"Money, money, money!" - Campaign game vs Sean's Greeks

Malchus' Carthaginians face off against Sean;'s Greek mercenaries.

Tonight, Sean and I played another Clash of Spears game as part of our ongoing campaign in Sicily during the First Punic War. It was the second battle of the month for each of us, and so counted as a "pressed" battle, meaning rewards and assets would be hard to come by...

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Malchus sat on the stool in his camp tent and stared at the bedraggled figure before him. The scrawny, mostly bald, seer wore a threadbare robe covered in blood, and stank of sweat and offal.

“Well,” Malchus asked, “what do the gods say? Will our raid of the farm be successful?”

“Oh, mighty one, favored of Rasap. I see blood, I see violence and rage. I see death!” The final word rattled as it left his throat.

“Hmmm,” Malchus said in a low voice. “I am a man of war and you prophecy death and violence in my future?”

Noticing the warning sign, the augur stammered. “Ye-ee-es, my lord.”

“Do you take me for an idiot, you charlatan?” he roared.

“Ye-es, my lord, ummm, no, I mean no-oo my lord.”

“Very well,” the warlord sighed, “wait outside and my aide will see to your payment.”

As the little man scuttled out of the tent, Malchus called for his assistant. “Bostar! Get in here!”

The tent flap opened again immediately and Bostar appeared. He knew better than to delay when Malchus was in a mood.

“Sir.”

“Take the ‘seer’ to the center of the camp and crucify him. He’s a fraud.”

“It will be done.” Bostar saluted and exited the tent. Of course he’s a liar, he thought. They all are. No one can tell what the gods will do except the gods themselves. To believe otherwise is madness.

A short while later, as the screams from the dying prophet filtered through the tent, Malchus smiled for the first time that day.

(Initial deployment marker final locations.)

The scouts had been correct. The farmer had confirmed to them, under persuasion, that the family idols were hidden in one of three locations on the property. Unfortunately, Malchus’s troops weren’t the only ones looking for it.

(Javelin men advance to the woods.)

(Initial unit placement - start of turn 1.)

Across the field, coming around from behind the farmhouse, he could see the thrice-damned Greeks advancing. By Tanit, he hated the Greeks. It seemed that was all there was to fight on this accursed island.

(Greeks everywhere!)

He ordered his spearmen to advance in the center, and they did so in perfect order. On the left, the Libyan tribesmen scampered into the marsh, while on the right the Punic citizens move forward cautiously.

(If only they had fought as good as they look.)

(I think I still haven't learned how to use these guys - so far their points have been kind of wasted.)

Meanwhile, he could see the Greek slingers digging in one of the possible locations. From the yells of consternation, he could tell they had found nothing of value. Only two possibilities left.

(Greek slinger started right next to one of the objective markers.)

(Unit positions - start of turn 2.)

(Javelin men move into the marsh to support the spearmen.)

(The Greek line is more spread out.)

His spearmen quickly advanced to the central hiding place, a shallow hole beneath a small flagstone. Yes, he could hear them cheer, they had secured the treasure.

By Rasap, they were blessed today, that misbegotten little lying seer be damned.

And that’s when things started to go very wrong…

(Hoplites and spearmen clash in the center.)

(Spearmen fall back after barely losing the combat.)

(Battlefield overview - turn 2.)

The spearmen suffered the charge of not one, but two units of their Greek counterparts and held. But the third charge broke them.

(Bostar orders the spearmen to hold!)

(The spearmen are charged in the flank.)

(Their formation is broken and they fall back!)

(The spearmen are attacked again, and this time the unit is destroyed.)

Though they dropped the leather bag containing the idols, Bostar was able to pick it up and he started to head back toward their own lines.

(Bostar has gotten the bag and heads for home!)

(Rumblin', stumblin', bumblin' - Bostar could go - all - the - way!)

Perhaps, thought Malchus, they might still have a chance.

(Unit positions - start of turn 4.)

