The Battle of Lecinena

A fictitious battle of December 23rd, 1808 during the peninsular campaign. Two Brigades of French men and Bavarians under General Jean-Antoine Verdier, Brigadier Raymond Dubreton and Colonel Ludwig von Brandenburg have been sent south fresh from France to join the other French and Polish forces besieging the Spanish stronghold of Saragossa. However on their march down along the Saragossa road they are confronted by a Brigade of Englishmen and Scots entrenched in the town of Lecinena.

After our last game of black powder all those Tuesdays ago, my Napoleonic opponent had decided to get himself some Italeri Redcoats and highlanders for black powder. Thirty emails later and we had our armylists up and ready for what promised to be a great battle. The idea was that the French were heading to the second siege of Saragossa when they had been faced with the British held village of Lecinena. The British force was outnumbered three to two but they had the advantage of being deployed inside or in front of the building complex.

The models are a mixture of Italeri and Airfix (my general is front rank actually), the buildings are airfix and the ruins and rocks are citadel. We were using Black powder rules, which I have to say are by far the best for the 1700- 1914 period.

The British order of Battle

General cuts

Brigadier Fitsmashel

Brigadier sir Geoffrey Barck

54^th west Norfolk Regiment (1 company)

65^th (2^nd Yorkshire North Riding) Regiment (1 company)

42^nd Highland (black watch) Regiment (2 companies)

Hanoverian skirmishers (1 section)

The Royal artillery (1 cannon)

The French order of Battle

General Jean-Antoine Verdier. The hero of the successful first siege of Saragossa, Jean has now returned to aid General Bon-Adrien Jeannot de Moncey in his second siege of the Spanish city.

Brigadier Raymond Dubreton

Colonel Ludwig von Brandenburg. A Prussian member of Napoleon's staff and veteran of the wars of Bavarian succession, Austrian succession, the Jacobite rebellion, the seven years war, the American war of Independence and the wars of first, second and third coalitions, Ludwig is now approaching his 81st Birthday.

Old guard chasseurs (2 companies)

1^st company, 8^th fusiliers (1 company)

4^th company, 8^th fusiliers (1 company)

Bavarian Landwehr (1 company)

Regimental Artillery Company (3 cannons)

 The British stood strong and resolute in front of the town of Lecinena, two companies of the 42nd arranged in attack column and  one company of the 65th arranged in Line with their Brigadier, sir Geoffrey, strutting up and down behind them along the front of Lecinena's walls.

 To the North the East they could see the French and Bavarians coming on in their characteristic massed attack columns, supported by three atillery pieces. The German Landwehr took made up the centre of the French line with the 1st and 4th companies of the 8th Fusilier regiment to their flanks and the Old guard to the flanks of them.

 As the French were still arranging their formations the hotheaded highlanders, with fixed bayonets, charged headlong for the French right. Their orders from Brigadier Fitsmashel had been to advance, but they threw themselves forward at double pace. However unluckily for the plucky Scots their charge did not quite make the ranks of the French, who were aiming their muskets in await for the order to fire.

The French line then broke ranks as it advanced on Lecinena. The left flank rushed towards the town gates, with the 1st company of Fusiliers charging straight into the 65th Yorkshires whilst the Old guard marched on the town gates. Colonel Von Brandenburg then sent the order for the 4th to form a line in the face of the highland charge, the French artillery then manoeuvred to face the highlanders using the line for cover. After all this had been done the Old guard counter charged straight into one of the highlander companies.
The French then opened up on the highlanders. The line opened fire and was followed by a close range bombardment from the French artillery before the very last breath less highlanders were cut down by the Bavarian muskets. The black watch centre company had been cut down to a man by the massed fire from the French. However the flank company struck out at the old guard in combat and shook their spirit, but these veterans of the very finest battles of France's history would not be broken that easily and being reminded of this by their resolute general as they fled; the guard reformed themselves behind the fusilier line.

 Things were not looking good for the British Garrison as the Old guard finally broke down the town gates and thundered in to the courtyard to come face to face with General Cuts who was sitting on his horse. But these guardsmen were alone and the 42nd seemed to have done a good job of holding up the rest of the French line.
The 65th Yorks were also doing spiffingly, as they shook the morale of the 1st fusilier company to only light casualties. Behind them Sir Geoffrey stood, his upper lip as stiff as ever.

