Chariots Rampant: Between the Hammer and Anvil at Millawanda...

Despite the usual pre-Christmas chaos engulfing the home front on the Saturday before Xmas, I managed to sneak out for a quick game of Chariots Rampant down Bristol Independent Gaming with Jim...

We decided to play the Hammer and Anvil scenario from the Lion Rampant rulebook, with the Warriors of the Green, a raiding Sea Peoples warband having been cornered by the Hittite Warriors of Tarḫunna... (a slight FUBAR occurred in my mis-reading the Hittite deployment so we ended up playing a scenario similar to one in The Men Who Would Be Kings with the retreating raiders having to punch through defenders - all anvil and no hammer!)

Having seen Hittite spear in their line of retreat, the Warriors of the Green were initially not that keen on advancing which allowed the Hittite warband leader Muwatalli the Merciless to bring up his reinforcements...

The Sea Peoples advance was extremely disjointed with the right flank pushing forward, with the left standing around admiring the desert panorama.

The Mighty Death-Bringers (Lukka warrior infantry) were keen to get home and pushed up with The Thundering Hooves (ox-carts) moving remorselessly forward behind...

On the right The Death Rainers (archers) advanced, supported by The Wind Runners (Tjekker light infantry.

The Mighty Death-Bringers soon came under arrow fire from Muwatalli's The Eye of the Storm (light chariots), three warriors falling dead to the desert floor.

On the Sea Peoples left, The Anvil of Heaven, a Hittite light chariot unit tries to outflank the raiders...

As the bulk of The Warriors of Tarḫunna form a defensive line in the centre.

I'm not sure what Hittite is for "went tits up" but that's what happened next. Muwatalli the Merciless commanding The Eye of the Storm from the front found themselves just within Wild Charge distance of The Mighty Death-Bringers, who charge the chariots, destroying one and causing Muwatalli to flee the battlefield following a failed Courage test!

The units of the Warriors of Tarḫunna all pass their mandatory Courage test following the rout of their general, and prepared for the Sea People onslaught!

The Warriors of the Green pour forward towards the Hittites.

The Thundering Hooves (ox-carts) (the King Tigers of the Biblical Age ;-) ) trundle into The Stalwart Wall (veteran heavy infantry)...

Followed in by The Lightning of the Sand Sea (light chariots) who wipe them out!

The Sea Peoples continue their attack, The Death Rainers (archers) firing into the Hittite spear who are gradually whittled down...

The Anvil of Heaven charge into The Lightning Legs (Tjekker light infantry) forcing them back, but this was a last hurrah for the Hittites as the Sea Peoples archers picked off spear and a chariot, and the leaderless Warriors of Tarḫunna disintegrated.

A bloody victory for Kubaba the Conqueror and his Warriors of the Green, though many were left for dead on the battlefield, and another good game of Chariots Rampant!

Chariots Rampant: The Relic of Parha...

It's been a good couple of years since the halls of Bristol Independent Gaming echoed to the sound of chariot wheels and bronze age warfare, but recently we dusted off Chariots Rampant (the Bronze age supplement for Lion Rampant from Wargames Soldiers and Strategy). 

Umpiring the game for two Rampant newbies, Jim took on the role of Muwatalli the Merciless, leader of the Hittite Warriors of Tarḫunna, whilst Phil channelled his inner Kubaba the Conqueror, commander of the Warriors of the Green, a Sea Peoples warband now in possession of a stolen sacred camel that the Hittites desperately wanted back! 

Kubaba advances as part of a forward screen comprising of him with The Lightning of the Sand Sea (light chariots) and The Death Rainers (archers).

Meanwhile Muwatalli leads The Eye of the Storm (light chariots) forward, supported by The Vengeful Arm (veteran heavy infantry), with The Conquerors and The Stalwart Wall (both heavy infantry) following The Stabbers (skirmishers).

The Sea Peoples spread out with The Mighty Death-Bringers (Lukka warrior infantry) escorting the captured sacred camel, with The Thundering Hooves (ox-carts) moving remorseless forward to support their warlord.

The Lightning of the Sand Sea charge forward, Kubaba the Conqueror killing two of The Stabbers hiding in the palm trees.

Whilst The Vengeful Arm move forward to engage The Wind Runners (Trekker light infantry).

The Lightning of the Sand Sea charge into The Stalwart Wall but are beaten off, losing one chariot!

But The Thundering Hooves show how it is done, mercilessly hammering The Vengeful Arm and The Conquerors and trampling many a Hittite under their hooves and wheels!

Meanwhile The Ferocious Fiends (Lukka warrior infantry) attack The Stalwart Wall, but the Hittites beat them off.

However Kubaba sends The Death Rainers forward to shoot down the Hittite spear.

Meanwhile, their fellow archers, The Sky Blackeners, engage The Anvil of Heaven, a Hittite light chariot unit that was trying to outflank the Sea Peoples and re-capture the scared camel.

Sending the Hittites packing!

The Thundering Hooves (the King Tigers of the Biblical Age in my opinion) continue to trample The Vengeful Arm into the dust...

Before moo-ving in on The Conquerors...

Crushing the Hittite spear under their hooves! Muwatalli the Merciless flees the battlefield as the Ox-carts relentlessly plod forward.

