OLD WORLD REVIVAL TO NEW WORLD...

For a new (9th?) edition of the game, if its hit or miss, its a miss for me.

 

At about 10 games into my Warhammer revival nostalgia trip, using The Old World, and man, it was getting old fast. After these first intro games and getting some larger 'medium' games in too, the rules were really starting to bring back the bad old memories. I could only come to the conclusion, that as it it stands, it was sadly not game I wanted to spend time playing. Here’s why.

There are many things I love about Warhammer, it has been such a large part of my wargaming hobby since First Edition, but the game’s current rules are not one them. Maybe once, but not today anyway. I enjoy the world, the look of the games, the army lists and the army backgrounds, the troops types and detail, the different monsters and wizards, magic items and such like. I really enjoy planning the collecting and painting of the models (which is no different to collecting and painting of the models for all the other wargame periods I play). So, where is it going wrong?   

I have four ‘legs’ to my wargaming hobby. These make the games fun and the (considerable) time invested worthwhile. These four ‘legs’ are: i. the models you play with (are they cool, do you like them, are they painted?). ii. The tabletop you play on (does the board look good, is it ‘right’ for the place/period, etc.). iii. The people you play with (are we all here for the same thing, enjoying the game and the social side of gaming). iv. the rules you play (do they challenge you and make interesting, fun, and/or historical-feeling games). Currently I have 3 legs, but for Warhammer, the fourth leg is broken, so the hobby is not going to stay-up, it’s falling over.  

I have actual been here before. Years ago, super-keen to be playing WWII games, we had it all, big painted armies, nice terrain for various theatres; Russian, Normandy, etc, people to play with, but the rules were ruining it all. We tried many different WWII rules, and the end, nothing worked for us. The games just were not that much fun, and none 'felt' much like WWII either,the 'vibe' was off (in modern terms). So, I started making my own, turning it into a game I actually wanted to play. In the end, we got Battlegroup from this. Well, I’m now in the same place with Warhammer fantasy battles. So, I’m going to do the same, to change the rules, to turn them into a better game, one I actually want to play. It is either that, or sell-up and get out. I have five large, fully and well-painted, Warhammer armies, each worth a small £s fortune at today’s rates. I could sell up and reinvest in something I will enjoy (2nd Punic War calls), but that would be giving up on Warhammer for good. Instead, first I’ve been giving making my own rules variants a go, so I can play with these painted armies and feel its worthwhile and fun. Atm, Warhammer, as a rule’s system, is not much fun, it feels like hard work getting to the end of a game, it is fiddly and odd in many ways (skirmishers I see you). 

Starting to look more like a Warhammer game than Warhammer games... disks are for hidden unit-by-unit orders and activation.

My principal problems here are;

The damned rigid turn sequence. I haven’t played game with such a rigid ‘I-Go, U-Go’ for a long time, I really like variety and card-driven games that break this all up. WH is very rigid, it feels old. Half the time whilst playing, you just sit (stand) about and wait for your turn whilst removing models as your opponent kicks the hell of your force, until it is your turn to kick the hell out of theirs. It’s brutal, predictable and gets dull. There is no nuance, no back and forth, nothing unpredictable, few surprises (beyond the occasional weird dice roll result)… this must change. The rigid ‘I-Go, U-Go’ must go, kill it! I already have an alternative in place for this, to introduce a basic level of ‘command and control’ and fog of war and take away the predictability. That might transform the game, whilst still retaining the basics of how to move, shoot and fight combats, and all the troop stat lines.

The magic system, for this edition is mostly terrible, and worse, a bit dull. Magic needs something else, not just rolling basic 2D6s. Magic is tricky I think, balance is all, it wants to be effective, but not dominate, to have its power but not decisively so. Too far either way and it’ll ruin games (or do so little its not worth the effort) The current spell lores seems fine, if samey, but a better way of using them is called for. I’m going to be working on it. Going back to a dice pool system might be the first step, although some modifiers has been the first trial, and it helps.

The current game is a brain-strain of minor rules, modifiers, exceptions and a lot, a lot, of special rules. 'If this, not this, if that, then this'… all the effort and energy in playing goes into remembering these rules, playing the game is, in a large part, remembering what everything can do, can’t do, when it happens, is -1 now, etc. I’d prefer to be putting the brain power into the tactical side of the fight, not the mechanical nuts and bolts. There is very little in the way of actual tactical decision making. Playing feels like a memory test, not a complex tactical game. It is hard to play and get the rules ‘right’. I’m an experienced wargamer, used to many rules, but this is a tough game to play. After 10 games in, and we were still making basic mistakes, and I have read the rulebook several times, check things during and between games, and have made an effort to learn it from scratch with small intro gaming. No other system I use has such a steep learning curve, I ask myself, is it worth it? This long curve does not happen with other rules I use (often because I wrote them, but for example, Longstreet, a superb game, does not require reams of paper notes and army lists, and stat blocks, to play, but is always challenging and fun). WH is slow on the tabletop. My feeling is, games take too long (if you're not speed playing, which I dislike, why am I rushing through my fun?).