(The hoplites have smashed the Libyan tribesmen.) 

Seeing their valuable treasure getting further away, the money-mad Greek mercenaries went into a rage.

Their spearmen finished off the second unit of Libyans, while the other charged the tribesmen. The wild-eyed savages held their ground and flung their javelins at the onrushing Greeks! What by Baal’s hairy arse, were they thinking?

They must have been consumed with madness to not just flee the more heavily armored troops. One of the Greeks stumbled and fell as the javelins hit home. But it was not nearly enough. The hoplites swept the tribesmen away like chaff before a storm.

At that point, it was clear the engagement was lost.

(Bostar was only 4" from the edge when the Carthaginians broke, So close!)

As he fled the field with his surviving troops, Malchus couldn’t help but wonder. Maybe that weird little seer had been telling the truth after all.

It was too late to worry about that now. No, now he had to find another soothsayer. Another honest one. That would not be easy…

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Sean earned a major victory - meaning that he did earn some rewards and experience. I was lucky not to lose any. I need to re-think my strategy, in particular how to use the Punic citizens.

'Til next time!

(Just a detail photo of some of Sean's beautiful brushwork on the shields - each one is a masterpiece!)

Upcoming Kickstarter preview: Fjord Serpents - Vikings at War

A friend (thanks a lot Bryan!) recently made me aware of a new miniatures wargaming coming soon to Kickstarter - Fjord Serpents, subtitled Vikings at War.

Two fully painted ships and their crews.

As any of you who have read my blog previously may know, Dark Ages combat and Vikings in particular are a passion of mine. So, all it took was a mild nudge by the aforementioned Bryan and I was compelled to explore further.

The game will be published by Hammer of the North, a company with which I am admittedly unfamiliar. I’ve taken the liberty of using images from their promotional videos to illustrate my thoughts.

The first thing that struck me is the scale. This is not a 28mm wargame such as I normally play. The figures are 10mm scale, so they are tiny by comparison. With my aging eyesight, painting them may be a bit more difficult than I’m used to. That said, I’ve painted smaller figures before (15mm Bolt Action), and I think that painting in a smaller scale can sometimes be more forgiving. Hopefully that will cancel out the vision issue and painting them will be quick and painless.

A fully crewed Viking ship that fits in the palm of your hand!

Two Karvi Longships sail off in search of plunder and adventure upon the Fjords

The second thing that jumped out at me is that this will not be your run-of-the-mill land combat game, where Viking ships are terrain props at best. It appears the ships will be integral to gameplay as ship-to-ship boarding actions and combat are specifically mentioned in the videos.

That’s a great feature in my opinion, since it accurately reflects Viking history. Combat between Viking fleets was not the ram-or-be-rammed affair of earlier ages. Nor was it a matter of standing off and peppering the foe with artillery. It was brutal, get in close, board the enemy and fight face-to-face combat. When large fleets fought, large groups of ships were often tied together and the battle surged across them - basically land warfare at sea.

The ships themselves were the next thing I noticed. The renders and samples shown are just plain beautiful. They look to be an excellent compromise between realism and playability. The ships have deck inserts that can be removed and replaced with stands of various troop types to reflect their crew. They can also change masts to show whether they are under oar or using wind power. And last, but certainly not least from a modeling standpoint, the ships will come with interchangeable figureheads and optional shield rails.

The Karvi and Snekkja Longships from the Kickstarter box set.

Detail of the deck cutouts for placing troops aboard the ships.

Some of the figurehead options from the preview.

Hammer of the North has revealed two ships so far, the Karvi and Snekkja longships. The Karvi is the smaller of the two, coming in at around a little more than six inches. The Snekkja measures right at eight inches or so. In one video, it is mentioned that there will be an option for a third, larger ship - the Drakkar. I’m certainly looking forward to seeing that!

