Before i go into the next battle in the long running campaign.....
I thought i would show the current movements and 'appenings from Olde Albilande:
As things stand:
I thought this time it would be easiest to go through each shire at a time, starting with:
'ROYAL' CRIVENSHIRE
Having taken a ruddy great pasting at Habituals Ridge the Crivenshire 2nd (much reduced!) have retreated in poor order away from The victorious Fossestershire 3rd. Rumor has it that their industrious leader sir Rallaigh of Choppa is hiding with a bodyguard in a hovel somewhere awaiting rescue!.
Due to the defeat the 'kinginthemeantimefornow(selfproclaimed) the Earl of Crivenshire has ordered the 3rd army to head off and contain the oncoming Fossestershire forces while he brings up his own 1st army in support. He is relying on promised support from Offenhammeshire to help turn back the oncoming Fossestershire forces in the West, affording only the 4th army to cut them off.
FOSSESTERSHIRE
Having driven off the Crivenshire 2nd and pushed into east Crivenshire the Fossestershire 3rd have been ordered to form a beach head for the oncoming invasion just west of Abblebridge. The earls own 1st army moves up to support them. However the leader of the 3rd, sir Physs has become obsessed with hunting down and taking hostage sir Ralligh of Choppa and is expending troops in gorilla actions to find him. In the East the Fossestershire 2nd advance to the Crossing of 'Both-ways' in order to engage the isolated Fossestershire 4th and lead a full invasion backed up as promised by the forces of Offenhammeshire. The Earl is keeping the 4th army in reserve.
OFFENHAMMESHIRE
The earl has massed all but one of his forces on the Crivenshire border, having pledged assistance to both the warring shires his intentions are unknown.
BURKENSHIRE
Yet to raise their forces Burkenshire looks on. The young earl not prone to warfare 'because all it will do is make the rich richer while the oppressed working classes suffer under the yoke of the crushing feudal structure that keeps them down.....oi, servant, wheres my bloody venison?'. However to the East seas a shadow is rising....the wind whispers the name......'Bitchenmarken'.......
LAMAVIC
......Meanwhile in Lamavic........
'Aye bhoys, looks like those lan' stealin' BASTARDS are havin' a war withoot us!, that cannie be right 'eh?, i reckon we's expected to invite our 'sels doon the way to join in, whatta yous lot think?!!'.
Next stop the crossing at 'Both-ways'.......'till next time.....
Things have been mighty quiet around these parts for the best part of the last year due to me undergoing a rather drastic change in my career. I have gone from the stress and strain of the retail managers lot (and its constant urge to visit differing levels of violence on pathetic middle management types!) to the far more rewarding and involved life of the service engineer. This has meant a long period of training and studying on my part so gaming time has been greatly reduced. However, i have just about finished my final stage of this process, having just passed my exams for my gas accreditation (look out world!). Just the matter of an internal competency to go!.
(another day at work!)
upshot of this is that my gaming time should return to the normal level it was at before all the training started (or better, as my working hours and stress levels are greatly reduced!). However the world will have to live with the knowledge that a doughnut like me will be tampering with their gas supplies!!!!.
Anyhoo, that hopefully explains why i have been less than speedy updating my blog based piffle of late.......speaking of which.......
BATTLE AT HABITULES RIDGE (PT 2)
(You can find part 1 here)
.....its time to go back to the 'Fight o' the morrow' teams transcript of the battle as it happened to gain much valued insight on the events that lead to such an important victory for....well.. that would be telling.....
'As the trumpets sound for kick off we are underway, the leader of the Fossestershire force, Sir Phiss orders his serfs forward in an aggressive opening act on the flank, the Crivenshire cannon team wasting no time in firing into their ranks!. However the serfs seem undeterred by the damage Al'.
'Thats right sir John, its good to see such commitment early on from the attacking side'.
'Are you surprised the cannon failed to send them running Al?.
'No sir John, they make 'em tough up north!'.
'Quite so Al, and..yes..we can see the Fossestershire line is advancing'.
'Looks like a statement of intent from the Fossestershire command Al'.
