Crossbowmen dakka dakka dakka

Following on from my visit to Wor Lard I was able to take the opportunity for an evening game with my old friend Brian.  Lion Rampant has become a popular set at Washington Wargames Club and as the game was arranged at rather short notice it was a good option in that I just grabbed a couple of boxes of Medieval figures and knew thatI would be able to fashion a force from them.  Fellow WWC members Gary and Peter have generated  army lists from the original Field of Glory books.  Brian was using Early Plantagenet English so I decided to field Feudal French.


Brian has made up 20 maps to use so we rolled off and map 14 had a lot of marsh, a bit of scrub and a wood which ended up being on my right flank nearest his base line. Oh and a stream which crossed the table (long edge to long edge) left of centre.  Its a shame that I forgot to take a photo.


Brian spread his force across his side of the table with from my left to right 3unit of spearmen a unit of archers a unit of bidowers then knights and finally mounted javelinmen.  His Leader was rash so the knights were likely to hare off at the first opportunity!


I ignored my left flank as it was covered to my front by terrain.  Again from left to right but starting in the centre were a unit of crossbowmen, then spear serfs and mounted sergeants.  Two units of knights were kept back as far to the right as I could get them whilst conforming to the 3 inch rule.
I advanced all but the knights with the serfs moving up to and through the scrub in front of the wood to keep the bidowers  busy.  The initial action was concentrated on the right flank with the serfs doing their job before being forced to retreat and eventually break.  Th cavalry canceled eachther out and went to half strength which made them largely irrelevant for the rest of the battle. The spearmen managed to get into the wood and force the bidowers to retreat.


In the centre the crossbowmen and archers advanced to trade missiles and the English spearmen attempted to move towards the action but made slow progress being the last in line to move.  Back on the right my cunning plan had been to get the spearmen in the wood close enough to force the knights to charge them and then fight on equal terms.  The plan worked in intent but the dice rolls went against me with only one English knight being killed and the spearmen being thrown back.


The crossbowmen then started on a battle winning series of shooting.  Hitting on a 4 with their opponents armour 2 the archers and each successive unit of spearmen were decimated and forced to rout.  One unit of spearmen did make contact but was thrown back in melee.


On the right the two generals knights units engaged each other over a couple of turns with counter charges generally being successful.  My second unit of knights delivered the coup de gras by which time the battle was more or less over.


An entertaining game but we were both surprised by the effectiveness of the crossbowmen and their machine gun like efficiency.


Hopefully I can get down again before too long and give Brian a chance for revenge!

Games 30

 Rules played 18 New 7
Places played 6 New 0 

Viking Raid

My annual visit to Washington Wargames Club coincided with their Christmas game.  I number of Viking warbands had got wind of a treasure trove being stored in a Saxon church and were all bent on claiming it for themselves

The Saxons proved tougher opponents than expected and none of the Vikings managed to reach the church.  I was the last to arrive and decided to take advantage of the earlier arivals and relieve them of some of their booty.  Great fun

Visit to Washington Wargames Club

Washington was my first club, I joined back in 1978.  In the old days, before the internet, finding a club was pretty much a hit and miss affair.  I was actually on the top deck of a double decker bus reading Donald Featherstone’s ‘solo wargaming’ when I was spotted by Brian who came over and had a chat and invited me along to the club.

I had many memorable games there, made a lot of friends and made the transition from being a small scale collector of figures and potential solo wargamer to a fully fledged club gamer with a significant pile of unpainted lead.  I gained my lifelong interest in 25mm ancient wargaming, starting with WRG 5^th, graduating to 6^th and adding Warhammer Ancients and FOG.  Many other games were played including some impressive Christmas games.  We ran a local show, Warrior, for many years.  I served as treasurer, games organiser and chairman in my time so managed to put something back in to balance all the enjoyment I got out of being a member.

35 years later, having moved to Scotland, I am no longer a regular but do try and get down occasionally.  Last Saturday was actually my first visit for nearly two years but it was as if I had never been away.  It was 25mm ancients again but this time with Impetus.  Peter fancied giving the rules a try so I brought down Feudal Spanish and Andalusians.  We managed two games, with Peter winning the first game and me the second.  Guess who joined in the first game to also try out the rules – yes it was Brian.  He is hoping to get up to Carronade this year so I hope to see him again then. 

Hopefully it won’t be another two years before I get down again.

 

Not a particularly good photo I am afraid, but that is Brian sitting down and Peter with the tape!  Saga, FOG, Command and Colours and Heroclix were also played.  I nearly forgot - it was also great to see another mate of 35 years, Gary, playing WRG6th with Bob.