The troop stands look fantastic. There are a variety of levy-type troops (leidang) with various weapons - spears, bows and javelins are mentioned. The more elite troops are more heavily armored and can use swords or huge axes. Special troops are also available, including traditional berserkers and Ulfhednar. The number of troops per stand is determined by the type of unit - eight for common warriors and six for elite fighters. Your jarl is a single figure and looks quite imposing for one so small!

Bondi and levy-type troops come eight per stand.

Hirdmen with swords or axes come six per stand.

Berserkers and Ulfhednar also come in sixes.

Leadership is solitary, the jarl stands alone.

Not having seen the rules, I can’t really discuss gameplay. The video does mention that turn initiative is a two-stage event. If you win initiative, you can decide to either go first in the ship movement phase or in the combat phase. But, your opponent will have first crack at the other. That’s a neat little twist that will make tactical decisions challenging and keep players on their toes. I’m very eager to see more of the mechanics as Hammer of the North gets closer to launch.

The Kickstarter teaser image shows the boxed set that will be available. According to Hammer of the North it will be enough for two players, or can be the start of a large fleet for one player. The box will contain two of each of the ships (Karvi and Snekkja), enough troops to man them all and more, the rules, dice, tokens, accessories and some card terrain. (I’m already planning on making my own, surprise, surprise!)

The box set and its components, Fjord Serpents – Vikings at War

Without knowing the cost yet, it’s hard to know what kind of value this is. There will be a pledge level that includes two boxes sets, to split with a friend (or foe) or kick your individual quest for Scandinavian domination into high gear.

Using this game in conjunction with other Dark Ages games such as Saga or (hopefully) next year's Clash of Spear Dark Ages supplement could result in really wonderful campaigns. For example, the amount of troops available for a land battle could be determined by the results of a massive engagement at sea.

To say I’m intrigued would be a major understatement. I will be following future reveals from Hammer of the North closely. My ultimate participation in the Kickstarter will be determined by when it goes live and cost (budgets being what they are currently). I don’t really need another game (who does?) to further divide my limited time and money, but I can quite easily see myself jumping in on this one!

In fact, I've already begun to think about Jarl Halvar and the crew of his flagship, the Dragon's breath!

'Til next time!

Campaigning Carthaginians!

 

600 pts of Carthaginians for Clash of Spears!

This fall/winter the gentlemen that I game with and I are running a campaign for the Clash of Spears wargaming rules. (You can read about the start  of the campaign here.)

The Clash rules are by far my favorite rules for the Ancient period - they are fast, intuitive, very interactive as you can interrupt your opponent's turn with reactions, and do not require thousands of painted miniatures.

In fact, I just completed painting my starting 600-point force for the campaign - a grand total of 33 figures. As the campaign progresses I will add figures and units and hopefully, by the end, I will have a grand Carthaginian army.

But I am a notoriously slow painter (unless I have a reason to really concentrate, such as the start of a new campaign!) so even a modest force is an accomplishment for me. That said, this is the second 600-point Clash force I have completed this year - a personal record - since I also painted up some Celt-Iberians for a Clash tournament.

Without further ado - the images of my painted Carthaginians:

Liby-Phoenician spearmen awaiting some color after priming.

Punic citizens in progress. Contrast paints (and others like them) are an amazing tool that really speed up the painting process for me.

Libyan javelin men - I used two coats on their flesh to get them a little darker than the other troops.

The completed troops:

Punic citizen levies - in a variety of tunic colors.

Libyan javelin men.

I painted some of the spearmen with red tunics to differentiate them from the other unit.

The second unit has tan tunics, and I added an officer figure.

And finally an image of the force leader, Malchus. He is the character described in my previous post.

Malchus gives commands.

I'll post updates and additions to the force as the campaign progresses.

'Til next time.

Clash of Spears - The battle for Sicily begins!

Malchus knelt before the small altar in his campaign tent, head bowed. In front of him, vapors from incense burners snaked around a golden idol of Rasap, the lord of war. 

His meditations were interrupted as a soldier entered his tent. 

