Review of the Year - Gaming

It's time to look back at how the dice rolled over the past year, with a brief review of my gaming adventures. There's a similar review of the year's painting if you have not already seen it. Most of my games are played in Matt's gaming dungeon and you can find his blog here.

At the beginning of the year we were already well started with a Dux Brittaniarum campaign, with the luckless viking Ivar Sveinson attempting to invade England. The game mechanics proved easy to pick up and we enjoyed a good half dozen or so adventures. The campaign system seemed less than satisfying, and after 2 campaign years we came to a faltering halt. I have often thought that, with a little tweaking, the rules would form the basis of a nice little fantasy skirmish game.

Spring arrived and I was busy painting my Lion Rampant retinue. A few games were enjoyed (by me at any rate) in Matt's dungeon, it's a shame that the rest of my group didn't really take to the system. I even managed to get in a couple of games in my more modest gaming area. It's more cell than dungeon so can be a bit limiting on my 5 x 3 dining table, but it looks good with my homemade terrain and mat.

Summer came in the usual damp and dreary British way, and with it the bombshell that was the destruction of the Warhammer world. I had not played the game much over the past few years, but I was pretty sad to see the old game destroyed like it was. The replacement system I tried a few times, but as a skirmish game I think there are better alternatives, and the new aesthetic leaves me cold, so it felt like the end of an era. 

Much of my gaming over the summer months was down in Matt's dungeon, where we enjoyed a good number of games of In Her Majesty's Name in a Victorian Cumbria setting. Matt has also started to play Very British Civil War using mostly Bolt Action rules and I tried a couple of games of that too. The picture below was borrowed from Matt's highly entertaining blog.

Towards the end of the year we have been playing more fantasy games again. We tried adapting Lion Rampant, but found more success in Fantastic Saga, a fan-written mod to Saga. I was able to dig out some old friends in my dwarf and undead armies. 

A decent gaming year, I would have liked to have seen my Lion Rampant force get on to the battlefield a bit more, but it was good to get out the old fantasy figures. More Fantasy Saga games are on the agenda, with Dragon Rampant and Fanticide and even Of Gods and Mortals still to be tried out - so lots more fantasy gaming in 2016. I am also determined to get my oriental gang adventuring on the streets of Victorian Cumbria, and hopefully even get together a little steampunk set up of my own. And that's just the skirmish games! 

Ivar Sveinson and the Seige of Tunnocellom

Fighting at the gate to the town

The summer of AD809 faded away, the days shortened, the cold winds blowing in from the North Sea heralding the return of autumn. Ivar and his men sat glumly in their camp, the seige of Tunnocellom dragging into the fourth month. Suddenly they were roused by the blast of horns - the Saxons had returned to liberate the townsfolk. Battle lines were quickly formed.

Ivar shouted words of encouragement to his men, but they seemed unappreciative of his efforts. In contrast, the Saxons seemed buoyed, singing as they positioned themselves outside the town walls, no doubt their vocal chords well lubricated by mead. Ivar moved up quickly, hoping to strike a swift blow to the advance portion of the Saxon army. His men rushed to the attack, hurling spears and axes, but then faltered, pausing for breath. The two forces clashed, but the Saxons had the better of it and pushed the vikings away.

The Saxons gain supremacy of numbers

The Saxon Lord seized on the hesitancy and continued the onslaught, bringing up more men to throw into the fray. Ivar and his men found themselves pressed on all sides and the Saxon's fury was unrelenting. Ivar's champion was just one of the many casualties in that brutal moment. Three months sitting idly outside the town walls had obviously not been ideal combat training.

On the verge of defeat

Casualties mounted on both sides in the vicious combat. Ivar could see his men were hanging by a thread and pushed forward to make a mighty effort, but suffered a wound for his efforts. The Saxons were out for revenge and were merciless.

(My opponent Matt was using his infamous blue dice of doom. When he uses them, they invariably roll 5's and 6's. When I use them, they revert to 1's and 2's. There's some kind of Saxon skullduggery going on here!)

Dice = shock, skull = Ivar wound, another one on the way!

Ivar's compatriots could see his perilous situation and rushed across to reinforce his efforts. They had sprinted across the fields to come to his aid and were poised to launch an attack, when a Saxon horn pierced the din of battle. Once more their seemingly blessed blades proved better and Ivar was struck again! His men, shocked at this calamity, dragged him from the field, blindly running into the reinforcements and carrying them from the battle too. It was a disastrous defeat.

