Lead Adventure Forum
Miniatures Adventure => Age of Myths, Gods and Empires => Topic started by: Zingara on November 26, 2020, 09:35:42 PM
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Having completed a number of 1/72nd Ancients figures this time last year and through to February which had not seen the light of day on the gaming table I felt the urge to see them used. I have also been wanting to do something based in Hyboria for decades. So at last I have taken the plunge, using an Hyborian map taken from the internet to give the setting. So far I have set up 3 sheets in an excel spreadsheet.
The first is a diplomacy matrix of each country against the others, being a six step sliding scale from Friendly to Hostile. The idea being when neighbours hit hostile one will attack the other. This can have knock on diplomatic effects depending on relationships with the protagonists. I also roll at year end to see if changes are afoot. On a d6, A roll of 3 or 4 means no change, a 1 or 2 means a cooling of relationships one step, except a Friendly nation will only drop if a 1 is rolled. Similarly a 5 or 6 means a warming of relationships, except that a 6 is required to move away from hostile.
The second sheet is basically a list of the years in a 12 year cycle, with 12 month names. Any battles are recorded with year, month, attacker, defender, province, Map reference, victor, battle outcome.
The third sheet has the imported map from the internet, stretched out a bit. The beauty of being in excel is that you have a ready made grid reference!
I have managed to take myself down to my shed and play out a few games. For has.been some narrative.
Year of the Tiger
Argos had long had an eye on taking advantage of the minority of the Suffete Mago. When the drunk general Hamilco insulted the Argossian ambassador that was all the excuse that was needed, and in the month of the Siren (first campaigning month) regiment after regiment poured North towards the Kothian capital of Khorshemish. The Kothians under Hamilco, with Ophiran and Corinthian mercenaries, met them throwing themselves forward in an effort to come to grips. In a fiercely contested battle the Kothians, weakened by massed archery and javelin fire, succumbed the soonest in the clash of heavily armoured spearmen in the centre, as well as coming off worst in the cavalry battles on the flanks. Khorshemish was laid to siege.
The following month of Circe saw the Corinthians under Epidimes crossing the mountain passes that divided them from Nemedia and tried to force their way out onto the plains. Despite the ferocity of the attack the heavily armoured Nemedians under Count Lotho held firm. Casualties mounted on both sides and the affair ended in a hard fought draw. The Corinthians withdrew back across the passes, the Nemedians declined to follow up – yet.
Circe also saw a desperate attempt by a relieving Kothian army to break the siege of Khorshemish, this time with a large contingent of Shemite mercenaries including some elephants. In a frantic, bloody affair, neither side was able to claim victory, so the Kothians withdrew, the siege held and Khorshemish was taken.
To add insult to injury, in the following month, Narses, King of Khoraja tried to take advantage of the chaos in Koth and advanced on Daramish in the North East of the country. Somehow the Kothians put an army in his way, with a goodly contingent of Shemite mercenaries and some Corinthian skirmishers. This time the Kothians were victorious, driving off the right flank Khorajan mounted troops and rolling up the line. For days afterwards the vultures could be seen following the remnants of the invading force as it withdrew.
So 4 battles in the first year, with more battles generated and triggered in the year to come. From my collection: Koth – Carthaginians, Argos – armoured Spanish Muslims (“El Cid”), Corinth – Hoplite Greek, Khoraja – Early Achaemenid Persian, Nemedia – Medieval Knights – 100 years war etc.
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The lighting is poor at this time of year, but this gives a feel for the set up. The playing area is 6ft by 5ft - but for these games I am currently starting 21" in.
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Nice! We keep fiddling around with a family campaign using the various 1/72 armies we’ve got...
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Nice, I do like a bit of campaign background.
Please keep it up.
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Nice! Will follow this with interest!
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Interesting stuff! By the way, I still have boxes of unpainted 1/72 ancients from abandoned projects somewhere. Do let me know if you would need reinforcements... ;)
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Nice set up, I am looking forward to seeing more of this.
