Workbench 2024

This blog is always self-indulgent because it aims to set out my projects and ambitions for the forthcoming year. A similar bit of self-indulgence occurred last year, although personal circumstances made many of my ambitions attainable. However, it would be wrong to blame the vagaries of life on my failure to deliver all my projects last year. The most crucial factor was that I was too ambitious, a common trait with wargamers. Therefore, this year, I have been more constrained in my aims; although the project list is still as long, some will not see the light of day during 2024.

Campaigns

Last year, I had two campaigns that I planned to play during the year. The first was a fantasy campaign, the Second Shadow Wars, using the rules of the Fantastic Battles. This campaign saw little action since the early months of 2023. First, the campaign took an unusual turn when Umbarji Khan ( my Orcs ) suddenly died, leading to a succession crisis. I had not drawn up the maps for all the Umbarji realms, nor did I have detailed biographies of the various brothers and sons that would contest the Blood Throne. Finally, I needed rules to cover these surprise developments. 

I have learnt from this campaign to stop trying to develop everything myself and take some of the work the other enthusiasts have placed on the web. Therefore, I plan to play the Umbarji Civil War by adapting some one-page campaign rules and personality-driven mechanics in Henry Hyde's 'Wargaming Campaigns'.

In the meantime, the original campaign centred on the Wilderness Steppes will concentrate on the struggle for the Lakeside towns. Due to his father's death, Ozbeg has been drawn into the struggles with his family and has left the Wilderness campaign to one of the leading generals, Doba Skullcrusher, to conduct the war on his southern border. Again, this will involve looking at off-the-shelf campaign roles, using a hex system, or even returning to such old favourites as Mighty Empires. 

The Tomb of the Serpent

The second campaign used the Pulp Alley and their Tomb of the Serpent campaign.  This is now halfway through, and I plan to complete this during the year. Slade Horton and his companions from the Mace Institute are now crossing the desert in search of the Serpent’s tomb, where they will come face-to-face with the Egyptian God of chaos, Apophis. I have fallen in love with this band of adventures and plan to translate them to other game systems, so expect to see the Mace Institute appear in alternative World War II adventures. 

Recreating Battles.

I have two recreations near completion in painting and research, and they will hit the table in the first quarter of 2024. The first is the Battle of Crediton in 1643, where I'll reenact the battle using the Twilight of Divine Right rules, and maybe another replay, using For King and Parliament. 

Marius and the German Invasion

The next set of battles re-fight the battles between Marius and the Germans, Aquae Sextiae (102BC) and  Vercellae (101BC). These will be played using Strength and Honour rules. However, these battles are essentially holding games whilst I start to work on the big projects of 2024, Hellenistic World and Rome's Expansion. Why start this new development? 

Partly anticipating Mark Backhouse's supplement to cover this early period; it is my favourite era of Ancient History.  The main difference is this era will be played using 6mm figures rather than 2mm because I have a box of painted minis that have been unloved for several years. Rebasing and some in-filling of figures will be required, but hopefully, this will not be too burdensome. Unsure of the first battle, try to get to the table, but the following are on the list: Paraitatiene (317 BC), Ilipa (206 BC) and Pynda (168 BC).

Wellington in the Peninsula 

This project was on the list last year and is slowly progressing in 2 mm. 2mm is ideal for this era because it gives the authentic flavour of the mass movement of large bodies of men across the battle field. Once the painting is completed for the Battle of Vimero (1808), moving on to the other conflicts of the Peninsula campaign will be easy. 

Lion Rampart, Saga and Midgard 

The one campaign I completed last year was my Feud campaign set in the period before the Magna Carta. I plan to turn my interests to the Early Medieval period, where I will experiment with several rules, including Lion Rampart, Saga and yet-to-be-released Midgard. All three games have the potential to play a Fantasy version, so I may dig out some old 28mm Citadel miniatures to set up some small-scale fantasy battles. I plan to have some extra stuff painted by the excellent Matt Slade to give some of my old armies a new flavour. Ultimately, I may extend these one-off battles into some form of campaign. I'm interested in doing an alternative breakdown of Roman authority in Britain. Where the invaders may have been dwarves and their allies. 

Skirmish Games and Roleplay

Besides using Pulp Alley for the Tomb of the Serpent campaign. I have employed 7TV to bring the swashbuckling character of the Leopard to life as he fights his way through politics in war and the time of the English Civil War. I plan to join these adventures together and publish them as a set of scenarios. 7TV system is also being used for my Sword and Sandles project where a Greek demi-god will take on numerous quests, a mixture of Xena, Sinbad and Jason and the Argonauts. However, this idea is still in its early days.  

