Saturday, December 6, 2025

Burgundian Ordonnance versus 100 Years War English - The semi-final

This time my Burgundians, particularly the knights and pike, did everything expected of them against Dave's 100 Years War English.

It was a bit touch and go, but the English were finally out-scouted.
The Burgundians found them hiding behind a low hill with a wood on one flank and a lake on the other.

The English advanced.

Shooting began.

Lots of shooting.

The English claimed the initiative and charged but failed to either make the distance or follow up.
The Burgundians riposte! 

And what a riposte it was.
The knights and pike all pursued when needed,
and while not without casualties,
the Burgundian losses were nothing compared to those of the English.

As is my want, following the game I worked out the siege parameters.  

The English had 1 unit, 2 steps, 2 manpower and 2 combat factors.  The resistance factor of their stronghold was 4 (as I am assuming they didn't have time to make it to a port).

The Burgundians had 9 units, 15 steps, 22 manpower and 32 combat factors.  More importantly they still had their commander who promptly demanded the English surrender.  They did (a roll of 5 on the dice with 4 needed).

I'm still refining the siege system and think I will make manpower equivalent to steps.  

On to the final now to face the New Kingdom Egyptians.

Friday, December 5, 2025

Salerno 43

New game but known (if slightly forgotten by the players) system.  Small scale made it interesting but also subject to outlier dice rolls.  As the Allies I needed 8 VPs by the end of Turn 8.  I fell one short, but a number had only been picked up by, in one case, Richard throwing a double 1 on 2D6.



It was good to play a game where I had actually travelled in part of the area, namely in this case, Sorrento and Capri.  My dad would have been near this area closer to the time this game is set.


Thursday, December 4, 2025

Generic Goths

Or, still in my Spanish phase, Visigoths.  These figures are from all sorts of manufacturers now lost in the mists of time.





Saturday, November 29, 2025

Burgundian Ordonnance versus 100 Years War English - This time for real

The competition game against Phil's 100 Years War English, cunningly dressed in Grecian manner.

The English were out scouted.

A cautious advance.
Both sides shift their knights to cover the edge of the world.

Burgundians are using the English skirmishers for target practice.

Things are heating up on the Burgundian right flank.

The English billmen press on.

The clash of knights.
Could have been the deciding round, but...

Things are still in the balance.

The Burgundian line is starting to fray.
Time for a push of pike!

The last image.
The English longbow shot the Burgundian pike to pieces.
But the Burgundian knights avenged their brothers 
eliminating the last of the English knights, including their general.
A draw with both sides at 13 points, but the English had lost their leader. 

Officially the Burgundians will go on to the semi-finals, to face yet another 100 Years War English.



Wednesday, November 26, 2025

Assault on Gallipoli - The August Offensive

Richard was keen to play the final scenario from this game, reprising his role as the Turk while I took the ANZACs.

This is the set up.  There are only five turns.
Each turn has a variable number of rounds, minimum of ten.
None of the rounds lasted much over ten rounds.

End of the second turn.
Fighting has been centred on Battleship Hill.

End of Turn four.  Not much has changed, but the carnage amongst the Turks
 has been ferocious as you will see.

Turn five was a bit of a fizzle.
knowing there are no more turns it became rather pointless to do much.
However, the ANZACs did capture Lone Pine Ridge.
But just look at the casualties!
The Allies lost 16 units and 3 leaders.
The Turks lost 37 units and 9 leaders.
Lucky for them the offensive was over.



 

Tuesday, November 25, 2025

Burgundian Ordonnance versus 100 Years War English

Mark B helped me out by running a cobbled together set of figures from my collection to represent a 100 Years War English army to face my Burgundians.

The images are after each person's round, so two per turn and as you can go twice in a row if you lose/win the initiative, sometimes it might look like not much is happening, but trust me, my Burgundians were busy firing everything they had.

The English were out scouted and have chosen a defensive position between a lake and a hill.

The Burgundians start shooting.
While their hand gunners try to slip round the English left flank.

