Lead Adventure Forum
Miniatures Adventure => Pikes, Muskets and Flouncy Shirts => Topic started by: Wirelizard on April 24, 2017, 11:41:45 PM
-
(http://i.imgur.com/4r13sof.jpg)
Had two games of Pikeman's Lament this Sunday and one the previous Saturday. None of them have been full 24 point games yet, but enough to get a taste and a bit of a feel for the rules.
Last Saturday's game was 24 points but with really unbalanced forces - one side had two field guns, two Elite Gallopers, and nothing else. Side two wasn't quite as weird, with one unit of Pike, two Forlorn Hopes, and one each of Trotters and Gallopers, but still a bit odd.
This Sunday's games were only 12 points a side but a bit more balanced. It really pointed out the need for a proper core of full size Pike and/or Shot units in a force, as that side won each of our two games. The smaller, fancier six figure units can do all sorts of neat stuff but don't have the sheer staying power of the bigger, more basic 12 figure Pike or Shot units.
The photo is from our run-through of the King's Gold (pay carts) scenario from Sunday. That ended in a tie, just barely! We knocked the scenario down to just two pay carts instead of three, and wound up with one each plus each of our extra-Honour special missions completed.
Looking forward to getting some games in with fully developed 24 point forces, I like the system so far. A bunch of the folks in our local game club have ECW/TYW figures in their collections from FOG:R's release a few years ago, and we're talking about dusting them off and getting some sort of casual narrative campaign going with Pikeman's Lament, either an imaginary county somewhere in England during the ECW or some invented German principality during the TYW!
-
Needs moar pixpls! :D
BTW, I like your blog. *thumbs up*
-
Sounds like a solid set of rules - and some intersting games.
-Michael
-
More pix will be coming, although it'll probably be a couple of weeks before I get another game in... which might give me enough time to have a full 24pt force fully assembled, although almost certainly not fully painted!
Pikeman's Lament question for those more familiar with the rules: Are there any states aside from Wavering that you might need to mark next to units on the table?
Thinking of doing some small (probably 1"/25mm) tokens for Wavering and wondering if there's anything else that might need a token. Make Rally the flip side of Wavering, I guess, to remember that those units Rallied instead of getting a regular Ordered Action?
-
I like the idea with counters. I could do some for Dragon Rampant with "Battered" & "Rallying".
-
...wondering if there's anything else that might need a token. Make Rally the flip side of Wavering, I guess, to remember that those units Rallied instead of getting a regular Ordered Action?
I don't think so. In our experience we never had a problem remembering which units had been Rallied but that might be a problem in bigger games.
-
Pikeman's Lament question for those more familiar with the rules: Are there any states aside from Wavering that you might need to mark next to units on the table?
A "First shot" marker perhaps? Having in mind that first shot may (and must) be used not only at the shooting phase, but also if the group attacks or defends for the first time, before having spent its first shot. Also, with a good die, a group may gain its first shot again. And "Close order" maybe.
-
We just use different color counters...
White - first fire
Green - wavering
Blue - close order
red - hits which have not been marked with base removal.
Not pretty but it works. I have some casualty figs to paint for the hits but they are down the painting priority at present.
P.S. it's a very good set of rules, and scale up/down well. I have couple of different reports on my blog.
-
Out of Round 6 of the current LPL, where they lost to some really crisply painted WW2 British Paras, here's the first group of foot painted for my pike & shot forces.
All Warlord plastics from their pike & shot infantry box set, two pikemen and three command type figures.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/28/577_05_05_17_9_59_45_4.jpg)
I've got a batch of musketeers coming up in Round 8 of LPL11; I have to say I prefer painting the pikemen, as the muskets have such a clutter of extra equipment around them, the powder canisters, loops of slowmatch, and such!
I've also got 24 cavalry in various stages of completion, ranging from "finished several years ago but now needing touchups" to "still on sprue in the box"... that will give me 12 medium cav and 12 currassiers eventually.
I picked up an extra infantry sprue and an extra infantry command sprue from Warlord recently, as well as the Forlorn Hope box (18 figures, I think) which will give me lots of options; I should have enough figures for two full pike units (using command figures, standard bearers, and musicians to pad the numbers as needed), two full shot units, and lots of commanded shot or forlorn hope units under the Pikeman's Lament rules, in addition to the four full cav units deployable various ways, including mixing with infantry for dragoon units.