"Sir, the enemy approaches,” was all the trooper said. 

Immediately, Malchus rose and turned towards the open flap. Rasap would understand. It was time to fight.

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As he entered the city square, Malchus surveyed the area. To his left, a detachment of Gallic allies moved up alongside his troops. Damn, but they smelled, he thought, as the breeze brought their scent to him. Never mind, though, because they fought like the very wild beasts whose odor they carried. 

He could see their leader, Teutomatus, he remembered, whipping his warriors into a killing frenzy. 

Across the square, he made out the tips of pikes as the opposing force, they appeared to be Greeks, matched his own advance. His orders were to slow them down, allowing the rest of the Carthaginian force to escape the city as the Romans and their degenerate Greek allies took control. 

Damn the Greeks, damn them to the lowest hell. This was their fault. If they had been able to control their Mamertine mercenaries, he and his men would be raiding in North Africa, taking slaves and plunder from the tribesmen there, instead of on this miserable island. 

But that no longer mattered, all that mattered was the fighting. 

He ordered his javelin men to rush forward on the left, in support of the Gallic tribesmen’s advance into the market proper. Meanwhile, his steady, solid spearmen formations moved ahead in the center. 

Soon, the blood would flow… 

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Malchus was confused by the Greeks' tactics.

On his left, in the face of the Gauls, the Greeks advanced headlong, attempting to control the central market area. The fighting there was fierce and deadly, with no quarter asked or given. Already the ranks of tribesmen were being seriously depleted. In fact, he had sent his javelin men to that flank in support of the barbarians.

On the right, the Greek leader seemed much more cautious, or maybe lacking in fortitude. The formed ranks of Greek hoplites matched that of Malchus' own troops, slow and steady. He would not commit them until he saw what the damned Greek was up to...

He left Bostar, his junior officer, in charge of the right. So far the younger man was doing well, or at least, he had not yet committed any major errors of command.

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Damn, these Greeks! On the left, they fought like wild animals. The situation had degenerated into a full brawl, with bodies piling up on both sides.

On the right, the Greek advance was relentless and merciless. They were letting their brethren on the left suffer the heaviest toll, while they continued their plodding advance, refusing to commit. Damn them, he was tired of waiting. He would swing to the left and see if he could make an impact in the fighting on that side.

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Through the tumult and confusion of battle, Malchus could see that he had left it too late to commit his spearmen. On the left, his javelin men had been routed, as had most of the Gallic warriors. And on the right, the disciplined ranks of Greeks had taken apart his Libyans. For today, at least, it seemed their gods had prevailed.

He turned to his left as he heard a wild, ululating scream, like that of a wild animal about to devour its prey. His mouth wide open in a primal yell, one of the Gaul chieftains, the younger he thought, lost all sense of restraint and charged a squad of Greek javelin men. His fury led him to his death, and Malchus watched as he was cut down. By the gods, these barbarians knew how to die!

The day was lost, that was clear. But Malchus could not let the Gallic chief outshine him in his battle fervor. That would not do for an acolyte of Rasap. And if he were to die today, it would be surrounded by the bodies of his foes, not with his sword unblooded. The Greek javelin men would pay, or they would celebrate victory over two leaders.

Malchus' charge was as different from his Gallic counterpart's as the raging rapids are from an unstoppable tide. Where the Gaul attacked with fire, fury, and abandonment to the joy of battle, Malchus advanced coldly, calculatingly, considering each sword strike, parry, and counterstrike. The javelin men were skilled, but Malchus was more skilled. And the javelin men were tired from their exertions, while Malchus was fresh. They could not stop him, and he cut them down, like wheat before the scythe, one after another until the few remaining soldiers fled.

Malchus stood among the bodies, covered in blood, some of it his own, and surveyed the field. The outcome was evident, and he gave the order for the few remaining men to abandon the market area and make their way out of the city to regroup.

