Gathering of Hosts

The Midlish plan was to surprise the Valdurians, spoil their New Year's Eve and Day and make up for all of their defeats over the last decade......  

But the heavily armoured column just might have been spotted by villagers and foresters since there was a force of Valdurian levies and Horse Guards deployed upon a ridge. 

"Deploy the column! Cavalry on the right, archers on the left!"

"Where are those bloody archers!?! Cavalry, prepare to charge!"

A Raven's Eye view of the battle.

"Reform and Charge Again!"

"Is that the time? How many casualties have we taken?"....."That many!? How about them?"....."hmm..too much wine last night perhaps......not worth a 3rd charge really...."    "Trumpeter! Sound Retire!"  ".......mumble..basttards..mumble....we'll get them next time...."

Happy New Year To All! 

.....The Hosts Will Gather Again in 2026...

With the dawn, the Earl's army arrayed themselves for battle, and advanced.

The spears formed into two blocks while archers advanced on either flack to flush out any ambushes and the cavalry followed behind until their time arrived.

OOPS!  I just discovered that I did not finish this battle report from last June! Well, hopefully late is better than never. Good thing I have some pictures at least.

This game was a revenge attack from the Great Raid launched in the previous year against the Midlish Kingdom's Eastern Frontier. (See Fight at the Ford and the stop motion video report on the following clash).

This game followed a year later when the Midlands launched a revenge raid against the Valdurian province of the Northern Federation. In expectations of a counter raid, border guards were posted along the frontier to watch and raise the alarm if, or when, it came, and to hold until relieved. 

ALARM! SOUND THE HORNS! TO ARMS!

LIGHT THE BEACONS!

The Northern Federation Horse Guards and some of the local Valdurian tribesmen were first to arrive.

The Valdurian light troops relied on ambush and missile fire to slow down the invaders until help  arrived.

After a fierce and bloody fight, the Black Knight, Captain of the Pass and Commander of the expedition, fell prisoner to the Captain of the Federation Horse Guards and the battle was over.

Legend has it that the ghosts of the fallen rise and fight amongst the woods and fields each year on the night of the anniversary of the battle.

When word came from the Watchers that the host of Iron Men in the pass had taken the North East road, the Elder of Smawlton was quick to send word to Duke Bedwyr and to set the Villagers to barricading the village streets.
From behind their barricades the village folk watched the long enemy column crawl across the plain with a screen of horsemen scouting ahead. From the woods they could see a shower of arrows rain on the enemy's scouts who replied from horseback with their crossbows. Moments later there was a sudden clamour of screeching and howling as a group of Watchers  rushed from the woods only to be cut down by the horsemen and scattered. A brave folk but rash when their blood was up. Their attack was not in vain though, the Midlish column halted and began to deploy for battle. They had barely started forward again when thundering hooves announced the advance guard of the Duke's men rushing to meet the foe.

The Earl of Oxford urged his men forward, wanting to settle the local force before the inevitable arrival of the Duke. The veteran mercenaries in the wood were doing their job though and company after company of archers were sent back to face them while the light horse were ordered forward to screen the knights from the arrows of the Federate light horse. Eventually the deployment was complete and the Earl signalled for a general advance but it had barely started when trumpets and loud cheers announced the arrival of Duke Bedwyr.

As the Federation lancers rode on and deployed, a young warrior, glittering in gold from his old fashioned winged helmet to his stirrups, rode forward from the ranks.
It was the young chieftain, Prince Wyngnuht, 8th of his name, a descendent of one of the most gallant and least fortunate of the generals of old Valdur and said to be the spitting image of his ancestor and to have inherited his courage and luck. He raised his battleaxe, bellowed a challenge to the Earl, and spurred his horse forward followed by the whole of the Federation lancers.

Alas, the ordered ranks of the heavily armoured Midlish knights were not to be shattered by such wild charges and fully half of the lancers were scattered, leaving the bloodied body of the young Prince on the ground.

