Add a bit of colour to my Italian army although these troops are more East Africa than North Africa. Never mind, I am happy how they turned out.
Saturday, October 19, 2024
Thursday, October 17, 2024
The Lamps Are Going Out - Again
In a break from the Crusades, Richard and I went back to an old favourite. I was the Central Powers.
Tuesday, October 15, 2024
Casualty Markers
I've been using the Napoleon's Battles rules ever since they came out and they are my preferred set for Napoleonics. Someone once said to me, and the original developer being Avalon Hill lends credence to this, that the tabletop gets too cluttered with counters (card chits). As a result, and because I would want to improve the aesthetics anyway, in recent times I have been working on ways to reduce the use of counters.
The new casualty base is part of the unit and therefore stays with the unit. The way it is separate from the figures means I just need to cut a few cavalry bases in pairs, something that I started doing anyway. Alternatively, I can make up some pairs based on excess figures I have, particularly command. Should work well for cavalry, infantry with the smaller base perhaps not.
One improvement I have since found is that using flat head nails - cleats - and just cutting them to size makes for an excellent pin on which to place the casualty bead.
A future improvement is to use the top of the bead to aid in identifying parent formation. Currently just using a green tuft to cover the hole and match in with the base.
Saturday, October 12, 2024
Napoleon's Battles - Testing Out New Casualty Markers Again
After last week's game I was inspired to make some more casualty markers. These are designed to be part of the formal unit and have a counter that rotates to show casualties.
This time Stefan was the Allies, and I was the French.
Thursday, October 10, 2024
Kingdom of Heaven - Audita Tremendu Duo
This time I was the Muslims and Richard the Christians in the excellent but frustrating game.
1187 AD
The Christians strengthen their castles in the knowledge of what's to come.
Saladin goes to Damascus and promptly falls ill. Al-Afdal takes over but doesn't have the command power to move the army that Saladin had assembled.
Cyprus declares for the Muslims.
Al-Afdal feels he must do something and takes what force he can to besiege Tripoli (RF4).
Raymond moves to Acre.
The wells at Tripoli run dry (RF-3).
Raymond moves to Tripoli. Al-Afdal fails to avoid battle, and his force is wiped out, but he escapes to Damascus.
However, even with the lost battle and breaking the siege, Diplomatic Advantage has gone to the Muslims.
1188 AD
The Christians try to influence Cyprus to leave the Muslim embrace but fail.
The Muslim forces gather in Damascus, where Saladin joins them. He then marches on Tiberia and demands it surrender. But al-Afdal, who should have accompanied him, is aggrieved that he's no longer in command and stays put, keeping three units with him, units Saladin needs. Tiberia does not surrender as it has a friendly army nearby that matches the reduced force Saladin now has.
Saladin starts a siege, but his supplies run low, so he gives up and goes back to Damascus to collect more troops before heading to Acre, the Christian garrison of which has been weakened by a raid by corsairs.
The siege of Acre. RF starts at 6. Sappers and miners reduce it by 3. Then catapults reduce it by a further 1. Saladin tries fortunes of war, but to no avail. He assaults. He has 29 factors with a +1. He rolls a 1 and inflicts 1 casualty. The 5 defending factors have a +2. They roll a 5 and inflict 2 casualties. The assault fails. The RF increases by 1. Saladin decides to maintain the siege over winter.
1189 AD
Acre's RF stands at 3. Saladin's message for more sappers and miners is intercepted. Annoyed he flings severed heads over the battlements, but this only stiffens the defender's resolve. RF is now 4.
Saladin's supplies run low and the RF of Acre increases to 5. Acre must be captured to avoid a sudden Crusader victory at the end of this turn.
Siege towers are built reducing the RF to 3. The place is blockaded, RF now 2. More siege towers are built, and the RF is reduced to 0. Acre falls to an assault.
Saladin uses a vassal move to gather reinforcements before moving to Jerusalem and asking it to surrender (a 5 or 6 needed), but it says no. He blockades it and settles in for a siege.
Raymond moves to besiege Acre and attempts to undo all Saladin's hard work by implementing a siege.
Saladin sits down to starve the Christians out of Jerusalem.
