Conwy Wargames Club September 15mm Sassanids vs Rome

Back in October David Saltrese put on a Hail Caesar game which saw Romans vs Sassanids. Tony was robbed of a glorious charge which would have crumbled Gaz Merrifield’s left wing. Instead Gaz survived his right wing being flanked to take the victory!

Scooby Doo game prep

For Halloween I wanted to put on a suitably themed game. Since I still haven't painted my ghost buster figures I thought I'd roll out the Scooby gang. I needed the game to cater for 4 players, so went with my favourite time traveller, and since I wasn't putting a Christmas game the Moon Nazi's got to get an annual outing. The 4th player would control the random monsters I decided would be spewing from the fountain/gate/portal at the centre of the oasis. The oasis/portal was my hook which generated the scenario in my head and the inspiration for terrain. To make sure it looked right I laid it out the night before the game at home before packing it up and taking the game to the club meeting.

The mysterious oasis

I not had a chance to use my boat models so decided that is how 2 of the casts would arrive

The Moon Nazis trying to be incognito

The Scooby gang and the local sheriff

Random monsters

28mm Hail Caesar Battle of Hastings Game

My friends kids wanted to try playing a 'proper' wargame and from a choice of X Wing, 20mm WW", or a skirmish game they settled on the  Battle of Hastings option.

I opted to try and recreate the battle ground around Caldec hill and the Hoar apple tree rather than the traditional site. I used the Osprey Hastings book for the numbers with roughly 400 men being a standard unit, and the Hail Caesar Dark Age army list to make each division proportional, and the points to make the armies even.

The book that got me inspired to create this version of  the battle. Having visited Battles this battle location makes  more sense to me.

What I'm trying to recreate

The armies lined up. Ideally I'd have 2.5 ft more either side which would make the board size  8x6

The Franco Flemish right wing and Williams smallest division

The Dukes Normans in the centre

The Bretons on the left wing

Earl Leofwine's wing

King Harolds' centre and his left wing commanded by Earl Gyrth

Earl Leofwine's men

King Harold's men, with himself under the tree

Gyrth's men and Danish mercenarines. The mercenaries were their own division but didn't count to the army break points.

The kids set off cautiously not knowing the rules

Lots of arrows and eventually javelins flying between the lines. I made the ground off the hills rough so it was slow going for the Norman main line but ok for lights

Harold blundered with his skirmishers who all veered to the right inadvertently allowing him to concentrate his shooting on the Franco Flemish 

The Dukes cautious advance begins to tempt Lefowine off the hill

The Saxon skirmishers get bolder

Earl Gyrth senses an opportunity an tries to move his Gebur up to support the skirmishers against the Franco Flemish

The Danes being bolder achieve their move straightening the line but not coming off  Caldec hill

King Harold in the shade

Time ran out and nibbles called leaving the battle on the cusp of a mighty clash.