List building, just dominates the game’s culture. I like an army list to use (it sort of the game before the game, which I enjoy), but I also like a theme and a story and for the many options to have many ways of using them. The drive to find ‘one list to defeat them all, one list to define them’, for each WH army is tedious, takes up most of the online discussion time, is reductive and has nothing to do with good wargaming, and all to do with efficient competition style play. Screw that, I like narrative play and campaigns. Of course, it’s a battle, so both sides are trying to win, but not by all the ‘rabbits out of hats’, or killer-list designs that attempt to pre-determine the games result… it seems players are searching for the one ‘best’ way to use any army list. How dull… what happens if you find it? You get to win every game? Even duller.  

Having tentatively rejoined the Warhammer community online, the standard of gaming is, err, often a bit poor. By ‘standard’ I mean the four ‘legs’ listed above. Whilst everybody talks about the ‘meta’, which lists is best and ‘how do I win with Chaos Dwarves?’, "Are Black Orcs worth taking?', etc. the games I see being played are, for the most part, pretty terrible. Unpainted models abound. Terrain is an after-thought, poor, plonked down or seen as something that needs restricting or ‘balancing’ to be fair for a tournament. 99% of scenarios are line-up and fight pitched battle, mostly at a set 2,000 points. You rarely see other nice games of Warhammer that inspire you to improve your own games. You see a lot of terrible messes, and I know everybody can’t play ‘the beautiful game’, but it would be nice of some were trying. For me, this isn’t good wargaming, its not a hobby I’d aspire to spend my time doing, pushing round grey plastic for the transient dopamine hit of victory. Unpainted miniatures are an anathema to me. I even painted my models when I was 10 years old… badly, but, much as I wanted to play games, I did not use unpainted metal/plastic, ever. I've become a painting fundamentalists. Painting an army is the mountain to climb in all wargaming, of whatever period/style (except maybe skirmish games), but either you’re a hiker and want to get up the mountain, or your not. Don’t claim to be hiker and then stay at home and forgot about the mountain… get your boots on (your brushes out in this strained analogy) and walk/paint. It’s what wargamers, well the good wargamers, do. You, personally, have to make your games good, it isn’t handed to you in grey plastic form as easily consumable. This is, for me, one of the hobby’s great strength, it isn’t just ‘sold’ to you, you have to have input… do something a bit creative to make it all work. Many it seems, just want to ignore this aspect of Warhammer and/or wargaming. 

A game to encourage the great variety of forces, characters, monsters, infantry blocks, missile troops, cavalry, chariots, war engines... you want a bit of it all.

Once, years ago (around 2000 I think), I was playing 40K, at Warhammer World, with a group of 4 other players. We were playing a mini tournament, 3 games each in the day, all with different armies. Mine were painted, all of them, nobody else’s were. The terrain was largely rubbish, a few bits and pieces. I provided the only decent stuff. The games were competitive, all played much is silence, hard studying, like it mattered who won… did it? Because there was no prize, or even glory, just boasting rights between 5 players. Also using the hall that day was a big Warhammer Ancient Battles game, played 2-aside. It was a Punic Wars game, Hannibal and his elephants vs Roman legions. All models painted, big blocks or troops, skirmishes, war engines, on nice terrain (nothing major, few woods, a hill, a stream, etc) and looked great. The guys playing were chatting, laughing, having fun, rolling dice and, it dawned on me, that our 40K games were crap, and the wargame I wanted to play was theirs. They were doing the hobby I wanted. Since, I have never played competitively again… all gaming is now ‘social’. I always play to win, you should, but not so that it matters. Losing is part of the fun too, because a good game is a good game, regardless of its result. 

Our biggest game yet, Dwarves vs Empire @ 3500 pts. Starting to look like Warhammer games I love in WD magazine, way back in the 80-90s.