Superhero Genre

The last area skirmish is superheroes. In 2023, I played the first part of my mini-campaign when the evil Dr Nicholas Amargus (DNA) attempted to brainwash San Diego with his mind-bending gases. I adapted Pulp Alley for this first game, but for the second instalment, I will use Super Mission Force, which is designed for the genre using the gaol system. While these adventures are going on, I am building two teams of superheroes from the Golden Age who will fight Hitler's minions. 

Dungeon and Dragons

Connected to the skirmish games is my renewed interest in role-play, where the character develops even more. A magazine I found in the supermarkets made me to re-look at Dungeons & Dragons. I have found that since I last role-played – in the 1980s- enthusiasts have done much work on playing solo adventures. I plan to use these ideas and employ AI as a tool to help the game master.  I hope to post a blog on my thinking behind this and how it can generally impact wargaming. 

Naval 

I am planning a small Kiss Me Hardy game based on the scenario in one of the Lardies' magazines that is set off the island of Corsica. I am still struggling to find a set of ancient naval roles that reflect the era's sea battles. At the moment, I'm tempted to take up one of the ideas that came out of a discussion between Henry Hyde and Simon Miller of using To the Strongest mechanism for naval engagements. This could be a large project if I decide to undertake this challenge. Whatever, nothing is likely to appear next year. 

 

Some Final Thoughts

No doubt, as a wargaming magpie, some other distraction will draw me off in an unforeseen direction. Games Workshop has re-hacked the old Epic 40,000 as Legion Imperialis. A reminder of time playing Warhammer, so I am likely to give the game a try. No doubt there will be others.

I also hope to attend a couple of shows and a 'Lardie Day'. Whilst, I remain mainly a solo warmer, the hobby has a fantastic community that always gives me a boost. However, these events often provide the seeds for another project. Chain of Command has lingered in the back of my mind since my outing to Nottingham last year.

Spendle Moor

The Shadow Wars campaign started in 1046, two years after the inconclusive battle at Blackthorn Abbey. The winter snows lasted into the spring campaigning season; therefore, the campaign's first year started slowly because the weather made it difficult to muster the armies. Even in good weather, the notoriously unreliable Bitter Wood Goblins (Pau-Umbarji) only began to emerge from their forests in early summer. In and1046, they were the last to join, the host that had gathered near the site of the old battlefield.  

Strategies

I used William Sylvester's approach in his book, The Solo Wargaming Guide, for the strategy. For the Umbarji, I wrote down three options and threw 1d6 to acertain the Ozbeg's Umbraji Warlords strategy. Therefore, in early summer, Ozbeg decided to complete the subjugation of the Lake towns that had started two years earlier. The old war horse, Doba Skullcrusher, was sent south with a small force to take command of the Marshport garrison to complete the conquest. Ozbegs's main thrust would be to cut the Amber Way trade route and force the Steppe tribes away from their secure positions. 

Great Moot

Sylvester's method would work for the Umbarji with their strong central command structure, but it was unsuitable for the Tribes, with their fragmented objectives and loyalties. Therefore, a Great Moot was held, which decided the strategy by scoring the tribes' numerical strength and the charisma of the tribal thegn. More on how this was done will appear in a later post.  

The result of the Moot was a cautious strategy where the main army waited for developments at Thorkeld’s Tower whilst a sizable force led by the Zebra Tribe and the Lake Refugees moved to support the Lake People. 

Therefore, by mid-summer, the campaign's focus had shifted to Lake towns, and it was here that the first battle of the campaign occurred, north of Lakeside at Spendle Moor, 

Battle of Spendle Moor

By Midsummer, Doba Skullcrusher had joined forces with Malzag, the governor of Mashpoint and decided to march around the northern end of the Lake and fall one  Marshpoint from the north. The plan had the advantage it would also open up a line of communications to the Thrang Hills, where he assumed the main horde would be located.

Meanwhile, Lake people had been reinforced by the Zebra and Rhino tribes, plus the expected arrival of Elf adventurer Eranil (Chance Card) and his followers. Yet Doba kept the initiative and forced marching his army, now over 3000 Umbarji strong. His rapid movement caught the Lake commander Tiberian and his newfound allies off guard. They now had two options: wait for Doba to besiege Lakeside or stop him on the moors before reaching the rich agricultural lands surrounding the Lake. Despite being riskier, the second option was preferred, and the small force, some 2000 strong, marched northwards to hold the ridge at Spendle Moor.

