Brettonia vs Hardenburg - Warhammer

Kislev Crusade -home grown rules

The Bretonnian's have long had a wish to expand the faith of the Lady north to other lands of man, and the Kislevits were prime targets. A wave of pilgrims and other devotees sailed to the land of ice and snow in the bleak north to convert the natives from the faith of Ursun and the old gods. But they did not receive a fine welcome and were put to the sword as seditious foreigners. This insult to the Lady could not stand, and a force of crusaders was quickly mustered and set sail in great galleons to teach the barbarians that such conduct was not suited to the world of men. Earl Richard of Gisoreux and his brother, a knight of the grail led the expedition.

 The local kisvleite Knyaz had ridden out with his own bodyguard of winged lancers, called up some serfs and rallied the local tribes of Ungol horsemen to bulk out his army.    

We were using our rules for this game, with me M, lord of Bretonnia taking the forces of the Lady into battle!

  

Bretonnian Crusaders

• 18 knightly crusaders
• 25 faithful bowmen
• 2 valorous knights on winged horses
• Huebald marshal of the lists (chap in black and white)
• Earl Richard (red and white in the centre)
• Lord Beren defender of the grail and grail knight  

  

Local Knyaz's Forces  

• 14 winged lancers
• 15 Ungol horsemen
• 8 hussars
• 30 (less then keen) serfs
• Boyar on foot (leading serfs)
• Knyaz Alolzy Steel Foot (chap on bear)   

  

The bretonnian forces landed on the icy coast, then followed the fjord inland. The villages they came to were little more then fishing posts and did not welcome nor attack them, so they moved on vowing to find the lord of these lands and teach a lesson in courtesy. After some time of traveling like this they came near the end of the fjord and there they waited, not to keen on the idea of abandoning all hope of returning to the boats. The next day Huebald (marshal of the lists and defender of Earl Richard's borders) returned from a scouting with ill news. A large force of kislevites was marching their way with a great host of horse men.  

   

 Finding they were out numbered they put their backs to the icy waters of the fjord and faced the chill winds of north. Huebald took the left flank with a troop of bowmen, while the Earl took the centre with a group of his knights and bowmen and Beren held the right with the mainstay of their knights.  

The flying knights took the far flanks, reporting any sighting of the northmen.

The Kayaz was no fool and though he had a great number of men at his call, few were armored from head to toe full harness and plate as the crusaders he faced were, nor were they as well drilled.   

As the native force appeared out of the snow the wind fell and the snow blizzard, that had been blowing about fell with it, to show the full extent of the opponents armies. The Kislevites pressed forward, knowing the crusaders had a retinue of bowmen and did not want to get into a long range fight they would not answer. The light horse men scattered in front of the heavy lancers to cover them from the lines of bowmen, while the serfs got to a wall in the field and did't seem to want to approach the archers opposing them without it. The Bretonnians quickly sent there troops round to the right hoping to out flank the enemy.      

As the horde of horse men fell down on them the archers let loose a volley of arrows that cut down a whole troop of Ungols, before the lancers charged the knights and battle commenced! As they plunged forward a group of lancers pealed off to the side to hold off the outflanking knights while there companions dealt with the others. But the charge did not go as planned the Crusaders fought back most revengefully and none were cut down.       

One of the knights, mounted on his winged horse decided to sell his life dearly and hold off the serfs, and ploughed in the them, his steed tossing men aside though the massed serfs beat him back.

The knights then counter charged! Beren cutting down men on every side of him with his long sword while his men plunged into the lancers killing several of them.     

On the flank of  battle Richard led his knights to battle as a fierce fight sprang up in the small cops.  

The battle continued with the lancers and knights fighting this way and that as they swirled in desperate melee. The rest of the Ungols had fled from the archers who had sent volley after volley into their ranks.     

The knight mounted on his flying steed flew round into the side of the fight in the cops, his mount flinging horse and rider aside. Richard and his knights pushed back the lancers.

Earl Richard and Beren's efforts in the field pushed back the lancers sending them running, with the crusaders hot on there heals.

 Alolzy Steel Foot though was made of sterner stuff and mounted, in the way of the kislev kayazs on a great bear, led his hussars in a counter counter charge!   

Beren had led most of the knights off in pursuit of the lancers and the knights left behind had had enough fighting off the bodyguard and now being face by more horsemen fled!  