With the Hittite right now just a bloody smear in the desert sand, The Death Rainers moved forward to engage the remaining enemy troops...

Raining death on The Stalwart Wall!

Which eventually crumbled!

Leaving a solitary Stabber alone to carry news of Muwatalli the Merciless's failure to recover the sacred camel to Hattusa and Kubaba the Conqueror's glorious victory...

It's been a long time since Lion Rampant (or the Chariots Rampant variant) had been on the table down Bristol Independent Gaming, and I'd forgotten what fast, furious and bloody fun it can be - even if I was somewhat rusty on remembering some of the rules...

Chariots Rampant: A Gentle Stroll From Arwada..

So having finished the third scenario in Lion Rampant in record time, George and I decided to move straight on to the fourth; A Gentle Stroll, for our next Chariots Rampant game. In this scenario the defender (the Sea Peoples) had embarked on a forced march across the board trying trying to catch up with their main force...

Whilst the Hittites attempted to stop them.

For once the Sea Peoples threw off their usual lethargy and obeyed Kubaba's instructions to advance...

Indeed Kubaba was so keen himself he began to outstrip the rank and file...

Who gamely tried to keep up with him.

The Hittite force was positioned to threaten their flank, aiming to cut off the Sea Peoples' forced march.

Trying to delay the enemy flankers (well I think that is what Kubaba called them), I decided to use a 'thunder and lightning' approach - a unit of archers providing an arrow storm (lightning) with the ox-carts lumbering in to the enemy infantry (thunder).

Unfortunately I hadn't taken into account the accuracy of the Hittite chariot archers who in two volleys destroyed one of the ox-carts...

The other routing on a badly failed Courage test! :-(

Having failed to hold back the Hittites, the Sea Peoples turned to face the enemy...

As Kubaba and friends headed towards safety...

Using one unit of archers to screen the flank march from the Hittites on the flank.

A unit of spearmen bravely stood in the Hittite way, prepared to sacrifice themselves for the glory of Kubaba!

A swift volley of chariot archer arrows peppered the Sea People unit killing one and seeing them become Battered having failed a Courage test. The Hittite spear charged in...

But despite their superiority the Hittites only managed to kill one more of the enemy, though the Sea Peoples unit had to fall back having lost the combat.

However their sacrifice was not in vain and their efforts in holding up the Hittites was allowing the bulk of the army to make a beeline for safety.

Seeing the enemy disappearing into the dust, Muwatalli ordered his light chariots in on the Sea Peoples archers protecting the main force's march...

A swift melee saw both sides inflict two casualties and as the combat was draw the Hittite chariots fell back. Both sides then took a Courage test and failed becoming Battered.

Meanwhile the rearguard was selling itself dearly, the archers peppering the Hittite spear and drawing blood.

Back in the centre the Hittite chariots came under archer fire...

And one Hittite chariot went down in a flurry of arrows...

The survivor failing another Courage test and becoming Battered again!

The rearguard were selling their lives dearly holding up the Hittite spear...

But eventually the casualties were too much for the archers and a failed Courage test saw them flee.

This unnerved the spearmen who failed a Courage test for seeing a neighbouring unit break and they became Battered.

Muwatalli charged forward firing arrows at the Sea Peoples spear...

And a final casualty saw them fail a Courage test and flee too.

With the rearguard was destroyed, could Muwatalli's chariots ride down the main Sea Peoples force?

Hittite chariots now appeared on the Sea Peoples left...

As the surviving archers attempted to hold back the Hittite infantry.

In an uneven melee the archers fell back Battered...

Whilst the first unit of the Sea Peoples reached safety.

Needing to get more than half their force off the table to win, the Sea Peoples had little wriggle room now with the units they had left as the Hittite chariots moved in for the kill.

The light infantry moved swiftly towards safety...

Whilst Kubaba feinted moves towards the Hittite chariots while gradually falling back.

The Sea Peoples spear and light infantry pushed on towards safety...

The speedier light infantry reaching it - whilst the spear decided not to obey its order to move and stood still!

Kubaba then reached safety. All that was needed was for the spearmen to join him and success was guaranteed.

The remaining Sea People archers now found themselves bypassed in the middle of the table, but not before having caught Muwatalli with a volley and taken his light chariot unit down to half strength.

The Hittite light chariots moved forward towards the retreating Sea People spear...

With Muwatalli going hell for leather to catch up.

The Hittite chariot archers fired a volley at the Spear and took one down. Fortunately the Sea Peoples passed their Courage test.

Muwatalli fired and two more of the Sea Peoples fell into the dust, but again the unit passed its Courage test. One move would take them to safety, would they obey the order to move this turn? They just needed 5+ on 2D6.

Argh! A cocked dice!!!

George was prepared to accept the roll but given its critical nature I felt obliged to roll the cocked die again. The gods of war(gaming) smiled down on me as the cocked die rolled a 6!

The spearmen rushed to safety and victory was the Sea Peoples!

That was a very, very tense game going right down to the death, Lion Rampant at its best. Both of us had had the frustration of units refusing orders at key points (my spearmen in the penultimate turn refusing to advance and reach safety, but staying out and getting peppered with arrows) but overall that probably balanced out (though George's failed activations all seemed to happen in the middle of the game!).