Never Underestimate Your Enemy

However, once again, the humans and their allies underestimated Doba, who had already moved his Wolf Riders so they could gain a foothold on the ridge. Doba planned to implement his famed strategy, the ‘Skullcrusher’ or hammer. He would hit one of the enemy flanks hard, in this case, the right, whilst the hammer’s shaft pinned the enemy until they were slowly ground into submission.

Opening Moves 

With a rapid attack on their right flank, Doba took the initiative, which allowed him to secure a foothold on the high ground and threaten Tiberian's militia without the latter gaining the advantage of the slope. The Lakeside's enthusiastic but inexperienced horse countercharged but was cut to pieces by the Wolf Riders.

Eranil Saves the Day

Eranil, seeing the threat, decided to march his Elves forward and force Doba's centre into battle. The powerful bows proved lethal as Doba led his centre to engage the outnumbered Elves. Meanwhile, Liefe had moved his Zebra Riders forward to threaten the Umbarji Youngblood on the left flank, supported by the lumbering Rhino charioteers. It was not long before there was fighting across the whole battle line. The Wolf riders finally got the upper hand, and the militia horse fled; in the centre, the elf spearman made quick work of the inexperienced Youngblood. On the left, the other Youngblood regiment was equally unlucky in their first battle, being cut down by the Zebra tribesmen.

Caution as a Virtue

After their victory, Umbarji Wolf Riders came under bow fire from the scouts in the wood, sufficient to make them withdraw to reorganise. Doba Skull crusher still had the Boar Rider and his Wolf pack to throw at the Lakesider's right flank. However, his centre and left had collapsed under pressure from the Elves and the Zebra Riders. It was now clearly apparent that the Youngbloods were not ready for the battle, let alone a full-scale siege that would probably have followed any victory. Doba decided it was too risky to commit further men to the fight when he could not follow up any triumph, so he ordered a withdrawal. An action that relieved Tiberian, who was happy to hold the ridge and watch the enemy pull back along the road.

Some Pictures 

Campaign and Different Attitudes

A campaign changes your attitude to a battle. Previously, I would probably have fought the battle to one side’s morale had collapsed. However, it suited both sides to disengage to fight another day, knowing that replacing men was a haphazard business. The other impression from this battle was the Doba Skullcrusher had outmanoeuvred his enemy but lacked the quality of troops to give him the victory his tactics deserved.

Fantasy Campaign - The Shadow Wars Maps.

I love games with a narrative. One way of achieving that is to make the battle part of a campaign. I had already fought several battles using the Fantastic Battles rules. These have involved a variety of opponents that reflect my old 10mm Warhammer collection. However, I decided to use my old Orcs, now labelled the Umbarji, the Shadow Ones, in a campaign against the tribes of the Wilderness Steppes. The campaign events occurred two years after the inconclusive Battle of Blackthorn Abbey. Again, Ozbeg, the Umbarji warlord, is the aggressor, launching a campaign of conquest to control the Amber Way, a vital trading highway. Therefore, the Second Shadow Wars began a series of Umbarji raids along the trade route and the market towns of the Lakes.

The Campaign Rules

Eventually, I will post the rules, but I am using this campaign to develop and amend them. The campaign rules in Fatalistic Battles acted as my starting point, which I have adapted for solo play. Therefore, I have added ideas from Henry Hyde, Tony Bath and William Silvester. So, in brief, there is nothing particularly original in the overall design, but as they have developed, some of my ideas have started to appear. This blog aims to introduce the campaign and the thinking behind my rules.

Basic Concepts for the Campaign Rules

Here are my main design principles for the campaign. Keep it simple as possible with a minimal amount of record-keeping.
I have used the campaign rules in Fantastic Battles as the framework for these rules.
A Campaign Year has four seasons, three ‘Active’ Seasons' and 1 'Winter Season' for recruiting diplomacy and cleaning up events from the campaigning season.
Each season consists of three months. Each campaign move is one month.
Each month, a Chance card is drawn per side to create uncertainty and aid solo play.
Charlie Wesencraft's weather barometer forms the basis for the weather rules.

The Strategy Map

The design approach of minimal record-keeping means that my campaign maps does the heavy lifting. The most important map is the Strategy Map, which provides an overview of the region where the campaign is being fought. The map below is the second iteration of the Strategy Map for my Shadow Wars campaign. It covers an area about the size of the Iberian Peninsula. Therefore, each hex is about 20-24 miles from face-to-face, roughly equating to a two-day march (in good conditions), although movement rates varied tremulously in the pre-industrial period.