But Beren, joined by the flying one, returned sending the hussars running and caught and fought Alolzy, but he broke from the fight and charged the bowmen vowing that he would die with his sword in the enemy, he never made it. The bowmen turned and loosed a volley into him, his beloved bear fell to the ground full of arrows, but the Kayaz struggled up, and pausing only to take one last look as his proud mount breathed his last, charged on to the archers who unleashed another volley, before they rushed him with knives and daggers...

The kislev forces were in flight, serfs were fleeing as the lancers were pounding back through the snow with crusaders cutting them down as they went. But alas as the knights came to the fields they found the noble knight who had held the hordes of footmen at bay, dead by his mount, their blood covering the white snow where they had been hacked down by the massed host of serfs. But he had not died in vain, it would be a long time before the next Kayaz put devotees of the Lady to the sword and pilgrims would be able to wander freely in the lands north of the empire again...              

A Bretonnian Victory 

Skirmish on the plains of Gisoreux - Lion Rampant

Having landed in the Brettonian marches with a handful of riders from his tribe, Surtha Lenk, warrior of Slaanesh, champion of Tzeentch and sworn enemy of Sigvald the Magnificent, advanced across the marches and the mountains into the pleasant land of Brettonia. As he moved beastmen gathered around him and aided him as he overwhelmed small Brettonian outposts and garrissons. Reports reached the lords of Brettonia, but they could only speculate about why he had come, while every attempt to catch or stop him was foiled as his followers melted away into the forests and mountains. Finally they slipped into the great forest of Arden and dissapeared altogether.

Perhaps Lenk sought a grail relic, something of power which he could use against Sigvald, but what this object might be, or even if there was any object, was not known even by the men who followed him.

Forces

Bretonnian Knight's of Gisoreux

Earl Richard and household knights....mounted men at arms

Knight's of the realm....mounted men at arms

Richard's brother Raymond and Questing knights....dismounted men at arms

Earls men at arms....foot sarjeants

Town levy....bidowers

The Chaos Horde of Surtha Lenk

 Surtha Lenk and centigors....mounted sarjeants

Centigors....mounted sarjeants

Marauder horsemen....mounted sarjeants

Centigors....mounted yeomen

Marauder horsemen....mounted yeomen

Gor herd...fierce foot

On the out-skirts of the huge forest of Arden, a lone watch man hurridly lit the beacon on top of the small watch-tower he was charged with defending, as a huge horde of beastmen began to emerge from the forest in the early morning mist. The knights of Gisoreux, had seen the beacon and were riding out to bring to battle the chaos hordes on the plains of Gisoreux, and if possible kill their leader and stamp out his attacks once and for all.        

The beastmen hugely outnumbered the bretonnian knights, although Surtha Lenk had great trouble getting his disordered force to move out of the woods. The bretonnians quickly sent men to either flank and the centre.    

The beastmen at last managed to begin their advance. The peasant bowmen, who had taken up position in the watch tower, started to send hails of arrows at the horsemen to keep them at bay, killing one of the riders.  

Then with sudden swiftness the bestmen launched their attack. 

A group of centigors charged at the band of questing knights, catching them off guard, they cornered, and killed two of the knights, before they had one of their own troop killed. 

 The questing knights, badly disordered, retired before the centigors who they had so badly underestimated. In the centre the men at arms formed a wall of shields and bills and held strong, hoping that the knights behind them would attack soon. 

It was then that the beastmen felt the awe striking charge of the Bretonnian knights. Earl Richard seeing the Gors rushing up the the flank of the shield wall, turned to his knights and crying "For Bretonnia and the Lady!", couched his lance and charged. The rest of the Questing knights followed suit.      

Earl Richard's household knights cut down four of the screaming Gors making them rush back not even killing one of the knights. The Questing knights of the other hand, though they had brought the centigors down to half their number, again lost two men and had to fall back. 

The bowmen that had held back two troops of horsemen fell back from the tower under a hail of javelins from the enemy. The men at arms in the centre were under pressure, and an attack seemed immanent. But the knights of the realm behind them refused to see any further then their lances, and made no move to aid them.          

Earl Richard continued his charge with full impetuousness, and slew all but four of the Gors, who ran before their knightly valour!     

Then Surtha lenk called his men to him, and in a warrior's fashion he went to kill the bretonnian lord himself. Charging into the Earl, but never one to sit and wait for the fight to come, to him, Richard counter charged! 