Muttering quiet curses to himself, the old Duke ordered his men and set them to foiling the enemy's plans.  He sent the Herdsmen to circle the village and harass the enemy rear while the rest of Lancers and Light Horse kept the enemy cavalry busy.
The Losses of the Federation cavalry continued to mount as charge followed charge interspersed with exchanges of arrows but the enemy cavalry made little progress. It appeared that the Earl preferred to keep his cavalry intact and leave the village to his infantry rather than risking the loss of yet more cavalry so early in his raid.

Those infantry were making little headway though. A prolonged struggle at the barricades was bloody for both sides but the packed ranks of spearmen were not best suited for attacking over such broken ground under a shower of spears, throwing axes, rocks and whatever else came to hand.

To the south, the mercenary Goblins had finally dispersed  the last of the Midlish rearguard and had advanced from the woods, adding their arrows to those of the Herdsmen who galloped past the enemy's flanks to trade shots with the Midlish bowmen. 

Both armies were near exhaustion as the sun sank towards the horizon and the town was not yet taken. The Earl knew that more Federate forces would be marching through the night to meet them and even if his army captured the town as dark fell, he had lost too many men and too much time for the raid to go farther. It was time to pull back into the pass and either entrench and call up reinforcements, or head for home.   

As the Midlish pulled back, the villagers spread out, bringing succour to the wounded. To the Duke's great relief, the rash young Prince, who had been his guest when word of the raid had come, was only wounded. He would live to ride again, hopefully at the head of his own people.

To the scholars and Wisemen of the Midlands, it is a Mystery that there are still Free Lands in the West who live without a King and nobles. As the long columns of Knights, spearmen and archers marched west under the banner of the Earl of Cowcross, their armour glinting in the sun, there was no doubt in their minds that this time, the Free Lands would finally be brought to order so that noble and merchant alike could show the wealth that it could assuredly produce.

The advance guard scouts ahead, crossbows at the ready.

There may have been young nobles in the column who smirked at the sight of the small clump of spearmen arrayed at the far side of the bridge to Argentium. The bridge had been built by some foreign emperor long ago and was a solid stone structure but it was in the middle of nowhere as far as the Midlanders could see. The cry went up to move the advance guard archers aside so that the Knights could sweep these churls aside. 

Archers lined the bank while the advance guard of Tunstall Tower Archers  pushed over the bridge and tripped an enemy ambush.

This was not the Earl's first campaign in the West though and he called forward The Council's Soothsayer and asked him to roll the Bones and see what the Powers Above said. With much chanting and a few puffs of fragrant smoke the Soothsayer studied the fall of the Bones and told the Earl to send his infantry against this lowly foe. 

The Tunstall archers were unable to withstand twice their numbers of fierce hillmen but they gave a good account of themselves. Perhaps if the Mercenary handgunners were less heavily armoured they would have been in time to aid them.

The fighting continued fiercely with losses on both sides but the frustrated spearmen could not intervene until the enemy gave way or only the dead bodies of the mercenaries lay between them.

With the Archers and Mercenaries out of the way, the Spears pushed over the bridge but the soft ground on either side stopped them from deploying until they pushed the enemy back a little farther.

The Hillmen fought bravely, falling back occasionally before charging wildly in again with javelins and heavy battle axes but the hedgehog of spears pushed slowly forward. Eventually the slaughter was too great and a horn sounded in the rear. In a flash the way was open as the remaining hillmen ran back through the marsh where the Midlish foot floundered when they pursued.  Now, only the knot of Spearmen barred the way.

Ar last the eager Sir John and his Black Company crossed over with the Earl himself close behind.

Supported by showers of arrows the Midlish knights spurred forward,  Even once the narrowest defile was passed though, there was only room for two companies. Heavy armour protected man and horse but the hedge of spearpoints made it difficult for them to reach their enemies. As charge followed charge, more spearmen fell but the shadows soon began to lengthen.

The sun is setting.

Many a Westman lay dead on the field but even more Midlish soldiers lay with them. Even if this stubborn knot of spearmen was broken, this was not a good place for a Midlish army to camp for the night while to attempt to push on through the woods in the dark would be sheer folly.