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A list of months - the 3 at the beginning and end of year being outside the campaigning season currently.
AMPHISBAENA, GORGON, HARPY
SIREN, CIRCE, STHENO, GRIFFIN, HYDRA, CHIMERA, PEGASUS
MANTICORE, ORION, PHOENIX
A note on how currently running foreign relations
Roll 1 d6 in Month of Phoenix:
1 Relations Detiorate If already Hostile with a neighbour warfare breaks out
2 Relations Detiorate unless Friendly
3 No Change
4 No Change
5 Relations improve unless Hostile
6 Relations Improve If already Friendly enter into Treaty / Dynastic intermarriage
(not applied this bit yet, but an idea going forward)
The Diplomatic chart is a 6 stage scale - Friendly, Warm, Neutral 2, Neutral 1, Unfriendly, Hostile . The above mechanism will over time tend to polarise things.
If neighbours turn hostile then warfare breaks out
When turn hostile will battle until lose a battle on enemy territory
Supplies can never exceed 6, if they do so reduce to 6. Two are added to supplies in month of Phoenix. Subtract one for every battle fought except your own uprisings.
For three years on anniversary of one of your cities being captured roll 1d6. Year 1 4+ revolts. Year 2 5+ revolts: Year 3 6 revolts. Thereafter absorbed.
NB. If a revolt occurs after foreign power has captured from another foreign power, the original country forms the rebellion.
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Some pictures from one of the battles in the year of the Monkey. The Battle in the Valley of the Gorgon where Nemedia forces the mountain passes. The entrance to Hermes temple in the central hills.
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Year of the Monkey
Violence and War gripped central Hyboria as the gods played wih the lives of men. Koth especially saw the advance and retreat of armies and the carcasses of the slain provided rich pickings for jackals and hyenas and areal opportunists such as the many vultures that circled among the clouds.
Siren saw the Cimmerians launch a strong raiding force into Aquilonia burning and destroying what they could not carry off. They were met by a strong Aquilonian force containing many elite Poitanian knights and the feared Black Guard. It was the Cimmerian cavalry, fierce and battle hardened as they were that could not stand against the flower of Aquilonian chivalry. With the flanks gone it was just a matter of mopping up.
In Circe Ophir took advantage of the chaos in Koth to launch an attack on Daramish, crushing the army sent to oppose them Daramish was besieged. To most observers (Ie me) this looked like the end of Koth, but remarkably a rebellion of local citizenry and remnant regulars with some Shemite mercenaries managed to over throw the occupying Argossian forces. Khorshemish was liberated, and in the following month (Stheno), the core of this army marched East and defeated the Ophirians, relieving Daramsih. So instead of the Kothic dynasty becoming a footnote in history, after two years of epic struggle Koth was free of enemy troops.
In the Stheno (the third campaigning month) the Nemedians sought revenge on Corinthia for the attempted invasion of the previous year. A force heavier in light infantry passed over the Aloadae mountains and descended into the valley for the Gorgon with the temple to Hermes (god of travellers). In a close fought battle that looked like it had swung decisively to the Corinthians the Nemedians prevailed. They set up a base of operations and headed for Yaralet, but it was before the gates of that city that their strength failed and the end of the year saw them back in Nemedia.
The Ophirian aggression against Koth had seen Aquilonia change their diplomatic stance against such blatant expansionism, and the month of Griffin saw Aquilonia launch an attack against the city of Tarantia. In a fierce, closely fought battle it was the Black Guard who were the difference, withstanding everything thrown at them and there was none left who could resist. Tarantia was sieged. Thankfully for the citizens, a relief force broke the siege. The Aquilonian horse expected to drive everything before them, but on both wings got too far ahead of their supports and lost their flanks. Despite fighting hard the infantry centre then had no chance.
After 2 years and 12 battles back to square one !! However, the year end Diplomacy rolls saw Koth at war with 4 protagonsists, and with an already depleted supply reserve it looks like serious trouble.
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Continuing good stuff.