One of Fitsmashel's, incredibly incompetent, aide de camps was then dispatched to the remaining highlanders. The foolish man seemed to have the idea that the 42nd had been ordered to make a complicated flanking action rather than charge the French fusiliers as Fitsmashel had intended, so not wanting to disobey orders the Highlander attack column went marching off northerly.
One of the French guns then fired off at an incredibly close range into the highland flank, and the brave Scots went running for the hills.
Seeing that the Old guard would now be marching straight for a fortified artillery position, Von Brandenburg decided to grace the veterans with his presence on their march towards the guns, so hurling himself right into danger's way the Prussian joined their ranks.
However to contrast such courage as this was some much less plucky Germans in the form of the Bavarian Landwehr who simply refused to march any closer to the Town walls, even with the threats of court marshal being yelled out by Verdier. The French artillery seemed to be following the example of the Bavarians and had started to sit down on and around their guns and light their pipes and unwrap their lunch much to the fury of Brigadier Dubreton!
But in the face of this subordination the old guard were standing bravely in the Lecinena courtyard, taking the shots from the Redcoats like men and waiting for the orders from the Brigadier that would never come (he was far to busy yelling his head off at the artillery crews!).

 It wasn't long for the lack of support from the Artillery and Bavarians started to show and the 1st company of Fusiliers fled the field after a spirited attempt to brake the Yorkshire men, who had put up  an equally vigorous resistance in the face of the stronger opponent! The 54th Norfolk and the Hanoverians then opened up with all muskets blazing on the old guardsmen arrayed as though for parade in the courtyard of Lecinena. But the Guards stood and took the casualties like men.
This fusillade was followed by some equally vigorous fire from the royal artillery and the remaining Norfolkmen upon the other old guard, which shook their spirit considerably, but under the inspiring presence of the Colonel they kept up their march!

Raymond Dubreton then drew his sword and started beating at the crewmen with the flat of it! They hurriedly put out their pipes and packed away their lunch under the encouraging whacks from their Brigadier, before manhandling their artillery into forward positions. However General Verdier was still not having much luck with the Landwehr as some of them started to unpack their baggage and soon a vague chattering started up amongst the ranks.
The 4th company then formed a line and advanced to within a couple of metres of the redcoats, before opening fire all along the line with supporting bombardment from the French artillery. Once the smoke cleared every last Yorkshire man could be seen dead on the ground with Sir Barck standing pinned against the wall, facing off on his own against the French firing line.

Having been severely shaken by the Royal artillery's firing colonel Ludwig advanced towards Lecinena and called out "rally to me!", at this command the old guard formed up around the Prussian and he made his inspiring speech about French supremacy, the American war of Independence and Austerlitz which greatly cheered them.

 Seeing the French fusiliers fixing their bayonets Sir Geoffrey darted for the town gates, but as he dived through them there was a sudden blast of musket fire and the final old guardsmen (whom he had almost fallen over in his hurry to reach safety) fell to the floor, the entire comany slaughtered to a man.
He then quickly darted inside the nearest building at the very moment that the French fusiliers broke in, some men charging through the gates while others hurled themselves over the town walls into the courtyard where they opened fire on the Hanoverian skirmishers in their position.
The Bavarians now got up and advanced on the town, moving up to the wall of the building where the Norfolkmen were sheltering and firing their muskets in through the windows. Beside them the old guard, with Ludwig in their ranks, moved up to the wall and began to shoot on the artillery but the crewmen continued loading even under such close fire and with one last blast of their cannon they broke the spirit of the old guard and no matter how many stories about the american war of independence Ludwig could remember they would not return to the fight.

 This was the tipping point and as the Norfolk men and Hanoverians prepared themselves for the clash. The French men and Bavarians were fixing bayonets, the order to charge was given. General Verdier lept into the frey followed by Brigadier Dubreton, the two commander's were willing to risk their lives in the melee at this stage as they knew that their men would not continue the assualt on Lecinena if they did not shift the British with this last charge... and truth to tell they didn't. The Bavarians broke on the Norfolk men and fled the field followed by Verdier, while the Fusiliers retired in good order much dispirited at their failure to dislodge the Hanoverian skirmishers.

 Verdier went back Eastwards to the hills and marched North before arriving at Saragossa on the 1st of March, almost a week after the French had taken the city.

