El Cid Demo at Partizan wargame show, Newark, UK, Sept 5th 2010

[guitarheroandy]

Hi Chaps
Here's a link to my blog with pictures and a write-up of the Warhammer Ancient Battles 2.0 demo game that James Morris and I put on at Partizan on Sunday. http://guitarheroandy.blogspot.com/2010/09/pine-wood-of-tevar-demo-game-partizan.html

We used the 'El Cid' supplement written by James and a scenario based on the historical battle at the Pine Wood of Tevar. Here is the text James wrote for the demo flyer:

“Let us leave words behind, and as befits brave knights settle this quarrel between us with the noble encounter of weapons.  Come, do not delay.  You will be paid the wages which I usually deal out to you.”
-challenge from El Cid to the Count of Barcelona, from the Historia Roderici

The Battle of the Pine Wood of Tevar is a little-known, but well-documented, incident in the later career of Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar, better known as ‘El Cid.’  Mainly famous for his defeat of the Almoravids at Valencia in 1094 (as memorably dramatised in the 1961 film starring Charlton Heston), El Cid fought Christians as well as Moors.  Following one of his periods of exile from the court of Leon & Castile, the Cid had made an enemy of the powerful Count of Barcelona. 

Operating as a freelance warlord in the east of Spain in 1090 AD, El Cid had asserted himself by making himself the protector of the Muslim city-states of Denia and Valencia.  Denia was nominally under the control of the Count of Barcelona, who had already been humiliated and captured by the Cid in battle eight years previously.  He had need of no further provocation to take the battle to Rodrigo.

The two leaders exchanged letters, insulting each other and challenging the other to battle.  They had the desired effect, though perhaps not as the Cid planned it.  During the night, the Count of Barcelona sent a detachment of his men to take and hold the high ground above El Cid’s camp.  At dawn, Rodrigo found himself under attack from both sides, but quickly called his men to arms.

The Cid led the first charge, which scattered the enemy, but fell from his horse and was wounded in the fight that followed.  It speaks volumes for his leadership that his men fought on and defeated the Count of Barcelona’s army.  Many were killed, but more importantly, valuable prisoners were taken; the Count of Barcelona and another leader were ransomed for an astonishing 80,000 gold marks.  The victory made El Cid the undisputed warlord of the area, and provided his first stepping-stone to his ultimate goal, the conquest of Valencia four years later.

 I hope that you enjoy the pics and the narrative. It was a fabulous game to be involved in!!

Cheers
Andy

[Witchsmeller]

Awsome looking game. The board and mins are fantastic.

do you know how makes the El Cid figure?

[guitarheroandy]

Thank you!

The El Cid figure was sculpted by Mark Copplestone and was produced as a limited edition model when the El Cid supplement was released in 2003. Very, very rare, I should imagine...I can't find one when I Google it, but I only had a quick search... Obviously James Morris, as author of the supplement, got one...lucky blighter!!

[Captain Blood]

Gorgeous! That's proper, that is 

[commissarmoody]

Always nice to see a proper historical bout ever once in awhile, Vary nice. 

[James Morris]

Awsome looking game. The board and mins are fantastic.

do you know how makes the El Cid figure?

Andy is right here, I'm afraid, the Copplestone model was produced for Amazon Miniatures when the WAB supplement was released in 2003.  In those heady days of  WAB supplements actually appearing, companies would produce giveaway models to persuade you to buy the book from them.  Fortunately I was given one so I didn't actually have to fork out for my own work...

It's a super model with an uncanny likeness to Charlton Heston, and seeing as it had sat in my bits box for 7 years, it was about time to get him painted up and on the table.


Thanks for the kind comments.  We really enjoyed putting the game on.

[commissarmoody]

Yeah the WAB bug has took a bite out of me and I am currently bulding a gripping beast Saxon host for Shildwall and 100AD Impiral Romans for a Civilwar campagin.

[Gluteus Maximus]

I've seen the name "James Morris" here before, but never realised you are the El Cid  chap  One of, if not the best WAB supplements!

Well done the two of you, that's a great looking game. Wish I'd been able to see it in real-life

One day I'll dig all my Reconquista figures out of the "mountain" and actually get them finished. Possibly.