'Thats right sir John, the northeners are on their game today, pushing forward into the Crivenshire defenses, good order in the advance, Sir Physs will be pleased with that'.
'And the Crivenshire serf archers have pushed on into the field Al'
'Yep, looking for a good field of fire no doubt'
'No sooner have they taken up position Al the Fossestershire bows have opened fire on them and just look at them fall!.'
'A text book volley there sir John, thats what we came here to see, fantastic bowmanship from the men in grey and white.'
'And would you fathom it Al, the serfs have had enough, they have turned and run from the field, and who could blame them?'.
'Thats disappointing sir John, shows a total lack of commitment on their part and now the Crivenshire left is wide open. Who taught them to defend?.'
'Over on the other flank things are heating up'.
'The Jarkin have broken ranks Al, i think....yes im getting word that a vicious taunting from the serfs has wound the big men up and they have had enough!, could be trouble for the northern conscripts'.
'Great technique from the serfs there sir John, really getting under the big lads skin, drawing them out of position, the question is are the serfs up to the task of holding the enemy long enough.'
'Quite right Al', meanwhile the Fossestershire charge has begun.'
'Sir Physs has led his Knights into the teeth of the defenses of the watchtower......
.....while the spearmen have charged the pikes, a wise move Al?'.
'Well you cant fault their commitment Sir John, looking to engage the enemy on all fronts, with no sign of the army from St Ronays they have to get the job done.'
'I can barely hear you over the din of battle Al, both sides are giving no quarter, quite a battle we have on our....the serfs waver, nice work from the Jarkin pushing them back...
...and they are running Al, the Jarkin have put them to flight!'.
'Magnificent work from the big lads Sir John, great finishing there.'
'The pikemen are holding admirably in the face of the charge Al, really living up to their billing'.
'Thats right Sir John, reliability is what you would expect from such seasoned troops.'
'This battle really is anyones at this point. But whats this...i think i can hear...can you hear hoof beats Al?.'
'Now you mention it Sir John...'
'Well what about this Al, the forces of St Ronays stump have stormed onto the field!, lead by Sir Bacckersfordde on his great snow eagle Keith Montgomary no less, who has charged head long into the Jarkin!'.
'Great time to bring them on Sir John, this could be a decisive move, great to see Sir Bacckersfordde on the front foot early'.
'He has an immediate effect wiping out the Jarkin, he really is a star in the making this youngster.'
'Thats right sir John, he lights up the battlefield with his electric pace and expert finishing'.
'The arrival of the subs looks to be timely Al as in the center the spears have broken, the pikes holding out against them'.
'Great defense there sir John, no way through for the Fossestershire forces there'.
'But it may not be enough Al as they are now isolated against the oncoming troops!'.
'We have a stalemate at the watchtower Al, no side giving way despite heavy pressure. The Fossestershire troops getting the worst of it'.
'Its the numbers game playing out Sir John, no lack of ability on the knights side but its a big ask to storm a defended area against this kind of numbers'.
'Elsewhere the pike are now facing the charge of the Fossestershire combined horse and sir Bacckersfordde on his great snow eagle Keith Montgomary, could be decisive Al'.
'Its a tall order to face that kind of power but if anyone can hold th...oh no, they've broken!'.
'Things look bleak for Crivenshire Al, how do they come back from a setback like that?'
'Its difficult no doubt sir John but this is where quality counts, and Sir Rallagh of Choppa and his Knights are still uncommitted'.
'Over at the watchtower things have taken a turn Al, the Fossrstershire bows have thrown themselves into the fray'.
'Great attacking play from them sir John, drawing off the defense to allow the knights to push on, great stuff'.
'Meanwhile it looks like the tower itself has been claimed by Sir Bacckersfordde on his great snow eagle Keith Montgomary, while we were watching the base of the tower he swooped in on the cannon and killed the crew!'.
'Great movement from the youngster Sir John, dynamic attacking play showing quick thinking in the heat of battle.'
'And over on the other side of the tower Sir Rallagh seems to be under pressure Al'.
Hes being attacked on two fronts Sir John, theres no coming back from that!'.
'With daylight fading Al it looks like the Crivenshire command have ordered the retreat, they are disengaging from the enemy and heading from the field in defeat, a bad day for them'.