I've also got two or three metal Warlord commander figures somewhere around, all mounted, but I'm not presently sure where those blisters are... lost in the Stygian depths of the lead mountain for the moment.
The only thing I'm lacking is one or two guns; I might chuck an order at TAG to see what their figures look like, just for a change from Warlord, as the two ranges seem quite compatible.
BTW, I like your blog. *thumbs up*
Thank you! I realized recently that as of this November, I will have had a wargaming web presence of one sort or another for 19 years (!) - I first started a gaming website on GeoCities back in November 1998. Also, some of you need to get off my lawn... :D
-
Looks good Wirelizard. I haven't got the figures for Pikeman's Lament, but I enjoy a good a game of Lion/Dragon Rampant or TMWWBK.
-
I sat down over the weekend and organized my entire pike & shot foot collection to date, sorting them into Pikeman's Lament-sized units and then assembling some extra figures to fill out the ranks where required.
(http://i.imgur.com/oBH7x1r.jpg)
Assembled and in various stages all the way from finished to not even primed yet I've got two Pike units, two Shot units, a Forlorn Hope or Commanded shot unit, and far more officers or character figures than I'll ever need for PL!
Left to right in the photo above is a Shot unit, Pikes, more Shot, seven officers/characters, the Forlorn Hope on the skirmish base, and finally the second Pike unit.
Unassembled or not shown in this photo is another 14 musketeers, 12 firelock musketeers, 12 cuirassier cav, and finally another 12 regular pistoleer cav! Oh, and at least two more mounted characters but those blisters have been eaten by the lead mountain. Everything so far is from Warlord.
No artillery, though. All I need to be set for all sorts of PL games is a gun or two, but I've got lots of other stuff to paint first!
A bit more of a writeup and another photo over on the blog: http://www.warbard.ca/2017/06/12/the-workbench-this-week-12-june-2017/
-
Looking good so far!
-
Watching this with great interest! Looking forward to more... ;D
-
Doing the same thing at this end.
Painting up warlord plastic figures for our first game of "Pikeman's" in 2 weeks time.
Good reason to get my act together and get some paint onto my unfinished figures.
-
Planning on getting a game in this coming Sunday against a friend's Ottoman figures, which we'll figure out a roughly appropriate list for on the day of.
I think I have enough assembled figures for a vaguely sensible 24pt force, but need to sit down with the rule book again to see. Hopefully will have time for that this evening!
Worst case I think another six firelock or musketeer figures for a second Commanded Shot or Forlorn Hope unit will round out my troops for now.
I'll try and get photos during the game to share here and on the blog.
-
First full size (24pt a side) game of Pikeman's Lament.
Joel pulled his TAG Ottoman Turks out for this and we threw together a PL list for them. As I recall, it was 2x Shot (Jannissaries), 1x Gallopers w/ his Officer, 1 x Gun, 1x Commanded Shot, and 1x Forlorn Hope.
My English had 2x Shot, 1x Pike with my Officer, 1x Galloper with a special character, and 1x Forlorn Hope.
(http://i.imgur.com/j2GpmjG.jpg)
Somewhere near the start of the game, looking across the table toward Joel's Turks from behind my forces.
He wind up winning fairly handily; my Pike served mostly as target practice for his Field Gun and his Jannissaries out-shot my Shot! My Forlorn Hope shot his FH up then lost their nerve under cannon fire; my Gallopers rode down his Commanded Shot and his damn Gun then got flattened by his Horse, and it was all over bar the running away!
Great game, anyway, and I'm looking forward to more.
-
Glad you enjoyed it. I'm looking forward to our first game this coming Sunday.
-
Nice table set-up and, as you described it, you had fun. I like TPL rules, they produce smoothly flowing games. Two weeks ago, we played the King's Chest scenario between two ECW forces, 24 pts, 2 players vs 2 and we much enjoyed it! When you will start trying the scenarios, you'll get addicted!
-
Nice table set-up and, as you described it, you had fun. I like TPL rules, they produce smoothly flowing games. Two weeks ago, we played the King's Chest scenario between two ECW forces, 24 pts, 2 players vs 2 and we much enjoyed it! When you will start trying the scenarios, you'll get addicted!
I like the look of the scenarios, especially the King's Chest one, and really want to try them out.