A unit of Muslim cavalry go to Acre to try and break siege, but it comes to nothing (battle fought, but no casualties). The garrison of Acre gets hungry. The Muslim cavalry try again, but fail, giving the Christian a major Victory (although the forces involved were miniscule - need to check rules?).
With winter the sieges of Jerusalem and Acre are called off and diplomatic advantage goes to the Christians. Having avoided an early Christian victory, the game continues...
1190 AD
... with the arrival of Richard I and Phillip II and Barbarossa and 18 Crusader units.
The Muslims concentrate their forces in Damascus.
Richard lands at Acre (RF=6).
Philip lands in Tyre.
Saladin goes to Damascus ready to strike before the Christians can combine their forces.
The Christians call a truce.
The Muslims try diplomacy with Antioch (fail) and Armenia (success).
Richard builds a fortified camp.
Saladin goes to Tyre and attacks Philip. Richard goes to his rescue. The Christians are impetuous giving the Saladin an advantage. His force numbers 24 factors to Richard's 30. He has a +1 and they have a +2. He throws a 4 and they throw a 6. The Muslims suffer 13 losses and inflict 6. A major victory to the Christians and Saladin is gravely wounded and his army wiped out.
Richard follows up his victory by going to Damascus.
1191 AD
Damascus is blockaded and under siege, but an epidemic breaks out in the Christian camps and Richard falls ill.
The wells run dry in Damascus and the RF drops to 2.
Philip moves to Damascus.
Muslim cavalry attempting to block off the Christians are overrun after they fail to avoid Reynald who also heads to Damascus.
The Christians fill in the moat at Damascus and launch an assault capturing the city. The local commander, al-Afdal dies.
Just to make things worse, Cyprus abandons the Muslims and goes neutral.
1192 AD
An Italian engineer arrives at Acre which is still besieged.
Corsairs raid the Crusaders at Acre again.
Richard returns from his sick bed and goes to Acre, unfortunately bringing the plague with him. He deploys catapults (RF drops to 4), but his supplies run low (RF raises to 5). Siege towers are constructed (fancy Italian ones) and RF plummets to 2).
Saldin returns and moves to Baalbek.
Richard calls on the Fortunes of War, but there is nothing.
Saladin moves to Acre. It is an even fight, but Saladin forgets about Richards fortified camp. Still, he inflicts 5 casualties but receives 6 and retreats.
Richard calls on Philip for help and gets much need reinforcements.
Next, he calls on Fortunes of War and his Italian engineer builds him some really good catapults. RF drops to 1. He assaults the city and captures it.
The Muslims try some diplomacy on Cyprus, but without effect.
The Third Crusade ends in a Christain victory, 22 VPs to 12.
.
Saturday, October 5, 2024
Napoleon's Battles - Testing Out New Casualty Markers
Time for my new Brunswick troops to take to the table. It is also a chance to see how my new casualty markers go. Unfortunately or fortunately they didn't get much use. Stefan had command of Ney's forces from Quatre Bras and had rotten luck. I had the Anglo-Allied troops from the same battle.
Friday, October 4, 2024
Kingdom of Heaven - Audita Tremendu
The Third Crusade, the fourth scenario in the Kingdom of Heaven. Richard took the role of the Muslim, while I went Christian. Six turns with the Crusaders arriving at turn 4 if the Muslims have achieved a certain level of VPs (otherwise Christian victory).
1187 AD
Raymond II goes to Acre, boosting its garrison and more Crusaders arrive under the command of Sigurd, heading to reinforce Antioch and Tripoli.
Saladin advances to Damascus and then to besiege Jerusalem after his call for it to surrender was ignored. The Resistance Factor (RF) is 6.
The Crusaders call a truce. This halts aggressive activities, but the Muslims are still able to use diplomacy to persuade Antioch to go neutral. However, the Christians quickly get them to change their minds. (the joys of diplomacy, but there are 5 VPs resting with them and, as we shall see, the fate of the game).
Saladin is delayed by a poor harvest, but he is determined to carry on his siege, successfully intercepting a Jerusalem foraging party (RF-1). He calls on Fortunes of War to no effect, but he is able to maintain the siege over winter.