'Thats right Sir John, after a bright start from the front line it all fell apart when the second wave came on from the flank, they failed to fall back and reorganize and it all fell apart from there. The defenders at the watchtower held on well but with the early loss of the serfs the writing was on the wall'.
'And who was your trooper of the battle Al?'.
'Theres a lot to choose from today Sir John. The defenders at the tower held on all battle and the pike did well for a time but you cant look past the young Bacckersfordde. For me he made the difference in terms of his movement and body count, i feel he really tipped the balance for the Fossestershire force today.'
'Thanks Al, well thats all for today, with Fossestershire forces encamped in the north of Crivenshire how will the Earls forces respond?. From me, the big man and all the 'fight o' the morrow team' its a fond fair thee well!'.
The transcript comes to an end there. Im sure we can all agree its a treat to have an actual account of the battle as it happens. Also a big thank you from me for the Wronghammer plastic re-enactment society for their hard work translating the words of the transcript into the scenes we have above. Thanks fellas!.
WARNING: THIS POST IS NOT AS INTERESTING AS IT MAY AT FIRST SOUND!
I've had a thought. Which is rare. And normally creates a ton of work for myself. And is a ballache of epic proportions. BUT NOT THIS TIME!!!! (yay!).
You see, i like a campaign (you may have noticed if you read these pages more than once!). Its my preferred way to game. But they are a lot of work to plan and do kind of hem you into a story arc you feel duty bound to play to a conclusion. The points in the previous sentence are not a complaint, these things are part of the appeal of campaign gaming, the developing story is a joy and takes the games in all kinds of fun directions and the challenge of coming up with a 'whats next' is a nice task to have and gets the creative juices flowing. However it can also be a block to more casual gaming, the 'pick up and play' types of games where you think up a scenario on the fly and chuck it together. Having reorganized my armies to fit the new setting i have been enjoying building i want to be able to change pace and direction now and again while still developing the setting of Olde Albilande as i go. So i thought 'why not have a non linked type of area i can plonk these types of games without following any type of shared narrative ' (confused?). So i came up with:
This header will be used to indicate games played in the murky depths of olde Albilandes history which will allow me to bring in some new factions that will struggle to fit the current arc, game one off bits and bobs and generally piss about outside of my campaign story lines while still maintaining and developing the setting as a whole. So when i fancy just chucking some forces on the table for a loose dust up i have somewhere to dump it!.
Anyway, thats what im thinking, although due to the ongoing state of the inside of my head this may well all be thrown out tomorrow! (in which case i appologise for wasting the last five mins of your life with this post!).......'till next time......
Right then, after far too long a break its time for (part one of) another battle in:
The situation as it stands:
The action is still focused on the clash between the Fossestershire 3rd and Crivenshire 2nd. After a small victory at Phlemm Valley The commander of the Crivenshire 2nd, Sir Ralliegh of Choppa embarked on a cunning flanking move which came to a sticky end at st Ronays stump. Now Sir Ralliegh and the remainder of the Crivenshire 2nd are encamped on Habituals ridge, about 4 days march from st Ronays stump awaiting the attack of the Fossestershire 3rd. With no news from the flanking force he sent out its nervous times for his troops.
The defense of Habituals ridge is one of the better known battles of the war of four kings thanks to a surviving transcript of an audio commentary made during the battle by the 'Fight o' the morrow' team of sir Johnathan of Motte-sonne and his Lamavacian raider co-commentator 'Big' Al o' Hanns' Sonne. This gives a true insight into the happenings during the engagement and therefore warfare of the age. I felt it would be silly of me to try to write my own version of events as it would be far more fitting to include the transcript as a whole in all its uncut glory, illustrated by pictures of the wronghammer plastic reenactment society recreating the events as described.
