Tempting Fate?

It seems that I spoke too soon when I settled on the title of the first blog entry of the new year! I have been struck by a serious bout of "There's a lot of it about"! The result is four days pretty much spent asleep in bed feeling like, well, you know I'm sure... Although I feel a little better there's not much prospect of any hobby activity in the coming week for any number of reasons combining with health. Luckily I finished these the last of my Late Roman cavalry additions right at the end of last year ~

Two bases of Late Roman Heavy Cavalry first of all. As you'd surely expect they are from Wargames Foundry's venerable range, with a mixture of shield transfers from the now defunct LBMS - I believe Victrix intend to sell the shield transfers for other manufacturers' ranges, though if/when they do then I fully expect to be ripped off by a price increase. Call me a cynic if you like, but there you go. Bases are from Warbases as usual ~

As ever I was wont not to waste the odd figure remaining in the Lead Pimple, so I've mounted him on a base as a single figure. He can be either a commander of a Division in Hail Caesar or a Champion if we give Mudgard a run out with my Late Romans.

I need to lie down now after the effort of typing the entry. More hopefully in a day or three when I feel more human.

Harald II v William the Barsteward

 Some scenes from Monday's game with my 1066 & All That collection and the current darling of the internet community, Midgard. We added some element of Magic/Sorcery with each side taking a Christian priest with one 'spell'. For the Normans Bishop Philipé de Rounslie, and for the Saxons Father Bycca. The Bishop had the Battle Rage offering while Bycca had the Curse attribute.

The field of battle is open ground with no significant features, we are rule novices and kept it straightforward. The Saxons are on the left, the Normans the right.

William the Barsteward positioned himself amongst his mounted warriors...

...while Harald II was to be found amongst his Huscarls and was accompanied by Father Bycca, Curse at the ready!

Saxon lightly armed Javelin skirmishers were working their way around the Norman left flank when they were caught by the Mounted warriors. The result looked a foregone conclusion given the large dice disparity!

More mounted warriors smashed into the Fyrd while the Huscarls can only stand by and hope!

Father Bycca readies himself in prayer. Can his Cursing turn back the Norman hordes?

Despite the long odds the javelin armed troops resist their opponents for three turns before their Stamina breaks and they are destroyed. A Loss of Reputation for Harald!

On the Norman right flank the Fyrd are proving a four and determined opponent, driving back one unit of mounted Breton warriors and fighting another to a standstill. Is this the moment for the Huscarls to strike a decisive blow in the centre?

Well it might have been had not Father Bycca been admirably placed to utilise his Curse attribute against William the Barsteward. Already reduced to one Stamina by three rounds of Single Combat William fails to avoid the curse with a throw of 🎲! Having used up his Mighty Deeds in combat rerolls he looses his life! (Twice now in successive games!) 

With the Norman Reputation down to six against the Saxon's thirteen, the Huscarls rampaging through the Norman centre, the Fyrd holding off the Bretons and lunch imminent Phil concedes the victory to my Saxons. Once again history is changed... As to Midgard as a rule set, well I'll happily give it another go but I think bigger battles using my Late Romans and my Punic War collection will stay with Hail Caesar, but never say never of course.

 

"The Dead Have Risen!"

 Here in GHQ at least, in the shape of the Gripping Beast/Ragnarok Draugr figures. Two of the figures in the photo are listed as Lieutenants, the other four are the pack in tattered robes. 

The main colours I used to try and create an ethereal look, inspired by the army of the dead in the Lord of the Rings movie, were:- Foundry Forest Green Light for the flesh, highlighted with Moss Light; Boneyard Light for the teeth; Bright Red Light for the eyes; the clothing I painted with the Foundry Raw Linen triad hoping for a suggestion of a shroud, a finish which I'd first used on the Viking shaman figure. I've tried to represent decay on the weapons and armour with a suggestion of rust and verdigris, dry brushing on Foundry Terracotta Mid and Orange Mid for rust, Forest Green Light for verdigris. Has it worked, well that's for others to decide? For myself I'm happy with it given my modest skill level. Where appropriate the shield transfers are from LBMS and the bases as ever are from Warbases ~

With the completion of the Draugr figures I'm left with the two Trolls (Copplestone Yetis in the North Star catalogue of course) and some Gripping Beast Dwarf figures - a Champion/Hero and four Dwarf Hirdmen. All are underway so should appear here later in December {DV}. I have a couple of ideas for adding to the 'Bad things' using items from the Crucible Crush Flint 'n Feather range, but that must wait for the War Chest to recover from the annual cost of the GHQ Calendar for my many chums!

Meanwhile, after a weekend hiatus entertaining Matt, Arthur and Reuben, it will be back to the Late Roman collection firstly in the shape of more Late Roman Heavy Cavalry.

A Loss of Reputation?

On Monday for the last game of November here in GHQ Phil and I were fixed on a first attempt with James Morris's new Midgard {aka Mudgard here in GHQ}rules using Phil's Arthurians and Early Saxons, two beautiful armies worthy of the privilege. It's fitting too that a new rule set should get a run out to mark the Blogs 13th Blogiversary!

You may already have seen Phil's report of our experience in this first encounter with the rules, so I'm not going to repeat things for no reason. The two armies in question are a thing of beauty though and deserve as wide an audience as possible, so here are a few pictures I took during lulls in the action ~

The early Saxons lead gallantly, if not heroically, by Aelle.

The glorious Arthurians lead by the almost mythical Artos, Dux Brittania, Count of the Saxon Shore, and so on...

Artos himself flush with Heroic ardour leading his Comitatensis into action.

Aelle keeping a watchful eye on his diminishing stock of Heroic Deeds!

Mutual destruction brought about by the accumulated loss is Stamina.

Aelle desperately expending his Heroic Deeds to stave off the rampant Arthurian hordes and preserve what was left of his Reputation.

Which as you can readily see here was at a pretty low ebb by then!

All to no avail in the end sadly as his Reputation took a nose dive and the battle was lost. 

We played five Turns in just a little less than 2 hours including setting up. The rules worked well and we soon had a grasp of the fundamental principles and order. More importantly they were fun, and for we veteran wargamers that's what counts more with the passing of the years. So, the  Midgard/Mudgard rule set are 'Highly Recommended' by we GHQ Irregulars!