Testing Siege Rules

In preparation for a campaign, I tested out siege rules that I have written to go with Flower of Chivalry.

Flower of Chivalry, published eons ago by the Canadian Wargames Group, are a simple yet flavoursome set... in my opinion anyway.  My slightly amended version of these are what will be used for field battles.  These, with my siege adaptations will also be used to assaults castles.  It just made sense to use the same base for both types of battles.

The attackers are making their approach.  Off picture are two trebuchets that are pounding the walls.

In keeping with Flower of Chivalry, the loser is the first side to reach zero on the Army Morale countdown.  The defenders can also lose if two of their units are driven off the table edge within a certain time limit.  This represents the poor fellows dispersing to escape the possible mayhem and murder wrought by the attackers.

The missing wall sections represent breaches.  knights are pouring in.  On the left, men at arms are assaulting the walls via a siege tower.  Doesn't look good for the defenders!

The defenders' Army Morale was driven down to zero at the point where their second unit was driven off the table.  The castle is captured and the population put to the blade!

As you can see I used my 2mm figures to enact this siege.  The figures are from Irregular2mm and the castle, towers and walls from Brigade Models.  

After thoughts

I got a lot out of this, both as rule writer and player.

As a player, the attacker could use more ladders (I only gave one unit ladders and they got beaten back!).

As for the rules, I made a couple of clarifications and a couple of additions.  The most important being the starting levels for the two armies' battle lust - this represents the exhaustion and morale of each Battle/Ward in an army.  Plus 7 is exhaustion and big minuses in combat; minus 7 is a collapsing morale with big minuses for morale checks.  The starting point is usually zero with the levels rising and falling depending on orders given.  Manoeuvre and charge orders add to the battle lust;  react and defend orders provide a minus to battle lust.  However, I found that adjusting it so defenders start at plus 4 and the attackers at minus 4 kept the attackers moving without exhausting too quickly and allowed the defenders to react and defend without morale falling too sharply.

Lastly, I have some breaches to model along with a few more walls to paint.

I guess that I will write more about the upcoming campaign in due course.

No Gaming in August, but plenty of butter and reading

August was a bleak desert for hobby activity, on every front.  However, I can't complain.  The beginning was taken up with stays at Lincoln, North Yorkshire and Bronté country, and the Lake District. The latter was more an homage to Beatrix Potter than Wordsworth - that probably reveals much about my level.

The second half was the annual pilgrimage to stay with my in-laws in Bretagne, France.  

Bretagne/Brittany is famous for a number of things including: crêpes, cidre, butter and high rates of alcohol consumption.  I made sure that I enjoyed daily visits to a crêperie to enjoy the first three on the list, and superb evenings eating and drinking well.

The best place in Concarneau to buy fresh baked kouig amann and gateaux bretons.  The latter being like a bakewell tart but with more butter. The former being a laminated pastry thing made almost entirely out of butter and sugar... amazing fresh and warm from the oven. Terrible for the heart!

My summer reading complimented my getaways.  For Yorkshire, I read Jane Eyre and The Professor by Charlotte Bronté. The former I had read before and remains my favourite Bronté novel.

For my stay in France I read House of Lilies.

Basically telling the story of the Capetian kings of France from the rise of Hugh Capet in 987 to the death of the last, Charles IV, in 1328.  A story that bumps and grinds against the history of England with their Norman and Plantagenet kings.

An excellent account that opens up the idea of playing out some of the many and little known battles fought within France and against their neighbours.

What was great for a history book was the inclusion of maps that located every one mentioned in the text.

With what seemed a fair amount of Wars of the Roses chatter, I decided to acquaint myself better with this bit of my history.  So, onto the Hollow Crown by Dan Jones.

I have yet to read anything by Jones and be disappointed.  This was no different.  He has a way of telling, what is a fairly complex, story in an entertaining, engaging and comprehensible narrative.  His family trees and maps were helpful and complemented the text perfectly. Not once did I get lost amongst the numerous Edwards, Richards and Henrys.

This not a detailed account of battles, though the battles feature... of course!  For me it was a clear telling of the story of the times taken from 1420 through to c.1509.  It compellingly told a story of wars created by the collapse of royal authority.

I would highly recommend both.

I must end by confessing that I quite enjoyed not blogging for a month.  I'm not sure what this says about me?

More 6mm Austrian Cuirassiers

Some quick painting done in the cooler hours of the day so the paint doesn't dry on the brush!

Two regiments of 6mm MDF Austrian cuirassiers for the French Revolutionary Wars.  The 5th and 6th regiments. Not that you'd notice at this scale.

Figures are from Commission Figurines.

They are on 60mm x 60mm bases.

There is something peculiar going on here.  Can you spot it?