Gripping Beast Saxon commission

Metal Gripping Beast Miniatures for a change. Mostly hand painted shields as the transfers don,t quite fit most of these chaps shields.

Pig Wars - The Tax Man Cometh

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The

The Tax Man Cometh (or Get me to the Church on Time)

Julian Whitesson and Gary Cassarsson’s Dulham and Dulham Magna settlements are well established somewhere in the North East of England. Somehow the whole Norman invasion thing has passed them by. The first they know of it is when a Tax Collector with a strange accent and an even stranger haircut turns up at Julian’s village. In an unusual display of mercy, the tax collector is thrown into the cells under Julian’s great hall.

Frigid is the feisty favourite daughter of the Saxon Lord Aethelstan. She has been held hostage to prevent attacks by her father on the settlers. Frigid has been tasked with feeding the prisoners and she strikes a close friendship with the dashing tax collector Henri Visage de Vache and together they plot a daring escape.

Dulham awakens to a roar of anger as Julian finds his guards drugged with their trousers around their ankles. It would appear that Frigid was poorly named by her father... The wayward Frigid has made good her escape with Henri who leads her back to the nearest Norman encampment. From there she is escorted back to her joyous father. The Norman Comte Ralph du Charrue sends word to Aethelstan who, ever the diplomat, has already started to make terms with the latest invaders. A meet is arranged so that Frigid can be married to Visage de Vache who as a Charrue’s least favourite nephew and a minor Norman noble would form the basis of a strong alliance.
Julian sends word to Gary and leaving a garrison to protect the Dulhams, they march to spoil the festivities...

The Normans
Comte Ralph du Charrue      lvl3 mounted FA knight
2xBodyguard                       lvl2 mounted FA knights
6xRetinue                            lvl2 FA foot including standard and Visage de Vache
2xCrossbows                       lvl1 UA foot
9xSoldiers                            lv1 PA foot

The Vikings
Julian/Gary             lvl3 FA foot
8xHuscarls             lvl2 FA including standard
1xberserker            lvl3 UA 2hw
2xBows                 lv1 UA foot
8xfollowers            lvl1 PA foot

The Saxons
Aethelstan             lvl3 FA foot
9xHuscarls            lvl2 FA including standard, 2hws and Frigid
2xBows                 lv1 UA foot
8xfollowers            lvl1 PA foot

Objectives
10 VPs whoever has Frigid at the end of the game (alive only)
10 VPs whoever has de Vache at the end of the game (Alive? Not so bothered)
20 VPs if you kill an enemy leader
5 VPs if you capture an enemy banner

Frigid in the rear rank of her father's (Aethelstan) Saxons

The ginger-bearded wonder - Gary Cassarson. Mighty of beard, mightier of belly.

Julian Whitesson on the opposite side moves forward to close the trap

Comte Ralph du Charrue's Normans. Visage de Vache is next to flag helpfully pointing at the Vikings.

A calamitous run of cards (for Gary) sees my Saxons arrive at the end of his shieldwall.

The rest of Gary's band are momentarily outwitted by the trees which appear to be a lot thicker than they looked from a distance.

Ralph's Normans form a shieldwall and start impressing the locals with the range of their new fangled crossbows.

Gary and his leonine Berserker (Aslan) try to impress domeone by chopping up my archers! Not much honour in that. 

Ralph's line is attacked by a lone Viking. That's how it's done Gary!

The Normans face off across the field...

...towards Julian's shieldwall. This is going to be messy.

Having butchered the archers, Gary and Aslan start to mess with the end of Aethelstan's shieldwall. I need a card - now!

Aethelstan's huscarls are forced to take some pressure off his shieldwall.

Ralph and Julian's bands clash. Ralph commits his two mounted bodyguard who make mincemeat of their first opponents.

Ralph's infantry can only look on as the mounted men are surrounded and cut down by Julian's Vikings.

The once neat shieldwalls soon fall apart as individual combats break out all along the Norman-Viking line.

What's this? No it is not a rear view of a glorious charge by Gary. This is a moment of shame as having seen Aslan the berserker cut down by Aethelstan's men, Gary legs it claiming a "cunning plan".

The rest of Gary's men are confused by what has just happened and fall back after a failed morale test.

Aethelstan forms up his remaining spearmen and in a show of unwise over confidence sends his Huscarls to aid Ralph.

Ralph commits himself to the fight but is eventually brought down.

Aethelstan calls back his Huscarls as an unexpected rally and counter-attack from Gary threatens to overwhelm him. Frigid is forced to fill a whole in the line.

A remarkable run of cards for Aethelstan allows his band to finish off Gary's band. Gary himself succombs to his wounds as frigid cuts him down from behind.