1188 AD
Saladin deploys sappers and miners to drastically weaken Jerusalem's defences (RF-3). They counter with a brief sortie (RF+1). Saladin builds a siege tower (RF-2) and then deploys further sappers and miners reducing the RF to 0. He is about to order an assault when heavy rains call an end to activities.
But it was only a temporary reprieve. The Muslims assault the holy city but fail with a 3:2 result (needs to be double or to wipe out the garrison). RF increases by 1.
They launch a second assault and succeeded 2:0. Guy dies and Raymond is taken prisoner. Jerusalem falls. The Pope is not impressed.
The Muslims try some diplomacy on the Assassins, but it fails. However, Saladin gets Kerak and Krak de Montreal to surrender.
The Crusaders try some diplomacy on Armenia and the Muslims try to charm Cyprus. Both fail.
1189 AD
Al-Adil moves reinforcements from Mosul to Damascus while Saladin tries to get Acre (RF 6 or 7) to surrender. It doesn't. The Egyptian fleet helps to blockade Acre (RF-1), but the blockade is broken by the garrison. Saladin deploys ladders (RF -1) but is running low on supplies (RF+1). An epidemic then breaks out in the besiegers camp and Saladin falls ill. The plague doesn't spread, but the besiegers are much denuded, and Al-Adil has to come and pick them up and take them to Jerusalem. Siege broken.
Sigurd swaps with Raymond II (who belongs in Tripoli) to take command of Acre.
1190 AD
Richard, Philip and Barbarossa arrive. The Genoese fleet lands Richard and Philip and their Crusaders (9 units) in Acre.
However, trouble in Europe sees Philip immediately head for home with 2 units.
Barbarossa advances to the coast at Attaleia carefully avoiding attrition. But being careful doesn't suit him at all and he promptly dies and 5 of his 7 units return home. Duke Leopold takes over the remains of Barbarossa's army (2 units) and they are ferried to Rosetta by the Venetians. (Very handy having both fleets available, very unlucky that Barbarossa died so soon, and that Philip went home as well).
Duke Leopold moves to Cairo and tries to storm the city but fails and is unable to maintain the siege.
Saladin moves to besiege Tripoli. He fills in the moat and calls on Fortunes of Watr and is royally rewarded with trebuchets which smash the place up (RF-3). The subsequent assault fails 3:2. He maintains the siege over winter.
1191 AD
Richard and the Crusaders march to Tripoli and attack Saladin (who had failed to intercept them). There are 35 factors to 19 with Richard having a +2 to the dice, while Saladin has a -1. The battle produces a Major Victory for the Christians (8:4) and the following pursuit inflicts a further 10 step losses (a unit has two steps). Saladin flees and the siege of Tripoli is broken.
Richard returns to Acre to adjust his forces before heading to Jerusalem.
Jerusalem is blockaded (RF 6) and Richard constructs siege towers (RF-2). His supplies are running low (RF+1), but more siege towers are built (RF-2). There is a raid on Crusader foragers (RF+1) but Richard hires an Italian engineer. Battering rams are used (RF-3 thanks to the engineer) and the assault is 8:4, a major victory. Jerusalem is back in Christian hands and the Pope holds a special mass and Crusader fervour sees Richard receive some much-needed reinforcements.
Richard calls on Kerak to surrender.
1192 AD
More Crusaders are scheduled to arrive, but in a blow to the cause, they are delayed.
Saladin moves to Gaston and attempts to siege it.
Richard moves to Acre and Saladin breaks off his siege. Heavy rains slow his movement, but he makes it to Hama.
It looks like a sound Christian victory, but last-minute Muslim diplomacy has Antioch go neutral producing a draw.
Sunday, September 29, 2024
Kingdom of Heaven - The Fall of the Caliphate
This third scenario was a challenge, or to use Richard's words it "was just weird if you ask me. We
spent most of the game trying to work out what we could do, (usually nothing) and then just passing." He was the Muslim play while I was the Crusader.
The aim was to get to Egypt to influence the Fatimid civil war. Very hard for the Muslim player to get there, hard enough for the Christian. It would take at least three cards to get there which, with only seven cards in total, left precious little to conduct a siege given the forces were roughly equal.