The British stand at Lecinena was a brave and triumphant one and it delayed the course of the siege for a month or two, however the city fell and its defeated Spaniard defenders were evicted by the French.

(this is all fictitious)

It was a great game, it definitely looked brilliant especially as we just played it on a small table in the sports centre cafe! What a difference three trees two clumps of rocks and a farm house make to a table.

We had both put in a great amount of work on our forces (my apologies for the unpainted Yorkshire men, Hanoverians, half the highlanders and Royal Artillerymen, they were from my own collection and I had not had time to paint them before this game. My opponet had put in a great deal of work on his own collection however) and they looked great.

Look out for more black powder and Napoleonic games!

The road to Flanders

This is another game from my local club. Those of you who read our previous exploits(http://warformiddleearth.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/return-of-king-that-is-to-say-richard-i.html) will remember that I said we were doing 28mm ACW... well owing to a broken down car this was not happening, so one of the others turned up with 10mm WWII. I have little knowledge of this period and I don't really have much wish to gain any more (The political situation is quite interesting however), but it is a popular wargaming period (I can't see quite how, as it is quite unlike any other period of wargaming) and the games always look brilliant laid out (my camera does not do this game justice as it was really a very impressive layout and the flash rather obscured the 10mm models).

I took the British force (not something I usually do). Our force of six shermans, thirty four infantry, two MGs, three anti tank guns and two OPs (controlling four off board 25mms) plus a large array of jeeps and other transports was tasked with holding the road and stopping the germans leaving the table edge behind them. The german force (an armour company) consisted of three panzers, three challengers, six halftracks, six transport vehicles and two OPs.
We used rapid fire rules with halved measurements

I had Ten Infantrymen positioned inside the small village with their truck as a forward outpost. In the church chapel and also on the hill nearby there were two OPs with their jeeps. I started off the game by moving the infantry from the village to form a road block directly in front of the German advance.
The OP on the hill then set off, with his jeep and the Picket's transport truck, for the British head quaters. He made quite good speed along the Flanders road and would be able to direct the 25mms from the headquaters should the church fall.

 I then began to send my other forces forward. There wasa barbed wire blockade over the road near the British position and I dispatched three shermans and ten infantry to secure this position. To the north my other three shermans and ten more of my infantrymen set off to make sure the Panzers didn't try to escape by crossing the clearing.

 I looked in a strong position, but as I have already stated WWII wargaming is quite unlike any other. Large, strong looking blocks of infantry can be cut down in minutes and tanks do little damage to each other.

 My OP was almost home, and not a moment to soon as the Tanks began to open fire on the picket in the village taking down four men. However the picket then opened fire... but as stated before their is little their rifles can do and they only managed to take down the German OP, getting a lucky shot at the engine of his staff car. Our 25mm then opened fire on the German tanks but all the artillery shots missed.
My Shermans were nearly all in their positions, hidden in clumps of trees at the strategic spots.

 The German force had not got far as the clock ticked on. The picket sort of seemed to be proving its use in slowing the German assualt.

But It was not to last as the German tanks opened fire on the church tower. They managed to blow it and the OP inside sky high before letting bringing down a bombardment on the village, blowing out all of the picket. However not before the picket fired on one of the half tracks, getting another lucky shot and blowing it and the infantry inside sky high!

The German halftracks then began to advance over the hill behind the village and into the clearing. I was advised not to open fire at that range however and held my fire only to have  one of my sherman's blown out by the Germans.
Having held off the Tanks from making much progress along the road and the other Germans from making it across the clearing in time.
I had to go early from this game but I was told that I had probably held them off long enough to prevent them leaving the board in time. I say "I was told" because I really have no idea with this kind of wargaming!

Exploration of Mortalis: expedition 2

Hector was by now searching the hulk again. More men had been dispatched from the other ships surrounding the hulk, but the Tau and Kryptmann there was no sign of. Hector could not quite see how Kryptmann could have survived the structural collapse of the other half of the hulk, or the swarms of tyranids, but he must recover the body anyway.