......Besides which me and (the amazing) Mrs Sprinks are off to see this giddy bunch of pensioners and i know what i'd rather be doing!:
So without further ado (or adont) i present from history itself (that never happened):
'THEE FIGHT O' THE MORROW: HABITUALS RIDGE, WITH SIR JOHNATHAN OF MOTTE-SONNE AND 'BIGGE' ALL O' HANNS' SONNE.' 'Hello and welcome one and all to what promises to be a classic confrontation between two well matched forces. I'm your commentator for the next 2 hours, barring extra time or penalty thrusts, Sir Johnathan of Motte-sonne and sitting along side me is famed Lamavacian raider Big' Al o' Hanns' Sonne. What are your thoughts going into this Al?'.
'Well its anyones' battle Sir John it really is, both sides are up for it, well organized and have some experienced heads on display. Will the Fossestershire flankers make it to the field, who can tell?. Im looking forward to a fine technical blood bath, this could be a classic.'
'And what are your thoughts on the terrain Al?, how do you suppose the lay of the land will effect this clash today?.'
'Well as we see it from a dragons eye view sir John, like this:
'You can clearly see the ridge on which the Crivenshire forces have arrayed. the area has some good defensive ground, particularly the watchtower and its outer defenses. It will be tough for the Fossestershire forces to trudge up the ridge to attack but thats the task ahead of them today.'
'And what about the line ups of the two forces Al?'.
'Well as you can see the Crivenshire forces to the ridge end are anchored by their usual signature pike block.'
These are forming a front two with a group of Jarkin* from the kings own forces, should be tough for anyone to break down'.
'Just behind are Sir Ralliegh of Choppa himself with his dismounted knights ready to play on the counter should the need arise. To their left and also in the watchtower some royal ordence have deployed to give some hitting power, something for the Fossestershire attack to think about John'.
'Not just that sir John but to the base of the tower they have heavy foot and bows.'
'And to the right back position are a group of bow armed serfs to protect the wing'.
'Its a wall of blue and white Al, and what do you think the commander is planning with this line up?'.
'It is indeed sir John. Judging by the aggressive front line and use of fortified areas i expect them to hold a high defensive line and hold the enemy with the big guns, looking to hit them on the counter with the attacking threat of the knights coming from deep'.
'And what about this Fossestershire force, how do they line up?'.
'The opposition have gone for an offensive line up sir John, The center of heavy spears and dismounted knights'.
'Dismounted knights Al, is that wise?'.
'Well in my experience sir John the knights want to attack with the spears not go in first and get stuck up the ridge with no support, isolated up front'.
'What else Al?'.
'They have some serfs out wide to offer a threat from the flank'.
'And not just that Al, what about their long ranged threat?'.
'Quite right sir John, they have bought a cannon of their own to offer support to the attack as well as a mob of archers to the right flank to provide cover to the attacking troops '.
'And what can we expect from this northern army Al?'.
'As ever we can expect them to be determined and aggressive, whenever the White and grey of Fossestershire are on the field you know they will give their all for the cause. I think they will want to get on the front foot, get in the defenders half early, see if they can get any joy. Once they get one or two holes in the enemy line they should be able to rack up the kills. Its all about pressure for them, if they can keep it on the Crivenshire force they will do well'.
'And what about the last battle between these forces All?, will that have a bearing?'.
'Well its all down to time sir John. If the Fossestershire flanking force from st Ronays Stump can get into the field they should have an impact. However if the Crivenshire defense can deliver a knockout blow to the Fossestershire attack early it may be all over before they can have any kind of impact'.
'I will have to stop you there Al, it looks like, yes i can now tell you the Fossestershire command have ordered the advance, we are underway...'.
TO BE CONTINUED
(* Taken from 'the big, the small and the oddly knobbled- a study on the fauna of Olde albilande' by Greivington Greenish- Grey. 'Concerning Jarkin; They are almost identical to humans in every way but size and brain power. Jarkin were observed by the early settlers to Albilande living within the existing tribes of the displaced. They still live this way today, a small population existing due to low birth rates within the species and a talent for invoking the powers of natural selection. The term Jarkin is a blend of Giant and Kin, a name given to them by the settlers. Over time as local dialects have evolved the two words became bastardised into the current form. Jarkin are valued in trades that require little creative thought and greater physical strength such as mining, smithing and soldering. That being said a keen eyed individual is required to keep them from their own natural stupidity and ability to have an implausable accident in even the most harmless of situations.)
Part two to follow....till next time.....
