A Wargamer in Cyprus

I live in Cyprus, I play too many periods, and I don’t believe you need more miniatures, just better games. This blog is the digital continuation of my old paper wargames diary. Since 2016 it’s become a place to explore campaign gaming, solo systems, historical skirmishes, and the constant process of adapting rules to fit the figures I already own. Expect battle reports, project notes, campaign frameworks, and the odd Durham Wargames Club pilgrimage. It’s practical, narrative-driven wargaming.

Saturday, 13 January 2024

Blood and Crowns: the Causeway

The campaign in Pigourdy, France 1340

The County of Pigourdy

Background

The Count of Pigourdy was killed fighting the English King in Flanders in the Spring of 1340. The closest heir in line of succession was his cousin Sir Phallus de Farandole, Knight friend and confidant of King Edward of England. The French have promoted the cause of Amal Sieur de Phoque, a Knight who had hurriedly and scandalously married the widowed Countess.

Within the County the French King`s appointee has been grudgingly accepted by all but the Abbot of St. Dongé, who thoroughly disliked the new Count. Rumour has it that the Widowed Countess had entered a nunnery before being abducted by the Sieur de Phoqué.

The English Knight is of course furious. Without seeking King Edward's permission De Farandole has gathered a few ships and made haste from his stronghold in north Durham for the coast of Pigourdy.

The English have no horses, and limited supplies.

My campaign rules

Several nodes are marked on my campaign map. These are followed in a linear manner and a scenario is diced as the node is reached. The scenario will assist in creating a narrative for the game, essentially a back story.

The implications of this are that the side I don't play becomes randomised, and this is built into the narrative.

Success in the campaign is quantified by honour points accumulated as well as the capture or killing of the enemy's principal character.

The Game

Determine Battlefield Layout by rolling 1d10:

1-3 Corners

4-6 Race

7-10 Battle Lines

Determine Scenario by rolling 1d10:

1) Ambuscade

2) Seize

3) Pillage

4) Burn

5) Rearguard

6) Regicide

7) Formal Combat

8) King of the Hill

9) Defender’s Choice

10) Attacker’s Choice

Rewards, Characters and traits

Per 5 honour points

Honour points may be rewarded by rolling on the Retinue and traits table below. A roll costs five honour points.

Roll d20
1 Commanding Presence
2. Battle Hardened
3. Glory Hound
4. Gold Not Glory
5. Discipline
6. Inspiring
7. Martyr
8. Prowess
9. Ruthless
10. Tough
11. Stalwart
12. Stubborn
13. Wanted
14. War Cry
15 -20 Free character added to Retinue
Roll d20 again

Master Bowman
Artillerist
Vintenar (Sergeant of 20)
Grizzled Veteran
Baronet
Mercenary Captain
Spy
Engineer
Courtesan
Diplomat
Centenary
Grizzled Sergeant
Flighty Young Squire
Thief
Rabble rouser
Hedge priest
Father Confessor
Fletcher
Minstrel
Fool

The English

249 points
Knight Banneret Phallus de Farandole, of Durham
Retinue 6 Men-at-Arms, Afoot @42 plus Musician @3
Main Battle
6 Archers, English @60 plus Vintenar@5
6 Archers, English @60
4 Spearmen @16

4 Spearmen @16
Vanguard
6 Men-at-Arms, Afoot @42 plus Knight Bachelor @5 Quincy de Lumley

English Army in France
Crecy to Poitiers, 1345-56
main battle
Archers, English | Footmen (Spearmen*)
vanguard
Men-at-Arms, Afoot | Footmen (Gascons) | Veteran Footmen (Gascons) | Welsh Archers
reserve
Veteran Men-at-Arms, Afoot | Veteran Men-at-Arms, Mounted | Men-at-Arms, Mounted | Veteran English Archers
Special Rules Chevauchée: This Company may choose to add +2 to their roll when determining the attacker in a scenario.
*Spearmen may not take the Polearms upgrade.