(My last ditch chance here was to hope my reinforcing noble activation came before the Saxon Lord, allowing me to charge in and help Ivar. And it did, but Matt played a step forth card to interrupt the sequence and finished me off, curse his Saxon dogs).

The cards and the dice all seemed to favour the Saxons this day and Ivar suffered a hammer blow to his dreams. Two years into the campaign, he has just one sack of gold remaining, while the Saxons had such a mighty victory that they attracted even more to their numbers. As the vikings solemnly rowed back the their camp, utterly defeated, the Saxons began a building program, reinforcing all the border towns with watchtowers. You can get a much better Saxon perspective (and better photos) from the wargamesinthedungeon blog.

I'm not quite sure how we can progress the campaign from here, after half a dozen or so games, the vikings are right back where they started, the Saxons have gained four archers and a handful of towers. While we both enjoy the gaming mechanics, particularly during raid scenarios, the campaign seems painfully slow. I might have a tinker round and try to come up with some improvements, I'm not sure we could stomach another five years of this plodding. I wonder if anybody, anywhere, has actually completed a full blown conquest of a region campaign, it must take dozens of gaming sessions and months, even years of gameplay?

Ivar Sveinson and the Battle of Red Hill

Shield wall ahead, levy ambush to the left - it's a trap!

On midsummer's day in the year 809, Ivar Sveinson once more led his men ashore to begin the conquest of Rheged. In the far distance, shimmering in the haze of the summer heat, lay the well protected prize - the town of Tunnocellum.  

After defeat in the last battle, Ivar decided that alcohol did not stiffen the sinews, but more likely dulled the minds, so urged his men ashore with great haste. The Saxon defenders formed up in shieldwall on a low ridge, with a contingent of levy hidden behind a small copse to spring a flank trap. It had worked in the last battle, but this time Ivar was more wary. He sent warriors into the wood to flush out the levy.

Left flank secured, form up to attack the shieldwall.

The viking warriors fought fiercely and, though outnumbered, pushed back the levy flanking force. Ivar gathered his main force at the base of the ridge, preparing to assault the shieldwall at the crest. It was a formidable task. Warriors in shieldwall can absorb more casualties - they ignore the first kill of any combat, so the odds are stacked considerably in their favour in a straight fight. Countering this, Ivar played a handful of fate cards, so his men could hurl axes as they rushed up the hill, and with an aggressive charge too (giving +1 to hit bonus). If this didn't shift the Saxons, then nothing would. The axe damage caused shock, but then his lines faltered as they scrabbled up the slope - at this point I had a 2 dice roll to charge 3 inches, and made the classic double 1 roll!

Shieldwall clash

In a daring move, the Saxons moved downhill into the viking line. The two forces clashed, but despite the overwhelming odds, the vikings held firm, then pushed the Saxons back up the hill. After a brief pause, the vikings rushed uphill again and once more the two lines, now thinned considerably, met in deadly combat. Shields smashed and blood flowed, both sides fought to a standstill. Bodies littered the ridge, but still neither side would yield. Something had to give. Suddenly Ivar and his depleted band of warriors dashed back down the hill, the Saxons jeering at their seeming retreat, but unable to pursue, held on the ridge by a handful of Ivar's finest warriors. The Coward was on the run again.

Saxon shieldwall hold the ridge, Ivar rushes downhill

When he had caught his breath, Ivar put his plan into action. The band of viking warriors on the left flank that had previously fought off the Saxon levy were now called to aid their leader in the main action. They joined Ivar as he charged back up the hill with his reinforcements. The Coward was Cunning perhaps. His line now bolstered, he steadied his men and surveyed the tattered Saxon lines. Though they held the higher ground, they had suffered great casualties. Only a handful of warriors remained clustered around the Saxon Lord and his nobles. Surely, the day was lost and they would retreat.

Outnumbered, outflanked, the Saxon Lord charges to his doom

In a reckless moment of madness, the Saxon Lord ordered the attack once more. It was a fight he could not win. His men were exhausted and could offer no resistance. They fled, leaving their liege overwhelmed. In a final act of brutal victory celebration, the viking warriors hacked him limb from limb. Dozens of dead and dying lay all over the hill, stained red in the gore of the day. The vikings cheered and saluted their warlord. The prize lay in their reach. With the Saxon defenders butchered or scattered, they set about the siege of Tunnocellum. It was a well fortified town and it would be a long task, but the conquest of Rheged had begun.

