Cry Havoc - the Peasants Revolt!

Cry Havoc's Scenario two is a big beast.  I'll be using Lion Rampant 2 and every peasant I have, as well as every mounted medieval figure.

So Big Mouth Giles has stirred the peasants up and The Earl has decided to quash this before it gets out of hand.  Giles has recruited a routier band and a group of hooded outlaws to his side.

The sides

Revolting peasants
12 Routier (party one)
12 Peasants spear (party two)
12 Peasants with improvised weapons

12 Peasant outlaw bowmen (party three)
6 bidowers with bows

The Earl
3 x 6 Mounted Knights
3 x 6 Mounted Sergeants

The Game

Table one, the Crossroads.  The peasant army comes on racing for the road junction

And that is a lot of enemy Cavalry

The Earl brings his massive force forwards.

But my archers twice refuse to move.  It's not looking good.  The bidowers get a shot in from behind a hedge.

A bit of controversy as the Earl cheats.  He dismounted to assault the bidowers.  Not allowed to do that mid game in LR2, but I only realised it later.

My archers get a kill but that's a lot of metal bearing down on them.

I get a unit of spear off into table two.

And the knights carve up those archers in a wild charge.
With this as my rear guard the peasants get their units clear onto the village table.

Table Two

The Village

The peasants have a strong position behind walls and fences, but The Earl has dismounted his elite cavalry.  

And the Knights close in whilst the remaining heavy cavalry sweep around the village.

And it's a proper carve up.  Not even strong dice can save the peasants

The Earl delivers three hammer blows clearing the barricades.

And the final nail is hammered home.  The peasants break.

I tracked the surviving peasants and realised that Big Mouth Giles had escaped, one of the few to do so. Looks like the revolt is broken and I can move on to the next Cry Havoc scenario, city siege.

The 11th Rajput Pioneers

My tabletop in Pathos is an odd size at 6ft by 3ft, making it awkward for some games, but my recent game of Blood and steel on a 3ft square tabletop convinced me that 28mm games can work quite well within these constraints.  Its pushed me back towards the Victorians! 

The Colonial armies I'm building in Cyprus are the 11th Rajputs vs a Pathan tribal grouping, this after winning some Artizan Afghan packs in a Wargames illustrated prize draw,  The 11th comprise three Companies of Sepoys and and an attached mule train that includes a mountain gun and crew.

Command figures (Northstar pulp)

Sepoys (Copplestone castings)

Indian Army mountain gun (Minifigs!)

6 Guides Light Infantry

Three Sergeants

A 1930s Hollywood blacked up actor/British secret agent with no idea of how offensive he is.

The Swaat Valley Pathanis are ruled by the enigmatic Afzul Fatti Khan, Lord of the Fly Swaat.

40 plastic Pathans
8 metal jezail men 
3 gun crew.
8 Thuggee.

Terrain

2d/3d scrunched brown parcel paper hills.

The fort. It's only 3 sides I'm afraid
Swaat Valley Sangars, a wadi and a rickety bridge.

The British invariably named Islamic religous 

Leaders "the Mad Mullah," even if they were Eton and Oxford educated don't y' know.  A range of characters from authors such as Kipling, and William Dalrymple will populate the Swaat.

Scenarios

Ambush

Patrol

Forage

Defend

Vanguard

Raid

Tactical situation
A Just passing by
B Seek and Destroy
C To the last bullet
D Get off my land
E Run to the hills
F Take the High road
G It's awfully quiet out there
H A sigh of relief

The promotion system Rebels and Patriots is the basis for a campaign.  The Company starts with a 2nd Lieutenant in charge.  New Officers have d20 honour, a zero Tactical value and begin with one Trait.  Earning honour points allows an officer to climb the ranks in recognition of his deeds of glory.

Honour - Rank Table

0   -  sent home in disgrace or offered the "Gentleman's way out."

1-20   - Second Lieutenant - 1 trait 0 tactical value

21-30  - Lieutenant  -  +1 Trait  +1 tactical value

31-45  -  Captain  -  +1 Trait  +1 tactical value

46-60  -  Major  -  +1 Trait  +1 tactical value

61+  Transferred to command a battalion as Colonel.

Rajputs assemble!

Command group, adds to another group for these rules

The Mountain gun.  I add a few mules when it's moving.

Three groups, each under a Naik or Havildar.

Three European Sergeants who inexplicably and unhistorically lead the Pioneers.

The Commisary, Havildar Ranjit Ram and his boss Lt Cosmo Smallpiece.

11th Rajputs

4 Companies of 12 Infantry.
1 attached Mountain gun from Prince Albert's Own Bengal Artillery, on mules. 
1 attached pioneer cart.

