More Mayhem!

My attention (wandering at best!) has once more been called back to 10mm Fantasy gaming thanks to Brent Spivey's recent update on his excellent rules system, Mayhem.

He has expanded the original rules set to include War Machines, Magic and a whole host of other tweaks to the original game, including a new unit profile characteristic and unit designations. I've got a bit if bedtime reading to do to catch up on the changes, but it was the War Machines that caught my eye and Brent's entirely provocative suggestion that I play my Engines of Avalone scenario with his new rules!

A while back I had great fun trying out the original rules with my Harrison's Ford game.

Well I can't turn down a suggestion like that and having chatted to Warlord Paul after yesterday's Rogue Trader game, I have a willing opponent who also happens to own a load of 10mm Warmaster stuff too!

Brent has been kind enough to supply me with some excellent suggestions for Oldhammering up the unit profiles for the necessary troop types so I'd best get on with squeezing some Empire and Dwarf cannon into my painting schedule...

Mayhem: Red Runs the River...

Long time no update so firstly apologies for that - insert usual excuses about family, life, work, sleep, etc... Frustratingly I've been trying to get this final report finished for about a week and a half now!

I'd best also take the time before plunging into the last desperate moments of the Battle of Harrison's Ford to add that Mayhem is actually a very quick, intuitive and exciting game to play!

Turn 8
Von Damne's Dependables
CP's rolled - 7

A ripple of fear radiated out amongst the red and green ranks of the ford's defenders. Bluch Norres had fallen.

That was impossible. Norres' reputation was terrifying to friend and foe alike. He was the only man capable of punching a cyclops between the eyes. It was said of him that he did not fear the dark - the dark feared him. Now the unthinkable had happened and a great hero had truly passed into legend...

Mayhem - Crossing Over Harrison's Ford...

Time for a long overdue update on the progress of Shreevan Zeegal's merciless assault on Harrison's Ford. Can Beulenegger and his Griffin escape the Giant's clutches? Will Norress live up to his terrifying reputation?

Read on dear reader...

Turn 5
Von Damne's Dependables
CP's rolled - 7

Beulenegger fought to control his stricken mount as it reared backwards from the Giants terrible blow. He glanced upwards at the huge creature, growling under his breath,

"You're one ugly mo..."

However, he didn't have time to finish as the tree trunk the brute was using as a weapon swept downwards again. Beulenegger kicked and wrestled with Lavister's reins in a last ditch attempt to escape,

"Get to the river... Do it.... Do it now!"

With a final wrench, the wounded Griffin finally got the message and struggled into the air. Beulenegger, not content with retreating, spied the struggle in the river between Noress' Horsemen and the Skeleton cavalry.

Mayhem - Battle for Harrison's Ford

Well  I was lacking a name for the battle so there it is - might shed some light on the names I've picked for the characters too! Now I just have to weave in some references to 80's action movies as suitable situations arise from the game...

Apologies for the delay by the way - been fighting off some horrible Outer Mongolian Death Flu - well flu at any rate!

Turn 2
Von Damne's Dependables
CP's rolled - 8

Mayhem - the story so far and deployment

So on to deployment and a bit of background.

The first reports through from the Northern frontier with Ostland had been sketchy at first. Horrific stories of monstrous invaders and terrible massacres. Then a name began to filter through the tall tales and stories of woe borne back by the few refugees to survive - Shreevan Zeegal. A name not heard in these parts for many a year. A name not to be spoken lightly. Or even out loud...

As the  evil army advanced further into the more civilised areas of Hochland, it became apparent exactly what its inhabitants faced. Zeegal had formed an unholy alliance of chaotics and undead. His ranks were swelled by those who had fallen to him in battle and those creatures who flocked to his banner and the promise of slaughter. Foremost among them, Dulf Lundgrin, Half Orc chieftain with his warriors and trolls. 

Their incursion was not to go unpunished however. Marching with all haste to meet the threat was Count Johan Von Damne at the head of his hastily mobilised army. Along with the column of state troopers, sweating under the load of their halberds and arquebus, came allies in the form of a proud company of Elf spearmen and the more barbarous fellowship of Dwarf troll slayers, roused from their mountain fastnesses, eager to find a heroic death. The unmistakable whiff of black powder signalled the presence of Dwarf thunderers also come down from the mountains to contain the threat before it grew too large. 

As Bluch Norress and his famed lancers scouted ahead of the main column, Arkneld Beulenegger soared above them on his magnificent Griffin mount, spying out the approach of the enemy. With the intelligence provided by him, Von Damne had formulated a plan. Zeegal's army had to cross the river Lachtbeek at a large ford not far from the town f Eichewuldchen. If the Count could reach the crossing first and prepare his defences they had a chance of forcing the chaotic horde into a bottle neck and destroying them in detail. If they got there first...