I have always thought that a wargame is ‘your’ game, regardless of the published rules, or company products. It is your time, with your models, your terrain, etc., so it should be for you, to do it your way. So, have I turned Old World into a game I actual enjoy? I think so, the ‘mountain’ of painting armies, the really tough bit, is already done (Ok, not quiet, but it never is and I’m tempted to start a new army now I have some rules I like). I really enjoy writing rules, so that is a fun project too, to work out what I don’t like, why it doesn’t work for me, and re-cast Old World into a game that engages. We’ve already started with the turn sequence for alternate unit by unit orders system that worked well in the first couple of tries, needed tweaking, but now far more interesting and tactical games have resulted, with no dull rigid turns to stick to, far more interesting and challenging situations arise. We also have a long list of house rules to 'fix' issues, from front two ranks of missile troops shooting, to allowing step-up attacks in melee so more models fight, to chariots that can try and break-through enemy units and keep going (rather than becoming stuck in attritional melees), how skirmishers work, and introducing simple modifiers for multiple spell casting by the same wizard... it all still uses the same army lists and stat lines, but I'm not sure it really much like Warhammer anymore, but it has inspired me to start a sixth army though... I'm now painting Wood Elves (to complete the full 'elf' trilogy)... an army I started in the 80s and didn't get far with, so just 40 years in the making.

 

 

‘Road to Brussels’ - SoN 1815 campaign, game 1 - Encounter at Ferme de Chassart

Our planned summer campaign begins, back to 'Soldiers of Napoleon', with an 1815 setting, as Napoleon attacks into Belgium (its pretty famous). We are using a borrowed ‘ladder and snake’ campaign-board system, with 2 divisions aside (2 French (Cheyrou and Doubert’s) vs 1 Anglo-Allied and 1 Prussian), I’ll explain more later, but it’s something of an experiment as a way of generating interesting battles on a rough ‘Waterloo’ campaign theme, with a few added hick-ups and aids thrown in along the way (bad weather, etc,). The initial days battles will all lead up to a single, finale, ‘big’ battle (our Waterloo), to determine the ultimate victor. It’s how you get there, with what, that’s interesting.   

Morning on day 1, and the campaign system generated its first battle, with my lead French division (Cheyrou’s) facing the Prussian division holding a side route north from Charleroi towards Brussels, at Ferme de Chassart (sort of roughly between Ligny and Quatre Bras, but it’s an imaginary location). It was a 2 brigade ‘division’ game (so small), set at 650 points. General Cheyrou’s 2 solid French infantry brigades deployed facing a large-ish Prussian infantry brigade on their right (lots of landwehr), facing the farm building, and a strong cavalry brigade in the open to their left (they might be a big problem). All the ‘division-sized’ game rules were in effect (so no extra support here, senior officers, etc. what was on the tabletop was all there was in this small fight, a pre-Ligny skirmish).


Both sides eyed the farm in no-man’s land as a handy objective, on the French far left, and General Cheyrou sent 2 battalions to take it, including his veteran 1st battalion, supported by 8 pdr cannon fire from the useful hillock. The Prussians had fusiliers screening out front and landwehr behind (and a single small scout landwehr cavalry unit). The French had the initiative and marched at the quick to occupy it, as the cannon batteries opened up an accurate fire with an ‘intense cannonade’.

The Prussian response was to send forward the cavalry, 3 regiments (1 dragoon, 1 hussar and 1 lancer) and drag up their horse battery in support. My line infantry (in line) would need to form square, but could end up trapped in such with no help coming. Should I risk trying to meet the cavalry with volleys, and thus getting jumped and badly beaten? A dilemna. Their supporting cannon batteries both did good work and that gave the Prussian horsemen pause. The voltigeurs, all of them, rushed out to meet the cavalry.

It would become two fights, one at the farm, one against the cavalry attack. The French infantry seized the farm and the Prussian infantry rather dawdled, but got their many rifleman skirmishers out.  Still, French cannon fire was starting to hurt too (their own 12 pdr battery was firing in support of the cavalry). The Prussian cavalry faced heavy and lethal skirmish fire and the cannons continued to target and hurt them, and suddenly they were in disorder. Seeing this, the emboldened French infantry did not form square, the cavalry would need to rally before trying any charge, the voltigeurs had bought them time. So far so good. Stand fast!

The Prussian bold cavalry attack had stalled out, and as the first infantry came towards the farm, the French veteran’s column charged down the road and routed a landwehr battalion at bayonet point, they fled the field, and the veterans then drove back the fusiliers too. The French had the early lead in VPs.