Ivar Sveinson Goes to War

In the year 809 AD, Ivar Sveinson the Coward was crowned warlord by his loyal followers, no doubt encouraged by the coin rattling in their purses. He vowed to give his warriors a real home, a land of their own, which would be taken from the weakling and cowardly Saxons. Singing songs of war and glory, his men followed him into battle.

At the end of the first year of campaigning, Ivar had  amassed eight chests of coin, enough to buy himself the title of Warlord, which meant he could now march into battle rather than just raid. Victory in battle would win him and his followers lands of their own, the first step on the road to the conquest of Rheged. With barrels of ale to encourage his troops, the vikings trudged inland to a likely looking settlement. It seemed relatively unmanned and would make a good base from which to begin the conquest.

Vikings dash toward the thin Saxon line

The vikings dashed across the open terrain, they had double the number of the Saxons and were confident they could scatter the few defenders to the winds. The Saxons formed up a thin defensive line but it seemed a meagre gesture. Suddenly, over on Ivar's left flank, there was a commotion. A line of Saxon levy appeared as if from nowhere - the cowardly dogs had been concealed in the long grasses just below the brow of a small dip in the ground (the position in the photo is a little above the fate card). They leapt up and charged into the vikings. Ivar's confidence faltered as he felt the steely jaws of the trap closing around him.

This was our first attempt at a battle game. I decided to ply my troops with drink, to give them courage, and it seemed to do the trick as morale rose. The Saxons decided to pray for a miracle and could hide troops in a dip in the ground. I figured I could ignore the ambushers and just rush into the main body of the army, hopefully making a decisive strike while I held numerical advantage, with roughly half of the Saxons nowhere to be seen. But when they appeared on my left flank, I was suddenly faced with two battle fronts. Worse still, the initial charge by the Saxons sent a unit of vikings reeling. My left flank collapsed, to the front a Saxon shieldwall closed in. I was caught in a textbook pincer movement, surely this hadn't been invented yet!

Viking meat in a shieldwall sandwich!

I had kept a unit to the rear of my army, as a reserve force to plug any gaps. So quickly they charged to shore up the left flank. They managed to disrupt the Saxon advance, but not halt it, and again suffered large casualties. Faced by a shield wall to the front and a seemingly invincible line of levy to the flank, the vikings were slaughtered. Ivar just about made it from the field, but most of the army was routed. It was a grim day. The northmen suffered heavy losses, while the Saxon Lord gloried in a victory so great it earned him a title - the Good. We did think that the Blessed was more appropriate, after the miracle of the levy intervention, but the bold blue text of the Good promises some kind of benefit - though as usual it's not really explained very clearly and I will have to delve into the rules to find out exactly what the benefit turns out to be.

What a crushing blow to Ivar's ambitions. It's hard to imagine the battle going so badly, from a levy charge! The dice certainly did not favour me this game, but I was too rash in advancing forward so quickly without first working out how to deal with the ambush. Still, it was a very entertaining chapter in our saga, certainly the most decisive game to date and a real eye opener for Ivar, I doubt he will be so lax in future encounters with Saxon levy. For some filthy Saxon propaganda on the battle, take a look at Matt's blog - wargames in the dungeon.

More adventures with Ivar Sveinson

The vanguard hold up the Saxon patrol, while
Ivar rushes to join the action

The second half of the year AD 808 was filled with adventure for Ivar Sveinson the Coward. Kidnap, ransom, looting and revenge.....

In the month of July, AD 808, Ivar Sveinson was facing a dilemma. He had now amassed enough coin to be declared a warlord and could lead his men into battle, to win and claim territory. But if he lost, he would be penniless and at the mercy of his liege lord, who was unlikely to show leniency. Pondering these choices, his scouts reported they had sighted a small Saxon patrol heading south to the safety of the border tower, but still some distance away and within easy striking distance. Sometimes, fate makes the decisions......

The scenario we rolled was Border Tower - a Saxon noble and two units had to march from the north edge down the length of the table to the safety of the tower garrison at the southern end. On from the west came the vikings, a lone unit in the vanguard, followed by the rest of the force. The objective for the vikings was to overwhelm a noble in combat, capture and ransom him. Could the Saxons evade the northmen and reach safety?

Caught!