 As the two opposing generals both have D8 leadership I rolled to see who chose to set up first. Von Damne won the roll and elected to deploy and move first.

On the right the various units of black powder missile troops formed up, looking to advance forwards and defend the ford. Behind them, Beulenegger prepares his monstrous mount to fly ahead the main army  to disrupt the enemy advance.

Masters of Mayhem...

There ended up being a little arms race in getting these two armies ready - I had overlooked the fact that I had 3 units of Human Lancers for the Good Guys and that the second unit of Elf spearmen that I was going to paint up needed stripping. This meant that having added a unit of Troll Slayers and adding in the cost of the third unit of Lancers (which also meant I could upgrade one unit up to an elite for having three or more of one troop type in the army!) that the Bad Guys were looking a little outnumbered. 

Normally I wouldn't be too bothered but as this was a first play through and I wanted to try out as many combinations of troop types out as I could I decided to level the playing field by adding two packs of Hounds to the baddies - should be a good counter to the enemy cavalry looking at their stats and the Pack Hunter ability - more of which later.

So as promised - the Bad Guys!

Evil General
Cavalry with heavy armour, shield and lance
Leadership D8
M - D8
CQ - D8
Terror
Cost 23 crowns

2 Packs of Chaos Hounds
M - D8
CQ D12
Pack Hunters

2 units of Skeleton Horsemen
Cavalry with lance, heavy armour and shields
M - D8
CQ - D20
Fear
Cost 13 crowns each + 2 crowns for standard



2 units of Skeleton Archers
Infantry with longbows
M - D6
CQ - D20
Fear
Cost 15 crowns each

2 Units of Half Orcs
Infantry with swords and shields
M - D6
CQ - D12
Cost - 5 crowns each + 2 crowns for standard + 6 crowns for Hero


2 units of Trolls
Behemoth
M - D6
CQ - D12
Fear and Beat Back (Free)
Cost 10 crowns each



Giant
M D8
CQ D10
Damage
Impact
Terror
Cost 35 crowns

Total - 178 Crowns

 Next up - the table layout, deployment and the scenario...

Causing Mayhem!

Well as you know I am armpits deep in Crystacal R and Hirst Arts blocks but I've still found time for a distraction or two!

I'll share some WIP pics of Andy's latest release of 4A goblins, sculpted by Kev Adams in a later post - along with their new ride...

However, that little distraction has been interrupted by another (in some ways littler - 10mm) distraction. Some of you may remember Brent Spivey's (AKA VoodooInk) excellent 28mm skirmish game, Havoc, that I reviewed a while back. Well he's only gone and released another great set of fantasy rules called Mayhem through Bombshell Games.

I was particularly happy to hear he was focussing on the smaller scales of 10/15mm this time as I've been busy hoovering up Warmaster stuff in preparation for playing some bigger games of Warhammer.

Anyway, I plan to get a turn played and reported each day or two and posted up here, along with some analysis of the mechanics of the game - first read through of the Mayhem rules was most interesting and my head is already buzzing with many a tactical consideration...

First job though is to introduce the two armies. First up is the Goodies!

Army building is easy and you can really reflect the nature of the troops with a nice choice of stats from Movement, Combat Quality, equipment and various skills and attributes - more of which later. Plus using Gold Crowns instead of points is a fun way of splashing the cash!

Goodies

Noble General
Human Cavalry with heavy armour, lance and shield
Leadership D8
M - D8
CQ - D8
Cost 18 crowns

3 units of Lancers
Human Cavalry with shields and lances
M - D8
CQ - D12
(1 unit is an Elite – free Fearless ability)
Cost 11 crowns each

2 units of Halberdiers
Human Infantry with Spears
M - d6
CQ - d12
Drilled
Standard and Musician
Cost - 7 crowns each + 3 crowns for standard & musician

1 unit of Hand Gunners
Human Infantry with rifles
M - d6
CQ D12
Drilled
Cost 16 crowns

2 units of Dwarf Thunderers
Infantry with rifles
M - D4
CQ - D10
Steadfast
Cost - 16 crowns each

Hero on Griffin
Flyer with lance, heavy armour and shield
M - D10
CQ - D8
Damage
Flyer
Impact
Terror
Cost 29 crowns

1 unit of Elf Spearmen
Infantry with heavy armour, shields and spears
M - D6
CQ - D10
Ranked Fighting
Cost 12 crowns + 3 crowns for standard and musician

1 unit of Dwarf Trollslayers
Infantry with axes
M – D4
CQ – D10
Fearless
Berserker
Cost – 12 crowns

Total - 172 Crowns

I'll talk more about what all the different die mean in terms of Movement (M) and Combat Quality (CQ) next  time!

The Baddies will be up later tonight - once I've finished off a pack of Chaos hounds...