Other maps will include a Diplomacy Map and possibly a Local Map if the action focuses on one area. Using a Local Map is at the player's discretion because the campaign's Active Seasons can be managed by using the Strategy Map alone.

Using the Strategy Map

A ‘point-to-point’ system is used in the Fantastic Battles rules, and this is the system I have adopted. The central locations are picked out as points or nodes on the map. Forces travel from one point on the map to another by moving along roads, paths or ancient causeways that join the different locations. Each path is marked with a circle showing the movement points required between the two nodes. The monthly movement allowance for a Force (a group of units under a single command structure) is four movement points. This can be varied by force marches, faster moving forces, for example, cavalry only or flyers and the climatic conditions.

Movement.

I have adapted the Fantastic Battles movement mechanism of drawing chits to provide the movement order. Place chits into a container/bag so there is one chit for every separate Force (army, naval, flying, or a character is unattached to a force). This means the chits may vary each month as armies divide and characters attach and detach. The monthly move is completed when all chits from the container bag have been removed.

Basic Movement

The basic movement allowance is 4 points, and a unit must end its move in turn on a node. This means that a Force might be unable to use all its movement because it has insufficient points to get to the next node. Movement points not used are lost and are carried forward. The basic assumption is that (Ancient and Medieval) armies followed established routes on land, riverways, and sea lanes.
These base rules on movement can be varied positively and negatively; examples are given below. A fuller list will be published after more playtesting.

Positive Effects on Movement.

1. A cavalry (mounted) only force gains one movement point. They lose this if they have taken loot or enslaved people.
2. Flyers could count all the circle movement points as 1.
3. A chance card can increase movement, scouting or secret route. 
4. Force marches can increase movement by 1d3, but the army is subject to desertion and fatigue in living armies.
5. Magic may enhance movement

Negative Effects on Movement

1. The map shows three types of roads. The best route is the Amber Way, built by the ancient and is well supplied with fortified inns and water points. It is the fastest route and is less affected by climatic conditions. 
2. Weather. The lesser roads/routes can deteriorate the rate due to climatic changes. This may be heavy rainfall, snow and wildfires (something that plagues the Wilderness Steppes). In winter, some of these routes become closed.
3. Supply Lines. A Force that can not trace a clear line of nodes back to its home base(s) loses one movement point because more time is needed to forage. However, continuing this can lead to desertion and reduce fighting quality.
4. Chance Cards can reduce movement through broken vehicles, poor planning or raiding by a third party, bandits, or resistance.
5. Magic can produce weather conditions, illusions and confusion that can reduce movement. 

These are the movement rules I used in the first year of my campaign, which started in 1046 of the New Gods and led up to the first battle of the Shadow Wars that occurred north of Lakeside at Spindle Moor.

Battle of Nidbodmar

The Purity Crusades

This battle report is the last part of my three campaigns that will be fought in the world of Telemar. The idea is that sometime in the future, the three strands will join to reveal the true villain behind these conflicts.

See, The Shadow Wars; The Ancestor War.

The Conclave of Caelthyr

Aenarion II, ‘The Pious’, Lord of the Hidden Light, High King of the Five Realms, 1087, summoned the Elven High Lords to a conclave at Caelthyr. Aenarion stood before the great and good of Elven Kin and preached a crusade against the Unbelievers. His speech would change the isolationist strategy the Elves had adopted for two centuries and launch a series of holy wars.

Kin and the Kindred.

Aenarion II’s first was the hated Kindred or Umbrians, a tribe of Elves that had broken away from the Hidden Light to walk a much darker path. The rivalries between the Kin and the Kindred had lasted centuries since the Wars of Division when the Elven path to enlightenment separated. Ever since those ancient days, both sides had raided the other land in search of plunder and as a coming-of-age ritual for the younger Elves. Therefore, it was easy to use one of these events for Aenarion to claim the moral high ground to launch a significant retaliatory ‘raid’ against the Kindred.

The First March of 1088

In late spring the following year, Aenarion’s army marched towards the river Nidmar, the boundary between the ‘lands of the sun and shadow’. However, despite the speed of Aenarion’s advance, the Kindred’s Triumvirate despatched one of its number, Mor ‘a Gul, the Lord of Beasts, to intercept the High Elves' advance. The two armies met where the Old Way crossed the river Nidmar, close to the now-ruined watchtower, Nidbodmar.

The Battlefield

The river Nidbod runs east to west across the battlefield and is spanned by a substantial stone bridge. Close to the bridge is an old watchtower, which is now in ruin and not ideally situated to guard the bridge; the river must have changed its course since the tower was last used. The Nidbod is fordable to the east and west but not within 18 inches of the bridge. Low hills feature on either side of the river, and small woods dot the landscape, incredibly close to the Old Road that runs north to south across the battlefield.