The French

250 points
Amal, Sieur de Phoque
Knight Banneret, 6 Veteran Men at arms, Mounted @72

Banner "Phoque Rien" @7

Musician @3
Main Battle
6 Men-at-Arms, mounted @72
6 Crossbowmen, Genoese @54
Vanguard
6 Men-at-Arms, Afoot @42

French Army
Crecy to Poitiers, 1345-56
main battle
Men-at-Arms, Mounted | Crossbowmen, Genoese* | Crossbowmen, Light | Feudal Levy
vanguard
Men-at-Arms, Afoot | Esquires | Footmen | Veteran Men-atArms, Mounted
reserve
Veteran Men-at-Arms, Afoot Special Rules *Genoese Crossbowmen have the Mercenaries special rule

The Descent on Cadzon

Game One, the descent on Cadzon. I based this loosely on Sir Walter Manny's attack on Cadzand.

Pigourdy Ludo

The English roll a 5 on a d6. The first game will be well within the bay but still at sea.

Baie des Turdes: Mini Campaign.
Three games each located after rolling a d6 on the LUDO table.

In the first game...

From the Chronicles of the Abbot of St. Dongé

Rounding the Isle of Cadzon the Lord Farandolé saw a laden French Merchant ship in the roads of the Baie of Turdes. The Sieur de Phoque's banner was flying over the castle on the Island. The English decided to strike a blow at the French.

In Game One the English ships seized the French Roundship Edith Piave and its rich cargo. The Sieur de Phoque was driven off towards the Castle at Cadzon. De Farandole decided to chase the fleeing Frenchmen.

Game Two

Little Dick, the overly tall Vintenar in Sir Phallus service has taken a group of English archers out onto the causeway between Cadzon and the mainland. They are confronted by a group of Mounted French Men at arms.

Something of a rules tester game.

The causeway

Turn One the French Mounted move forward and the Archers volley gets two hits.

One Resolve fail. The Archers get nervous. These Mounted guys are now in charge range.

The Men at arms close in. A defensive shoot by the archers gets three hits but all three are saved. Men at arms are tough.

The attack sweeps in. Three hits. Two saves one Resolve point failed.

The men at arms push, gaining a Fatigue. Only one hit.

Another Resolve point lost, an additional Fatigue onto the Archers.

The archers fight first in the next round. Two hits.

The Men at arms lose one to a kill and save one. They also lose a Resolve roll, shaking them. The Men at arms retreat.

But on their turn the Men at arms then rally.

And back in they charge at the start of next turn. The defensive fire hits two.

But the Men at arms have two killed and fail all three Resolve rolls. If only they had a favour! Shaken and routed.

Little Dick the tall Vintenar can now loot the dead men at arms, and claim his honour points.
A roll on rewards reveals that Little Dick has fitted himself out with distinctive platemail, courtesy of the deceased French Banneret. A roll of 14 indicates he will be considered a Thief by the French and attracts rhe "wanted" trait.

And the final game of this series is set up. The village of Turdés.

For the final game a King of the Hill scenario, as the English attempt to steal the church silverware from the mainland village.

Turdés is of course famous for its fresh sea air. The "Healthy smell of Turdés," being an ancient French proverb.

Blood and Crowns: the battle in the bay

The County of Pigourdy

Background

The Count of Phoque was killed fighting the English King in Flanders in the Spring of 1340. The closest heir in line of succession was his cousin Phallus de Farandole, an English Knight, and friend of King Edward III. The French have promoted the cause of Amal Sieur de Phoque, a Knight who had hurriedly and scandalously married the widowed Countess.

Within the County the French King`s appointee has been grudgingly accepted by all but the Abbot of St. Dongé, who thouroughly disliked the new Count. Rumour has it that the Widowed Countess had entered a nunnery before being abducted by the Sieur de Phoqué.

The English Knight is of course furious. Without seeking King Edward's permission De Farandole has gathered a few ships and made haste from his stronghold in north Durham for the coast of Pigourdy.

The English have no horses, and limited supplies.

My campaign rules

The implications of this are that the side I don't play becomes randomised, and this is built into the narrative.

Success in the campaign is quantified by honour points accumulated as well as the capture or killing of the enemy's principal character.

The English

4 Spearmen @16
Vanguard
6 Men-at-Arms, Afoot @42 plus Banneret @5 Quincy de Lumley

English Army in France
Crecy to Poitiers, 1345-56
main battle
Archers, English | Footmen (Spearmen*)
vanguard
Men-at-Arms, Afoot | Footmen (Gascons) | Veteran Footmen (Gascons) | Welsh Archers
reserve
Veteran Men-at-Arms, Afoot | Veteran Men-at-Arms, Mounted | Men-at-Arms, Mounted | Veteran English Archers
Special Rules Chevauchée: This Company may choose to add +2 to their roll when determining the attacker in a scenario.
*Spearmen may not take the Polearms upgrade.

