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Miniatures Adventure => Medieval Adventures => Topic started by: Dr. Zombie on 26 February 2015, 08:11:42 PM

Title: The Harrying of the north. (AAR)
Post by: Dr. Zombie on 26 February 2015, 08:11:42 PM: Dr. the Viking and I played another game of Lions Rampant This time we are technically in the middleages as it takes place after the Norman invasion.

In 1070 William the Conqueror decimated the north of england. To quell both a growing rebellion and to get rid of the Danish army that had landed. Eventually he payed of the Danes to go back. But one little village stayed.

And this is where the action takes place.

A part of the Danish army that had sailed to England with Swein II Estridsson had settled in an abbandoned village and named it Torsteinsted after their Jarl Torbein Torbeinson (Whose father had been a notorious plunderer up and down the British coast in his day. They enjoyed their life in Northumbria extorting silver and labour out of the local population. but one day the Norman troops of William the Conqueror showed up!

A lookout spots the Norman warband comming up the road from the south. The Danes hurriedly take up defensive possitions.
(http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t75/Fredejensen/66944BB4-179D-4BF7-9259-A09CBB4B47B0_zpsj7vrl2dn.jpg) (http://s157.photobucket.com/user/Fredejensen/media/66944BB4-179D-4BF7-9259-A09CBB4B47B0_zpsj7vrl2dn.jpg.html)

The Norman warband lead by Seigneur Adhemar de Graville.
(http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t75/Fredejensen/33FDFE8D-E249-4CE8-B3B8-955CA3071EE9_zps99cbubl7.jpg) (http://s157.photobucket.com/user/Fredejensen/media/33FDFE8D-E249-4CE8-B3B8-955CA3071EE9_zps99cbubl7.jpg.html)

The Dane skirmishers open fire at the Norman lords retinue, killing one of them. A cheer rose through the Danish lines as the lord turned his tail and fled. Viking warriors surge ahead eager to take the fight to the enemy.
(http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t75/Fredejensen/1D6DEF53-A693-4619-9C75-E0170CE328AE_zpsz6kuectk.jpg) (http://s157.photobucket.com/user/Fredejensen/media/1D6DEF53-A693-4619-9C75-E0170CE328AE_zpsz6kuectk.jpg.html)

But it was all a trick! Lord Adhemar turns his knights back around and thunders into the danish warriors routing those he does not kill.
(http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t75/Fredejensen/9EC553A4-8D5E-46F1-9C76-E07C2EA296B8_zpsnohj82rg.jpg) (http://s157.photobucket.com/user/Fredejensen/media/9EC553A4-8D5E-46F1-9C76-E07C2EA296B8_zpsnohj82rg.jpg.html)

On the left flank Jarl Torbein and his warriors start to take casualties from the Norman archers.
(http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t75/Fredejensen/28DB9786-BB87-4E47-8AEE-40AD2EB4AA66_zpsafazwac6.jpg) (http://s157.photobucket.com/user/Fredejensen/media/28DB9786-BB87-4E47-8AEE-40AD2EB4AA66_zpsafazwac6.jpg.html)

Suddenly Normans attack the village from the North as well. A group of Normans have succeded in sneaking past the Viking defenders and now attack them from the rear.
(http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t75/Fredejensen/CE44A45B-F919-4781-8A21-E79CD4BD0B3C_zps4jfax7bn.jpg) (http://s157.photobucket.com/user/Fredejensen/media/CE44A45B-F919-4781-8A21-E79CD4BD0B3C_zps4jfax7bn.jpg.html)

But they are quickly taken care of by the viking reinforcements from the center of the village who had been eagerly awaiting to get into the fight.
(http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t75/Fredejensen/A3FF25BA-C799-4E67-9627-70982D1AD500_zpszod9oog1.jpg) (http://s157.photobucket.com/user/Fredejensen/media/A3FF25BA-C799-4E67-9627-70982D1AD500_zpszod9oog1.jpg.html)

To the south however the battle is balancing on a knifes edge. The Danish shieldwall is holding Jarl Torbein calls out Lord Adhemar to single combat and brutally cuts him down. That causes some of the more inexperienced norman troops to loose heart and flee the battle.
(http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t75/Fredejensen/9D516B89-C6D5-4BC4-AF4F-B88E24B47F02_zps382krpoj.jpg) (http://s157.photobucket.com/user/Fredejensen/media/9D516B89-C6D5-4BC4-AF4F-B88E24B47F02_zps382krpoj.jpg.html)

The Vikings who had held the shieldwall to the south break formation to take care of some straggeling norman warriors.
(http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t75/Fredejensen/014198E1-A76C-4D1D-A60B-1DDE3B749CDE_zps8q0q4p9h.jpg) (http://s157.photobucket.com/user/Fredejensen/media/014198E1-A76C-4D1D-A60B-1DDE3B749CDE_zps8q0q4p9h.jpg.html)

That was the moment the battlehardened Norman knights had been waiting for! They charge in and kill the danes with a mighty charge.
(http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t75/Fredejensen/10D279DF-1A42-4855-A7AF-514D382D9152_zpsm2ucptj8.jpg) (http://s157.photobucket.com/user/Fredejensen/media/10D279DF-1A42-4855-A7AF-514D382D9152_zpsm2ucptj8.jpg.html)

Jarl Torbein makes a stand to try and stop the charge of the Norman Knights.
(http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t75/Fredejensen/B3776291-0990-4F26-BC62-44CF7019007B_zpsihbc0fie.jpg) (http://s157.photobucket.com/user/Fredejensen/media/B3776291-0990-4F26-BC62-44CF7019007B_zpsihbc0fie.jpg.html)

But he too is ridden down by the Norman knights who procede to burn down the village and the surrounding fields.
(http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t75/Fredejensen/6BC9AA65-CF97-468B-9AA9-ABD42F447D0C_zpso4xpralj.jpg) (http://s157.photobucket.com/user/Fredejensen/media/6BC9AA65-CF97-468B-9AA9-ABD42F447D0C_zpso4xpralj.jpg.html)
Title: Re: The Harrying of the north. (AAR)
Post by: Elk101 on 26 February 2015, 08:40:47 PM: Great report and a cracking table set up with some really nice figures. What ranges are the figures from?