The Earl ordered his trumpeter to sound the Retreat and led his household back over the bridge.

Many months had passed since Sir John of Raven's Wood Tower, Captain of the Pass, better known as the Black Knight,  had led his men across the mountains to make a preemptive strike on the peaceful farmers of Dale. For months afterwards the Warden of the West March stood guard against retaliation but at last the danger seemed to have passed.

Earl of Cowcross, Warden of the West March The men of the North are patient and canny though. After a suitable delay, the three nations which make up the Federation all agreed to supply troops for a fast moving raid: Dalish lancers and light archers, Valdurian Light horse and foot and Herdsmen Horse Archers.

Lord Bedewyr with Dalish Lancers and Herdsmen.

The raiders blazed a trail of destruction from the East Pass across the West March to the Great Pass. If the Black Tower could not be passed then there was still a route home through the Forsaken Lands west of the mountains. As the raiders neared the mouth of the Great Pass though and saw the Earl's banners, it was clear that any passage would have to be paid in blood.
The Earl swiftly deployed his men as the Northern horse archers rode forward to harass them. Arrows soon began to fill the air. At this point, a horn blew from the tower and the garrison sallied forth to bar the pass against the raiders that they could see approaching.

It was a frosty December morning when the Earl of Cowcross gave the order to begin the march home.

Cuan na Banrigh The Queen's Hound, armed with a sharp, heavy axe and protected by enchanted tattoos and the Witch's Brew

The trip to the secret cave holding the sacred Dallag, whose power was said to hold together the alliance of the People of the  Woods and the Men of the Valleys, had been easy. Too easy  really, and the Earl suspected that the enemy would not let them go as easily.

The march begins. The mounted Foresters with their latches leading the way. The Spearmen on the right are carrying the Chest said to contain the sacred relic.

It took a bit of time to get the troops moving and the enemy was in view before any but the Foresters had  started on the road home. Fortunately the enemy was just as slow to gather.

Some enemy horsemen showed behind his right so the Earl sent his Lances to see them off and they did so in short order. But the enemy rallied not far away as an unnatural mist rolled out of a small wood heading for the Lancers. As the mist rolled over them there was suddenly a ferocious battle cry followed by the screams of men and horses and a stream of bloodied men and horses fled past the Earl  and disappeared up a mountain glen from which none ever returned.

Cuan na Banrigh, hidden in a magical mist, routs the Midlandish cavalry.

With the Blood Lust upon him, Cuan rushed through the wood and assaulted the Earl's archers who had been sending flights of arrows in amongst the Old Ones, protected only by their tattoos, plaid cloaks and the trees of the forest.  The archers were of sterner stuff than the lancers though and gave hard  strokes before falling back.

The mounted crossbows spurred ahead to seize and hold the  clearing along the road home.  Out of the  woods sprang a fresh band of wild tribesmen and despite boldly defending themselves, the horsemen were forced to fallback only to be ambushed again and scattered to the winds.

A Raven's eye view of the battle field. The Midlandish forces are down to the Earl's Household and 2 Schiltrons. The West Folk have not lost any units.

No sooner had this disaster struck the Midlandish forces when Cuan struck again, scattering the remaining archers. By now the lead schiltron had drawn near to the final patch of the woods and the Queen and her picked companions could no longer control their bloodlust. Like furies they threw themselves onto the sharp spears of their enemy and drove them back.

Unable to resist the urge to draw blood the Queen's Guard drives the Midlandish spearmen back.

The Earl decided it was time to lay aside the mantle of command and let himself be a just a Knight. Leading his household companions  forward he dashed into unit after unit of savage warriors, bloodied and tired, they had no answer but to melt back into the woods. Then the Queen stood against him but once again good steel and years of disciplined training at arms was more than a match for the fury of wild beasts and desperate warriors. Unable to come near the Earl and with her devoted Lioness wounded, she called her warriors back into the woods and they faded away leaving the scouts to trail the enemy.

The Earl glares at the enemy scouts as his last unit of spearmen lugs the sacred chest to safety.

