Last stand at Habituals Ridge (pt 2)

And relax!.

     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!.

Well thats it for now.....'till next time.....

Mentally Terraforming: Tanks but no Tanks (AAR)

 I admit this game has been a strange one to write up what with the prologue being split over the previous two posts (Down the bottom of this one and the whole of this one). However 'normal' service is about to be resumed as bellow is the whole bloomin' report and also the details of the scenario i made up and played!. This is also a bit of a first for me as its the first documented ding dong between Verland and the Guilds, which has been in the offing in my mangled brain for quite some time!.

The scenario
  As the prologues suggest the game is set in the disputed state of Arradan in one of the many areas of no mans land that lay within its borders. A run away experimental Steam tank made by the Guilds has come to a stop and is stranded between two advancing forces intent on capturing it for their own ends!. The object of the game is to lay claim to the stricken tank and to drive off the enemy.

The rules
 deployment: The opposing forces set up on opposite table edges according to the normal deployment rules. I used the basic Kings of War rules by mantic but whatever rule set you are using as long as the armies are set up on  opposite table edges with a good area of open ground between the two.

 The tank: The steam tank needs to be placed in the middle of the table an equal(ish) distance between the two forces. It is well and truly broken. The crew of the tank are inside trying to bodge anything they can to get it moving again. To represent the attempted fix the Guild player may roll 1d6 at the end of his turn and consult the table below to see if the crew have managed to do anything!.

             1D6 roll                     Result
              1-4                            No luck!, the tank is still broken.
                5                              Fixed the cannon!, the tank itself is broken but the cannon is fixed, It
                                               counts as a cannon with a 360 degree field of fire that the Guild player
                                               controls.
                6                             Bodged it!, The tank may move up to 3 inches per turn and may turn up
                                               to 90 degrees before moving. The cannon is still broken unless you have
                                               rolled a 5 in a previous turn.

  The tank may not charge into combat and may not fight in any way. If it is fixed in any way the opposing Verland troops may attack it as normal. It has 1d6 hits (determined at the start of each  attack) and counts as having heavy armour (whatever that is in the system you are using, its Wronghammer, bodge it!).  Should any attacking enemy reduce the tanks hits to zero it counts as broken again and will loose the cannon and/or any movement it may had gained.

Winning: The Verland force wins if it manages to get 1 unit of unengaged troops within 5 inches of the tank at the end of the game with no Guild forces within 5 inches of the tank. Any other result is a win for whichever force kills the most enemy troops.

The forces: I used 1500 point forces for each side to give a large(ish) game. Feel free to use any size you like. Its your game after all!

GENARAL FALLACS VERLAND REPO FORCE!

Rear left to right: Pike horde, Militia horde, Pole-arms horde.
Front left to right: Crossbow regiment, General Fallac on Quentin the great eagle (counts as General on winged beast), Scout sargent Fitzerran (counts as a Hero), Crossbow regiment.

From left: Border guard regiment (mounted sargeants), Royal Guard horse regiment (count as Knights with elite), Verland Knights regiment.

The verland force are based on red and white bases and are made up of minis by Red box, Mini art and Strelets.

COMMANDER ALRRANS GUILD RECLAMATION CREW!

From rear: 2 Cannon, Commander Allran (general on horse), Pike and shot horde (a pike horde with the Ra and Special of an Arquebusier regiment).
Front: Enforcer regiment (count as foot guard with the Ra and Special of an Arquebusier troop), Pike and Shot horde (see above), Swordsmen regiment (count as shield wall).

From left: Two Guild lancer regiments (count as Knights)

The Guild forces are based on Red and Yellow bases. The force is made up of minis by Zvesda, Ceaser, Revell, A call to arms and Red box.

THE TABLE

Another quiet day in the peaceful wastes of Arradan. (photo taken from the Arradan tourist board archive).

SET UP

The center with the stricken Steam tank in the middle, Verland to the Left and the Guild force on the right.

                                              The Verland battle line ready to attack!

The Border guard and Royal guard ready to sweep the right flank.

                           Crossbows and Knights watch the left ready to spring into action!.

                             In response the Guild forces form a gun line in the center.

The horse prepare to take high ground on the flank.

The swords form a reserve to warn off any attempt to turn the gun line.

IN TO ACTION!

  The Guild horse waste no time and advance as far as they can on the Guild left ready to take the hills overlooking the tank.