The Strategies

Aenarion concentrated his attack on the bridge, utilising his spearman supported by the deadly elf archer regiments. Enior, the mage, would also support this attack. The fords further up and down the Nidmar course created a problem because they would allow a possible outflanking movement. To counter this, Aenarion stationed smaller commands on the low hills, with orders to defend and protect his flanks. If they thought the attack was blunted, the commanders could counterattack to draw the Kindred away from the centre.

Mor a’ Gul decided to attack the right to turn the High Elf’s left. The centre, Mor a’ Gul, deployed sufficient forces to contest the bridge without committing too many resources. The aim was to buy time to allow him to defeat the enemy's right flank. On his left, he placed a small command composed of Dark Reavers and Saurian Riders. Their instructions were to make a nuisance of themselves, but if they hit strong resistance, to fall back across the river and defend.

The Armies Advance

Both armies were noted for their speed, but the striking opening moment was the Kindred’s War Hydra that rushed to devour Elven flesh. The Great Eagles seeing a creature that for them sickened the laws of nature, flew to intercept. However, the Nargutun knights intercept the eagle’s flight, and their long-necked lizard mounts make short work of the feathered host.

In the centre, things were going better for the High Elves. Here the elf spearman forced a passage across the bridge, despite coming under heavy fire from the Kindred’s crossbowman. Trying to protect the Kindred lives, the crossbowman withdrew, and the Slave Legion charged home. However, these enforced troops were no match for the Elf spearmen and were brutally dispatched.

In the meanwhile, on the flanks, the skirmishing continued. Both commanders had orders to probe the High Elf’s left flank, and a series of ongoing skirmishes broke out. However, on the other flank, the Nafgutun knights defeated the High Elf knights, and Aenarion’s left battle slowly had to disintegrate.

The Unstoppable Elf Phalanx

In the centre, Aenarion phalanx of spears continued to push up to the road. Combined with their inherent strength and fantastic dice rolls, they destroyed all comers. The road was soon clear of the kindred. However, the High Elf’s flanks continued to collapse as the superior Kindred number took its toll. On the right, the hastily recruited crusader elves and their knightly support routed. On High Elf's left flank, Mor ‘a Ghul was now only kept at bay by a thin line of elf archers supported by the light cavalry. The total collapse was a matter of time (one or two rounds). Aenarion started to withdraw. Mor ‘ Ghul suffered heavy losses and decided he could not threaten Aenarion’s retreat.

Aftermath

Overall the battle was a draw, although either side at one point could have achieved an outright victory. However, Mor ‘a Ghul held the battlefield and gained his triumph. Aenarion’s first battle of his Purity Crusade was not the success he wanted, but neither was it a disaster. Several frontier towers had been regarrisoned, including Nidbodmar. He now knew he needed the power of his regular forces rather than relying on some over-enthusiastic ‘crusading’ volunteers.

Wargaming & Campaigns

Wargaming is about a narrative, a story that I can continue on the tabletop. I achieved this storytelling in two ways. First, by recreating historical encounters. Here the backstory comes pre-packed with the events surrounding the battle that enrich the narrative. Here is the fun of researching the background of the conflict, the commanders, the terrain and why the encounter happened. The second approach is to place my battles in an invented campaign setting—this approach I tend to use for non-historical encounters and skirmish games. I have loads of notebooks, either on paper or electronically, with random jottings about people, places, belief systems and the rivalries between the leading players. Occasionally, I brushed the dust off these musings and turned them into a wargame campaign. Here are two different ways of setting up and playing a campaign.

A Pre-Made Campaign - The Tomb of the Serpent

The Tomb of the Serpent is a pre-made campaign from the Pulp Alley father-daughter partnership. Here my intrepid adventures take on the horrors of an ancient Egyptian God named Apophsis. In this campaign, I plan to follow the Tomb of the Serpent’s chapters but add more details that will give rise to several sequels and introduce some new characters. For example, the test game, set in a Chicago warehouse district, has already given birth to the Mist and his struggles against the Moretti crime family. Two leagues that will be the centre of a later campaign.

The Home-made Campaign - The Second Shadow Wars

The other campaign uses the Fantastic Battles rules by Nic Wright. The campaign will be played using my old 10mm Warmaster figures; minimal painting should be done. However, I have said that numerous times before! I have already played several battles using these rules, reported elsewhere on this blog.