(Note: The Clerics and Wisemen of the Midlands will soon be analyzing  the armies and the battle and a summary of their debates will be presented here.)

On that July morning when war came again to the Federation of the Freefolk, it came like a thunderstorm with the flash of polished steel and the thunder of horses hooves.

The Captain of the Pass sent his mounted crossbowmen forth to clear the way while the heavy cavalry flanked by archers formed ranks and steadily advanced. Below them, the garrison of mercenary goblin archers stood to their posts while the outriders strung their bows and galloped towards the enemy. In the village men rushed to arms and struggled to form the shieldwall hoping against hope that help from either Lord Bedewyr or their Valdurian neighbours would arrive in time.

Lord Bedewyr and his household knights. (Minifigs originally painted in 1974 Northern Gaul, Southron and Rohirrim, touched up and remounted but not yet reflocked

Word soon came that both the Lord and the Valdurians were already nigh at hand and before expected they could be seen forming for battle. For long however, the Valdurian horsemen seemed to be merely watching from afar. Around the fort and village, arrows flashed back and forth with the outnumbered defenders getting by far the worst of it. Midlish light horse began working around the flank and the townfolk fell back to draw the enemy forward then turned and charged to close quarters.

Halfway through the day it looked like the veteran Midlish  troops would sweep the field while the Valdurian light horse looked on from the far table edge.

On the far side of the fort Lord Bedwyr had arrived and led his household against the Midlish knights. Blood was spilled and much honour was won but neither side had the advantage.

Behind the Midlish line Sir John, the Captain of the Pass, watched and waited to see if the Valdurians would intervene before leading his heavily armoured Black Company forward to finish the villagers. At last he gave the signal and the ground trembled as the armoured horsemen urged their horse into a walk and then a slow trot.

As so often in legends of the past, a flank charge by the Valdurian cavalry swept the field.

Suddenly, the Valdurians must have seen what they were waiting for, in the blink of an eye they galloped forward and swept away the surprised mounted crossbows then pursued forward into the flank of the Midlish archers who were caught while already at hand strokes with the farmers. It was done!

There was nothing left for Sir John but to recall his cavalry and cover the retreat of the fugitives towards the pass. If the rumours of impending war were true, his rash strike would seem likely to have fanned the flames of war rather than smother then.

Heroes of the day! (MInifig Ancient British cavalry painted back in '74 refurbished and rehorsed along with Garrison Saxons, a few from c'75/'76, the rest recent replacements.)

(Notes: The attacking force consisted of 1 Heavy Shock Cavalry, 3 Shock Cavalry, 2 Cavalry with Crossbows, 4 archers. The defenders on table consisted of 1 archer and 2 Light Horse Archer in the fort and 2 Shock Infantry and 1 Archer in the town. Reinforcements dicing to arrive needing score equal to the turn were General with 2 Shock Cavalry and 2 light Shock Cavalry . The rules published 2 posts ago were updated before then game then again after the game to reflect the game as played. The game itself took about an hour to play. Next step, paint and base! paint and Base! We need more men!....and more games!)

OK its not Monday but you never know when the plague will hit. Today I am able to sit up again and feel like I might live out the week after all.

Once again I find myself apologizing for the quality of the photos. Neither the added light, cleaning the lens, trying to get the tripod at a usable height nor playing with settings helped. Seems unlikely that the camera would forget how it used to do it so it must be me or the environment. Back to the drawing board. Luckily a score or more of poor and unusable digital photos cost nothing but time and helpfully they will at least give some sense of the flow of the game.

Given the toy soldier level of accuracy of the Elastolin 4cm figures and the variety of periods represented I was tempted to set the game in a fantasy setting but will settle for a Comic Book Gaul while resisting the temptation to do the footwork to turn this into a Prince Michael scenario. There are essentially 4 armies involved including the allies on either side. This represents just over 1/2 the total available for the final battle.

Somewhere around Turn 6 The Barbarian allies  have arrived and an advance party of Huns has crossed the river and forced the Romans to redeploy unit after unit away from the bridge to block them.  Casualties from missile fire have been fairly high. The little strips of road on the river indicate fords.