 But alas the centigors, lacking chivalry and any honour, charged them in the rear! Well what can you expect from beastmen!   

Although out numbered and fighting from all sides the knight's charge knew no bounds and not only did they defend themselves adequately, but so ferocious were they that they sent Surtha's best running to the woods!        

The Questing knights continued the fight with the centigors. Meanwhile The Earl pushed forward into the retiring Surtha lenk.

Killing all but the leader himself. 

The knights, having over run their charge, were hit in the rear by the nigh unstoppable centigors.  

All but the wounded Earl were killed, but having charged though five combats, they had done well.

   

The Earl and Surtha Lenk now stood looking at each other near the edge of the forest. No word passed between them they charged at each other! Crashing together in a furious battle, the mounted knight forsaking his lance in favour of his two handed mace, and the huge axe welding chaos leader. Surtha was beaten off by the Earl, who almost unconscious with blood loss was ridden into the forest by his horse.          

The three troops of chaos riders still menaced the left, fearing the ridged wall of pole arms, they thought it better to hurl javelins at them instead.     

Then when all seem lost for the Bretonnians, did Raymond, brother of the Earl, lead his only questing knight forward in the charge, calling the men at arms to him as he charged into the centigor troops that had formed up in front of him.    

    

The momentum of their charge was unstoppable, both units were sent flying by the Questing knights and the supporting men at arms. 

Seeing the charge of young Raymond now exposed to the flanking chaos horse men, the knights of the realm finally moved up into the battle. The chaos warriors charged with ear splitting war cries at the knights, who counter charged, smashed one troop, killing all but two!    

They then continued their charge into the other unit. The warrior commander told his men to evade, but they paused a moment too long in indecision, and where caught by the knights who destroyed them all!       

Surtha Lenk then rushed forward towards the Questing knights, the only knight left spurred onto the huge man, his lace was smashed aside and his horse hacked from under him. 

 But Raymond had thundered up to him, his great sword held above his head, and his battle cry on his lips! With a great sweep of his sword he brought the chaos lord to the ground!

  

With their leader down, and born from the field by his warriors, the last beastmen fled for their lives pursued by the victorious Bretonnians.  

The field was empty, save for the corpses, and one bloodied figure, being born away towards the woods. Surtha Lenk wounded and beaten but still alive left the battle ground...

A Clear Bretonnian Victory!    

The forces of chaos had been badly beaten and would now be mercilessly tracked down. All that was left for Lenk was to recooperate while he hid in the forest, before attempting to escape Brettonia and perhaps cause some carnage in their flight...

By M

Fire Forge Games Teutonic Knights

A few weeks ago I bought the Fire Forge Games Teutonic Knights.

 I got them partly to fill the high medieval period gap in "The combined brigand armies".

And partly because I was interested to see some fire forge miniatures and how they compared with other makes like  Warlord Games, Perry Miniatures and Games% Workshop. 

   These are some pictures of the horses, they all come barded. They are very similar to the GW breto%nnian warhorses, and all charging.       

The knights I have made, I was trying to make historical German knights of the late 12th century    

Knights with hand weapons. You get a huge amount of poses with this set.

Knights with lances. Glad to see they have a decent length too. 

One I painted up.

I gave him a mantel on his great helm by using kitchen roll and a perry orle to hold it in place. And a note just to say that close up the modelling on the mail is amazing.  

Some of the arm options. I want to stress that you get a massive amount of stuff in the box. Half of the shields have arms attached (like on the top right) and the other half have septate arms. The swords are a good size but the mace, morning star and axe are huge.
The double morning star I can't find any examples historically of, but you can cut one chain off to make it ok.        

Some of the left over great helms, which are based (except the middle one) on surviving examples. Perry weapons on the left to show how big the Fire Forge ones are.  

Out of the box axe, and cut down axe.

size comparison.

Helms and the plastic flags, pennants and cross you get to make standards.

Conclusion, I think it is a really great box. It would be great for any warhammer fantasy player to get for a bretonnian army, as the size of the weapons would not be a problem and the helms would be good too. Any one who has a warhammer spare bitz box could make them exactly the same as any GW models. And any one who wants some 12th century knights will get a great set, though will have to do a few little tweaks.
On the whole the box is better for a fantasy player, as you will get 12 models for £16 in box on ebay, instead of GW's 8 for about £20 or Que%s^ting knights 5 £40!!!!    

by M