• Blackthorn Abbey, where the oaks clash with the Wilderness tribes of the Steppes
• Battle of Landon Gate, a high medieval army, fought with the armies of the undead in the most peculiar of family disputes.
• Nidbodmar Bridge, Where the High Elf King launched the Purity Crusades against the Dark Elves.

The project's next stage is to develop these three battles into three separate campaigns. Ultimately, the aim is to combine them into one epic-style campaign.

Old Rivalries and a Forgotten History - The 2nd Shadow Wars.

The first campaign is the continual struggle between the Orcs (Umbarji or 'Shadow Ones') of the Howling Mountains and the tribes of the Wilderness Steppes. The campaign events occur two years after the battle of Blackthorn Abbey and link into the history of Umbarji dynastic rivalries. Meanwhile, the surviving members of the First Umbarji wars amongst the Steppe Tribes are few, and the old stories are lost. The Wilderness tribes also lack a strong leader, as they bicker amongst themselves. It is against this backdrop that the Second Shadow Wars will be fought.

Inspiration and Ideas

For this campaign, the rules and the ideas are my own, although I have drawn heavily on the writings of others. Most recently, Henry Hyde's book on Campaigns has inspired me to have another go at trying to set up my campaign. Henry's book is full of ideas, and rather than trying to take on all his ideas in one go, I have used the book as a toolkit. From the book, I have selected the areas that appeal to me and only involve a little bookkeeping. I have also gained inspiration from classic works, like Tony Bath’s Setting up a Wargames Campaigns, etc. The plan is to share the development of the campaign rules on this blog, with posts and, in Tahoe future, a downloaded rules outline.

 

Battle of Landon Gate

This wargame is the first action of the Ancestors' Wars—a struggle between a High Medieval army and an undead warlord and his minions. It is the second strand of my Fantastic Battle campaign world.  I wanted to try a battle between two uneven armies in this scenario and based it on Charles Grant’s Programmed Scenarios, the 'Hasty Blocking Position'. The medieval army’s objective was to hold and occupy a pass until news arrived that the main army had assembled. The former had 750 points, and the attacking undead horde 1250 points.

Scenario Rules

The rules were kept the same, but I gave both armies three turns to deploy. After that, a further six rounds would be played, plus a random element. This was achieved by a simple roll of d6 with odds, improving one pip each turn. This represented a messenger arriving with the news that the main army had assembled and was on the march.

Background

What do you do when the pretender to the throne is your long-dead great, great uncle, Roboant the Damned? This was the problem that faced Tancred III Montduras when he heard of the uprising. His response was to call the kingdom to arms. However, this would take time. Therefore, on a windy spring morning, a messenger was dispatched to Gontier, Lord of Aire and Marshal of the Foremark. The king's instructions were simple, delay Roboant’s host by holding the Landdon Gate as long as possible.

The Strategies

Roboant strategy was to send the third of his army to harry Gontier's army as it tried to deploy in the Gate. The bulk of his host would push down the southern road and break through the pass as quickly as possible.

Gontier's approach was to secure the pass, using Ulf's mercenary Kerradian light horse (Zebra Riders) as a defensive shield to protect his deployment of the vulnerable infantry. Once the defensive lines had been established around Signal Hill, he would make intermittent forays to disrupt the advance.

The Forces Arrival

Dawn brought the howling of wolves with it, and as the morning mists lifted in the east, shadowy figures could be seen in the distance. A pack of fast-moving dire wolves sped down the valley. Meanwhile, Gontier had sent the mercenary Ulf and his Kerradian light horse to cover the deployment at the Landon Gate.

Deployment Issues

Both commanders needed help moving their armies whilst changing from column to line. Although frustrating, this was an exciting part of the battle. The commanders were forced to move up a down the marching columns to keep units in command. A halted unit quickly caused a roadblock bringing chaos. This was a significant disadvantage to the undead army because it was more extensive, and the mindless trait slowed it. Roboant would spend the whole battle flying up and down the line trying to get his zombies and skeletons into the action.

The Advance

The problems with deployment led to the advance guards fighting largely unsupported (turn 3). The wolves had moved quickly through the woods and down the road and charged Ulf's screening force (turn 4). The developed melees saw the wolves slaughtered, thanks to some appalling dice rolls that led to a surrounding victory for Ulf and his riders.