The Prussians tried to get both their struggling advances going again, but the French fire was too much for the cavalry, a couple of stiff volleys and cavalry fell-back to rally again, and kept going back to try and avoid the constant skirmish fire. Their horse battery was causing some pain back, but the French line held firm - hurrah!.  At the Ferme de Chassart, the French veterans won another melee, counter-charged by more landwehr, then their impetuous landwehr cavalry charged too (special event) and were also well beaten (the fools). Lots of rallying followed, as the tough-as-old-boots veterans fell-back, damage done, leaving some dead behind, and the Prussians tried to recover, having quickly lost 4 melees on the trot, so the brigade was a mess, its commander rushing from unit to unit to help rally them. The farm itself was safe (just the objective card needed now to get the sweet VPs for holding it - but the French never drew one - drat, still it was denied to the enemy at least).

By now the VPs were heavily in the French favour (17-5 I think), the Prussians were in some disarray, but comebacks can happen. Their ire fell on those hardened veterans at the farm, badly shot up now, and the Prussian hussars turned and galloped across the field to lend aid, and put the grognards to the sabre. The hussars took more skirmish and cannon fire en route, but the final act to the battle saw them make a ‘fierce cavalry charge’ into the last veterans of their column, outside the farm gate, and destroy them in a bloody massacre (revenge!). But, in return, skirmish fire back from the farm, and the 8 pdrs on the hillock hammered the hussars too, also breaking them.

Game over. The Prussian sounded the retreat… a win for the Emperor in game 1, securing the left of the French attack at Ligny that afternoon. On towards Brussels!

Post-game we ran through the sequence from the ‘March On’ campaign system in the ‘Wars of the First Empire’ supplement, to see what the permanent losses were to each division, and gaining any experience etc. Both divisional commanders gained new ‘commanders of note’, for the next game.

Back to the campaign board, and rolling to move our divisions up this, the British division were now in position for battle 2, again against Cheyrou’s division. That be the afternoon of day 1, as Cheyrou moves up from the Ferme de Chassart and finds the Anglo-Allies already blocking the Namur road to Quatre Bras. We’ll play that in a couple of weeks time.

Some pics, not many, – too busy with the action.

 

Prussian cavalry advance and French counter advance at the farm (far end)

Prussian cavalry deploy - oh!

French vets about to march for the farm

8 pdrs (and caissons), open the battle from their hillock.

The cavalry advance, horse battery following on, but into punishing cannon fire.

The Prussian infantry (and cavalry scouts), start their moved towards the farm, too late.

 

Warhammer – Tor Helethion campaign, game 10 – Assault on Darrule Ridge.

The daemons of khorne are summoned forth to crush the last high elf resistance before the citadel of Tor Helethion can be invested by a siege. Prince Belhallas, the garrison commander, has picked his ground, a ridge line of the hill of Darrule, and issued his orders (he is still recovering from serious wounds to be able to lead the force, which falls to dragon-mage Faylas instead - just back from his rescue mission last game - getting about quickly isn't an issue for him).  The High Elf lines are made up of veteran sea guard (experience gained from earlier battles), the last silver  helms and reavers and the citadel's resident phoenix (we've decided this cannot be 'killed' in the campaign, but misses the next game if lost, as it regenerates in its home fire, in the citadel). The elves only have mages left as characters, as their available combat characters for the campaign have previously been killed (or are out injured). 

The daemons, led by their prince, don't gain experience (being immortal evil spirits of bloodshed and war). They can always be re-summoned at need (no need to track numbers). No Bloodthirster yet (I have one), but we are saving him for a big future games, a match for the big high elf dragon, when there has been enough slaughter, he'll show-up.

The two forces for the battle:

High Elves (roughly)
Arch Mage Eralis (lvl 3), with hammerhand, pillar of fire, oakenshield (and some magic items)

Dragon Mage Faylas (lvl 2), on sun dragon, with hammerhand and fireball (giant blade, seeds of rebirth)

Mage Leilath (lvl 2), with glittering robes and miasmic mirage (flying carpet - here actually a cloud he rides).

30 Sea Guard (veterans), full command
30 Sea Guard, full command
15 Sea Guard (veterans), full command
10 Shadow Warriors
7 Silver Helms, full command
5 Ellyrian Reavers (skirmishers, campaign xp +1BS)
8 Ellyrian Reavers
1 Flame Phoenix
2 Giant Eagles
2 Repeater Bolt Throwers

Khorne Daemons (roughly)
Daemon-Prince Golagoth Skullcleaver, with Might of Khorne, Axe of Khorne, Armour of Khorne, Brass Collar

Herald BSB with Banner of Eternal War
Herald (on foot)
Herald on Juggernaut

20 Bloodletters, full command
20 Bloodletters, full command
20 Bloodletters, full command
6 Fleshhounds
6 Fleshhounds
7 Bloodcrushers, full command with great standard of sundering
10 Furies
1 Skull Cannon

The khornate daemons began with (almost) full send, only holding back on their left flank, whilst the skull cannon crash a shot through sea guard into the dragon, but the seeds of rebirth saved it from damage. The high elves responded with a lot of arrows and bolts, chipping away wounds.