I thought I had lost the scenario when I rolled a 1 for the number of units in my vanguard, and another 1 for their advance move! But I dashed across anyway, eager to slow the Saxons before they could mass together at the garrison. The Saxons split their force, perhaps hoping to confuse the vikings, but this just made it easier for the northmen as they swung their axes and felled half the lone unit. Realising his error, the Saxon noble sent in his other unit to stiffen their resolve, while he slyly ran away to get help. And they call Ivar a coward! It was no use. The bulk of the vikings had rushed across and intercepted the patrol while the main garrison force practised shieldwall drill, obviously unaware of the unfolding kidnap. A very quick victory for the vikings, a reward of just 2 coin for the ransom (well, would you pay any more for such a pathetic specimen?) and the chance for a second game in the session.

What do the fates hold in store?

The next scenario rolled was a raid on a village, the vikings had to make two successful looting rolls and abscond before the Saxons could stop them. Ivar's men quickly established that one of the hovels was empty (a roll of a 1 signifies no loot to be found), and soon afterwards struck lucky in a nearby hut (a roll of a 6). So there was just one house left to search, Ivar was attempting to hold off the incoming Saxons in the village, while one unit trudged back to the ship with sacks of loot. This would be a close call.

The last house was searched with no effect, while the Saxons sent men in to protect the village. The Saxon Lord himself strode into the village centre to repel the vikings, while some of his men peeled off to hopefully prevent any further looting. Fighting was fierce in the village, but the Saxon Lord's sword shone brightly that day and he vanquished many a northman. Time was running out for the vikings, they were pushed out of the house and fought to a standstill. With one last effort they charged and scattered their Saxon tormentors, poised to resume the search, but then the horn sounded the retreat and they limped back to the ship. One sack of loot had been secured, but with a high cost in blood.

My force morale took a real beating in this scenario. I had started low and then suffered as two units were routed from the centre of the village. The final search was interrupted and even though the vikings eventually fought off the Saxon rescue and could have resumed the search, I decided to sound the retreat as casualties were mounting at an alarming rate. Looting scenarios often rely on luck - trying to get that 6 - and the best way to do it is to keep the enemy at bay. Once the searchers are interrupted, well it's difficult to pillage with a sword in your gut.

With the higher level of losses in this raid, Ivar would need two months to recover his strength, bringing the first campaign year to an end. I would have liked to have ended the year with a battle then settled down to a winter seige, but it was not to be. As he sailed back to his homeland, his ship laden with loot, he was already planning his next year's campaign. Those Saxons would learn to fear the Coward.

Ivar Sveinson Raids Again

The vikings wade through the estuary to the village

By May of that year, Ivar Sveinson and his valiant crew once more did set sail. A small coastal village was their target, rumoured to hold great treasures in the fine church. Boldly did they stride ashore that day......

After the embarassing incident with the sheep flock, Ivar Sveinson was determined to win back the regard of his men, not to mention some much needed coin. In a turn of good fortune, the noble thought lost in the previous raid turned up a few days later, a bit muddy and tired but none the worse for his ordeal (when I rolled a replacement I ended up with exactly the same attributes, so I decided he must have survived after all). The scenario we rolled up this time was a raid on a village, the vikings searching for loot in the buildings, the Saxons trying to thwart them. This time I was more fortunate in my initial positioning, I was able to take two turns of movement on to the board. The village was in the half way point, so even with the boggy ground of the river estuary slowing me down, I was near to the objective very early on, the Saxons huffing and puffing to reach me.

Both the church and the nearest hovel are empty!

Swiftly they did search the church, but the cunning Saxons had obviously been forewarned, as it was empty of their treasures. Ivar set his men to searching the other buildings, bravely holding the enemy back.........

To loot a building a group simply roll a dice and if it turns up a 6, that means there's loot. On the other hand, if a 1 is rolled, that means the building is empty. Of course, my first two searches I rolled 1's, but this is not as bad as it seems as it means I could move on and search another building. Ivar and his hearthguard moved into the centre of the village to block any Saxon intervention, while the search moved on to the small hut on the hill.

Ivar and his men hold off the Saxons while the treasure is looted

A horn sounded out. Treasure had been found! Ivar and his men crashed into the Saxons to give his men time to transport their loot back to the ship.

Finally the treasure was unearthed, the devious Saxons had hidden it in the rafters of their grain store. The vikings set off with their loot back to the ship, while Ivar and his men attempted to hold off the Saxon chase by blocking the pursuit routes. On the far side of the village, beyond the church, more vikings and Saxons clashed. I had the run of the dice and pushed the Saxons back beyond the cross on the far hill. Meanwhile, Ivar rushed up the hill into the Saxon shieldwall. I had held back a Carpe Diem fate card and was able to play three cards in this one combat, hurling axes into the Saxons and causing considerable shock before crashing home and inflicting even more casualties, with very little damage received in return. The Saxons scattered from this savage onslaught. Their treasure lost, scattered in defeat, they withdrew and the vikings were able to saunter back to the ships, victory songs chanted all the way.