Roboant's Dilemma

Roboant's slow-moving reanimated horde took too long to march to the pass. Haste spells helped, but there was a need for more necromancers. It was a mistake only to include one additional magic user—a note to other potential undead commanders. Summons spells may look attractive, but haste is vital to get your undead army into battle. The impact was that Roboant human allies, the Doomed Ones and the Outcast, separated from the main command structures. For a few vital turns, the attack depended on the role of the Impetuous Actions table because the Undead commanders were too busy throwing haste spells at the slow-moving column.

Main Attack

Finally, Roboant was able to launch his main assault. The Doomed Ones and the Disinherited (Undead Knights), supported by the remnants of the dire wolves, attacked Gontier's main body of knights. West of the Gate, in the centre of the battlefield, Ulf attempted to rally his riders. Meanwhile, Gontier's knightly rear-guard tried to prevent Skeleton horsemen from attacking the rear of the infantry column.

The Gods

Nine turns had now been played, and the game moved on to its random element. Throughout the game, the dice favoured Gontier. However, now the gods' will seem to move against him, and the die roll allowing him to withdraw never occurred. The knights faltered despite the freshly rallied sergeants (light horse) support. The zombie hordes and the Outcast brigands had entered the neck of the Gate. Gontier joined the lines of the militia spearmen as the zombie hordes stumbled into charge range. Now it seemed time was against the living, and the undead would push into the heartlands of the kingdom before the army was assembled.

The Miracle of St Emidius 

As the zombies moved in for the kill, the men started to shout, and on the southern hilltop, witnesses claimed they could see a ghostly white figure mounted on a white horse. At this moment, the earth began to rumble and shake (a random event- Earth-shaker), and standing became an effort. The two lines froze in position, unable to move forward due to the moving ground. A few arrows were let loose, but with an unstable footing, they had little effect. No one can say how long the battle halted, but it created vital minutes for the living.

The Battle Ends

The fighting continued after the earth shook, but on the next turn, a messenger arrived, and Gontier started to full-back along the pass. Roboant halted his advance, unwilling to be lured into a potential ambush. Also, the sun was now high in the sky, which was not a particularly good time for an army that liked the shadows.

 

The Battle Of Blackthorn Abbey

Fantasy Wargaming is one of my main interests. The traditional mixture of the medieval setting with that magical element appeals. A genre that allows your imagination to create your own heroes, histories and fantastic places. Also, like many wargamers in the U.K., there is the influence of Warhammer with its gothic backdrop. However, my love for writing led me to create my own world, inhabited by its own unique people. Therefore, the rules I currently use for my fantasy wargaming are Fantastic Battles because of their design flexibility. A fuller discussion on fantasy wargame rules and why I chose Fantastic Battles can be found here.

Ozbeg the Maligned

Ozbeg the Maligned was not the most impressive of Great or White Orcs, but what he lacked in physical prowess, he made up with his cunning and his royal birth. His granduncle (Bulad the Bloody) was the last great kaumn (King of Kings) of the Western Umbarji (my Orcs). As usual, Bulad’s death in a raid against the city of Letharac led to the fragmentation of his empire. Ozbeg, a younger sibling of a minor concubine, inherited a small domain around the southern peaks of the Howling Mountains. A lordship that was on the fringes of the now-defunct empire. Reverting to the old Umbarji traditions of plundering and burning, Ozbeg provided his followers with the essentials of life; honour, war, blood, slaves and plunder. While his forces raided and slaughtered, Ozbeg continued to sow seeds of discord amongst his brood brothers. Slowly but steadily, Ozbeg’s horde grew from hundreds to thousands. His hunting lands gradually extended into the great northern plains of the Mammoth Steppes.

Lu’Lak -The Blood Shaman

Ozbeg attracted numerous orcs to his banner as his land grew, including the Blood soothsayer Lu'ak. Lu’ak saw in Ozbeg the potential for wealth and power and proclaimed him the living embodiment of Gijak Creveetor, the Umbarji creator god. The proclamation was heretical, even by Umbarji standards and potentially brought Ozbeg directly into conflict with his siblings. However, most were too far away and too busy fighting themselves to be worried about snotling like Ozbeg. Ozbeg’s semi-divine status attracted many discontents to Ozbeg’s banner. A lighting campaign to the south forced the lesser Umbarji (Goblins) tribes of the Bitter Forest to acknowledge Ozbeg’s hegemony. Ozbeg's ambitions turned to the south to the land of men and ogres. He started to raid the trade road, and the villages and hamlets clustered around the Lake.