Turn 2 saw the action really start, as impetuous daemons failed tests (we are using the, far better, leadership test for this, not the 50/50). The bloodcrushers rushed off, but rolled a max charge and hammered into the veteran sea guard, and both fleshhounds units attempted too long charges and failed, leaving them exposed. The rest marched up as fast as they could, whilst the skull cannon targeted and hit the phoenix, leaving it with just 2 wounds. It got worse, the bloodcrushers did their work, and 14 sea guard died under their impact hits, hellblades and hooves... they broke (now just outnumbered on unit strength) and fled, with the charge overrunning on into the shadow warriors behind... bad news! Wow, what charge these guys (first game using all) pack! A big hammer...

The fight for the ridge was on, as the dragon-mage swooped into the flank of the bloodcrushers, the silver helms sounded their horn and charged into the reckless fleshhounds, killing them all. More arrows, more bloodletters down, and a big bolt hit the daemon-prince for 2 wounds too. The shadow warriors followed the sea guard and all 10 died under juggernaut hooves, and the dragon-mage, damage done, fled the scene, back along the ridge, and juggers having to chase after, of course. They were tearing the elven centre apart.

Meanwhile, the silver helms could charge also on and smashed into the daemon prince, who was joined by bloodletters in another big melee. On the elven right, skirmishing reavers were picking off furies, and the phoenix, looking to stop that skull cannon, charged, but lost the combat and exploded into flames and was gone, but had left the cannon with only 1 wound left. Sea guard archery would later pick off that last wound...

Te main fight was on the ridge, and both sides had their victories. The silver helms killed the daemon prince with their lances, but lost the combat to the block of bloodletters on their flank, and then fled. The juggernauts made short work of the reavers, the last survivors fled, and it seemed the ridge would be lost. But the sea guard on the elven left were winning, getting the upper hand in a melee with another 20 bloodletters, and the dragon mage had rallied in front of the juggernauts.  The veteran sea guard had also rallied and were loosing arrows again from the edge of the tabletop.

In the melees that followed, the dragon mage, using hammerhand, his giant blade and stomps held up the juggernauts and won, just, causing instability and several juggers vanished, the sledge hammer was looking far less intimidating. The sea guard continued to win their melees and more bloodletters were vanquished, but the silver helms, forced to make a panic test failed it (even with their valour of the ages re-roll) and the FBIGO saw it move 5" back, just over the table edge and gone (taking the helpless arch mage with them).

In the final turn, the dragon continued to get the upper hand over the juggernauts, leaving just the herald to face it alone, and the sea guard did their thing with spears in ranks, finally destroying two bloodletter units... we called it. The daemonic fury had been quelled, most were vanquished, the elves stood bloodied, but victorious on their ridge. Not a big win on VPs, but just enough.

Some pics of the action...

Deployment, not clear in the pic, but the high elves are on a long, 2 tier hill (the ridge), which ends at the phoenix.

Full send from the daemons, whilst the high elves wait, shoot, and counter with their silver helms. They do some work on their right, with flying stuff, and skirmish cavalry.

Daemonic right, about to charge! What else?

Daemonic centre, about to charge.

Daemon left, not charging, just yet. Skull cannon lines up the dragon for first shot.

The sea guard, backed by bolt throwers, with Ellyrian reavers and silver helms for a counter attacking punch from the ridge.

 

 

Elven right, around the waystone, which absorbs magic... not a factor today though, as nor wizards down here.

The red centre surges forward in turn 1, the big bus of bloodcrushers taking missile and magic fire (lost a first jugger).

Silver helms gain a 5+ ward save (green gem), and the dragon mage adds his fireball attack, as they hold, hold! Patience and timing is required. 

Sea Guard vets brace for impact (and some), the juggernauts look unstoppable, despite the arrow storm.

Golagoth, the daemon-prince, marches up in the centre, in search of fresh skulls to cleave, mainly, that dragon would be a good prize.

Sea guard butchered and routed, the juggernauts overrun into the shadow warriors on the hill tier behind. Oof! This was just before the dragon-mage charged into the flank to aid them. Shadow warriors are well and truly squished.