The French

250 points
Amal, Sieur de Phoque
Knight Banneret, 6 Veteran Men at arms, Mounted @72

Banner "Phoque Rien" @7

The Campaign Game begins

The Descent on Cadzon

Game One, the descent on Cadzon. I based this loosely on Sir Walter Manny's attack on Cadzand.

The Campaign map

PIGOURDY LUDO

From the Chronicles of the Abbot of St. Dongé

Mini Campaign: The Baie of Turdes

The balinger Proud Mary leads the English attack. Sir Phallus is Aboard with his retinue, a group of Mariners,and a group of Longbowmen.

Proud Mary opens with warbow shooting.

The French Roundship Edith de Piaf has Genoese Crossbowmen and Men at Arms Aboard. The shooting is even.

A second English Balinger appears, the Franklin of Aretha. This has a similar crew. The English are lucky with the wind as they run into the bay to attack the Frenchman.

A distance shot as the Sieur de Phoque's Mounted Men at Arms Retinue appear ashore. They Gallop parallel to the balingers' course.

The English archers target them, killing two!

Damned dangerous fellows these bowmen.

Proud Mary begins her turn and the bows target the French crew.

The forecastle is Shaken and routed in one volley.

But it's the Franklin of Aretha that grapples and her men at arms fight their way Aboard. a clearing the decks honour point is won.

Notice however that at this point the sneaky Genoese Crossbowmen deploy pavieses, even though they are in a hard cover stern castle. Dodgy dealings I think, but at this point they are duelling with Proud Mary's longbowmen and coming off worse because of the slow Reload.

Piaf's Men at Arms fail against the attack that boards from the Mary. Poor performance!

The Farandole retinue storm the stern castle routing the Genoese overboard.

The endgame as the Roundship is taken. The retinue of Phoque is ashore and makes off to shelter in the castle.

An undignified retreat for the French!

Monday, 25 December 2023

Burning Scratchy Bottom

Blood and Crowns

Once again using my WOTR figures.

Sir Hugo and his Company advance on Scratchy Bottom, unaware of the Sherrif's men moving from Cold Keep.

Sir Hugo's forces. Turns out I have a lot of Wars of the Roses figures.

With the village to my front I advance.

Opposite the enemy come on. Big forces!

The Yorkists push their bows forward

And as the lines close I go into interpreting the rules mode and forget to take more pictures.

Unfortunately I must report a loss for Sir Hugo, and his retirement from the field towards Ballsup Tower.

A nice little mini campaign that I'll have to repeat.

East Africa 1914

Whilst seasoned Indian Army troops were sent to more important battlefields in WW1 a ragtag group of Imperial Service units, raised by local Indian Magnates and Potentates was sent out to Mombasa, with the intention of protecting British East Africa from the German colony to its South.

The first to land, the 29th Punjabis were already on a train bound for Voi accompanied by a 12-pdr naval gun from HMS Fox by 6th September. A half battalion (4 companies) of each of the Jhind, Bharatpur, Kapurthala, Kalabar (single company) and Rampur Imperial Service Troops – the armed forces of independent Indian potentates – a Volunteer Maxim Gun Company, the Calcutta Field Battery and the 27th Mountain Battery followed, and by mid September they had been ordered to take up positions protecting the Uganda Railway

History records very little of the War Service of the "Kalabar Imperial Service Company" shipped to the colony early in 1914. Serving under Captain Valentine Keen, who had married the daughter of the former Khasi the company boasted 200 Sepoys. Serving with Keen was the Young Khazi as his 2nd Lt and adjutant.

Keen was tasked to support Major Selous Parker of 3 King's African Rifles, since his Mountain trained Infantry were new to the African Bush.

(Note that the participation, and indeed very existence, of the Kalabar Company is in fact only recorded in the papers of controversial historian and alien apologist Prof Augustus P Farthingdale of the University of North Dyrham. His work has been Pooh-pooh-ed by serious historians.)

Elements of 3 KAR

The encounters at the beginning of the war saw German demolition teams attempting to break through to the railway. They would typically consist of A few white colonists 20 or so Askaris and perhaps an Mg team if an ambush was planned. British counter measures to these saw infantry encampments scattered along the Uganda railway in unhealthy and frankly dangerous locations, as well as aggressive patrols amoured trains.