Seeing the fate of Gary and his warband, Julian withdraws, happy in the knowledge that Dulham and Dulham Magna are now his to rule on his own. The happy couple and father of the bride are seen here outside the church.

Pig Wars Episode 2

Pig Wars Second installment – New Dulham

The story so far

Julian and Gary (need Viking names please) have declared themselves Jarls of Dulham, the village captured in the previous raid. They are in possession of a sizable treasure horde, plenty of livestock as well as Frigid, favourite daughter of the local Saxon Thegn Athelstan. As other Danes heard of their fortune, they flocked to the new gold giving Jarls and so Gary and Julian have restored their original warbands to full strength and have enough sword and spear Danes to form a second warband each.

Julian and Gary have each begun to establish new settlements, finding that Dulham was in danger of sinking into the mud as it is situated on a flood plain.

Mark (need Viking name please) fled the last battle after attempting to double cross Gary and making a deal with Athelstan. He has a ship of his own now however, and put in to shore further south where he met with Thegn Athelstan.

Athelstan has been weakened by the ongoing fighting with local rivals and raiders and has been unable to muster enough men to challenge the invaders. He can still muster a full warband of his household troops. He also supplies Mark with enough men to restore his original warband to full strength.

Mark "The Hindmost" and Athelstan (Paul)

Julian has begun to establish the new settlement of New Dulham. To make an immediate statement of intent a great hall has been built but the defences are incomplete.

Julian holds the beautiful but troublesome Frigid, favourite daughter of Athelstan, as a hostage to prevent any rash action by her father.

You both get on well, sharing a fondness for ale, brawling, whoring and hearing tall tales and have formed an alliance. Athelstan has promised his daughter Frigid’s hand in marriage and New Dulham itself to solidify the alliance. Frigid is believed to being held in Julian’s settlement.

Game Objectives – To kill enemy leaders, to hold Frigid and New Dulham at the end of the game.

Special Rule – You may set aside up to 5 men from one of your 20 man warbands to be a rescue party for Frigid. They may be deployed anywhere on the table, not within line of sight of Julian’s men. Once in LOS they must be placed on table.

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Julian assisted by me (2 warbands)

You have begun to establish the new settlement of New Dulham. To make an immediate statement of intent a great hall has been built but the defences are incomplete.

You hold the beautiful but troublesome Frigid as a hostage to prevent any rash action by Thegn Athelstan.

Word has reached you that Mark has allied himself with Athelstan and is on his way to attack your new settlement.

Game Objectives – To kill enemy leaders, to hold Frigid and New Dulham at the end of the game.

Special Rules – You have fallen head over heels for the headstrong Frigid. You may not kill her as you are so besotted and have convinced yourself that she secretly holds feelings for you. She has made several escape attempts however so she must be under constant guard at all times. A building must be nominated as Frigids quarters and a guard must be kept on any doorway.

New Dulham with it's new hall and partial defences. Julian's warbands guard the gaps in the wall. Frigid is in the main hall.

My warband waits for a sighting of Mark and Athelstan's forces.

The Hindmost, in the foreground, with Athelstans warband advance toward the woods.

Athelstan on the left and the Hindmost on the right advance towards New Dulham. Athelstan takes some bow fire from the wood where archers are hidden.

The Hindmost can't help living up to his reputation as Athelstan leaves him behind. Mark blames the cards, but we know the truth!

Athelstan races ahead as the Hindmost is spooked by some archery coming from the wood. (Julian had deployed all his 4 bowmen in the wood and they were not deployed on to the table until they opened fire)

Athelstan's first attack on Julian's warband was repulsed with casualties on both sides. Athelstan's morale broke and he was forced to temporarily fall back. Mark eventually caught up and tempted Julian by placing a short shield wall within charge range.

Athelstan reforms his line bringing his spear armed huscarls to the front.

Having called for support from my warband, Julian froths at the mouth and prepares to charge...

...whilst the second line of Mark's warband are momentarily distracted by the local fauna!

A mass combat breaks out with all 4 warbands involved. Here Julian's berserker attacks Mark's personal figure who has already taken an arrow hits. The berserker scores another wound on the Hindmost but is then cut down.

The sheep can only stand and watch as Snorri the Foolish charges Mark's archer. What could possibly go wrong? Oops Snorri is no more, defeated by a man with no more than a stick.

Archers are in fine form as Julian's fells three of Athelstan's Saxons!

The mass brawl continues with leaders "leading" for a change and getting stuck in.

Mark's warband fails morale and starts to fall back. I decide to send them to the afterlife, only to lose 4 out of 5 combats - ouch.

Shortly after this Athelstan's band also breaks and falls back. All sides have taken painful losses, but all leaders are intact and Frigid is still in Julian's possession. Therefore it is a victory for Jarl Julian of the newly renamed "Great" Dulham. Not sure what Gary will think about that.