In the center the guns roar.....targeting the unfortunate Militia!, the whole gun line pour shot after shot into the volunteer troopers!. Their nerve almost deserting them they just about hold on but are wavering, remaining in a disordered state!.

KABLOODYBOOM!!!!!!!!

Hearing the thunder of hooves in the ruins the Swords advance to cover the flank.

In response the Verland line attempts to push forward, however the disordered Militia block the Pole-armed troops path meaning only the Pikes and the hero can get forward!.

Not exactly a steady advance!.

On the Verland left the General and Knights advance to cut off the Guild Lancers. The crossbows on the hill open fire. On the other flank the Verland horse prepare to charge!.

'Prepare to Charge!!!!, mind the dice!!!'

Seeing the Verland pike advancing the Guild guns roar!, The pike take a pounding but hold fast!.

On the flank a Lancer regiment charge the Verland knights while the other regiment advances on the hill.

The crunching charge of the Lancers causes the brave Verland Knights to rout!.

On the opposite flank the Verland horse smash aside the Guild swords. In the center the Militia finally restore order in their ranks and advance freeing up the Poles to also move towards the steam tank.

The crossbow regiments re-position themselves to fire on the Guild lancer regiments damaging both!.

New Verland smokey crossbows in action!.

(I classed the Verland missile troops as crossbows to make them less powerful than their opposite numbers as both forces have black powder but the Guilds are more advanced in its use!)

.Seizing his chance while the Missiles rained down on the lancers General Fallac drove Quentin into the flank of the closest enemy regiment.....

Causing no damage whatsoever!!!.

In response the Lancers pivoted and crashed into the Great eagle destroying it and its rider!. The other Lancer regiment charged up the hill into the crossbows who although badly damaged stand in the face of the onslaught!.

On the left the Enforcers and a cannon turn to fire at the Horsemen sweeping around the ruins but failing to stop the advance.

The main gun line continue to pour fire into the advancing enemy. The pike again get the worst of it and eventually rout!.

Inside the Tank the crew finally manage to fix the cannon!, Much whooping and backslapping can be heard from the machine, confusing all that hear it!.

The rout of the Pike horde left the Verland center weakened so the Pole armed troops made for the Steam tank and charged it but fail to do enough damage to break it again.

The horse charge headlong into the cannon and smash it to splinters!

Things take a turn for the worst for the Verland force as the Lancers charge the crossbows again wiping them out leaving the left in the hands of the Guild horse, the other lancer regiment double back towards the tank.

W-W-W-W-WIPEOUT!!!!

In the center the Pike and shot horde break ranks to attack the Militia routing them too!.

And worst of all the Enforcers throw themselves at the Royal guard horse busy smashing the cannon but do minimal damage.......

......but when the Royal guard test to rout they roll a double 6!, automatic rout!. The Verland forces loose 3 units in one turn!. TThen the crew in the tank manage to fix it again meaning it can now move and fire!!.

The Verland Border guard charge the victorious Enforcers but fail to do much damage. The pole armed horde charge the Tank again damaging it enough to undo all the good work of the crew, who can be heard sobbing and cursing in equal measure!.

'I think its the boiler!'

Seeing the battle go against his side Scout sargeant Fitzerran chooses to try to regain some momentum for his troops and charges the closest Pike and shot horde!.......Because hes not cleaver!.

'aaarrrrggghhhhh!!!! WHAT THE HELL AM I DOING!!!!?????!!!!'

Not surprisingly he failed to do enough damage to rout them!. With the battle drawing to a close the pike and shot horde charged Fitzerran back but failed to do any damage!. A regiment of Lancers move closer to the tank in order to contest it as an objective. The last action of the game of note saw the Verland Border guard rout the Enforcers but it was too little too late!

The battle draws to a close.

At the end the tank lies between the Verland pole-arms and the Guild Lancers, the Verland force is all but broken and so is forced to withdraw without their objective. Once again the Guilds have proved that their superior fire power and training win out over tradition and heart!. 

Well that was alot of pictures!. I may move away from the Mentally Terraforming stuff for a bit. I have big plans for the next post.....something about a challenge.....i seem to recall some quotes somewhere along the line....... I just hope it comes together quicker than the saga detailed above!!.

Anyhow, thank you for taking the time to read this chapter of my silly little corner of the interweb....till next time!.....