I feel it would be very easy to 'borrow' a line or two from these histories,
and use it as a backdrop to a skirmish/battle.
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Interesting stuff! By the way, I still have boxes of unpainted 1/72 ancients from abandoned projects somewhere. Do let me know if you would need reinforcements... ;)
More figures - bwa ha ha.
Friends already tell me I have too many. I don't like waste so end up painting all the figures in a box and end up with large forces. Having painted them I want to use them - so I'm looking to use this Hyboria campaign to do that. The advantage with a setting like Hyboria is I can recruit in mercenaries to cover a troop type if I happened to need any or to add a bit of colour to a battle. I've got Republican Roman, Carthaginian, Spanish, Numidian, Sumerian, Parthian, Early Achaemenid Persian, Spanish Muslim, Spanish Christian, some hundred years war types, Hoplite Greek with some chariot and elephant add ons and some winged hussars and knights I use for Aquilonia. So I think I am sticking with 1/72nd. I used to have a lot of 15mm armies when I was doing WRG 6th / 7th DBM etc, but have got rid of those. Larger figures being easier to see for painting, and the plastics did work out quite a bit cheaper. They are also lighter to transport and survive being dropped etc.
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Pictures of Turanian column heading towards Daramish.
Year of the Leopard
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A year of change, of fire and destruction.
The year started with the young Suffete Mago ordering the general Hasdribble to avenge him on Narses king of Khoraja. Consequently Hasrdibble crossed over the highlands into the valley of Petra and attacked the Khorajans arrayed against him. Hasdribble (who had a badly damaged lower jaw as a result of a hunting accident) routed the Khorajan right flank and rolled up the line with his elephants faster than the Khorajans could do to his forces. Being somewhat lame and unable to ride a horse properly, Hasdribble had a front seat in his Howdah as his elephant scattered enemy troops as he rolled up the enemy centre. Petra was then besieged, and the following month a relief force was even more effectively dealt with. Petra fell and Hasdribble had Narses dragged behind a chariot until dead and went about hunting down Narses relatives, many of whom fled to Khauran.
The following month (Stheno) however saw Koth launch another attack on Khorshemish, again seeing off the defending army and laying siege. Turan also invaded but were turned back in front of Daramish. The Turanian horse archers caused a lot of trouble, but were steadily caught or driven off, and eventually the Turanian cataphracts withdrew realising they could not prevail against Kothian spear with elephant support. There was to be no relief for Daramish for less than four weeks later another army was at the gates as Khauran invaded. This time the Kothians could not prevail and Daramsih was besieged. Koth was exhausted. No more money, men or supplies so both Daramish and Khorshemish fell. The suffete Mago was speared to his throne by the enraged Argossians who crucified anyone they suspected of participating in the rebellion last year. Some say that it was not Mago but a look-a-like who was on the throne, and Mago had in fact escaped.
Elsewhere, whilst Argos was marching on Koth, Aquilonia, having come to an uneasy peace with Cimmeria, launched an invasion of Argos through Ophir, but their efforts were in vain and battered they fell back to Aquilonia only to find Ophir attacking the city of Tanasul, having brushed aside the local forces. Both sides refused their left flanks, but it was Aquilonia with its massed Bossonian archers and crossbowmen who eventually managed to break the enemy centre and right flank.
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Like the cavalry advancing across the dry grasslands.
That is to say your cloth.
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After the Nemedian victory in the valley of the Gorgon, various Nemedian parties were sent out to hunt for game in the lower reaches of the Alodaae mountains. After one such party failed to return the unit commander asked for volunteers to go and find out what happened to them. Consequently six volunteers set out at first light, heading in the last known direction of thir missing comrades. They rapidly ascended through outcrops of trees, rocky passes and scree. After three hours hard climbing they came across signs of a struggle, there were crossbow bolts and broken swords, but no signs of any bodies. The six crossbow armed marksmen followed what looked like a trail, and there were signs that something large and heavy had passed that way. Eventually from just below a ridge they saw a group of five large figures sitting outside a cave entrance. The Aloadae mountains were so named for a reason. The plan was simple, the leader of the band, one Hugo by name led three companions on a wide sweep with the idea of bringing the Aloadae under fire and retreating to draw them away from the cave, leaving Baldric and Egbert to sneak up to the cave and rescue any of the hunting party still alive.