It was time for a re-match. This time we chose our characters with more care (if we could), however the store's staff controlled tyranids got to control more and less was left to chance. Hopefully we could do better than we did last time a  second time round... however with people swapping fighting ability for psykers that was doubhtful (I am notorious for my hatred of these wanna be wizards).
I had swapped my incredibly bad (though technically he did win the game) Inquisitor for a Dark eldar archon (the notorious mr.chuckles http://warformiddleearth.blogspot.co.uk/2011/12/battle-for-spongia-ix.html) with ghostplate armour, huskblade (power weapon instant death, nic for killing tervigons!), shadow field (2+ invunerable save) and combat drugs (re-roll to wound).
My tale of two gamers partner kept Hector with the same profile however (i must admit that the model is awesome).

The game only really got started by turn three with Mr chuckles and the chaos chaplain charging straight for the large hordes of Gaunts, followed close behind by the wolf lord and Hector with the Ork warboss and the two psykers lurking at the rear. By now the zoanthrope was already here and three waves of Tyranids were swarming up the corridor towards my incredibly squishy dark eldar and the much harder chaos lord in terminator armour.

We seemed to be making good ground as Mr.chuckles beat back waves and waves of the gaunts, making for the Tervigon. The Terminato lord was heading towards the Zoanthrope and Hector (no doubht trying to find Kryptmann) was pushing his way into the front lines. The blood angel librarian then started slinking off to the back (cowardly marine!)... heading the way he had come.

Archon Chuckles was doing amazingly well, he was just a pace away from the Tervigon, much much further forwards then we had got last time. By now the Chaos lord had fallen under a wave of tyranid shooting and swarming and Hector was pinned against a wall and surrounded by gaunts, the wolf lord and Ork warboss were now holidng the line.
Mr chuckles had by now taken a large wave of tyranid shots which managed to brake his shadow field, but the "hive mind" (game master/tyranid player) said he had killed soem many gaunts by now that he was allowed his "feel no pain" save from "power from pain" and so he unbelievably stayed standing.

This was a rather comic moment when the staff member (who was playing the tyranid hive mind) called out "Who wants to be shot" and Hector called out "me" (As you can probably tell he didn't really mean it). And with a cry of "Bang" every single one of the termagaunts opened up on the inquisitor. It goes without saying that this downed him and left Mr chuckles stranded a man's width away from plunging a Huskblade into the Tervigon! But he had to content his thirst for pain by hacking up a few Gaunts.
The zoan thrope then Psyked out the warboss and thw orks' head exploded. The wolf lord then lept into combat with the Psychic Nid, taking a wound and inflicting none.

With nothing left for them to shoot at the Tyranids turned all their shooting on Mr.Chuckles (whom they seemed to have been ignoring up untill now... that is to say until he was raising a huskblade above the tervigon's head). He took but one wound from the lot... but it was enough to kill him (don't worry we will recover one of his eyelashes and re-grow him).

The zoanthrope then took out the wolf lord and with that the two psykers were left on their own to perish....

A very good re-match and I have to say it was fun. My Archon did so much damage and almost managed to take down the Tervigon. He lasted amazingly long for such a weak character and struck out alone... it seemed to be a thing of these games that the weakest character (Archon and battlesuit) seemed to do the best and get the furthest

Hector looked out from his ship at the space hulk floating out at space. No doubht the blood angels would send a large battle force to wipe out the tyranid menace on board the ship as revenge for their men lost aboard it... but Hector's mission would still continue. Kryptmann had escaped with the tau and would be threatening Imperial systems again soon.

Exploration of Mortalis: expedition 1

Ordo Hereticus Inquisitor Hector walked along the dark unlit corridors of the abandoned space hulk. He was on the trail of the wanted ordo Xenos inqusitor Kryptmann who had gone rogue after he had been stripped of his rank for the destruction of two imperial hive worlds. Kryptmann had claimed that these worlds were infested with Genestealer broods and that he had killed the few to save the many. But he was still a wanted man. For a long time now he had been gathering a force of like minded renegades (you must of course understand that they were not chaos cultists and dispised chaos as much as the emperor).

Now Hector together with the two space marines, a blood angel and a space wolf, dispatched to help him were creeping through the unexplored reaches of this space hulk for the heretic inquisitor.

Hector turned teh corner. He was immediatly confronted with Kryptmann and a Tau battlesuit. He let off a blast from his inferno pistol before whipping his force sword out and striking out againt Kryptmann, but both these attacks were blocked by the battlesuit and it let rip with its rifles, pinning the two space marines to the floor. A massive ork warboss, who had been hiding in the shadows then picked the two inquisitors up and rapped their hats down over their heads. "Now den! Dets get down to da real buisness!" growled the ork.