Major Willie Stroker, SM. VD

Drunkard - Brave

Capt Myles S. Long (Miles Schlong to the ladies)

Wobbly kneed - Short sighted

Lt Drew Peacock, BBQ. Guides Platoon

Tactician - Brutal

2nd Lt Hugh Jeers PDQ, 

Nom de Guerre - Lucky

2nd Lieutenant "Spotty" Herbert Farthingdale, CBA, (dogsbody)

Unlucky - Bullet proof bumbler

Artillery Attached

Prince Albert's Own Bengal Artillery, Mountain Gun

2nd Lt Barkinge-Madly FA, Certified.

Big bore advocate - steady

Subedar Major A (Andy) D Pandi 

Peacock - Steady

Havildar Major Vikram McSingh

Feared - Ugly

Havildar Charu Graunt

The favoured nephew - lucky

Havildar Dilip Fairbanks Jr

Inspirational - Swordsman

Each platoon has a Naik and 12 figures

Subedar "Blood Letter" Pant, Battalion Surgeon 

Feared - Ugly

Commisary Officer 2nd Lt Cosmo Smallpiece

Unlucky - idiot

Commisary Havildar Rangit Ram

(Randi was cursed by the Mad Fakir to serve the British until the Raj comes to an end.  He is either an immortal existence, or a massive liar.)

Mule train.

.

The Rajputs battle cry is " Bajrang Bali ki Jai"  a prayer to Hanuman, the Monkey God, to move a mountain... ie perform a heavy task.  

Building the Mantuan Succession

Our hero the Chevalier di Recci is a Savvoyard, well known at the court in Turin.  The Duke considers Recci as a useful tool.  So far I have some of the figures done, but I'm lacking the battlefield.

Savoy

For the last century or more Savoy, with its capital at Turin, has attempted to maintain its independence from its rapacious French and Spanish neighbours, as wel as local rivals such as Monferrat, Mantua, Milan and Genoa.  The Duke maintains a small standing army and relies on his nobles to provide its officer Corps.

Turin itself is beset by spies from both sides as we as rivalries among its petty nobles and merchants.

The Small idea!

Battle will take place on a 2ft square template.  This is a small scale skirmish not Pileman's Lament.  Our scene is Savoy and its surroundings, and the Italian cities are my start point.

The buildings

Marking up the foamcore board

And house number one, clearly marked as such!

Hardboard base template

Foamcore walls

Wooden stick windows and doors.

3 sets of houses,  each of 3 stories.  Russian dolled to fit inside each other.  One as a city gate maybe?
Empty backed for floor levels and interiors. The backs slide in and out.
Sewer entrances as manhole covers.  Underground passages.

26 cm by 12  (three buildings)
22 cm by 10 (two buildings)

22 cm by 10 (two buildings)
Maybe a single building or Church with churchyard. 

Wheels, ladders, washing lines, fountain, statue, wagon, barrels, market stalls.

One of the things I've learned from the Pulp! Rules is to think about skirmish movement in 3D.  The rooftops and sewers will be available to characters.

House number two on its base template.

The first row of houses, ready for plaster, pva and paint.

And the City buildings, all eight, awaiting plaster sand and pva as the next stage.

The crowds

On a mass template with 4 figures minimum.  Crowds direct the action and swarm towards a good fight unless a firelock is discharged.

4 types of crowd

Nobles parading their status

Dodgy Rakes and Poncy Bravos

Merchants selling cloth

Peasants and farmers selling carrots.

Smuggler types selling knock off gear.

Scenario ideas

To the swordsmith, purchase a new blade

Escort the Venetian banker across the city

Unmask Fr Peccato, the smuggler and bandit

Prevent the Assassination of Prince Charles

Discover the French spy

Rescue the dodgy Milady de Weiner

Intercept the Duchess love letter

Deliver the Duchess love letter

Observe 

Kill the trouble maker Scaramouche

Arrest the trouble maker Scaramouche

Avoid arrest by the Red Guard.

Capture General Déspair of Mantua

Destroy the Milan gate using gunpowder

Meet the Cardinal's Agent

Guide the Compte to his lawyer

Disrupt the duel between the Comptes.

M. de Tréville,

"S’blood! Messieurs Musketeers, I will not have this haunting of bad places, this quarreling in the streets, this swordplay at the crossways..."

The noble houses and Archbishop's of Turin, my political bit.

Marquesa Broglia 

Compte Milliet 

Compte Battista

Compte de Monte Pubis

Compte di Campo

Baron Ferrero,

Baron Vacante 

Baron Provana 

Chevalier Bergera 

Chevalier Beggiamo 

Chevalier Vibò 

Chevalier Gattinara

Archbishops

Carlo Broglia (1592–1617)

Filiberto Milliet (1618–1625)

Giovanni Battista Ferrero, O.P. (1626–1627)

Sede vacante (1627–1632)

Antonio Provana (1632–1640)

Giulio Cesare Bergera (1643–1660)

Michele Beggiamo (1662–1689)

Michele Antonio Vibò (1690–1713)

Sede vacante (1713–1727)

Gian Francesco Arborio di Gattinara, B. (1727–1743)

Great Plague of Milan

 Italian plague of 1629–1631

The Great Plague of Milan in 1629–31 killed an estimated 60,000 people out of a population of 130,000. This episode is considered one of the last outbreaks of the centuries-long pandemic of plague that began with the Black Death.