Whether it was the change in birdsong, or some sound or smell that reached the Aloadae Hugo and his men had not got into position before the Aloadae were bearing down on them.
What followed was a demonstration of lethal shooting and an amazing feat of arms by Herbert. Despite having his brains addled by club to the head by the Aloadae leader, he somehow was able to avoid the following blow, leap to his feet and put the enemy down. It was all over, the rest just a matter of mopping up. The hunting party were rescued apart from one unfortunate who was brained during the initial encounter. He was dinner the evening before.
[Notes on play: Played to Galactic Heroes rules. The party was detected pretty early, but what followed was some superb rolling as the Aloadae were butchered. Even against the highly combat effective Aloadae leader Herbert somehow managed to tie the melee when he was on the ground, and then with the queen of hearts lose his wound, leap back up, and though still at a disadvantage put his opponent down. Rarely see so one sided with dice rolls and cards combing to lethal effect]
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and to complete the scene.
I have also enjoyed seeing some of the mythic Greek stuff posted by digits and others - so yes has.been - I intend to do some skirmish games as well.
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As an aside, after conversations with has.been I tried out To The Strongest. The playing surface was a Green Banqueting Roll by Kingfisher Catering bought for £1. At 7m by 1.18m couldn't resist. I only had to put a dot every 3 squares to get roughly a 6 by 6 grid, so marked out the normal 96 square with a bit to spare.
As a first attempt I dodged the terrain rules - most battles were pretty open anyway. I was able to put my Parthian collection on the table and they faced off against a fair chunk of my Spanish Muslims. There was a bit of clutter since the mounted troops were either missile or lance armed.
The card mechanism certainly means nothing is guaranteed, and the most promising of situations usually result in an Ace being drawn or a total failure to hit anything. In this game I Felt the luck was mainly against the Parthians, though I have not fought to a conclusion.
The cards certainly give a fog of war effect, but I would prefer to play to a conclusion a bit quicker. Need to try out against a live opponent and get more games under my belt I think.
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When I lose at games like 'To the Strongest' & 'AK47' I can blame the cards/dice
for buggering up my wonderful battle plans. I like these games.
Chess however, Gregor you know this, I can't blame my defeats on anything but...me.
(My win:loss ratio in games of Chess against Zingara is about 2: 1776)
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After directing the rescued hunters back to camp, the 6 volunteers decided to look around the Aloadae cave a bit closer. There was something that had caught their interest. They found a narrow passage that led to a path, far too small for the Aloadae and followed it. The path held true, so despite the passing time the party continued on. Eventually they came out on the sides of a valley filled with woody gnolls and pools of standing water. Some of these appeared to give off a steam as if they were heated somehow, and indeed the valley seemed warmer and more humid than where they had come from. They descended to satiate their curiosity.
Their descent into the valley had not gone unobserved however, high upon a crag sharp, cunning eyes beheld them. The hunters would soon become the hunted. On large silent wings the watcher launched off the height and lazily descended aiming to take the group unawares. Swooping low behind a copse, skimming its canopy, and striking one of the six. Somehow the target had dodged at the last second, so it was not a killing blow.
Oblivion.
Hugo and companions had sensed rather than seen that something was not quite right, so had fanned out. A large shadow, and a panicked dive to one side, something large ripped at Cedric's armour, he was on the floor and desperately needed to get up and away. But his companions had seen what was happening and one, two, three crossbow bolts thudded into the creatures eyes. It was all over for now.