The story behind this game was that Tervigon had lodged it self in the control room of an abandoned space hulk. It was breeding like crazy and endangering the neraby space system.
A small force of commanders from the different races had got together and were planning  to storm and kill the Tervigon.
We played our game on the zone mortalis board from forgeworld, which one of the staff at my local games workshop store had purchased. We could each take a hero worth up to 150pts and eight heroes objective was to kill the Tervigon. Unforntunatly somewhere around the zone there was a Zoanthrope lurking to catch us as well. With the tervigon generating 2D6 termagaunts a turn and practically anything being possible it was set for a very fun and exciting game.

 Thegame opened up with the Battlesuit and Ork warboss spearheading the way to the Tervigon followed by the wolf lord. However the Blood angel wandered off towards one of the outside doors and almost set the cabin off to decompress, but instead he only released four termagaunts, which bogged him down for a good four rounds of combat. The two inquisitors on the other hand, hung back out of shooting sight from the gaunt swarms heading along the corridor.
But it turned out that our boys were quicker and in an inquisitor approved formation; the Xenos as the meat shield with the space marines to back them up and us two inquisitors (Hector was played by my tale of two gamers buddy) at the rear out of sight to come in at the end and force sword the Tervigon.
We just hoped that with all those gaunts kicking around we could kill enough to actually make some progress in advancing towards the tervigon!

Then teh hive mind dispatched a small band of four Termagaunts to deal with the inquisitors. But it only really distracted the inquisitors as with two rounds of combat the inquisitors had reduced the gaunts to chopped up limbs.
By now the Zoanthrope had arrived and us inqusitors were rather anxious not to get in its way (especially as hector was on one woudn from a round of gaunts shooting at him), though we did want to stick a force sword up it).
For a Tau the battle suit had been having remarkably good rounds of combat with that big shield of his, and had totted up quite a few tens of dead gaunts by now (with its shooting and combat ability it was killing around three or four gaunts a turn). However the xeons fighters were getting badly damaged as tehy took the brunt of the tyranid wave.

With an almighty crash the ork warboss was downed and the badly woudned wolf lord was forced to take his place in the front of the line along side the battle suit. With our inquisitors settling down to hide from the zoan thrope again a great supise greeted everyone. It was a late comer, more specifically a chaos lord in terminator armour! Just what we needed. However us two inquisitors seriously discussed putting a force sword or two in his back as not only was he a worshipper of chaos but he looked suspiciously like a chaplain...

It wasn't long before the wolf lord fell, and not long after him till it was the brave tau battlesuit's (whom had travelled here with Kryptmann) turn. This was a sad afair and the fall of the battle suit sealed our fate. The blood angel and chaos chaplain of khorne (?!*) then got charged and became the unwilling front line. The foolhardy Hector (on one wound) also surged forward to help hold the line, and Kryptmann (my iquisitor) took his chance to make a get away. My plan was to back onto the single tile width strip where I could fight the tyranids one at a time on my own terms!

The Blood angel and Hector quickly fell (with Hector teleporting himself back into his ship outside the abandoned hulk). Kryptmann had finally got onto the bridge and was waiting for the tyranids round the corner to reach him.

The chaos lord quickly fell under a swarm of gaunts and gaunt shooting... but then the tervigon went crashing through the wall onto the bridge where Kryptmann (the last of the company) stood.

Aparently all the tyranids had always strikes first (including the initative 1 tervigon ?!*) and so the tervigon quickly beat him up... however just to see what Kryptmann would have done if he hadn't died I was aloud to make his force weapon attacks against teh great beast... and he killed it!

Kryptmann stood on the bridge with his sword drawn, he was ready to fight to the last but all of a sudden just behind him the wall buckled and the huge Tervigon burst through. He threw himself at it but with one mighty lash of it's head he was thrown bck off the bridge and into deep space... but all of a sudden he disapeared just then the Tervigon started to feel awfully quire and it collapsed over... DEAD! Kryptmann had teleported himself to the Tau battle ship that had brought him here but his sword had been displaced as he travelled through the warp and had reapeared inside the tervigon's head! He was now watching as part of the space hulk collapsed under the pressure rushing in from the hole in the wall. He was standing on the command deck of the tau battleship and knew that he would easily be out of reach before that witch hunter even realised he'd gone!

