Gaming at last!

I am happy to report that after months of inactivity I finally managed to get some gaming in. Two games in two days in fact!

Simon and Mark were down from Wellington so we arranged our usual annual "Craigcon" catch up. I was down at the bach and got back to find an email checking if we were still on for a game. For some reason I thought it was next Thursday we had arranged but no, it was the one just been. They were turning up at 7ish and I only got home about 6:30 so quickly threw together two armies for Dux Bellorum. Not having read the rules in quite a while it wasn't going to be the best.

Anyway we had a God faring Late Roman army (supported by some monks) led by Barry, older and much less well known brother of Artimus, aka King Arthur. Apparently Barry was killed in some long forgotten battle and disappeared from and annuals of history, unlike his more PR savvy younger brother. Barry was out to rewrite history and make a name for himself, or die trying,vs a mass of unwashed, hairy Saxon (Gothic) rabble.

The game was a lot of fun, Barry charged the Saxon cavalry in turn 1 and remained stuck in combat for the rest of the game, slowly chewing his way though the enemy whilst his sheildwall (rabble) cheered on- or actually set about trying to win the game despiute him. About half way though we discovered not having a hill to stand on (British shieldwall tactics 101) is bad for sheildwall troops but by then it was too late, Simon and his sheildwallers were gleefully taking the fight to the hairy warband Saxon hordes who apparently "don't like it up 'em."

In the end though both armies broke and Barry was left alone and forlorn, even abandoned by his priests, to rue the fickle gods of fate.

We did make a house rule though, defensive LPs mean you get a save not automatically cancel a hit. It seemed to work well.

A few pictures:
Late Romans on the left, Hairy unwashed hordes n the right of picture.

Barry and his nobles

 Thew unwashed, and unnamed, Hairy hordes of Mark.

 Barry leads the boys in a charge, way to go Barry.

And promptly gets itself into all kinds of trouble. Being a wuss he used his LPs turn after turn defensively, whilst awaiting rescue from his fryd. Simon wasn't having any of that though and stoically marched towards the Saxon warband and away from his general. Barry never was one to command respect of his troops.

"They don't like it up em sir. Let's charge eh!"
What about finding a nice safe hill?  instead?
"Nah, hills are for girls."

 The armies clash.

Simon being far more aggressive than "Barry" used his LPs each turn to get extra attack dice.

A few turns later and Barry is still slowly hacking his way through the Saxons. Flanks, we don't care about flanks! Or as he was heard sayg to one of his followerers. "Surrounded? We're nobles we are supposed to be surrounded."

The Shieldwall even manages to push the warband back a few times.

 More random clashes.

Slowly both sides are being ground down.

Oops. Not much left now. Both sides on the point of collapsing. Barry still engaged in combat with Mark the Hairy- having chopped up the easier meat he is getting his arse handed to him by the Gothic general.

The Late Romans are all out of LPs.

A victory (just) to the Saxons/Goths. A great game, really enjoyed the way it played, fast simple, LPs made for lots of entertainment and decision making each turn with LP allocation mechanic. A fun game and entertaining evening, it is always a pleasure to catch up with Mark and Simon and definitely enjoyed Dux Bellorum.

Craig