L'Art De La Guerre - Normans and Viking in action

Last two practice LADG games with Stephen (Cork Competition this weekend) after he finally chose an army to use this being Berber.

All those practice games and his last two with actual army, the 'difficulty' of choice when he has so many armies.

I used Normans against him in first game and this saw my Knights fail to perform yet again and my lowly spearmen hold well against superior Berber types, well up until they didnt 

Second game was a very close affair with my Vikings in action this time.

I tried a flank march with Breton Ally which worked quite well drawing off several Berber units and PIPs. 

The bulk of my Norse foot then moved obliquely to engage Berbers but unfortunately my General included with Huscarls was killed by a Berber General included with Knights and this saw my center collapse.

The Bretons rolled out of their skins (its a game of skill I tell ya !) and sweep all before them and this led to probably a first for us as I took enemy camp and he took mine. 

I reached auto defeat level first but it was a close bloody game this one 

Best of luck to Stephen and he has as much practice as we could manage so hopefully will do well again.

Pics backward again

Vikings come at angle to Berbers, Bretons arrive later deep on right flank

Normans in more straight up (as Barker intended) style

 

L'Art De La Guerre

Two more practice games for Stephen today for upcoming LADG competition. 

I brought Normans and Khazars but ended up using Teutonic instead (his brothers figures).

Both games against Normans one under William in 1066 the other under Guiscard with Arab allies.

Both two straight up slogs which is kind of what you get with knights I guess.

Of course as ever dice just not on my side although several of my lowly types rolled endless sixes to embarrass their noble Knightly superiors who conversely rolled endless ones and twos !

Of course 'The Dice Demon' thrice cast his spell upon my dice with the old "you don't want to roll a 1" its uncanny and frankly slightly worrying :-)

  

L'Art De La Guerre two games (and Commands & Colors Ancients game completed)

Two more practice LADG games with Stephen today.

First up I used Maurikian Byzantine against Abbassid Arab and this was a game with lots of terrain (despite my choosing to attack in Steppe) and manouvre but with Arabs on top as ever.

Second game I used my Vikings again against Stephens Feudal English (a repeat of last week but with tweaked army lists) and again the Knights just too good for Viking foot.

Viking game showing my wall of warriors with Breton Ally on left in a gully

Byzantines face the Abbassids

In better gaming news I completed second Vassal game with Mike with my Syracusans winning against Carthaginians in a very quick game, that was kind of decided on my first turn when I crushed 3 of required 5 units for no loss, was then a matter of picking off a couple of other units. 

L'Art De La Guerre - Vikings in action

Game at Stephens (more practice for him) with LADG and this time I fielded a Viking host as I have just about enough figures to field a viable force (they were only ever used as Allies before).

These are an old army of Essex figures that were done in Humbrol enamels back in mid 90s.

Stephen used his very nice Pre-Feudal English so not strictly a contemporary match-up but good game nonetheless despite losing yet again.

We also had a second game when I used Early Bulgar against Normans but I neglected to take any pics of this for reasons unknown.

L'Art De La Guerre - Normans in action

Game with Stephen today and he picked LADG (another competition coming up for him - sort of Dark Age/Early Feudal periods) and we managed 2 games.

I decided to use my Normans selecting the Norman list but with Sicilian options for first game and then the 'proper' Norman Kimgdon in Sicily list for second game.

Been awhile since I used Normans and good to get them on table again, they were first 'Ancients' army I ever collected/painted being a mix of 2 starter armies (One Essex the other Minifigs) and bought back around 1987/88 I think and for 7th Edition.

First game the Normans faced a Berber force (with wall of supported spear) and whilst my Normans managed to get in enmasse (I had 10 Knights and favourable terrain ie mostly open) they of course failed to deal with Berbers. 

Although it was quite bloody in the end with Berber suffering 17 VP losses (26 units) when my 22 unit army was defeated.

Second game was against a Feudal English force  with mix of Knights, Longbowmen and a Welsh ally, bit of an anachronistic match up for my tastes but still fun game.

Again I got all my Knights into action all along the line (good terrain again) but again failed in the combats and again pretty bloody with my small (20 unit) army succumbing after inflicting 16 VPs on English (24 units in size)

 

L'Art De La Guerre - more practice

Another couple of practice games for Mr B with LADG.

First was his Abbasid Arabs (a later version than last outing) against my Maurikian Byzantines (an army I seldom field), tone set for this one when I had 11 shots and failed to achieve any hits !! Arabs firing back inflicted a few on me. I did have 2 Elite Kavallorii which rolled nothing but sixes all day but their mates let them down.

Second game I used the Khazars and faced Thematic Byzantines and this one decided when I charged in with my Impact (Lancer) Cavalry and failed to win any combats suffering multiple hits in return, no real way back from this in LADG (or any game for that matter). 

Maurikian Byzantines face Abbasids

Khazars face Thematic Byzantines

L'Art De La Guerre - Khazars and Bulgars in action

Another couple of practice games for Stephen today with LADG.

First up I used Khazars again (liking the list) against Abassid Arabs and this was another game on Steppe but with lots of terrain in central sections.

Great game with lots of manouvre with Arabs overwhelming my Slav subject foot to win

Second game I morphed into Bulgars with lots of impetuous cavalry against Carolingians.

This was more one-sided as my lot charged to their doom pretty quickly (not a big fan of impetuous lancer types)

Hopefully all good practice for Mr B

Game 2 (pics assbackward again)

Game 1

L'Art De La Guerre - Khazars and Avars in use

At Stephens today and played two games of LADG (as further practice for his venture at Cork at months end).

First clash I used Khazars (Royal Army) and he fielded Abbasid Arabs with rather a lot of terrain in middle of table despite my attacking in Steppe.

This was great game with lots of manouvre and could have gone either way up until couple of turns when I lost a bunch of units despite inflicting losses.

I was fairly lucky to damage and kill a couple of units of his spearmen with my medium swordsmen but my my cavalry suffered some ill luck.

Second game saw my Avars fielded against Sassanids on a more open field and again was fairly close until I had a truly disastrous turn with multiple units taking 2 hits or dying, including a General and heavy cavalry.

Second game (Blogger keeps reversing order of pics) with Avars facing Sassanids

First game with Khazars attacking Abbasids (I managed to win initiative and invade in both games)