Fight for Osgiliath

You may recognise a variety of different things in this game. First of all there is the table, those of you who have been keeping up with the War of wattonford campaign will recognise this board as the gaming board from my local Games workshop store... so evidentally this game was played at my local Games workshop. The evil force was made up of my own (and infamously colourful) Khandish and easterlings and my freind's impressive mordor force lead by the mouth of Sauron (We really must do an article on this particular army as I really do love it!).

The game was an event put on at the store, but no one apart from us at Brigand gaming actually turned up.

This game was based around the assualt on the assualt of Osgiliath after Faramir had left it to its fate. A force of six Gondorian warbands was defending two of the four objectives, our forces then set up as close to the water as possible (representing the amphibious landings by the forecs of the dark lord as seen in the film). Both forces had the mission of securing the first two objectives before then trying to secure the rest... and as you've probably guessed the player with the most of Osgiliath won the game.

The forces were as follows...

Defenders of Osgiliath

Madril

Captain with heavy armour, shield and spear

6 knights of minas tirith

16 rangers with spears

8 warriors of minas tirith with shields

8  warriors of minas tirith with shields and spears

6 warriors of minas tirith with bows

avenger bolt thrower

Forces of the dark lord

Mouth of Sauron on horse

Keisumi, Khandish king in chariot

Kraalesh, spider queen

Khandish king

Rodragor, orc catain with shield

Beolf, Khandish chieftain on horse

5 morgul knights

6 black numenoreans

6 khandish cavalry

6 khandish warriors

8 easterling warriors with pikes and shields

10 easterling warriors with shields

charioteer

12 orcs with spears

3 orcs with shields

4 orcs with two handed weapons

4 orc treackers

orc siege bow

Our battle plan took off in full with the entire force of Khandish and morgul cavalry together with chariots, charging off up the hill to secure the high ground to threaten the gondorian phalanx. The easterlings with the king on foot then started to advancealong the hill side in a march column. The khandish warriors then took their turn and secured the forest objective. The mouth the moved his line straight towards the rangers in the forest, flanked by Kraalesh and a gang of orcs. The orc captain and four of his followers then struck out towards the phalanx.
The gondorians then swung their phalanx round to face the high ground before moving a bit of their line forwards. The shooting phase saw the rangers launch a devestating wave of arrows that knocked out two black numenoreans.

Our priority again saw the Khandish cavalry, protected by a screen of mogul knights, crest the top of the hill to face the gondorian archers who were skirishing out as a screen to the main phalanx. The Easterling column then began quick mraching round the hill, the plan was to form a phalanx bhind the cavalry and bear down on a cavalry flatenned gondorian phalanx. The mouth re-arranged his flank before adavancing further forwards, only to be confronted by a cavalry charge from the gondorians. However owing to the terrifying aura of the mouth and his numenoreans only two of the knights struck them and anotehr hit the orc captain.
The archery saw the rangers reduce the spider queen to but one wound while the bolt thrower took down just one of the khandish horsemen. Combat was but a stale mate and just one orc was slain.

Next turn saw priority given to the defenders, and they quickly marashalled their cavalry for an earth shaking charge against the mouth's line. They then charged their skirmishing archers into combat with the cavalry, denying the knights a lance charge, before moving their Phalanx back out of reach of an easterlingcharge. The easterlings proceeded to march forwards, still in ther rigid column, and the spider queen charged on a suicide mission into the rangers. The warriors of khand then struck out across the high ground to support the cavalry.
The shooting saw the bolt thrower open up a massive gap in the eaterling march column with three warriors down and making the formation look very untidy in the eyesw of a black powder general such as myself!
In the combat our cavalry took down a pitiful (clearly lances make the difference) two of the archers. It was going slowly and the plan was not looking quite as good as it had before. The spider queen managed to throw off here ranger adversaries and strike dow a good few of them!
The mouth's men struck down one of the gondorian horsemen but took one numenorean and an Orc spearman as casualties.

