Last weekend, twenty of us trooped up (from Bournemouth or Kent) or down (from Perth) or across (from Brussels) to Derby. It should have been 22, but Lee and Nick O were unfortunately indisposed.
The event was held by Manny and Rob at the amazing and well catered Boards and Swords gaming shop for our Dark Aged them event..
What follows is a rather patchy set of photos, as I was running the event and also trying not to get slaughtered by all comers!
The Runners and Riders, Lee had to pull out and was replaced at the last minute by Hunter Hope with his hordes of Khawarji.
For those of us who need a visual.
The three other downstairs game, there were seven more games upstairs too! Nice hat Cid. (My ally did decide to play after all, in fact, he behaved himself all weekend).
My cards the next turn, boy they were good!
Hunter's swarm approaches. Two piles of stodge about to slam into each other.
See how his masses of cavalry turns me to destroy me.
It all falls apart on the right, while I try and do some damage in the centre.
I did not take many more photos after this, as I was in shock at the mullering Hunter handed me (despite his massive sleep deprivation from driving down from Perth at 2am). A 4-15 loss, but an honsetly faboulous game. I will beat him one year! ;)
Round 1 results, and I'm already languishing..
Game 2 vs Jeremy with Charlemagne Carolingian, a list with exceptionals and a legendary general, that is going to hurt! The terrain fell well, and I was able to hold out against the massively better quality by some severe anchoring.
Cid looking pensive.
Not much room for Carolingians here! My Vikings on the right go hunting cavalry (superior, 2-handed-cut and crush, vs cavalry, oh yes please).
That's a hand and a half...
Pushing the elite Carolingian back, as a new hand is dealt.
Jez's infantry and cavalry smashes into my line. Everyone brace! The exceptionals, led by their legend would come through the village on the left, breaking my flank, but it was too little, too late!
The centre was telling, and after catching Jeremy's cavalry, I manged a 15-4 win!
After 2 rounds I was 19 points for, and 19 points against, excellent mediocrity there Mr Lemmey!
Sunday dawned, after a drive there and back, and one of Jo's lovely home cooked curry.
The draw for round 3 was looking interesting.
Game 3 vs Dr Simon Elliot and his Sassanid Persians with Dalamite allies.
Last time I had met this list it had run me over rather emphatically at Warfare last year.
My foot army out scouts a mounted force!
This was going to be a fun game, Simon's Dali-Llama headed for the safety of the woods as my lancers and cavalry ominously threatened him. Note Simon's army looks a little small...
The incredible skulk! My two light horse units concentrated firepower on the unit of Die Lemurs that had realises the wood was a bit small for everyone. Elephants close on my Vikings. My close order foot consider the merits of dieing pointlessly in a wood (close order foot in bad terrain gets a major minus, the Dial Lemons are flexible, so in loose order, they don't care)..
The reason for Simon's conservative approach was this, he had bet on a flank march with a large body of cavalry. I had to do the damage before these guys arrived.
On my right, massed superior bow armed cavalry spends the game turning two of my Viking hirdmen units into pin cushions.
Simon carefully set up a flank charge, but I held the cards so was able to charge first, into his flank. Look how effectively I can roll a red and green dice.
Soon, the elephants charged my huscarls, and I got them! Then a unit of cavalry and many deli-lemmings perished. I had even shot down one unit and his skirmishers with my light horse.
The flank march, I managed to hold 4 of the red cards needed (I even spent them twice and got them back). Somehow, I had managed to scrape a 15-10 win against one of the best players around.
Even if he was threatening my camp...
Going into Round 4, things at the top were seriously tight. No one was having a stand out, perfect weekend. The top 10 all had two wins and could win it from this round. (Hunter and John Monroe having stared each other out 2-4 and had kind of blown their chances).
Due to people playing each other in earlier rounds I was playing Cid and his Normans (well, actually, the Norman's were Robins, he's never had much luck with them, but Cid appears to have them worked out).
The War Doctor vs Stephen Stead on the top table last round, both had victory within their grasp, but they drew 4 all and let it slip away.
My allied Viking really want to deal with the Norman threat, thankfully.
I saw a gap, and hoped to plug it with Viking and cavalry, but stupidly, I sent my knights after Cid's Breton horse, allowing him to flank me. Oh well.
A something very pleasingly about the shape of that hand. The lump of terrain in front of my foot is soon to be removed from the rules 'magic' terrain, terrain that does not effect cavalry, but disorders close foot. So I avoided it.
My knights fall apart, and Cid proceeds to pull the rest of my army to pieces. Man he's good!
The final results. I'm well below half way there, Hammy pulled a blinder and won. Nearly everyone had two wins in the top 3/4 of the table, it really was down to the points scored in the other games!
A great weekend, and much fun was had by all. Four great games. Here's to next time.
