Ambuscade! 2016

Winter is Coming!! Now that that is out of the way let’s talk about a little event we had last weekend called Ambuscade!

Last Summer Spencer had mentioned he wanted to hold a Saga Tournament and that idea evolved into a historical war gaming event. As he moved forward with the idea he made contact with Victor Cina and a few others in the local Portland historical scene. What got planned was Ambuscade! An all-day historical war gaming day.

He planned 2 periods with up to 8 tables per period. His hope was to fill around 6 tables per period for a total of 12 games and some extra room for more in case it happened. The venue was Guardian Games in the upstairs big room that can fit 50 people or so, “tavern” service in the Critical Sip downstairs so 21 and over only.

Many tables were filled but we did not get the full 12-16 games.

I had showed up before 11:00 Saturday to set up and socialize a bit, Bryan and Spencer were the first ones there. I was running a Saga – Feast for Crows game: a four warband game that is usually played with 4 point (smaller) warbands but I like it better with a good 6 point (standard) warband. Plus, we could handle the longer run time of a 6 point game as we had 4 hours per period.

I set up my game at my table as other game-runners came in. *Andy showed up and set up his Check Your 6 game, looked like a WWII dogfight type scenario. A Flames of War all tanks table got set up that looked like a bunch of fun.

*Andy D. was there but Victor C. is the one that set up the Check Your 6 game. My bad!!

My Saga – Feast for Crows game ended up being me (Normans), Brian (Anglo-Saxons), Bill (Scots), and Jeff (Vikings). Jeff was new to Saga so he used my Viking miniatures in a pretty standard set up (Warlord, Hersir x6, Hersir x6, Bondi x8, Bondi x8, and the infamous Old Men With Bows).

My table was set up with a winter aesthetic (my favorite). I used my winter ground Fat Mat, some of my home-brewed birch trees, some winter flocked pines (Xmas time is a great time to get a few packs of those), some rough/rocky ground with snow details, and some frozen ponds.  Play commenced and the un-official Viking-Norman Alliance was crushed by the Anglo-Saxons and Scots. The ultimate winner (by slaughter points) was Brian’s Anglo-Saxons. The game was fun and there was some teeter-totting but by round 4 losing the game was a forgone conclusion for my Normans and it was about not offering points to the Scots anymore. Those defensive dice the Scots get and the mitigating of fatigue was just too much for my Normans who lost the opportunity for a decisive strike and crumbled in the ensuing drawn-out fight.

Mainly, I sent in my knights a bit early and left them and my Warlord exposed to a Scots counter… and counter they did and took me right out.

Looks great for the Normans but looks can be deceiving. 

There was a lot of participation in the other games of the first period too.

The second period offered up Spencer’s Sudanese battle (Brits vs. Bujah tribes in 54mm) using the newish Men Who Would Be Kings rule book – another Mersey offering via Osprey books. Same base mechanic as the x Rampants with enough difference to differentiate the time period. Also in the period was a beautiful looking game, ziggurats and everything, of In Her Majesty’s Service.

In between Periods many went to get sandwiches at the famous Bunk Sandwiches (notably the best Cubano sandwiches in the US … so says a few Food Channel shows) and all throughout the day, while gaming, Grognards went down to the Critical Sip to buy a beer or some other refreshment.

I played in Spencer’s Sudanese battle game using 54mm figures. This would be my second time at this scenario. I played Brits with Spencer while Bill and Jeff played the Bujah tribsemen. The scenario victory conditions for the Brits are simple – go 5 rounds of play without taking a casualty. As we have found in 2 games that is a really hard thing to do. It’s fun trying though.

Spencer and I both made a break for the buildings for cover as the Bujah were hot on our tails. I was able to get 2 squads into and next to a building and formed up to deliver volley fire. Spencer’s squads had a bit more difficulty but finally, a round after me, was able to get a squad into a building. All went well and promising for our heroic British rifles but the sun set on luck and some bad rolls turned into a route of our boys in khaki with my last unit fighting to the last man in the back alley behind the buildings.

All the games of the second period wrapped up and clean up was had. It was barely passed 1800 and Spencer had the room reserved until 2100 so he asked me, “Want to get a game of Saga in?”

“Sure.” I answered. I loaned him my Vikings as I had brought my brand new Norse Gael warband that I had not played yet.

We set it up with a few Grognards left lingering about. Warbands were 6 points and the scenario was Challenge. I opened it with an immediate attack on his warlord with mine leaving 2 points of damage on him. He answered with moving Viks forward limiting my choices of action. I answered with some Challenges, the mainstay of Norse Gael Saga Board Abilities. There was some stumbling there as it is a new mechanic for both of us. The game went back and forth culminating with Spencer’s lone Viking Warlord making a last ditch attack on mine and Norse Gaels winning by just a point or so.

We cleaned up and got out of there just before our time was up in the room at 9:00 pm. I had spent a whole day wargaming and it was great!

EDIT: Beja not Buja.
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