Character List

The Chevalier Di Recci  "Flasque" de Bladé, and his faithful manservant Lurkio.

The Papal Nuncio, Cardinal Poncé

Brother Quentin, the Confessor (admits to everything).

Geno, Compte de Campo

Isabella The Marquisa Campo, his daughter

Captain Quim, Spanish Captain with goatee beard

The Scarecrow, aka Friar Syn, notorious overacting Rabble Rouser

Father Baskerville, The Crime Fighting Monk.

General Ignorancé of Turin

General Déspair of Mantua

Das Gross Baron de Weiner

Milady de Weiner, Spy

Tarquin, La Compte de Monte Pubis

Captain Diego Vigo Alatriste, in the Army of His Most Catholic Majesty of Spain.

Rupprecht di Orso, Captain of the Duke of Savoy's Guards

Colonel of the 1st Turin Musketeers

Alberto Bertorelli, Captain of the Papal Nuncio 's Swiss Guard Pikemen

Moreau the pamphleteer, who leads a double life as Scaramouche, actor and Righter of Wrongs

Carlo di Gatta, infamous aristo rake.

On meeting a civilian the Blade rolls 2d6, with scores towards 12 being favourable, and scores towards 2 probably resulting in a fight.

Where?

Crossroads or  Clearing 

Dungeon

Palace or Manor

Courtyard

A Bridge

Smuggler's cove

The Last Bastion

Village

Aboard ship

Ruins

Enemy camp

Tavern

The Mission

Rescue

Intercept

Deliver

Observe

Kill

Arrest

Avoid arrest

Capture

Destroy

Meet

Guide

Disrupt

Motivation

Revenge

Ordered

Curiosity

Love

Honour

Justice

Duty

Necessity

Glory

Fear

Ambushed/Surprised

Greed

Opposition

Professional  Swordsmen

Guardsmen

Enemies of the country

Highwaymen

Hired killers

Regular military

Militia

Thugs

Fanatics

Gypsies

Civilians

Aristocrats

Revisiting Lion Rampant

 I've painted exactly half of my Perry 100 Years War Agincourt period English.  They are probably the best looking plastics I have.  Adding some Barons War figures to these means I'm good to go for a small Lion Rampant 2 game.

Sir Gilbert and Sir Roland are fighting again.  This time its one of Roland's villages being targeted.  Points are even but Roland gets an additional unit of 12 peasants.

Sir Gilbert
6 Men at Arms
12 Longbowmen

Sir Roland
6 Men at Arms
12 Crossbowmen 
12 Peasants

Sir Gilbert leads my new Perry Men at  arms and archers towards the village.

The street has a barricade thrown up by the local peasants, and Sir Roland appears on the east road with his own men at arms.

Roland brings on the Fireforge crossbowmen. Not sure those "active" poses are what I'm looking for.  Some of those guys appear to be dancing the tango.

And the peasants sneak through the town backsides keeping out of arrow shot.

Sir Gilbert positions and his archers begin to shoot.

And they are deadly.  Six kills on the Crossbows, although I lose an Archer on the return.

And a man at arms Brawl develops in the muddy fields behind the village.

The peasants launch a sneak attack on the bowmen.

Actually a hard fought Melee.  The archers lose three the peasants four.

And the Blue dice of the archers drives the peasants off.  Sir Gilbert wins the day, although he is covered in mud.

Street Fight

 Crying Havoc

Big mouth Giles has done it again, telling Baker that he was an ugly s*d.  Both have gathered their mates, but Baker is friends with the giant village Smith Gobin so things might not be as even as they appear to be.

The village.  Its all about to kick off.

The gangs line up with some women and children in-between.

Gobin stands at rhe front.  Big boy that blacksmith.

And Gules leading his lads shouting and pointing at the blacksmith.  Is that wise?

And the boys close in.  Giles ducks away behind a farmhouse.

Bowyer doing good work with his arrows.

And some scrappy hand to hand scattered around the village.

Baker catches Fletcher.  Giles' Llads are getting the worst of it.

Gobin wallows Giles with his massive forge hammer. Thats going to leave him with a headache!

And Baker is still chasing Fletcher around the village edges.

Caught him  and Fletcher goes down.

Meanwhile Giles is down and his boys are wavering.

Four of Giles band down, one fled.  It's a win for Baker and Gobin.  

And the moral of our tale, the bigger they are the harder they hit you.