Yes, the taste of defeat was bitter on his tongue, but it was tinged with sweetness. He had tested himself in battle and had received Rasap's blessing. Though the day was lost, he lived. And by the bloody fury of Rasap, he would learn from this and make the Greeks pay the next time they met. Oh yes, they would pay...

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The above narrative comes from the opening games of the Clash of Spears Fall/Winter 2022/23 Campaign that we are running. It is a beta test of new campaign rules for Clash, that allow players to craft their own character's story while competing with others for glory and renown.

The kick-off event was a huge 2400-point 4v4 game pitting the Romans and their allies against the Carthaginians and their allies. For ease of play, the game was broken down into two 2v2 battles.

Bryan, Marcos, Simeon, and Brett showed up to defend the glory of Rome...

while I joined Noah, Cody, and Chris in a vain attempt to uphold Carthage's honor.

Great fun was had, dice were rolled, blood (figuratively) was shed, etc. In the end, the Roman side scored a resounding victory over the forces of Carthage.

No worries, though, as this will be a long campaign (5 or 6 months) and there will be plenty of time for revenge this winter. And as we all know, revenge is a dish best served cold...

'Til next time.

The awesomeness of history: Vikings vs. Moors - Yes, it really happened!

I love wargaming. And I love history.

So when I stumble upon a little nugget of history that would make for great wargaming, well, the inner geek in me totally loses his mind.

That happened yesterday, and I am really excited to see where this leads.

Along with building a Carthaginian Army for the 2022/2023 Clash of Spears campaign (more on that in later posts!), I am currently researching the Reconquista - the "reconquering" of Spain by the northern Christian kingdoms from the Moors who invaded the peninsula in 711 AD. There is an informal group of gamers looking to create a beta for Clash of Spears set during the time of the Crusades, including the conflict in Spain.

As part of my research I am reading books (both history and fiction), delving into the epic of El Cid (and finding out what parts might be real and which are just legend), listening to podcasts about the era, etc.

And yesterday I learned about one of those events that makes the history geek and the wargaming geek in me both go weak at the knees - the Viking raid on Išbīliya (Moorish Seville) in Al-Andalus in 844 AD.

The Vikings had apparently landed in northern Iberia and plundered the kingdom of Asturias, but suffered heavy losses in battle with the forces of Ramiro I. They then moved around the coast of the Iberian peninsula, heading south, until they reached the Guadalquivir River, which they navigated up to Seville.

Map showing the Viking raids

Long story short, the Vikings attacked Seville, were victorious, and looted and plundered for many days. The Emir of Cordoba,  Abd al-Rahman II, dispatched an army to deal with the Vikings, and several other Muslim leaders sent forces to assist despite their rivalry with al-Rahman. They could see the threat posed by the raging Northerners, and united to defeat a common foe.

Musa ibn Musa al-Qasi, one of the Muslim commanders who fought the Vikings.

In the days after the arrival of the Moor army there were many clashes, with varying outcomes. Eventually, however, the Muslims won a major victory over the (more recent) invaders. Accounts say the Moors used Greek fire and cavalry to great effect, and sent the Vikings fleeing.

As I read and listened to the details about this battle, I had two thoughts. First, how had I not learned about this sooner! And second, how can I recreate this battle on the tabletop.

Saga currently has rules for both Viking and Spanish Moors in different supplements. I am not sure if the forces are balanced across the game, or just with other factions in the same supplement.

The other option is to use Clash of Spears. I know that the Dark Ages supplement for Clash is due sometime in 2023, and as previously mentioned there is a fan-led effort to put together a Reconquista Clash. That would give me time to build and paint my forces (I am notoriously slow at getting models ready to game). I do currently have some Vikings for my Saga army that are painted and ready, but I have not yet started my Reconquista Moors (or Christian forces either for that matter).

Regardless, the prospect of fighting a Moors vs Vikings battle that is historically accurate (!) has me salivating.  So now, in addition to the plethora of other projects that I am in the middle of, I am adding one more. What else is new?

'Til next time!