A Day at the Oasis!

[Mad Lord Snapcase]

I was reading Wilgut Spleen's blog (The Nizari Assassins -from Gripping Beast Plastic Arabs) about Nizari Assassins and I thought, I need some of those. So I simply stole emulated his idea! I was already painting some Victrix Templars, so it fitted in nicely. Then I saw the post about his new Ruckus based game Assassins and Templars (A day at the Office). I thought this was indeed serendipity and I understand the rules are appearing free with the November issue of Wargames Illustrated.
My esteemed friend Vagabond is travelling down from the Grim North for a sojourn in the sunnier climes of Snapcase Hall, late October into November. We intend to be playing several games and this will be one of them. I was hoping that my other esteemed friend Doug would be able to make up the threesome that is the 'Gentlemen of Much-Piddling'. However, Doug as Lord-Lieutenant of Borchester, is heavily engaged in defending his county from nefarious ruffians and rapscallions and is unable to attend. We are hoping he will still engage via Google Meet.
So without further verbiage, a few photos of progress so far and a bit of a back-story (still a WIP). Hopefully after our games at DevLAM '25, there will be an AAR of the Templars and Assassins game.

[Mad Lord Snapcase]

The Templars in the Principality of Antioch are aware of the activities of the Ḥashshāshīyīn in their region. Based at Alkathir min Aleabathn near Kadmus, they could hardly fail to be aware of the murderous activities of this secret sect. The Ḥashshāshīyīn are a Nizari Isma'ili order, founded by Hasan al-Sabbah. Their headquarters are located at Alamut Castle in the nearby Alborz mountain range. A group of disciples within the group of Ḥashshāshīyīn known as the Fida'I, are the ones who actually engage in conflict. Their preferred method of killing is by dagger, nerve poison or arrows.

The Templar’s local informant, Qadimat Kariha Hassan has heard rumours in the souk of a contract being awarded to the Ḥashshāshīyīn. A Franciscan monk, named Brother Oswald Cobblepot, lives as a hermit at the Oasis of Shakhir Kabir. Someone has contracted the Ḥashshāshīyīn to assassinate him. Accordingly, a small band of Fida'I are on their way to the oasis to seek out and kill, Brother Oswald.

A pair of crusading knights are to accompany the Templar knights. Sir Douglas S’Todger (a Scottish knight) and Jean de Vagabundy (a French knight) intend to mount a rescue mission and save Cobblepot from imminent death. They set out with a band of faithful Templar knights, to the Oasis of Shakhir Kabir.

Sir Douglas on the left, Jean on the right (with their banner bearers) and in the centre, Brother Oswald.

What could possibly go wrong?

[Mad Lord Snapcase]

The Templars.

[Mad Lord Snapcase]

Local rumour has it that the headman of Kebab, a small town in the foothills of the Alborz Mountains, has it in for Brother Oswald. Annoyingly, rumour does not state the reason why the Shish (as the headman is titled) has a grudge against the Franciscan. Let’s hope that S’Todger and de Vagabundy are in time to foil this deadly plot!

Normally, the Ḥashshāshīyīn operate singly or in pairs. This is particularly effective when infiltrating the strongholds of their victims. Larger numbers would be more likely to lead to discovery. However, in this instance, a single eccentric monk, living in a mud hut at an oasis should prove to be no problem. Accordingly, the Year One Apprentice Assassins have been given this mission to be part of their training and graduation into Year Two students. Sayid Aaqt Alshaay, the ‘Poisons and Potions’ master has been given the task of leading the students into their first contract kill. Armed with his treasured and deadly poisoned dagger Kinjar man Askaban, he leads the freshers out into the desert.

Sayid Aaqt Alshaay in the centre with the yellow sash

The rest of the student assassins

Some of the highly acclaimed training cadre are accompanying the mission as observers and assessors

[Mad Lord Snapcase]

Hasan al-Sabbah and his personal bodyguards

[OSHIROmodels]

Great fun 

[anevilgiraffe]

lovely stuff - your Oswald was the base figure for my Father Shandor

Hasan al-Sabbah and his personal bodyguards

those chaps are fun, where are they from?

[Mad Lord Snapcase]

lovely stuff - your Oswald was the base figure for my Father Shandor

those chaps are fun, where are they from?

He is the Golden King of Abrakhân from Games Workshop. I think those figures may be OOP now. I wish I'd bought some more of them now, they're great figures.

[Wilgut Spleens]

Absolutely brilliant! I can't wait to see these guys in action

[Mad Lord Snapcase]

Absolutely brilliant! I can't wait to see these guys in action

Many thanks!

[anevilgiraffe]

He is the Golden King of Abrakhân from Games Workshop. I think those figures may be OOP now. I wish I'd bought some more of them now, they're great figures.

I thought they had an ogre kingdoms vibe - now you say it, I thought they were familiar, LOTR isn't usually horribly off scale...

[Digits]

Box of frogs!



Pray tell what minis are the assassins in black please fella?

[Sunjester]

Absolutely superb M'Lord, I can't wait to see the game unfold.

[Mad Lord Snapcase]

Absolutely superb M'Lord, I can't wait to see the game unfold.

Many thanks, really looking forward to this one!

Pray tell what minis are the assassins in black please fella?

Digits, they are from the Gripping Beast Arab Spearmen. I just used all the fully-masked heads which gave me 16 assassins. I got the idea from Wilgut Spleens' blog.

[Digits]

Very cool…thank you sir!