That said we did have two exciting battles and two or three lengthy sieges,
1163 AD
After receiving Turcopole reinforcements, Amalric I marches to Cairo to support Dirgham's Fatimid faction.
Shirkuh moves to besiege Tripoli and suffers an epidemic, but it doesn't stop him from constructing a siege tower.
Amalric advances on the Fatimid rebels at Minya, but without Dirgham who has decided to stay in Cairo. Half of the rebels are routed but the rest take refuge in the castle. Amalric doesn't have enough strength to conduct a siege and so returns to Cario before going home to Jerusalem.
At Tripoli Shirkuh fills in the moat and conducts two assaults, but Raymond III defeats them both and the siege is broken.
1164 AD
I find the game exasperating. The elements seem well worked out, it is thematically excellent, the siege rules are great, the map, cards and counters are nice ,but somehow it just manages to come down far too much in favour of lucky card draws and/or.... die rolls. Strangely, I don't mind it, just find it very frustrating. At least it's over quickly.
The Battle of Jerusalem
With the accursed Fatimids making treaty with the infidels and handing them control of Cairo and Egypt, only a bold move would alter the outcome of the campaign for the Seljuks.
that with a substantial force at Jerusalem and the city available to them as a refuge in the event that things did not go to plan, the Christians would indeed risk coming out to put up a fight. The Sultan's
forces left Damascus and swept across the desert and sure enough, out came the Christians!
...and what a battle it was! Evenly matched, it was all down to the die rolls. Both sides had +2 DRMs thanks to Qadis Motivates Troops in the case of the Muslims and Religious Fanaticism in the case of the
Christians. The Seljuks roll higher and inflicted a serious blow on the Christians with 6 losses to four, not enough for a major victory. The Christians thought they had done enough to stave off the Seljuk horde, but play of Feigned Flight (one less loss to the Muslims and one more loss to the Christians) tipped the battle in favour of the Sultan Nur Ad Din. The Christians were slaughtered to a man as the Seljuk horsemen pursued the fleeing Christians, cutting them down. Only Amalric managed to escape, in a shameful decampment, leaving his men to their fate. (he is rumoured to have dressed as a slave woman and made his escape on the back of a donkey to Acre).
Without a garrison, it would take but a single hit for Jerusalem to fall to the Seljuks. With cards running low, only a roll of 1 on a D6 would deny the Sultan the crowning glory to this already famous victory. Alas, his men, wearied from severing the heads of the infidels, had lost their heart, stumbling forlornly amongst the parapets of the seemingly doomed city, they failed it inflict a single loss (they couldn't find anyone left to kill, not even the cooks and stable boys were left behind by the Christians). So with that, the campaigning season over the Seljuks melted away into the desert from whence they had come.
So ended the Battle of Jerusalem - The Seljuks honour as sweet as the cursed name of the fickle Fatimids is bitter.
Sunday, September 22, 2024
BZ13 10-11TH C. BYZANTINE THEMATIC KATAPHRAKTOS
For last Xmas my daughter gave me a gift voucher for Tactics and I found some bargains.
Better still I got my act together and painted and based them. The 20 figures providing a medium and a light cavalry unit for my Basic Impetus Byzantine armies.
Saturday, September 21, 2024
Maurikian Byzantine versus Arab Conquest
An historical matched pair of armies from my collection in order to introduce my friend Bruce to the Basic Impetus 2.0 set of rules. This was very much a training/learning game.
Friday, September 20, 2024
Long Spear in Basic Impetus
In my last game we decided long spear negating mounted impetus bonus did not apply if they were hit in the flank or rear. At the time I couldn't readily find the relevant rule.
Subsequently I did a search in Edge which invoked Bing and provided the following:
The search results didn't help, but the AI response, seemed definitive. It just didn't give a reference.
I asked the same question in Google and got unhelpful results.
However, having now read the rules carefully I still couldn't find it. So, ignoring the search results I went to the forum.
Putting aside any issues with how I constructed the question, what impresses me is how AI got it wrong while sounding so authoritative. Rather annoying me thinks.
I am so glad that Phil confirmed my reading, and that site administrator/rule's author(s) provided a truly definitive response.
Wednesday, September 18, 2024
Barbarossa Revisited - GT 8
The turn starts with dry weather everywhere.