Lion Rampant seems to be very popular at the moment. How does it deal with longbows? We have our own house rules for medieval scraps but we've never nailed longbow use!
Title: Re: The Harrying of the north. (AAR)
Post by: Dr. The Viking on 26 February 2015, 08:46:29 PM: Great game!

I much wonder what will happen next? ;D
Title: Re: The Harrying of the north. (AAR)
Post by: Dr. Zombie on 26 February 2015, 08:52:10 PM: Thank you.
The Vikings are a mix of Gripping Beast both metal and plastic and some Foundry. The Normans are mostly Conquest plastics I think.

Lions Rampant does not have specific rules for weapons. A group of archers is a group of archers. But the rules can easily be moded to represent longbows. Perhaps just by adding some range.
Title: Re: The Harrying of the north. (AAR)
Post by: von Lucky on 26 February 2015, 10:53:42 PM: Lovely stuff, though some of it looks pretty shit.
Title: Re: The Harrying of the north. (AAR)
Post by: Jevenkah on 27 February 2015, 12:29:33 AM: Great fight and write-up! I love the feel of messy combat you give with the close-up shots of your beautifully painted minis crowded together on the field. Your varied terrain pieces make a game board that is visually detailed, and looked to be fun for maneuvering minis on.

Does the muddy piece have furrows on it, or is it a patch of dirt?

Thanks for sharing, and I'm off to check out your workshop thread for some more inspiration!
Jevenkah
Title: Re: The Harrying of the north. (AAR)
Post by: commissarmoody on 27 February 2015, 01:41:57 AM: Great little write up. I am loving the rules and they are easy to use for most war band style warfare. We are looking at replacing saga in some of my clubs meetings with it.
Title: Re: The Harrying of the north. (AAR)
Post by: Atheling on 27 February 2015, 03:59:28 AM: Nice stuff 8).

A very good Rep to boot 8)

Darrell.
Title: Re: The Harrying of the north. (AAR)
Post by: Dr. The Viking on 27 February 2015, 06:59:13 AM: Quote from: von Lucky on 26 February 2015, 10:53:42 PM
Lovely stuff, though some of it looks pretty shit.

Harse words lol

But I'll give you that the mat is ugly as sin. My regular gaming mat smells like an ashtray after having gamed at a house with indoor smoking so I have to let it rest for some time...
Title: Re: The Harrying of the north. (AAR)
Post by: Elk101 on 27 February 2015, 07:30:34 AM: Quote from: Dr. The Viking on 27 February 2015, 06:59:13 AM
Harse words lol

But I'll give you that the mat is ugly as sin. My regular gaming mat smells like an ashtray after having gamed at a house with indoor smoking so I have to let it rest for some time...

I thought he was talking about the dung heaps?
Title: Re: The Harrying of the north. (AAR)
Post by: Dr. Zombie on 27 February 2015, 07:52:47 AM: Quote from: Jevenkah on 27 February 2015, 12:29:33 AM
Great fight and write-up! I love the feel of messy combat you give with the close-up shots of your beautifully painted minis crowded together on the field. Your varied terrain pieces make a game board that is visually detailed, and looked to be fun for maneuvering minis on.

Does the muddy piece have furrows on it, or is it a patch of dirt?

Thanks for sharing, and I'm off to check out your workshop thread for some more inspiration!
Jevenkah

Thank you. That means a lot comming from you. Your own gaming and painting exploits are hugely inspirational.

There is indeed some semblance of furrows on the fields. They are a very quick experiment to make something to break up the monotony of a gaming table. A kind of not-scenery scenery. They are really quick to make and there is definately room for improvement. They are made from just a baseboard where I made lines of pva glue and when dried I glue sand all over and paint it.
Title: Re: The Harrying of the north. (AAR)
Post by: Mason on 27 February 2015, 08:41:21 AM: Proper eye-candy there, chaps.
Bootiful!
:-* :-*

This brings a whole new meaning to the expression 'In the shit!'
;)

Quote from: Dr. Zombie on 26 February 2015, 08:11:42 PM

But they are quickly taken care of by the viking reinforcements from the center of the village who had been eagerly awaiting to get into the fight.
(http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t75/Fredejensen/A3FF25BA-C799-4E67-9627-70982D1AD500_zpszod9oog1.jpg) (http://s157.photobucket.com/user/Fredejensen/media/A3FF25BA-C799-4E67-9627-70982D1AD500_zpszod9oog1.jpg.html)
Title: Re: The Harrying of the north. (AAR)
Post by: von Lucky on 27 February 2015, 09:18:34 AM: I was talking about the dung heap! If that's an old GW mat (with the black vinyl backing)- I really wish I had one. Best travel option I have seen.