 

The silver helms (and lvl 3 wizard) charge the daemon prince  (2 wounds already taken from bolt throwers). Daemon prince forgets to issue a challenge, and gets lanced to death (banishment). The fool! 

Skirmishing reavers sally round the flank, eagles close by. Between them, they destroy the furies.

Having wiped out the shadow warriors and broken the dragon, the juggernauts pursue it, but don't catch it, and come up just short of the reavers... but they'll charge again next turn (no impact hits though)! At this point, they are rolling up the High Elf position, looking like an unstoppable force.

The broken silver helms flee! They rallied, then failed a panic test (twice, as elves) and just FBIGO'd off the end table edge... an inglorious day for the heavy cavalry and arch mage. It looked bad for the elves at this point.

Reavers broken (next!), the rallied dragon mage is hit in the next pursuit, but at just a couple of inches, no impact hits from the juggers. The dragon makes a far tougher opponent, a becomes an immovable object. Stoic defence from the dragon and sea guard would win the day - just.

Bloodletters climb the hill to try and finish off the last of the veteran sea guard (rallied from their earlier mauling). The stand and fire, then many spears, defeated the charge and instability shattered the bloodletters... it's just enough to win the game. A heroic day for the sea guard units. A close run thing.

So, with that result, as yet, the Dark Elves cannot seal in the garrison and start a siege of the citadel. As the daemons were attacking so the Dark Elves were also attacking to take the next watchtower at Anchel, so that is game 11. High Elf reinforcements are just a few days away from landing, the tide may be turning (but I have finished painting a few new DE units, a Kharybdis, sorceress on dark pegasus and doomfire warlocks can join the war). 

The up to date campaign map, fighting is now restricted to the east coast, and the High Elf reinforcements dispatched from Lothern are about to arrive.

 

*****

Seas of Ulthuan
A blue, jagged, sea broke and foamed about the eagle-carved prows of the sleek ships as they rose and fell through the waves, each in full sail, tort, filled by the hard tailwind that now drove them ceaselessly north, arrowing through the waters, pale hulls rising and rolling to the swell. Sea Lord Ithilas of Lothern looked out over his fleet, some thirty eagle-ships, beyond them, off the starboard, was the coast of Tiranoc, its distant mountains nothing more than a slim, ragged pale line on the horizon. On the flagship’s stern, Stormweaver Aelhara stood, her staff raised as she commanded the very winds that now powered them towards Tor Helethion. The High Elves had long been the masters of these seas, the unruly elements of the air that sped and roiled above were hers to summon and harness. The Sea Guard, each an experienced sailor, manned the rigging, sure-footed even amidst the tamed gale. High above the main mast, little more than a grey blur at the edge of his elven eye’s long sight, the griffon, Greytail, rode the same strong winds, eagle-wings outstretched in a long, effortless glide. The griffon had been the Sea Lord’s since childhood, they had been raised together. Bonded in trust and friendship, Greytail, would follow her master anywhere, always with a protective eye, even into a dragon’s maw if Ithilas so commanded. It may well yet come to that. For now, she flew free, the fleet’s highest and most alert sentry. She would spy any dangers ahead long before he or any look-out could.

Ithilas strode towards the ship’s prow, where the Arch Mage Aelairon stood, cloak, robes and silver hair billowing about him amidst the cascades of sea-spray. “We are making good time.” Ithilas advised the mage. “The spires of the sunken city of Tor Anros are not far ahead. Two days, with Aelhara’s elementals behind us, and the fleet will be around the Blighted Isle. I trust Warden Belhallas can hold for just two more days?”

“I fear his losses have already mounted. My heart tells me things are going ill for the garrison. The enemy have come in greater force that we have anticipated, and with far stronger allies. But, Tor Helethion isn’t the enemy’s true prize. It is what lies beyond it. This has ever been Malekith’s greatest ambition. His heart yearns to retake the great Temple of Khaine and free the black sword. If his minions gain Tor Helethion and cannot be ejected, he’ll have taken a long stride towards his ultimate goal. Our northern garrisons are strong, and Prince Belhalass has Amlargos the dragon to aid him. Tor Helethion isle has long been his abode, and the great drake will not allow our enemy to defile his territory. If the druchii think they can claim Tor Helethion, then they must first face dragon fire.”

“And the Witch King will know this?”,  enquired Prince Ithilas.

