Dark Age Heroes

Planning my Cyprus gaming I realised that I'm lacking a 28mm Medieval big skirmish game.  With 15mm not really doing it for me I'm intending to convert those small guys for Feudal Bloody Baron's, or Longships, and take some 28mm plastics back to  Pathos.

Back in the day the TTG role playing game Heroes was an attempt to use a Dark Ages historical setting for an RPG.  No magic, no pointy eared elves and no hobbits.  Having rediscovered my copy recently I remembered why I never gamed it.  Too clunky.  Too disorganised.  But it does have the kernel of a good idea in terms of setting, and maybe in interpretation for scenarios.

Heroes wasn't exactly historical.  The Dark ages setting was subtly different, names altered just enough to give a player the idea that we just don't know much about the world of the early medieval. (around 950AD)  Triente, the city that forms the base for exploring characters is an interpretation of historical Trieste, an outpost of the Holy Roman Empire surrounded by the Byzantines, the Magyars the Bulgars, Venetians and pirates.

Heroes as a role playing game has its players taking the part of adventurers who arrive at the gates of Triente set on making their fortunes.  Typically players encounter non player characters and situations.  I'm not really after role play, and it doesn't lend itself to solo play anyway, but the setting should readily lend itself to a little war. My game uses Dan Mersey's Lion Rampant rules, with Dark Age additions, as my Warlord's vie for dominance in the chaos of the early eleventh century. 

A bit of setting the scene

Rather than copy the Heroes setting I am going with my own version.  He city of Venetiza was founded in a lagoon on the coast of Langbardia.  It has been an important trade site for the last century or so.  

The Northern Emperor, Pippin the Fat claims the city as part of his domains, as does the Prelate, and indeed the Duke of Langbardia himself.  The city Doge maintains a fragile independence by playing these characters off against each other.  The Eastern Emperor in far off Byzantia, wants the city, but has been distracted by wars with the Slavs and Bulgars.

Venetiza was a small port in Imperial times under the control of the Western Empire.  When the rest of Langbardia was deluged in the Lombard invasion The city managed to survive unscathed. During the succeeding centuries while the emperors of Byzantium struggled to stop the Lombards pushing further south into Itallia, Venezia was bypassed. During the long Slavic amd Bulgar wars Byzantine control lessened, until, by 850 the city was to all intents and purposes independent. 

On several occasions the city fathers have acknowledged the suzerainty of the western emperors. In 741 Charles the Long extracted tribute and more in 903 Frederich the Fierce also took tribute and used the port as a base for his fleet. The post of city governor or Doge became elective in 849 when the Eastern Emperor failed to send a successor to the Doge Peter Hakapholos (Constantia was at the time under siege by a combined army of Slavs and Bulgars). The city's policy throughout its years of independence has been to resist fiercely the attemps of the Frankish Dukes of Langbardia to bring it under their. control. 

The Count of Slavmarch, a liege man of the Duke, has his castle in the City, controls a ward. or quarter and has a seat on the council. The Duke aids the city against invasion as the city officialy owes suzerainty to the Northern Emperor, however, outside this obligation he continually attempts to 'bring the city under his control. Another ward of the city is controlled by the Bishop of Slavmarch who would dearly like to bring the city under his control after the fashion of the free Saxon cities. Apart from these two wards, where the post of councillor/justice are elective in name, but in practice nominated by the Duke and Bishop, each of the other ten wards have councillors/justices elected by the city's freemen. However, they are usually controlled by one of the city's main families or factions, these being; Orsini, Leonti, Arrezzi, Gozzi and the Company of the East.

All these factions represent commercial interests. All freemen of the city are free to swear to the city commune, and most are so sworn. The main families are also members of the commune. However, their aims are different. The commune tends to be against the main families as long as that doesn't accomodate the bishop or the court. Threatened by the Duke, the commune closes ranks behind the Doge. The city is expanding rapidly and is prosperous. Its main trade is in wool and the manufacture of cloth, its main industry. Raw wool is imported from all over the Balkans, with Anglian wool being especially prized. Completed cloth is exported by bolt both overland and by sea. Other trade includes the importation of food from the surrounding area, cattle from Slavonia and beyond, corn from the steppes of Hungary, the import of silver from the mines of Swabia and the minting and exporting of coins. Ship building is also an important industry. 