We just did the straight attack "Ga Pa" scenario to start; I did find it a bit odd that the end conditions (less than 5 units left on the table) seem to be so strict - that wound up meaning our game ended only when my final unit was destroyed, as we didn't drop below five units on the table until then!
I was also having terrible luck at actually doing any injury to the Turks, though...
-
Haven't had another game in, but I have gotten eight movement trays done to go along with my ECW Pikeman's Lament forces.
Six six-base skirmish trays and a pair of twelve-base regiment trays, all from Warbases. I rounded off the top edges and corners with my Dremel, the added sand, paint, and flock.
They turned out really nicely, I'll definitely be adding some more of the six-base skirmish trays to my collection, and possibly talking to Warbases about some custom bases for my cavalry and artillery to have the entire force based (trayed?) consistently!
(http://www.warbard.ca/files/bases_3_28June2017.jpg)
More including a bunch more photos over on the blog: http://www.warbard.ca/2017/06/28/warbases-skirmish-movement-trays/
-
I like the chap with the large blue brolly he looks like he is dancing. lol
-
Well done, those warlord figures are coming out well.
-
Not 'dancing', but preparing to 'flourish the colours' (wave the flag abhart a bit)
There was one manoeuvre that involved fluttering the flag just above the grass. This meant 'come & step on it, if you think you're
hard enough!'
-
Not 'dancing', but preparing to 'flourish the colours' (wave the flag abhart a bit)
There was one manoeuvre that involved fluttering the flag just above the grass. This meant 'come & step on it, if you think you're
hard enough!'
So, heavily-armed cheerleading routines? lol
I've wondered about that figure for a while now; aside from being a method of avoiding having to model an entire banner in plastic it seemed like an odd pose!
-
Having had the honour, on two separate Sealed Knot (E.C.W. re-enactment) musters of being an Ensign, I can tell you that when the breeze picks up it is a very good way to hold the flag, it helps stop you (embarrassingly) flying away in front of the regiment.
-
Is there any reason PmL could not be tweaked for Napoleonic era games? It seems to have most of the essential unit types.
-
Having had the honour, on two separate Sealed Knot (E.C.W. re-enactment) musters of being an Ensign, I can tell you that when the breeze picks up it is a very good way to hold the flag, it helps stop you (embarrassingly) flying away in front of the regiment.
It is funny to imagine that there could be an enemy regiment capturing the colors this way lol
Being serious now, I have seen this movement but didn't know its meaning, thank you for sharing!
Is it in some way linked with the ceremonial gestures we see in Italian or Swiss cities?
http://www.fioredeiliberi.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=13181
For instance, here they are teaching lessons for flag flourishing!
-
Flourishing the colours is a way of:-
sticking up two fingers at the enemy; giving him the Bird; winding him up or generally taunting him.
It also helps build up your own units morale (surprised it is not included in more rule sets) as well as telling you that, at the moment, the unit is NOT about to fight, however when the officer issues the order, 'Retire the colours' you know it is soon to
'kick off'.
-
Flourishing the colours is a way of:-
sticking up two fingers at the enemy; giving him the Bird; winding him up or generally taunting him.
It also helps build up your own units morale (surprised it is not included in more rule sets) as well as telling you that, at the moment, the unit is NOT about to fight, however when the officer issues the order, 'Retire the colours' you know it is soon to
'kick off'.
This is the strength of this forum, learning all the time small details I didn't know!
Yes, I agree with you, the probable loss of the colors is very rarely included in any rules... I imagine how blissful you were having the honor to be chosen as an ensign!
-
Is there any reason PmL could not be tweaked for Napoleonic era games? It seems to have most of the essential unit types.
If you want PmL-level skirmish for the Napoleonic era, I'd go with Sharpe's Practice from TooFatLardies. Very similar "big skirmish" scale (30-100 figures, say) and a definite Nap flavour. Troop types aren't the same, either, even if they are similar.
Honestly, TooFatLardies has been teasing an ECW set of rules (provisionally titled "In The Buff") for years and I'll buy it the instant it's available, I really like TFL's rules. Pikeman's Lament is a fine system too, mind you!
Having had the honour, on two separate Sealed Knot (E.C.W. re-enactment) musters of being an Ensign, I can tell you that when the breeze picks up it is a very good way to hold the flag, it helps stop you (embarrassingly) flying away in front of the regiment.