This was Galactic Heroes. Being one figure I gave the beastie the same number of traits as a party. Being Huge it had 5 wounds. I was aware that it could have issues being shot as it was easy to hit, so gave it the trait whereby the first out of action shot would convert to a wound in which case it would take off and run, and of course armoured. In theory crossbows have potential issues with being slow to reload. But in this game hit, 9 to wound converting out of action to wounded, Hit 8 to wound. Hit 9 to wound (out of action). With the killer trait cancelling out the armour that was it. (9 or 10 is out of action, 6 to 8 wounded, less than that shocked).
Yet again our intrepid party had triumphed in ridiculously easy fashion. I think in a scenario like this a single beasty needs to draw as many cards as it has wounds. In the first round the Dragon went last which suited it since it was out of sight, but in round two pretty much all the party would get to act before the dragon, which proved devastating with the rolling involved. Something like a dragon also needs to be able to ignore shock to have any chance, like has.been’s scenario rule for those critters in his recent game with Vodkafan.
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Still shocked at the assault they had seen off, albeit expertly, Hugo and the others decided to push on to find somewhere to camp for the night, and possibly snare some supper or breakfast. So warily they pushed on. An hour or so moving as stealthily as possible they espied a ruined building of some sort, flanked by weathered statues. About 50 yards in front of the entrance, on slightly elevated ground, was an arc of standing stones. What they were could not easily be seen, and outside this a further 20 yards on was another solitary statue. There was no birdsong, and the atmosphere seemed to tingle. Warily the party fanned out, and passed the solitary statue. It was at this point that they noticed the place reeked of the charnel house, and out of the door of the building poured ten figures. To their horror Hugo and his mean noticed that these were little more than moving collections of bone moving rapidly towards them. On the right accurate fire downed two of the onrushing figures, but the third closed and put two men down, Herbert and Hugo, before being taken down by Baldric. Herbert could not take any more and crawled away and fled. On the other flank, Egbert and Boris put more of the approaching skeletons down, but could not stop them closing. Boris put what seemed like a champion out of action with a strong downward stroke cleaving helmet and skull, but more and more skeletons were pouring from the building and eventually they were surrounded. What appeared to be a sorceress also approached behind what the grave could not keep, and the reek had Egbert and Boris gagging. They both went down beneath a flurry of blows.
Waking a couple of hours later, battered and bruised, it appeared that once they had stopped moving the assault had ceased. Crawling away miraculously it appeared they had all escaped serious injury. They were however in no fit state to continue, so after hiding up in a hollow all night limped their way back to join their comrades.
Game notes. As members of a crossbow unit in Duke Ceretic’s employ, the party is very adept at taking down small numbers of enemy, even if powerful (given traits to improve shooting effectiveness). Against greater numbers, and troops that keep coming back (regenerate trait), they can’t all be stopped by shooting, and it is there where the odd poor die roll is inevitable in close combat with unfortunate results. The party were fortunate to roll low in their after battle recovery rolls. Four characters with a modifier for being out of action and another for losing the battle were very fortunate to not end up dead or seriously wounded.
The party withdraws to continue with the Duke to the walls of Yaralet where the Nemedian’s strength fails them. We will have another adventure in the Aloadae as the army returns this way on its journey back to Nemedia.
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I Like the Isle of Lewis statues.
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I Like the Isle of Lewis statues.
Years ago now, but the dog, when still with us, decided to chew the chess set, so re-assigned some pieces. Still got several in a bag if I ever decide I need more statues.
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Not just freestanding statues, but fallen ones covered in vegetation,
or as part of a ruined structure. Broken bits of packaging are great
for that. Glue it all into place (on a nice base, like placemats) then give
it a darn good 'plastering (cheap filler mixed with PVA glue) applied
with pallet knife (for the big gaps) & any old brushes for the rest.
When COMPLETELY dry, paint it a dark colour (I prefer Burnt Umpire)
followed by lighter & lighter dry brushing. When you are happy with
the result, garnish with: lichen, fallen 'logs' , stones, flock, bushes,
skulls etc.
Things like ruined temples are great for gaming over, & can be used
for anything from Ancients to Galactic Heroes.