The Saxons had suffered moderate losses and would need two months to recover their numbers. The vikings had suffered very light losses and consequently made a second uncontested raid in the following month of June. In total they gained four chests of coin and even gained a couple more warriors in their band, obviously word was getting around of the rich pickings available. Ivar had finally won back the respect of his men and was building a good amount of coin to further his ambitions. His personal fortune was now five chests of coin, technically enough to be declared a warlord and start to conquer British lands. In the next game Ivar has the choice of declaring a battle and possibly winning land, or to continue with raids to build up more cash. What will the Coward decide?

The Woes of Ivar Sveinson the Coward

Ivar Sveinson is seldom mentioned in the epic sagas, and for good reason. Cast out by his family with nought but a single ship and crew to his name, he sailed over the seas, to a strange island the locals named Mann, said to be home to fairies in the enchanted dells, and roamed by three-legged men. Ivar set these tales aside and established camp, the kingdom of Rheged lay but a day's sailing over the waves. Though rugged, windswept and rain -lashed, it offered rich pickings from the surly locals, or so Ivar thought.........

I would much rather have been able to start my tale with a more stirring title, such as the Saga of Ragnar the Brave, or Erik Bloodaxe, but it seems my story is going to be a little less heroic. Having rolled up my Dux Britanniarum characters, I had a poverty-stricken, cowardly Lord leading my force, with a bodyguard fond of riding horses (not much use to a seafaring adventurer). I also had a lustful noble in my retinue, dragging down the loyalty of my troops. Only my second noble had any decent characteristics, being big and strong and with the constitution of an ox. In terms of  troops available at the start of the campaign there are 2 units of elite, 3 units of warriors and a small band of bowmen.

Ivar and his men spied an easy target and fell upon a village, scattering the few farmers and making off with the cattle. But their trespass had not gone unseen, and Saxon warriors rushed to wreak their vengeance on the luckless invaders......

Right lads, let's get these three groups on to the ship
- hey, where are the sheep?

The scenario we rolled was a cattle raid. The vikings started on the north edge of the board and had to escort cattle down the length of the board to the southern end. They got a random head start, which turned out to be just one move. The Saxons arrived at a random point, the middle of the western edge, with a random number of units in their vanguard, for which of course Matt rolled a 5. As the viking player I would be victorious if I could get 2 of 3 "cattle" off  the board. If I failed to achieve this, the Saxons would be the victors. Each group of cattle required an escort, one group of men. I allocated my missile troops and two units of warriors, plus one noble, to this task. I would send these around a wood, away from the enemy troops and on to the waiting ship. The rest of my force (just 3 units) was to engage and delay the enemy. That was the hastily conceived plan.

Baa, Baa, Ha, Ha the vikings are taking a beating

Loki the Trickster God had his fun that day. In the form of a ram he lead the sheep into mischief, and a merry dance for the viking herders. He blunted their axes and steadied the shield arms of the Saxons.....

The cattle moved 2d6 per turn, the herders with them can move up to 3d6 so it should have been reasonably straight forward to keep the dumb animals in check. The accompanying noble, with his ability to activate a unit twice, would gee up any stragglers. Of course, straight away the sheep flock broke away from their captors and headed in the wrong direction. And the fighting troops bounced off the Saxons, with the champion taking a spear in the belly, to save his cowardly Lord. It went downhill from that point. The main combat became a stalemate, the sheep got away and the remaining herders were waylaid and defeated by a single group of Saxons. To add to the vikings woe, their finest noble was killed in a combat with levy troops (having the constitution of an ox did not help as I forgot to roll to see if he escaped the fatal blow). I decided to withdraw, the Saxons did not attempt to stop me, fearing more casualties.

Vanquished vikings trudge back to the ship
The jeers of the Saxons and bleating of sheep ring in the distance

And so the Woes of Ivar Sveinson began. While his men nursed their wounds and lamented the loss of the best among them, his foes named him the Coward, the viking bested by sheep. The saxons retired to their mead hall, feeling they had seen off the inept invader.......

The result of the raid was a four point victory to the Saxons. Just one more victory point and they would have been rolling to gain renown for the Lord. As it was, they recovered from their wounds in just one month, gained a bit more cash and gained a couple more warriors to their cause. The vikings gained nothing at all and would need two months to recover from their losses. They would also have to roll up a new noble and champion to try to bolster the pathetic Ivar Sveinson. Surely things could only get better?