With the morgul and Khandish cavalry falling on the skirmishing archers in force the Captain of Osgiliath took the chance to move his phalanx back up to the front. The Easterling march column then began to form into a Phalanx formation to confront the Gondorian infantry. The cavalry easily trumped over the archers this turn and would be falling on the bolt thrower implacement and the phalanx flank in force next turn.

Madril and his rangers counter fired at the orc trackers and took down two of them, however the spider queen continued to throw off her ranger opponents and strike even more down. The Gondorian horse fell back and re-charged the mouth's dwindeling line. The black numenorean's held the line against the cavalry charge with tehir strong shields, cutting down one of the horse... however one of the knights levelled his lance at the mouth and caught him square in the face, unhorsing him before stricking him down on the ground. Another of the riders also through down a tracker.

The Phalanxes clashed in a bitter hoplomachic clash, with the three deep easterling phalanx bearing down on the two deep gondorian one. The captain of osgiliath and a small band of his warriors took on Kiesumi and the flanking morgul knights, hoping to hold them off the dwindeling phalanx's flanks.
It was built up for a bloody clash but actually it was a much less dramatic afair and only a few easterlings and gondorians fell in the melee.
The Khandish horsemen lead by Beolf had left the chariots and easterlings to deal with the warriors, and were themselves riding for the ruin objective to have some pot shots at the bolt thrower crew and contest it.

With all the archers down and the Khandish horse and warriors trying to dislodge the bolt thower, thing were going well for the Easterlings and men of khand. The gondorian Phalanx was buckling under the charging morgul knights and had taken two casualties from forces of the east, however they had dispatched the khandish king on foot and one of the morgul knights.

With the spider queen now breeding swarms of broodlings for all she was worth Madril decided to quit messing around and actually dislodge the five orcs from the ruined building. The knights continued their firece struggle to brake the black numenorean line and their outrider (whom had struck out for the khandish held woods, only to be intercepted by Rodragor) was finally struck down by the orcs, eliminating all chance that the gondorians would secure those woods.

The spider queen and her brood had by now driven all but one ranger out from the other clump of trees and she the remaining spiders were making light work of the men, helped by a shot from the siege bow that pinned a ranger to a tree. Madril and two of his men then lead an assualt on the ruined building they beat back the orcs and struck down one of them.
By now the cavalry charg had all but fizzled out and only one horseman and a ranger stood against the much diminished forces of the mouth of Sauron and with teh fury of men fighting to the last they beat back their opponents killing all the remaining black numenoreans and knocking an orc to the ground.

With the captain of Osgiliath struck down by the khandish king the thin line of silver began to close in around their standard as the whole weight of the eastern cavalry and phalanx men fell against them tacking down all but five and the standard.

The left flank had turned into a chaotic brawl by now as five rangers, Madril and a ranger fought for control of the objectives against ten orcs, the spider queen and her broods. It was obvious now that this flank was going to be an indecisive stalemate.

The Bolt thrower had by now lost a crew to the poor shooting of the khandish horse and the remains of the gondorian "Phalanx" had buckled in on themselves, all hope for their survival against such odds lost.

But with that the game was ended. Gandalf had arrived with the horsemen of gondor to carry the body of Faramir and the rest of his wounded comrades back to the city of minas tirith, leaving the ruins of Osgiliath to the mercy of the Easterlings and the other servants of the dark lord.

The ruin was held by no one as it was contested by just one ranger against eight orc warriors whom had cut and slashed their way through Madril (He was actualy taken down by the spider queen) and the ranger's other comrades, but this plucky little fella  held off all attackers!

Rodragor and Kraalesh, togeteher with the broods and an orc were also held off domination of the woods by just one Ranger and his trusty spear! But the spider queen had done much more damaged than could have been imagined with just one wound to his name.

The other ruins were also contested as the two bolt thrower crewmen held the ruin against the host of Khandish men, who had failed time and time again to dislodge the warriors from the vantage point on the ledge.

However the other forest remained strongly in Khandish hands. The two warriros had by now started cutting down trees for fire wood, carving rude messages in the trunks and smoking their pipes between blows. Victory was the dark lord's and their was nothing the men of Osgiliath could do but fall back to minas tirith. Now the host of morgul could cross the river and would soon be besieging the white tower of guard.

A very fun game with my tale of two gamers partner, its not often that we get to have a game where we fight on the same side against a common foe. A great game against the store manager (who is always a good sport) and a memorable one to.