By Way of a Trial...

...we played a small game today in GHQ using Version 1 of Phil’s modifications to Neil Thomas’ Ancient and Medieval Wargames rules, entitled Warfare in the Age of Arthur! We used bases from my own Late Roman collection, counting each single base as three for game purposes. This is marked by the red dice you see with every unit. Each side had a General and a Noble Sub-Commander who can join in combat, adding dice to the total, but who may then suffer wounds or even die! Such events reduce the force morale as does the loss of each unit after all three bases are ‘killed’. These character bases also have command radii, meaning that a force which looses its cohesion, that is has units beyond the immediate control of the command characters, find it harder to move. Movement is by modified numbers of Dx6 and fighting/firing and saving throws are as per the rules as written.
The first picture shows the Saxon Force after Turn 1. They consist of one base of Hearth Guard, four bases of Warriors and one base of skirmishers with bows.

The second picture shows the Romans after Turn 1. They muster one base of Roman Remnants, two bases of Warriors, two bases of Militia and one of skirmishers with bows. The Arthurian general is Mounted and thus enjoys a Dx6 movement bonas over the Foot characters/Commanders.

The Third picture taken later in the game centres on combat between the Saxon Hearth Guard and the Roman Remnants. The Arthurian General has joined the Combat, adding three Dx6 to the units own three Dx6. This negates the Saxons own bonus in the first round of combat, as they get an extra dice per base in that round only. So, six dice for each side. In subsequent rounds the Arthurian enjoy six dice to the Hearth Guards three, unless a Saxon Character/Commander joins the combat.

In the game the Roman Remnants defeated the Saxon Hearth Guard but were in turn attacked by a unit of Saxon Warriors and so we’re unable to exploit their initial success. Elsewhere another group of Warriors defeated the Militia and killed the Noble Character. Skirmish bow fire proved largely ineffective due to poor dice throws on both sides, the Arthurian going four turns without a single hit!

The last picture shows the battle at its height with the Saxon Warriors holding the advantage on a wide front, the yellow dice showing bases lost in Arthurian units as well as losses to remaining bases, clearly three to the nearest Arthurian unit.

In all the game lasted a little under two hours with the adaptions and additions mostly securing our joint approval. Near the end losses of units on both sides and wounds inflicted on Character/Commanders had reduced both sides Force Morale to 2 - from 8 for the Saxons and 6 for the Arthurians. With the result in the balance the death of the Arthurian Noble Character in combat with Saxon Warriors saw victory handed to the battered Saxons.

We shall have a second run through next Monday over at Phil’s all being well. The Force Morale by the way we lifted from the Two Fat Lardies’ Dux Brittaniarum rules. We shall add some pre battle additional factors next year when our campaign at Phil’s gets underway, drawn in the main from the ideas in Lion Rampant. Our hybrid rules will naturally evolve, indeed I doubt Phil will ever stop tinkering! Now, for me it’s back to Mutton Chop 1938 British infantry and for Phil to rebasing more Saxons and Romans for next week!