A state of constant warfare exists between the city and the Voivodes of Slavonia, raids and reprisals are the way of life (and death). Castillians to the east of the city owe allegiance in some cases to the Duke or Bishop and in some to the city since these constitute the first line of defence. Indeed they live the lives of 'robber barons' taxing. non-native trade and raiding their Slavic neighbours. 

As far as power is concerned the Doge is the city's sole executive, but the council of twelve is its legislature, so in a fight it exercises financial control over the Doge. Officially the Doge appoints a Marshal and Constable for military expeditions to command the militia, about 200 men per quarter, the Popolo, the mercenaries and any allies. In fact the controlling faction in each quarter really controls that quarter's forces and full scale street battles between opposing factions are not unknown. In an emergency the city could just about double its militia by arming apprentices and unfree labourers as levies. However, the militia double as marines and sailors in the fleet and the city cannot simultaneously mobilise both a full fleet and an army.

Political Factions in the city

The Duke; The Bishop; the Abbot, Major Merchant families; The Commune; 

Outside the city in the marches

Slavs, Byzantines, Arab pirates, Germans, Swabians,  Norman mercenaries, Lombard Italians, Franks, Magyar raiders, Bulgar Raiders.

Army Lists 18 points

Army lists will use "character figure" rules, minor sacred standards, Holy characters.

Lombard City Force

• 2 Mounted Riders @ 8 points

• 1 Upper Class Spearmen (the Popollo) @ 4 points

• 1 Lower Class Spearmen(the Commune) @ 3 points

• 1 Skirmishers @ 2 points

Galleon

Byzantine Thema force

• 1 Mounted Companions with Bows* @ 5 points

• 2 Skoutatoi Upper Class Spearmen @ 8 points

• 1 Archers @ 4 points

• 1 Sacred Standard @ 1 point

Dromond

Frankish (Ottonians)

• 2 Mounted Companions * @ 12 points * If Swabians use dismounted knights with two handed swords or axes.

• 1 Lower Class Spearmen @ 3 points

• 1 Skirmishers @ 2 points

• 1 Ottonian character figure.

Slavs, Croats, Servs

• 1 Mounted Companions* @ 4 points

• 2 Lower Class Spearmen @ 6 points

• 1 Archers @ 4 points

• 2 Skirmisher archers @ 4 points

Ringfort gateway

Bulgars

• 2 Mounted Companions* @ 12 points

• 1 Archers @ 4 points

• 1 Skirmishers @ 2 points

Ringfort gateway

Norman Mercenaries

• Fervour trait @1

• Mounted character figure @1

• 2 Mounted Companions * @ 12 points

• 1 Upper Class Spearmen @ 4 points

Arab Pirate fleet

• 2 Spearmen @ 6 points

• 1 Archers @ 4 points

Dhows

Figure requirements

Box of 40 dark age spearmen, these are absolutely ubiquitous, serving in every single army.  They will also double as Ancient Germans! I'll arm some as bowmen too. ✔

Box of 12 Goth noble cavalry for my Ottonian era Italians.  Maybe some barded horse Goth noble cavalry as characters and officers for the Voivodes.

12 of my Norman Knights.✔

6 mounted scouts✔

6 dismounted armoured Normans with swords✔

12 Norman foot with spear and kite shield.✔

6 Varangians, will double as Swabians with a swap of character figure.✔

12 Dark age Bowmen✔

Perry minis Civilians.✔

Box Arab Spear and bow 

Scenarios (the hooks)

The scenarios are listed and drawn randomly, being removed once played.  That makes them a narrative of my Norman's attempted Conquest.  

Hawking and hunting with my Lord the Bishop

Ambush on the forest road

The crossroads battle

The richest monastery

The charcoal burner's huts

Raiders and traders

The enemy fleet

The rival merchants

A plague on both your houses

The Merchant of Venetiza

Two gentlemen of Roma

A turbulent priest

Revolting peasants

The great Bulgar slave raid

Crossing the Sava river

The Sacred Item racket

A war band of Swabians

The Great Byzantine Bribe

Bandits in the forest

The Lombard Princess

Wreck of the Pantocrator's Fist

Band of pilgrims

The Pope's hostage

Bishop versus Duke

The Slav Warlord/Voivode and the ring fort

An exile of Saxony

Monasteries

Castle attack

Pillage the Village

Ship battle, the floating harbour

Fight in the Olive groves

The Ambush in the city streets.

Terrain requirements

Tower 

City gates Italian buildings 

Olive grove

Wagon

Civilian figures.  Eureka Italian civilians

Slav Ring fort palisade gateway.