The event was held by Manny and Rob at the amazing and well catered Boards and Swords gaming shop for our Dark Aged them event..
What follows is a rather patchy set of photos, as I was running the event and also trying not to get slaughtered by all comers!
The Runners and Riders, Lee had to pull out and was replaced at the last minute by Hunter Hope with his hordes of Khawarji.
For those of us who need a visual.
The first round draw, without Lee, Means my historically and geographically (in)accurate first round draw went out the window!!!
As there were no table numbers, the slot was used for my whim of descriptive draw labels.
My list, if anyone is so desperate as to copy it!
Hunter and I deploy, two straight lines, as Barker intended! My ally was deciding whether he was going to fight...
The three other downstairs game, there were seven more games upstairs too! Nice hat Cid. (My ally did decide to play after all, in fact, he behaved himself all weekend).
My cards the next turn, boy they were good!
Hunter's swarm approaches. Two piles of stodge about to slam into each other.
See how his masses of cavalry turns me to destroy me.
It all falls apart on the right, while I try and do some damage in the centre.
I did not take many more photos after this, as I was in shock at the mullering Hunter handed me (despite his massive sleep deprivation from driving down from Perth at 2am). A 4-15 loss, but an honsetly faboulous game. I will beat him one year! ;)
Round 1 results, and I'm already languishing..
Game 2 vs Jeremy with Charlemagne Carolingian, a list with exceptionals and a legendary general, that is going to hurt! The terrain fell well, and I was able to hold out against the massively better quality by some severe anchoring.
Cid looking pensive.
Not much room for Carolingians here! My Vikings on the right go hunting cavalry (superior, 2-handed-cut and crush, vs cavalry, oh yes please).
That's a hand and a half...
Pushing the elite Carolingian back, as a new hand is dealt.
Jez's infantry and cavalry smashes into my line. Everyone brace! The exceptionals, led by their legend would come through the village on the left, breaking my flank, but it was too little, too late!
After 2 rounds I was 19 points for, and 19 points against, excellent mediocrity there Mr Lemmey!
We hate people who talk about themselves in the third person, don't we my precious!
After Round 2, the results looked like this, dragged myself up to exactly middle:
Sunday dawned, after a drive there and back, and one of Jo's lovely home cooked curry.
The draw for round 3 was looking interesting.
Game 3 vs Dr Simon Elliot and his Sassanid Persians with Dalamite allies.
Last time I had met this list it had run me over rather emphatically at Warfare last year.
My foot army out scouts a mounted force!
This was going to be a fun game, Simon's Dali-Llama headed for the safety of the woods as my lancers and cavalry ominously threatened him. Note Simon's army looks a little small...
The incredible skulk! My two light horse units concentrated firepower on the unit of Die Lemurs that had realises the wood was a bit small for everyone. Elephants close on my Vikings. My close order foot consider the merits of dieing pointlessly in a wood (close order foot in bad terrain gets a major minus, the Dial Lemons are flexible, so in loose order, they don't care)..
The reason for Simon's conservative approach was this, he had bet on a flank march with a large body of cavalry. I had to do the damage before these guys arrived.
On my right, massed superior bow armed cavalry spends the game turning two of my Viking hirdmen units into pin cushions.
Simon carefully set up a flank charge, but I held the cards so was able to charge first, into his flank. Look how effectively I can roll a red and green dice.
Soon, the elephants charged my huscarls, and I got them! Then a unit of cavalry and many deli-lemmings perished. I had even shot down one unit and his skirmishers with my light horse.
The flank march, I managed to hold 4 of the red cards needed (I even spent them twice and got them back). Somehow, I had managed to scrape a 15-10 win against one of the best players around.
Even if he was threatening my camp...
Going into Round 4, things at the top were seriously tight. No one was having a stand out, perfect weekend. The top 10 all had two wins and could win it from this round. (Hunter and John Monroe having stared each other out 2-4 and had kind of blown their chances).
Due to people playing each other in earlier rounds I was playing Cid and his Normans (well, actually, the Norman's were Robins, he's never had much luck with them, but Cid appears to have them worked out).
The War Doctor vs Stephen Stead on the top table last round, both had victory within their grasp, but they drew 4 all and let it slip away.
My allied Viking really want to deal with the Norman threat, thankfully.
I saw a gap, and hoped to plug it with Viking and cavalry, but stupidly, I sent my knights after Cid's Breton horse, allowing him to flank me. Oh well.
A something very pleasingly about the shape of that hand. The lump of terrain in front of my foot is soon to be removed from the rules 'magic' terrain, terrain that does not effect cavalry, but disorders close foot. So I avoided it.
My knights fall apart, and Cid proceeds to pull the rest of my army to pieces. Man he's good!
I had achieved 4 points against Cid in a superb game, so my weekend had a very pleasing symmetry of 4-15-15-4.
Thanks Will for a ton of work to get that done. Some impressive armies there.
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