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Pig Wars in Gloucester - 8th November 2011

In an effort to spark off a narrative campaign, I set three warbands the task of raiding a nice peaceful stretch of English coastline. Rumour had it that the English were fighting among themselves and so the strongest of their men would be off at the wars leaving their farms lightly defended. The three bands were each 20 men strong including a grade 3 leader and 3 grade 2 heavy armoured bodyguard, a grade 2 standard bearer, 2 grade 1 unarmoured bowmen and 13 grade 1 partially armoured men with spears, swords, axes etc. One of these would be classed as a berserker.

The three leaders are 4th and 5th sons of various Viking nobles who, having little chance of inheritance, decide to pool their resources, buy a boat and mount a raid. Although arriving in England together, they are in competition and the leader who recovers the most booty would be the winner.

This idea was based on a previous narrative campaign run by my good friend Paul back in my North Dorset days that had started in the same way. From an umpiring point of view, I was hoping that the three leaders would start to fall out which will then set up future games based on the result of their scheming and machinations.

As you will see, it worked...

The peaceful hamlet of Dulham. Word has reached them that raiders have been sighted on the beach just to the west. They begin to draw their animals in from the fields.

A few of Julians band are picked off by arrows as they storm forward eagerly. They manage to catch the farmers herding there cattle back towards to Dulham.

The locals arm themselves with farm implements and prepare to defend their homes.

Julian's band have rushed ahead of their rivals. they can be seen on the bridge and attacking into the wood from where the bow armed English hunters have been harassing them. In the foreground is a ruined Roman fort. Nothing seems to stirring there at the moment...

Mark's band are on the road before the bridge with Gary's alongside in the ploughed field. The stream is currently unfordable so the bands have to use the bridge causing some congestion.

Julian's leader "bravely" leads from rear as his lighter armed and faster troops rush forward.

The archers do not survive long and are cut down vengefully by Julian's warriors.

The local peasants get their animals into the palisade but are not quick enough to close the gates before Julian's men cut down the stragglers and rush in to the hamlet.

Mark's band stand on the road in the background and look on as Gary surges across the stream forming a shield wall to render the English arrows almost harmless. Gary has his eye on the Roman ruin.

As Gary approaches the ruined watch tower, soldiers emerge and form a small shield wall.

Julian's men ransack Dulham and discover Frigid, daughter of the local Lord Aethelstan . Biting and scratching like a wild cat, she is taken as a valuable hostage. Further searches reveal a number of slaves, bots of cloth and leather. They also grab a cart onto which they throw their booty. Several head of cattle are herded out of the village. Julian begins to lead his men back towards the east and the safety of their longship.

At the ruin, Gary's men clash with the shield wall. The defenders are well armed but are elderly and are unable to resist the force of the Viking attack.

The English are out numbered and out matched and are quickly overwhelmed.

Meanwhile, back at the bridge, Mark, now nicknamed "Hindmost" intriguingly sets up shield walls at both ends. The sound of war horns being blown, suddenly reaches the field from further down the coast. Someone is coming...

Gary's men begin to lead away some captured cattle. Surely a task too lowly for a standard bearer? Not in this warband.

Whilst searching the ruins Gary discovers some monks. The cowering Christians are dispatched and caskets containing gold and silver are found along with some saintly relics. In the centre, Mark fires an arrow which strikes Julian's leader in the chest, fortunately it does not get through the armour. Mark demands a parley as he controls the bridge and the one way back to the ship. He and Julian meet for a conference while to the South, marching feet and English warcries are heard...

The local Lord Aethelstan has returned. His well armoured band of huscarls arrive on the coast road and deploy in shield wall. Mark sends an archer to give word that he wishes to negotiate. Mis-understanding a two fingered gesture, the English shoot him down before he gets a chance. Mark persists and manages to get word to Aethelstan that they have captured his favourite daughter. Mark offers terms of a safe return of the hostage if he and Julian are allowed passage back to their boat. They are prepared to leave Gary to his fate.

Desperate for the safe return of his daughter and seeing that Gary has captured a fair amount of treasure from the monks, Aethelstan retires to allow the escape of Julian and Mark's warbands.

Just to make clear his intentions, Mark launches an attack on Gary. The attack is blunted and then destroyed by Gary's angry counter attack. Mark is forced to check morale and fails his test horribly, causing his whole warband to break and run back to the ship.

Unable to get past the Aethelstan's huscarl warband which comes forward again to see what has gone on, Julian and Gary can only watch as the Hindmost sails away without them.

The situation at the end of the game is that Mark has left with the warship. Gary and Julian have captured the Dulham and are in possession of substantial treasure and an important hostage.

Sagas will be written and ballads sung about the outrageous behaviour of the Hindmost.