The Attack on Marshport

The grass sea had just started to turn to bone-white in the summer heat when a bedraggled runner appeared in Strom Ironheart’s encampment. The man had come from the township of Marshport, where the Amber Way met the Lake's northern shores. The story the messenger told brought dread to Strom's soul. Raiding was a way of life on the Wilderness Steppes. Zebra riders attacked Elk people, Ogres tribes plundered their own and human kin, and occasionally the Umbarji appeared from their mountains to create havoc. However, the story of the Lake-man was different. He told of a strange rhythmic heartbeat that pervaded the night, a strange howling that he swore was in a demonic tongue. Then an incredible feeling of dread before the Orcs swept through the township. Left for dead, he watched his kith and kin, stripped of all their processions or being herded into the night. Those who stumbled were skewered and left to the birds and wolves.
Strom had seen the carnage of a Umbarji raid before, but they had never been bold enough to attack a lake settlement in recent years. However, it was still grazing season, and even if it was more daring than he would expect, one raid did not require the Great Summons.

 

Autumn Raids

During the autumn months, when the first snow flurries occurred, the Umbarji raids became a torrent. The lifeblood of the tribes, the caravans that crossed to the Steppe, faced constant attack. Even Lakeside, the largest township on the Lakes, had to fight off Umbarji raids.
Rumours from merchants said that a great Orc king once again led his people. For Strom, a young warrior, when Blud wreaked his chaos, his old gut rumbled with fear, and it was now the time to blow the Horn and summon the tribes.

To Battle 

Storm and his fellow chieftains had decided on caution because several tribes had yet to answer the call of the Horn. They decide to march to the ruined Blackthorn Abbey, where the Umbarji could be contained before they could damage the Wilderness Steppes trade routes more.

Battle Strategies

Strom planned to hold the centre and Shalak Hill that protected his left while threatening the inevitable Orc advance. The mighty Bison Riders on their right-wing would be the tribe’s offensive arm. They would overcome the Umbarji left and then threaten their central battle.
Ozbeg considered his options limited because he had already sent a third of the host home with the booty taken from the lakeside communities. His interests were to gain the relic within the abbey and to please his warriors, who wanted more blood. The massacring of merchants and their families had proved an unfulfilling pursuit. Therefore, Ozbeg's strategy was simple; use the meat grinder of Umbarji axes to smash through the centre. Let the boys have their blood reward while trying to refuse his flanks to the enemy. The manoeuvre would please his warriors and distract them from the mission to ransack the ruins in search of the relic.

Order of Battle

Opening moves. 

The battle opened with a rapid Umbarji advance, with the untried Ear Slicers (Umbarji had not severed the ear of their first kill, sometimes referred to in the human tongue as Youngbloods) leading the advance, keen to earn their first trophies. Strom held the Tribes position in the centre while probing the right and left flank.

An exchange of missile fire opened hostilities, but surprisingly, the first fighting occurred on Skalak Hill.  The Zebra Riders had clashed with the over-eager Forest Goblins. As swords clashed, magic crackled across the battlefield as the two battle lines advanced. Ozbeg, at this point, seemed to have the advantage because the Ear Slicers charged forward into the human's shieldwall that managed to hold. However, Rhino Riders on the right flank were slow and could not bring the Umbarji left flank to battle. Would the human centre hold out to allow the Bison Riders to start rolling up the Orc battle line?

Crunch Time

The Ear Slicers pressed forward, impervious to the Thangrian's (Hawkmen) fire, who tried to disrupt their advance. Inevitably, Umbarji crashed into the shield wall of the Stag Tribe with their guttural battle cries and their hunger for the kill. The central battle contact had come too early for Strom, so he threw in his mammoths to halt the Umbarji centre. Soon, the whole centre was engaged in ferocious fighting. Meanwhile, the Umbarji elite entered the abbey's crypt and searched for the relic. The only good news for the humans was that on Shalek Hill, the forest Umbarji chieftain had been killed, and his command was routed.

The Meat Grinder Arrives.

Finally, the Bison Riders brought the Umbarji Gore Riders to battle. A brutal melee followed as both sides tore each other sheds.

However, as tusk and spear clashed, the struggle in the centre was concluding. The Ear Slicers finally gave way to the human shieldwall. Still, for the Stag tribe, the respite was short as the Lu'ak commanded the Bonecrusher's forward support with his magic. The charge quickly broke the shieldwall, and the human started to flee. Strom became caught up with the flight, having suffered a deep axe wound to his sword arm as he tried to lead his men to safety. 

The Tribes Centre Collapses

However, Ozbeg had little inclination to pursue; his Bonecrushers had been badly mauled. At the same time, his cavalry arm had routed. Besides, he had the relic and now knew that the human tribes were fragmented, something to discuss later with his warlords.

The Story Continues in the Shadow War Campaign