“Of course. He knows all the sundered islands too well. He collects intelligences from them with every year’s raids, always scheming towards his ultimate ambition. This attack may well be just the vanguard of far greater invasion plan. Only when Malekith feels himself strong enough will he risk open war for the Blighted Isle, or dare to once again take to the battlefield himself. Perhaps, for now, he is just testing our defences and resolve. Killing the dragon would be a worthy prize in itself. He would willingly waste many of his servants lives just to that end, to remove such a foe. Our task, once we make landfall, is to drive the invaders back into the sea and show the old enemy that Ulthuan’s resolve has not been weakened by the long years. Strength in arms is our best hope of deterring Malekith’s boundless ambitions”.  Lord Ithilas nodded in understanding, as the Arch Mage continued.

“These rumours of a daemonic pact also worry me. Darkest of dark sorcery, but our enemy’s ire knows no bounds, he will sacrifice any servant or slave without remorse. What the druchii offers such perilous servants I cannot guess… perhaps nothing more than the goodly souls of our kindred to reap for their own dark god’s pleasure. Hence, I have gathered a strong conclave of mages of Hoeth to combat them. They, and I, will lead the Swordmasters to deal with the daemons. The magical realm of Ulthuan is no place for their kind, it is an anathema to them. We shall cast them back into the void whence they spawned.”

Prince Ithilas simply gazed out over his speeding fleet, each ship lightly slicing through the waves, leaving trails of foaming white behind them. On the horizon, just visible through sea spray haze, the narrow, crumbling spires of the sunken city of Tor Anros had appeared. A whole city, once majestic, lost in the Great Sundering, when Malekith’s civil war and the terrible magics it unleashed, had shattered Ulthuan’s coast and, after unnumbered battles and losses, finally sent his kindred fleeing into exile across the northern sea. In the millenium since that catastrophe, that bloody civil war had never really ended. It ebbed and flowed, like the tides below him, but it could not truly end until the Dread King Malekith and his pitiless servants were destroyed. Malekith’s great power would not be broken in this campaign, but on Tor Helethion, Prince Ithilas, Arch Mage Aelairon, Aelhara, and all, must now play their part in thwarting it.

*****   

 

 

 

American Civil War - Longstreet mini-campaign

Through the spring months we decided to get out our ACW armies, which haven't seen much tabletop action in while, and play some Longstreet. The rule's campaign of 9 games seemed a bit much to commit to, so we cut it down to 5 games, enough to scratch the itch, use the models, but not too long, so we can get back to some Naps, with a new campaign planned in the summer. 

I would take my union brigade, led by the inept(brilliant) General D J Strump (the finest brigade in the world, anyone saying otherwise is false news, he's 'making the Union great again'). We broke out the Longstreet decks and got to it over 5 games, all below. 

1. Take the Farm

Generalismo Strump leads his fresh brigade into the attack against a reb held farm/mansion. The attack, to be cavalry round the right flank, was a none starter, it stumbled forwards, the reb cavalry won the first fight and then hammered the infantry, after the union cannonade did little. Solid win for the rebs, laughing behind their stone wall. 1-0 the Confederacy and 0-0 on Glory (Epic Points).

The brave boys in blue ready for the off, with cavalry attack round the right flank meant to do the damage, and infantry in a demonstration attack only.

Grey-bellies line the mansion's walls, and sit tight.

For glory! The infantry lines move up, as the cannons open up on the defenders behind their wall.

The cavalry never charged, being distracted by various enemy card plays and enemy cavalry coming to met them. The attack never got going. Strump claims victory despite this!

2. Hold the Forest

The rebs are on the attack now, with the union holding a forest tree-line. The plan is for a cavalry spoiling counter-attack, to mess up the reb advance, whilst the Strump's proud boys sit tight in cover. Boot's on the other foot this time.

Blue cavalry about to swing into action, first crossing the marsh ahead of them, under fire.

The high ground provides excellent defensive position on the union right.

More cavalry working their way forward to counter-attack.

Rebs stream on in march columns for speed. the threat of cavalry forced them to halt and reform.

Speeding by, the two cavalry regiments both try the same thing.

and are forced to reform to fight each other, a stalemate.

Reb infantry presses to the wood line in an big assault, but is held up, just.

Canister rips apart one reb unit and the wood line holds.

 The game resulted in narrow Union win, so 1-1 in games, but 3-1 in Glory to the Rebs.

3. Up the Hill

Winner gets to attack, so the union will try to dislodge the rebs from a big hill top. Trouble is, they have a lot of good cavalry, so planning is all around dealing with their predictable counter-attack, which came fast and hard on the union left and resulted in a very close run thing. 

