More rebasing- Goth/Gondor cavalry

Yesterday I continued my rebasing mission, this time the rest of my Goth cavalry were rebased to my (6 figures per unit) new standard- and can now pull double duty as Gondorian reinforcements if necessary.

Most of the figures are Footsore but two bases (lurking in the back row) are GW Rohan with different shields.

In bigger battles (eg Hail Caesar) they can form a division.

I'm still unsure which rules I'll end up using more- Dux Bellorum, Dragon Rampant or Hail Caesar. But is good to have options.

Craig

LoTR- The forces of Gondor

Over the past week or so I've continued on my Gondor project, completing a unit of heavy cavalry and also rebasing the last of the infantry. I am happy with how they have all turned out and should make for a colourful force for Middle Earth Rampant.

The host of Gondor assembles: A mixture of Crusader miniature Norman infantry and Footsore miniatures Goth cavalry. 

 Knights of Gondor: These are the lovely Footsore miniatures Goth nobles on cataphracts. What can I say, I am an absolute fan of Footsore! I' had these guys lying around and have added ordered another units worth. I was toying with the idea of using the Footsore Norman cavalry instead but as I had a couple of packets of the Goths in my lead pile and they had cloaks thought they'd do. I've have kept the shields plain so that they can also pull double duty with my Rohan force as an elite heavy cavalry unit if necessary.

And the infantry units.

 Now I need to get these guys on table and get a game or two in. 

Craig

LoTR- Gondor

I've had some Crusader Miniature Normans lying around for a few years now. Originally they were purchased for my Crusader armies but didn't fit sizewise with the Perry's I used for the rest of the force so have been ignored for some time and been languishing in my miniatures drawers. However, I've decided that they'd be perfect as the basis for a Gondor force for Middle Earth Rampant and so have been rebasing them and tidying them up. I have added some Gripping Beast rimless Norman shields and also Fireforge plastic spears- which look more like tree trunks in the photos but aren't too bad in the flesh.

I think I've mentioned before how I really dislike Peter Jackson's interpretation of Gondor. Plate armour just seems wrong to me and so I can't bring myself to using the GW Gondor range of figures. I think Normans fit the bill and are probably more in keeping with the Anglo-Saxon feel of the setting as imagined by Tolkien so will be using Normans as my Gondor troops.

So far the force consists of:

• 1x elite foot commander
• 2x heavy foot
• 2x heavy missiles (crossbows)

I've two more units of heavy foot to do and I need to get a couple  of units of cavalry. I am in two minds over the cavalry and tossing up between Footsore Normans, Goth or Ramono-British ranges but am leaning towards the Footsore  Noble Goths with the Gripping Beast Norman shields to tie to force together.

The good think about the Rampant series of rules is you don't need too many figures for a force- as they are these guys are 22 pts. Once I've finished the other two units of infantry and add a couple of units of allied Rohan cavalry till I get some Gondor knights the force can easily push 36-40 points which is about size of standard game will will be playing.

Craig

Dragon Rampant- Isengard vs Carthage?

It is Waitangi day today and this evening Kent and I finally managed, after several failed attempts, to get a wargame in. He's never played Dragon Rampant so thought I'd teach him the rules but alas I'd forgotten most of them. However, we managed to muddle our way through a game, the rules becoming clearer as the game went on. 

Apparently the Urak Hai invasion of Carthage happened sometime in the 3rd Age but as no hobbits were present at the battle  to report on it, it has since been lost to the annuals of (Middle Earth) history.

Kent used his Carthaginians and I my newly rebased Urak Hai. I built us a couple of 40 point armies with the troops we had available.

Kent's Carthaginians
1x General (elite infantry)
2x Carthaginian veterans (Heavy foot)
2x Spanish scutarii (light foot= short range missiles)
2x Italian hill tribes (Warband)
1x EWlephant (Greater warbeasts)
1x Carthaginian cavalry (Heavy riders)

Craig's Uraki hai
1x leader (Elite inf)
2x Uraki hai (Heavy foot-offensive)
1x Lesser Urak hai (warband)
1x Urak hai crossbows ((Heavy missiles)
1x Warg Riders (light riders)
1x wargs (lesser beasts)
1x Troll (Greater warbeast)

The battle was a bit of a free for all, just trying to relearn the rules. First person to destroy more than half the opposing force won.

The Urak Hai deploy

And from the Carthaginians line

the Urak hai general and the troll prepare for battle

 Advance! The troll and elephant surge forward, each aiming to prove that he is the king of the battlefield.

 Come on then, bring it on! The troll bounced off the elephant and retreated (the combat was a draw).

The Carthaginians continue to advance

 Elephant vs troll take 2. I'll rip yo tusks off and shove them down ya gob!

 Alas, by now we'd remembered about command rolls after casualties. The troll failed his roll and left the battle in a bit of a huff. The crossbows got their revenge though and turned the elephant into a very large pin cushion on the next turn. 

The Wargs (lesser beasts) charge a unit of Italian hill tribesemen

 The Carthaginian veterans continue to plod their way forward.

 Getting closer...

 Crossbow-orcs and Urak hai clash with the Carthaginians and there are several inconclusive engagements between the heavy infantry units.

The Italian hill tribesemen sense an easy victory vs the crossbows but the orcs retreat in good order- well as good an order as they can being orcs.

 The dice indicates three wounds suffered (a mere scratch) and the glass bead that the orcs are disordered so good for sweet F.A.

 The Urak hai general charges the Hill tribesemen- 'cos he can.

 What happens when you get hit in the flank using the optional unit facing rules? Well apparently your armour value s reduced by one so the warband Urak hai go from Armour 2 to Armour 1c(meaning every successful die equals one wound as opposed to the usual 2:1 vs bellicose foot). Luckily Kent only rolled 3 hits (out of 12 dice needing 4+ per die)

 The battle is close, next destroyed unit on either side wins.

And wouldn't you know it. Kent's Spanish light infantry charge a unit of Urak hai heavy foot, cause 2 wounds to one and rout them off the table on a failed courage test.

A good close game and a chance to get to grips with the rules. It plays fast and furious, even with two 40 point armies on the table.

Cheers Kent, I look forward to getting a lot more gaming in this year!