Defending. The Romans. Under the Overall General Aentithus:  6 heavy infantry, 2 archers, 1 light shock cavalry. Off table Allied reinforcements under their Captain: Deeahdeer. 5 units of heavy shock cavalry (knights). The Romans stopped at the farm and after collecting taxes inquired about fords along the river and were told there were none.

Attacking. The Huns under King Akala: 3 elite light cavalry horse archers, 3 horse archers and 3 allied light shock cavalry under their very minor and forgettable chieftain. Off table was a body of Barbarian Allies (Vikings mostly)  under their Captain said to be the reknown Helgin himself, along with 8 shock light infantry and 2 archer units. Not having inside info the Huns were allowed to search for fords one base width at a time with a 5,6 indicating a fordable spot. Apparently the river was low because they found more than they could use.

Cue dramatic music and some caustic comments by the farmer's wife. (A Prince August viking homecast and the only non-Elastolin on the table) as the Cavalry rides on to the rescue. Sort of.

Moments before the big clash.

Then it happened. The allied Barbarian chief went down!

While the cavalry struggled, the Roman infantry in their armour pushed forward hacking at the barbarians and eventually the barbarian chieftain's bodyguard went down. This called for a morale check of all of his followers within reach. six units. One warband rolled a 5 and stood, one archer rolled a 3 and fellback in good order, and four, (count'em: four!) units rolled 1's or 2's and fled the field in despair at the fall of their hero.  This put the Hun army at 1 less than its break point and a general advance on the next turn took them over it.

The world was saved for another week at least!

For those who don't follow my main blog, I have decided to downsize my permanent table in order to make room for a work table.  Before I decide on a final size I have been playing some short test games. Today I tried a 25mm Gathering of Hosts game on a 40"x56" table using 2" lengths for moving and shooting.

The last tale of the Westmen was their rescue of a captured priestess. Obviously the ensuing negotiations did not go well since we find a force of Westmen holding a gap between a forest and some broken ground against the Earl of Cowcross. Both armies had 18 units or 1/2 the planned maximum.

Early on. The Midlish archers and cannon have already hammered the Westmen spear blocks.

After the last game I was happy leaving most troop types to factor their armour into their melee effectiveness, only noting especially well armoured heavy troops such as knights on foot or riding barded horses etc. After this game I'm still happy with that.

The 2 things I still wasn't happy with was the new rule to encourage cavalry to rally back and carry out multiple charges rather than getting stuck in a scrum like heavy infantry and the pikes/spear rules which did nothing to encourage traditional phalanx/schiltron etc blocks.

The cavalry rule should reflect traditional tactics based on the shock impact of cavalry and their vulnerability if mobbed by infantry in a melee so should be built into the rules rather than being the player's choice. For these rules, it also needs to be simple, straight forward and not require markers or a good memory. The 2 leading contenders were to explore the idea of introducing a melee resolution rule that includes pushbacks or to just rule that cavalry that attack and don't destroy their enemy immediately fallback facing the enemy. It worked well and easily to give the right sort of result.

The spearmen were harder, they have a slight degree of protection against cavalry but are otherwise just slow light infantry that can't handle bad terrain and they have no more reason than any other unit to huddle in mobs. I decided to borrow and adapt a support rule I played with in the gridded GofH. The simpler version I tried here was to allow spear units of the same Division which are touching and aligned to shift hits from unit to unit. This makes the spear phalanx somewhat clumsy as it tries to maintain formation but makes a block of them hard to eliminate. When they do finally reach their limit with all or most at 3 hits, they break in a rush. Just right.

Mid-game. The Westfolk cavalry have won the fight on the flank, b6t the first assault by the Wildmen has been repulsed with heavy losses and reserves on both sides have been committed.

The armies were as follows:
Generals have 2 SP, other commanders 1, no magic or special abilities were used. All commanders were marked by flags except the Lion Queen who was a last minute addition to make up numbers.