This month's game at my local modelling club (it is essentially a place where people stand around looking at their model aircraft... however there are three of us who set up and play a wargame each month and it is always of the highest quality) was a Medievel skirmish using some rules from an old "red" battle something (no one can ever remember what it is) magazine.
The game was basically Richard the lion heart's return from the crusades. He and his knights and retinue wer coming out of the forest somewhere in northern France. Their mission was to cross the ford and contiue on down the road till they left the other side of the board. I was playing as the French forces in control of the village, and there was a force sent out by one of the local barons which was menat to be helping the king (however they were not above being bribed with the ransom of the king if we captred him).
My force deployed with in the confines of the vilage and consisted of De montfort and five other mounted knights, eight dismounted knights, two archers, seven yeomen and a peasant with a two handed sword. With this force I needed to fend of the Baron and capture the king.
Richard's force however consisted of himself on horseback together with three knights (one of whom took up the character of Ivanhoe), two dismounted knights, two archers (one of whom took up the character of Robin hood) and eight peasants.
The battle opened up with Richard and his knights making a dash across the ford and round the ruined castle. However this left my knights open to block up the ford, to forbid the others crossing. I then ran in my greatswords man and two men at arms to follow Richard and they suceeded in killing one of his knights.
Then the Baron's men arrived. His force consisted of the Baron, two knights, seven peasants, 2 archers and a crossbowman. All of whom seemed to be especially slow, hardly moving anywhere, over the first few turns.
The King's retinue thn tried to push across the ford, engaging the French nobility in melee, and managing to un horse one of the French men and beat his brains out.
Richard and his Knights then made a quick dash round the castle, but they had been pursued by de montfort and one of his templars. Further round as well the men at arms and yeomen were heading to cut Richard's route off. Th melee was still going on over the ford and the French knights were now in their element, hacking at the peasantry with their lances and swords and sending many to float down the river.
Richard was now quite trapped with Montfort and his Knight bearing down on the king's rear, and spearing one of the king's guard through the back. To the path ahead of him as well the Men at arms were emerging to block the King's path. Back in the Ford the Frenchmen had carved the king's retinue down to half its size, but they had lost anotherone of their number to the king's yeomen
Richard was left with no other option than to turn with Ivanhoe and engage de montfort and his knight in single combat, lest they be overwhelmed by the French men at arms and yeomen. But the knights were well matched and could not brake each other easily.
By now the Baron and his knights had found the courage (and the motivation) to charge, and came crashing down in the rear of the French Yeomen, but the baron's own Yeomen were still slowly advancing along the road in what appeared to be a schiltron. The Baron's knights did awfully well, and managed to kill two of the peasants and sent the rest running for the hills.
With the combat between de montfort and the king still going on three of the men at arms were dispatched to help out their lord, whilst the other leaped over the hedge to engage the baron and his men. By ow as well the King's retinue had wiped out the french nobility and were crossing the ford in safety.
It was then that hope left the French as king Richard struck down de montfort and his retinue began to close in on Ivanhoe's opponent as well, the three men at arms behind the king now realised they could never catch him. The baron's yeomen then began to make a defensive fomation behind a hedge, a very fishy move that left the king in doubht and the baron on his own against the Frecnh men at arms.
With a final clash the remaining Templar had been slain by the combined efforts of the king and Ivanhoe, and they were now riding for the road. Meanwhile the three french knights began to run for the road as well, intent on heading off the king. But by now I had changed my tactic with the French forces and the French archers opened fire on Richard aiming to kill, but although they hit him his armour was to tough for their missiles. Over the hedge the Baron and his knights were battling hard against their dismounted Frankish counter parts, but neither side seemed to be making an impression on the other.
The French were fighting like men possessed. By now the archers had leaped from their fortress and had began to chase Richard and Ivanhoe, shooting their arrows as they pursued. The baron was fighting all the harder now, having seen one of his knights dragged off his horse by a Frenchman. His yeomen meanwhile were still lagging behind, maintaining their formation as they climbed over the hedge in their way.
The English coerls were now closing in one the remaining six Frenchmen. Having struck down the archers, it looked finished for the French. The king was free to ride down the road and away, and with the arrival of the Baron's men they would soon be overwhelmed.. or would they.
The king was now well out of reach of the dismounted frenchmen, and could now easily ride down the road with the faithful Ivanhoe and on to England, by now also the Baron's yeomen had joined the frey with their master.
And with that the game finished. There were but four Frenchmen left by the end, however The baron's men were much depleted and the remainig Franks were throwing off and slaying all before them!
But the King had escaped and the village would soon be burning as the baron's looting began.
All in all a very good battle. Normally I am not a fan of 54mm games as people take the liberty to treat them as they would 28mm as well as cutting down on painting quality. However in a medievel setting, with a skirmish game type and good rules (and very well painted models) it happened to be very fun. As always happens at a good wargaming club (well one that dosn't "just" play warhammer or other such games, ie: flames of war, DBM, Malifaux etc) it dosn't matter wether you win or lose everyone has fun and in the end no one really cares either.
Next month ACW (american civil war) either 15mm fire and fury or 28mm brother against brother (in which case expect to see my Confederate Zouaves battling it out)
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