June Historical Wargames Day at Guardian Games

What a good turn out!

The usuals were there (Spencer and I ... and even Jesse!)... (Jesse was supposed to be out of town but he ended up not being that). Kyle was there, the new Father, and he was able to get a game of Saga in. Happy Father's Day Kyle! He played Ol' Bob who I am always glad to see. A bunch of other Grognards were also there and I am glad to have met so many new people I have not met before. I love to meet new people, especially in this hobby.

Spencer demo'ed his ECW Skirmish game based off someone else's home brew - basically using a Lion Rampant rule set but stating out Pike and Shotte era forces. He's calling it Pike's Rampant. We know Osprey is releasing Pikeman's Lament early next year. Looking forward to it. We wanted to play with our figures at a skirmish level now though so Spencer modified some things he found and demo'ed it yesterday. It worked out great.

It was me (Royalists) and one of the new guys (who's name I forgot and I feel like shit about right now as I type this). We had 24 points of forces each, culminating to a very simple:
Foot - pike
Foot - musket
Foot - musket
Mounted - trotter
Mounted- trotter

On a 1-1 scale that is a good little company with light horse support. Great for skirmish style scenarios. The scenario was "Hold on Tight" from the Lion Rampant book - a center piece is laid out and holding it at the end of the round, with at least one mini on the piece, gains the side a point at the end of the round.

My opponent and I had a good game and our little soldiers went at it with The Royalists scoring 4 points right off the bat (needing only 5 to win) but I was finally able to get my units focused, pushing the Royalists off the scoring area and scoring myself while inflicting some casualties.

Sorry, no pics of the game. Was busy playing it!

After that Spencer challenged me to a game of Saga - his Irish (a rather new faction for him) and my Normans. I played some pretty vanilla Normans, pretty much focused on mounted knights and sergeants. We played Battle of Fords scenario and it went in my favor, the past game with the debut of Spencer's Irish did not go so well for me (I played Scots).

In the scenario the opposing factions are separated by an uncross able river with only 2 fording points. My big plan was to put up a resisting force at one ford and storm across with cavalry at the other. The winner of the game being the one with the most figures across the river after 6 rounds. I will narrate the action report as though it were a historical fiction tale:

Sir Hugo Fitzosben with his command of a small conroi of 12 knights, 16 sergeants (8 of which were mounted on light coursers), and a small company of Breton crossbowmen were tasked with taking a good fording point to the north of South Ain crossing a tributary of Lifey and holding it until Baron William of Oxny could arrive the following day with his 10 conroi, squires, and 300 foot.

Scouts reported a smallish company of Irish warriors guarding it. Sir Hugo wished he had more support to push the Irish out but he had to make do with what he had. Appraising his smallish warband he determined that his only chance would be to use the advantage of speed and distance afforded by his mounted units.

Sir Hugo set out after supper the night before as he wanted to take the fords at first light while the Irish were still meandering about their camp. He placed his footmen and Breton crossbowmen at the ford with the hopes of an ambuscade and hold that area from an Irish crossing (thus preventing a flanking his knights and sergeants) and had his knights and sergeants head east and immediately seize the initiative and cross the bridge bringing the fight to the Irish camp.

The plan worked well but the Irish put up a greater resistance than previously thought.

The mounted sergeants stormed across the bridge before the knights as they had faster horses. Though casualties were pretty even on both sides the sergeants were able to both shock and flush out the true strength of the Irish warriors.

The sergeants crossing back to the “Norman” side of the bridge the Irish countered with a small ambuscade and probe of their own on the side of the ford. The Bretons took the brunt of the ambush, which happened as they walked by what was thought to be an abandoned garden or small crop field of some kind with a ruined wall was actually a hiding place for some Irish archers. Four Breton crossbowmen fell to the ambush. The small company of Norman Foot, lead by trusty squire Adalaid of Wyrmmearc, moved to support the Bretons but were caught up in the push by Irish warriors wielding the fearsome axes they are known for. Much Irish and Norman blood flowed into the waters.

Meanwhile, the bridge was under total control of the mounted sergeants and knights, who charged across and hit the Irish camp hard, killing many and driving them back into a small copse of trees and shrubbery. The knights stayed on the Irish banks while the dutiful sergeants, under direct command of Sir Hugo, counter-charged the ford in a desperate act to push back the Irish. This was with much risk to Sir Hugo himself but they persevered. They were too late to save Squire Adelaid’s company of foot though as they died to a man holding the Irish back. May Lord Jesus bless them in eternity and may the Holy Father of all accept them into heaven for their sacrifice!

The Irish side took much heavier losses and, seeing the camp was aflame, decided to retreat and regroup far from the fords. The morning belonged to Sir Hugo!