Dux Britanniarum Campaign

One of the main reasons for me picking up Dux Britanniarum is that it includes a campaign system. While I enjoy throwing down a few soldiers and rolling dice on a casual basis, I find that a good scenario adds so much to the experience. A linked series of scenarios is even better. Hopefully, DuxB will give all this.

The book covers dark ages warfare in the age of Arthur. The Romans have left Britain, their successors (the Romano-Britons) are facing threats from Saxon invaders. The campaign system includes a character generator for both forces, careers for your chosen Lord, raid scenarios, battles, force development, etc. There's just one problem in all this - we don't have any figures from this period. But we do have plenty from about two centuries later, in the shape of Saxons and Vikings. So we are going to use the book but jump forward in time - in our campaign the Saxons are now rulers of Britain, with Viking invaders launching the raids. We can easily tweak any references as appropriate.

The first decision of any campaign is to decide on a region in which to base the campaign. There's no place like home, so we have decided to fight the Invasion of Rheged. It's a part historical, part fantasy campaign. The year is 808 AD, vikings have established a settlement on the Isle of Man, a base from which to launch raids on the mainland.

The aim of the campaign is to gain/defend territory. The region of Rheged is split into seven provinces and to win the campaign the vikings will have to conquer all of them. The Saxon aim is to build defences in these regions to make it more difficult and/or to drain money from the Vikings so they cannot sustain themselves in enemy lands. Each lord progresses throughout the campaign, attracting more followers and agents.

The campaign is fought over years, each split into months. After a raid is fought, a number of months will elapse before the forces are back to combat strength. More raids and battles see the revenues expand, which is spent on more troops, defences, upgrades and so forth. The year starts in March and ends in October, then there's an end of year process and the cycle begins again.

In order to make it more likely that we reach a conclusion, we will be fighting for seven campaign years. At the end of AD 815 we will see which of the two rulers has fared best. Hopefully that will be achievable and should give us plenty of good games, but not drag on too long and be adandoned as so many campaigns are!

Dux Britanniarum first impressions

Dux Britanniarum is a dark ages skirmish game/campaign system that has been around for a couple of years. It's been on my radar for a while, so recently Matt and I set up for a raid scenario. We had previously tried a test game to get familiar with the mechanics, but that was a few months back so had forgotten most of them, but as we got into the game it slowly came back to us.

The rules are relatively simple. Combat troops make up the bulk of the two opposing forces and are classed as elite, warrior or levy. These are generally fielded in groups of six, which can join together into larger formations. Each group/formation is activated by a noble or lord. These command figures have varying levels of command, which determines how many activations they can perform and how far their command reaches. When a group/formation is activated, it moves and/or fights. In combat, troops can be killed, or shocked. Kills are self explanatory. Shock has a cumulative effect on the unit, that gradually erodes their combat capability, forcing them to withdraw or even turn and flee the battle.

Shieldwall on a hill, a DuxB deathstar!

There are no unit stats! Movement is by dice roll so no need for a move stat. Better troops roll more dice in combat and are harder to kill, so no weapon/melee/armour stat. The shock mechanic determines how long troops stick around to fight, so no need for a morale/leadership stat. It's pretty clever stuff for such a simple mechanism.

Having sung those praises, I did find the rules a little bit vague at times. Combat is an easy mechanic but it does take a bit of careful reading to understand how the units interact. There are several diagrams, but our first combat was not covered by any of them. There is a table of contents but no index, so I did spend a fair few minutes flicking around trying to find some information. There's a useful reference sheet on the back cover which I suspect will be all that's needed after a couple more games, but it does not include the force morale table which is central to the game. As units flee from combat, nobles take wounds, and maybe other circumstance, the morale of the force is affected. When a force morale reaches zero, it has lost all resolve and withdraws from the battle. It's probably the biggest table in the book, so should really be in the reference section.

White dice as shock markers, a temporary measure.

That minor gripe aside, it feels like a very solid ruleset. The basic mechanics are really rather impressive and give a good feel to the game. Troops move and act in a way that feels "right" - this is always going to be a personal thing for gamers of course, but it ticks a lot of boxes for me. And that's before we get to the scenarios and campaign system. A very promising system, I am looking forward to playing more games and will be covering more detail in future posts. Time for me to go and research some suitable names for my characters.