of Easterners in the Prince Valiant strips, I think I can allow myself to use them to make some turbanned Persians along with a handful more armoured cavalry, some archers and some Hun mercenaries. 

The time has come for the White Elephant to come to life!

(Hmm I  wonder where I've tucked the little bag with tassels and mahout?)