The Burgundians keep shooting

And shoot some more.

But it's not all one-way shooting.
The Burgundian feudal crossbowmen in the centre takes a volley.
Luckily there is the Ordonnance pike ready to fill the gap.
Also the Burgundian hand gunners have become pinned.

The Burgundian cannon succeeds in blowing away a unit of English longbow.

And the other English longbow takes a bunch of hits as well

But still the English press on.

The Burgundian hand gunners and the English skirmishers suffer mutual destruction.
The Burgundian knights shuffle out of the way should anything bad happen to their artillery.

The English move up ready to charge.

Decisive initiative gave the English the first go and they cleared the Burgundians before them.
Only the Ordonnance pike remain.

The Burgundian longbow wheel round while the pike fight on.

The pike repel the English foot as both sides try to reposition.
The battle is in the balance.

The Burgundian centre recovers its order.
The Burgundian knights are struggling to get in position.

The English foot charge again.  
But it goes badly for them.

The Ordonnance pike defeat their opponents
but in following up suffer a reverse.
Note: the grey base to their front is to indicate their position 
as the pikes are a bit too forward.

The English foot make one last charge.

The English foot perish and at last one of the Burgundian units of knights
 get to charge and rout their opponents.

SIEGE

I had failed to take my siege rules but noted the remaining forces for this subsequent play through.

English: 2 units, 3 steps, 5 manpower and 9 combat strength.  They still have their leader.

Burgundians: 5 units. 9 steps, 14 manpower and 26 combat strength. They also have their leader.

While potent, the Burgundian army doesn't represent a significant force (needs at least 7 units) and so calls for surrender are unlikely to be accepted.

Given their preponderance of manpower the Burgundians can establish a siege and implement a blockade, assuming they have the English holed up in an in-land castle, away for the coast.

The English castle has a Resistance Factor of 7, thanks mainly to their leader.

Each side now receives seven siege cards.

The Burgundians have a good hand with only one card they can't use and even that provides for a replacement.

The English have an okay hand, with only two dud cards.

The Burgundians play Enemy Foraging Party Caught. The RF falls to 6, but more serious they are reduced to only 1 unit, 2 steps, 3 manpower and 7 combat strength.

Undeterred the English attempt Blockade Broken, but a bad roll sees no casualties inflicted on the Burgundians and the blockade holds.  They do get a replacement card, but it's a dud.

The Burgundians Construct Siege Tower, but the English counter with Greek Fire, both sides draw replacement cards. Another dud card for the English and not much better for the Burgundians.

The Burgundians attempt to starve the English out playing a 2 value card.  They also play Good Omens giving them a +1.  The English counter with a 3 value card which also gives them a replacement card.  The starvation roll is mediocre (needed a 6) so there are no losses to the English (not surprising given the garrison's small size).  However it was another dud replacement card.

The English play Besieger's Supplies Run Low. Their RF increase back to 7.  The Burgundians lose 2 steps leaving them with 4 units, 7 steps, 11 manpower and 21 combat factors.

The Burgundians use their dud card to get a replacement.

The English discard a dud card.

The Burgundians again try and starve to English using 2 value card.  The English play Bad Omens to reduce the roll which has the desired effect and no losses occur.

The English now have only dud cards and so await what the Burgundians will do.

Another starvation attempt, with a 1 value card, but to no effect.

Yet another starvation attempt, with a 1 value card. But the English are happy eating their horses.

With their last card the Burgundians deploy Ladders and Mantlets reducing the RF to 6.  But that still leaves the English castle too strong to be assaulted and the siege fails as the Burgundians returning home.  The RF value produces negative column shifts on the assault table and no assault can be mounted if the resultant column is off table.


Wednesday, November 19, 2025

Grand Austria Hotel

Excellent boardgames just keep on coming.  This one played quickly, and we got in two games.

That's my hotel with ten paying guests and six staff.

Second game and my hotel with another tend guests and six staff.
Getting the staff seemed to be a winning strategy,
but the points and skills for them are extremely varied.