My first "tester" game will use a combination of "Patrols in The Sudan" terrain rules and "Blood and Valour" WW1 rules, with a German raiding patrol attempting to reach the railway line.

The Forces.

150 points

BRITISH EAST AFRICA UNITS:

British Lieutenant Command Team:

BRITISH LIEUTENANT (COMMANDER) Shoot Close Combat Shoot Save Close Combat Save Resolve Cost Initiative Command Range Command Points 6 6 5 7 6 0 2 8” 1 UNIT COMPOSITION: 1 Commander, 2 Riflemen SPECIAL RULES: Assault Experts WEAPONS: 1 Pistol (Commander), 2 Rifles

British European or Colonial Riflemen Units:

These units represent the troops sent from the British Isles, India, and South Africa.

BRITISH RIFLEMEN (CORE)

Shoot 6, Close Combat 6, Shoot Save 6, Close Combat Save 7, Resolve 6, Cost @16 Initiative 3. UNIT COMPOSITION: 4 Riflemen (add models for 4pts. each, max 12 models in unit) SPECIAL RULES: Assault Experts WEAPONS: Rifles 5pts. – Add Grenades to entire unit 8pts. – Add a Light Machine Gun model to this unit (max 12 models in unit)

BRITISH KING’S AFRICAN RIFLES (CORE)

Shoot 7, Close Combat 6, Shoot Save 6, Close Combat Save 6, Resolve 5, Cost @16 Initiative 2. UNIT COMPOSITION: 4 Riflemen (add models for 4pts. each, max 12 models in unit) SPECIAL RULES: Blood Curdling Charge WEAPONS: Rifles

GERMAN EAST AFRICAN

COMMAND TEAM:

German Leutnant Command Team:

GERMAN LEUTNANT (COMMANDER) Shoot Close Combat Shoot Save Close Combat Save Resolve Cost Initiative Command Range Command Point 6 6 5 7 6 0 2 8” 1 UNIT COMPOSITION: 1 Commander, 2 Riflemen SPECIAL RULES: True Grit WEAPONS: 1 Pistol (Commander), 2 Rifles

CORE UNITS:

German Schutztruppe Riflemen Units:

The Schutztruppe was made up of European Germans who lived in Africa for many years. GERMAN SCHUTZTRUPPE (CORE) Shoot Close Combat Shoot Save Close Combat Save Resolve Cost Initiative 5 6 6 7 5 20 3 UNIT COMPOSITION: 4 Riflemen (add models for 5pts. each, max 12 models in unit) SPECIAL RULES: True Grit WEAPONS: Rifles 8pts. – Add a Light Machine Gun model to this unit (max 12 models in unit)

German Askari Riflemen Units: The Germans built up a strong force of native Africans to help them fight during the campaigns in eastern Africa. These units performed much better than their counterparts that fought for the British. While they were equipped with very poor rifles during the war they excelled in close combat.

ASKARI RIFLEMEN (CORE) Shoot Close Combat Shoot Save Close Combat Save Resolve Cost Initiative 7 6 6 6 5 16 2 UNIT COMPOSITION: 4 Riflemen (add models for 4pts. each, max 12 models in unit) SPECIAL RULES: True Grit, Blood Curdling Charge WEAPONS: Rifles

German Heavy Machine Gun Team:

The German Army used the Maxim Machine Gun as their primary mounted machine gun. GERMAN HEAVY MACHINE GUN TEAM (SUPPORT) Shoot Close Combat Shoot Save Close Combat Save Resolve Cost Initiative 6 6 6 7 6 20 1 UNIT COMPOSITION: 3 Soldiers, 1 Machine Gun SPECIAL RULES: WEAPONS: 1 Heavy Machine Gun

My East German Force. Command group, 2 groups of Askaris, a group of Colonial German Infantry and a heavy MG. Scouting ahead are a group of Ruga-Ruga, probably former slavers.

The Game.

The Indian Army deploy three terrain pieces. Its a raid so their camp will be the ninth piece. The German column advances on behind its scouts.

Two terrain pieces are scouted but the dead ground ahead is a possible ambush location.

Tribal Auxiliaries pop up in the dead ground. Scouts for the British. They will fire once and then attempt to vanish back into the terrain. I allow them a shot out if touching the edge of dead ground. This however means that they can be seen.