That's awesome, and makes a lot of sense as a flag management technique. I'm now amused at the thought of a "flying Ensign" sailing away in front of his astonished regiment!
Various slow progress on the figures over the last few days; I was away camping for our Canada Day long weekend but did a bit of painting last night after we returned.
No new photo, but the mounted commander is nearly done and looks awesome. Black horse with black harness and a black coat and hat on the guy (oh, and black hair), and it all looks pretty damn good and differentiated, ie not just one massive blob of black. It'll probably be hard as heck to take good photos of, but I'll do my best once he's finished.
Two units of pike, one of shot, and the mustard-yellow unit of firelocks all meandering toward completion; they're all in that assembly-line phase where I go through and do a bunch of leather equipment, then a bunch of hair, then the pike shafts, and so on and so forth. Doesn't make for exciting painting (or interesting photos to share), but they are progressing!
I've also started assembly of the first unit of six cuirassiers (Elite Gallopers, in PmL terms), for some different options in force building. Onward!
-
Various slow progress on the figures over the last few days; I was away camping for our Canada Day long weekend but did a bit of painting last night after we returned.
No new photo, but the mounted commander is nearly done and looks awesome. Black horse with black harness and a black coat and hat on the guy (oh, and black hair), and it all looks pretty damn good and differentiated, ie not just one massive blob of black. It'll probably be hard as heck to take good photos of, but I'll do my best once he's finished.
Two units of pike, one of shot, and the mustard-yellow unit of firelocks all meandering toward completion; they're all in that assembly-line phase where I go through and do a bunch of leather equipment, then a bunch of hair, then the pike shafts, and so on and so forth. Doesn't make for exciting painting (or interesting photos to share), but they are progressing!
I've also started assembly of the first unit of six cuirassiers (Elite Gallopers, in PmL terms), for some different options in force building. Onward!
I have the same assembly line technique. It does seem like sometimes there is hardly any progress for days or weeks, but the advantage is that when you do start to finish you have a nice block of figures all at once.
-
Looking great sir - having gone down the route of using Warlord Plastics for my ECW Army I would strongly recommend you replace the plastic pikes with brass ones - they will snap very quickly otherwise
-
Looking great sir - having gone down the route of using Warlord Plastics for my ECW Army I would strongly recommend you replace the plastic pikes with brass ones - they will snap very quickly otherwise
My experience as well. I am replacing them as they break with brass ones.
-
While you are preparing your army, I invite you to have a look at a PL scenario we played today
http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=102157.0
Hope you enjoy!
Cheers!
-
Resurrecting this thread for my 17th C force building, as Army Painter 2017 is over, it not being 2017 anymore.
My AP2017 thread is over here, just for reference: http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=101621.msg1326826#msg1326826
In finally starting a unit of fully armoured cuirassier, I got curious about armour in colours other than shiny polished bare metal, and that research has turned into an entire blog post with heaps of links and references!
Colourful Cavalry: Armour as well as Horses (http://www.warbard.ca/2018/01/09/colourful-cavalry-armour-as-well-as-horses/) is over on my blog.
tl;dr version: a bunch of the armour we see in museums that's all shiny probably shouldn't be, as it would originally have been blacked or otherwise treated. Blame the Victorians for polishing the stuff up.
If you've ever done russeted, blacked, or other non-shiny armour, please share photos or painting tips. I'm going to have to experiment with technique to keep the metal armour looking like it's metal, not just black/red/etc cloth...
-
I also have a half- dozen cuirassiers to do , Wirelizard, so I will watch this thread and your blog with interest.
-
I have the same assembly line technique. It does seem like sometimes there is hardly any progress for days or weeks, but the advantage is that when you do start to finish you have a nice block of figures all at once.
This is pretty much what's happened. All of a sudden I have completed units all over the place and new stuff on the painting bench for the first time in... at least six months or more. The second half of 2017 was not a good time for miniature painting here at Chez Wirelizard.
I also have a half- dozen cuirassiers to do , Wirelizard, so I will watch this thread and your blog with interest.
I put my coloured armour query in it's own thread over on Workshop and so far nobody has confessed to ever painting armour anything other than shiny silver, it seems. http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=106571.0
-
I am thinking of doing my cuirassiers in GW Warplock Bronze, to represent some sort of darkened or treated armour. It's a dark metallic brown. Experimenting on some old figures, will let you know how it turns out..