Rebs have 2 hill tops, one strongly held, so just a demonstration attack here. The far hill is the objective, but that has all the reb cavalry to deal with first. So two phases of this battle, engage/break the cavalry then drive on up the hill.

The assault force, sheer weight of numbers might carry the objective.

Awaiting the reb cavalry, from out of that wood. Muskets and cannons trained, the union cavalry is outnumbered and outclassed. They'll do what they can to delay the enemy, for the gunners behind.

Reb guns can lend some harassing fire at long range.

The reb cavalry charge causes mayhem... but they are taking losses too.

The union line has swung through 90 to face the cavalry and hammer it hard with volleys. Now fully engaged, the others set off for the hill top objective at top speed.

Meanwhile, the demonstration attack keeps the rest of the reb infantry in place on the other hilltop. No assault is coming though.

The objective hill top, as the union boys make to the top and must surely take it to claim the day. One last charge. 

In a very close run thing, the reb cavalry, always the big threat today, did just enough damage before the hill top fell. They paid for it, but cavalry casualties bought them the narrowest of wins. 2-1 Rebs, and 5-2 in Glory, they are ahead (Strump denies this, he is winning, is always winning, he has never lost a battle). 

4. Across the Stream

Rebs back on the attack, with the ford scenario, and a stream to cross at various fording points. 

Union line the rocky fast-flowing stream, with marshy ground and big wood in the reb centre, to sneak up through.

Rebs charge two fording points and take heavy losses, but are sending the new recruits first, heartless.

The main ford is the scene of heavy close combat, bayonets in the stream. It's close, but the rebs fall back.

At the other ford, they are across, driving the union regiment back and over-running the guns. Victory is close.

Dismounted cavalry trade fire across the stream, and union gunners give them a whiff of grapeshot.

Union reinforcements are committed to counter the lost ford. The rebs are soon in retreat again. Victory slips away.

A bold effort by the rebs, but the union reinforcements seal up the damaging breakthrough and drove them back, the stream line is held and it's 2-2 in games won, but another close one. It's 6-3 in Glory though, but General Strump has influential friends (paid for of course) at the Washington newspapers. Headlines declare he has inflicted the greatest ever defeat on the Confederacy ('we won big, oh so big, bigger than you could believe', quotes say), and the corrupt journalists gain him 3 points of unearned Glory! It's 6-6, with 1 game to play. {This is a campaign special event card which came up}.

5. Take the Crossroads

Finale, and the union are back attacking, to take vital crossroads. With all to play for, can the attackers finally win one? Can Strump somehow earn his unwarranted reputation as the half-average commander?  Well, the definative answer was no. The union infantry attack her was cut to pieces, the infantry massacred en masse, as Strump threw men forwards and saw his lines crumble. Reb cannon fire and canister raked through them, their musketry, aided by well timed whithering volleys cards, then an exposed position card, saw the union brigade shattered in a decisive (one-sided) defensive win. But, with one grand (forlorn) bayonet charge, the union gain 1 point of Glory, making it 7-6. So, 3-2 in Reb wins, but 7-6 to the union in Glory (un)earned (by getting everybody killed, but Strump knows the papers will say differently tomorrow).

The union move up to assault the crossroads, but they are still getting most of their gun batteries into place.

The attack goes in anyway, no waiting for cannon fire to shoot them in, just go!

The rebs hold the crossroads, barely touched by the inept union assault. If this is victory, who knows what defeat looks like? Strump is promoted for his callous waste of men's lives (bravery)... and plans his run for public office after the war, safe in the delusion he whipped them rebs every time...

So, a narrow, and rather pyhrric, Union win, by 1 point of Glory, and not because of the fighting (the rebs won that), but because of the better PR. It doesn't sit right.

So, having not played Longstreet in a while, this series threw up some game issues - 5 straight defensive wins, 2 of them big ones, and the Epic points system (which we call Glory, as a better name), which felt off as the actual campaign victory conditions. 

The core game rules are great, we'll work up some fixes for the other bits. We are now house-ruling the use of cavalry for charges against the front of infantry (this is ACW, there are way too many as the rules stand). Our fix, cavalry just cannot declare a charge against the front of infantry units they do not outnumber. We are also making dismounted cavalry a bit better, so it gets used more like this, which is better for this period we feel. We like ACW cavalry more as mobile infantry. Atm, it all feels a bit Napoleonic, repeated crashing cavalry charges, dominating too much over the infantry rifled-musket duel. 

Anyway, fun had, itch scratched, time for some Naps (when the final units are painted). 

(Disclaimer, General D J Strump is a fictional character, any similarity to a real person is coincidental)