This week is a Petaudia campaign week and I managed another small Dragon Rampant game, it being the attack on a village I mentioned in my last blog on Petaudia. No magic or monsters, just a set too with normal medieval types.

The Kedarian Horse Tribes, somewhat put out by their failure to secure the whole caravan in the last fight, have decided to attack a village – Lenasald – belonging to the Priory of St. Menno, close to the edge of the steppe. The scenario has the peasants who live there scattered about their daily business as the Kedarians arrive to attack them. The Kedarians have to loot and burn the houses and get away with their plunder; the villagers have to try and stop them. A rather tall order, but help is on the way in the form a Lamrian detachment from the town of Gossypia and a patrol from the priory, which should even up the numbers. However, these only arrive according to a die roll.

Each side had 24 points as recommended for a basic Dragon Rampant game, although obviously the Village Defenders only reached that figure if they all got onto the table. I played the game solo until a result was achieved, which actually took over 20 turns – a very long time for a Dragon Rampant game! – although many turns were quickly completed. Once again, I really enjoyed the game and its size.

A location map to show where the action is taking place - the Duchy of Lamria.

It turned out to be a disaster for the village. After their losses in the previous game, I decided the Kedarians would want to avoid casualties even more and get plunder, so ended up making use of their bowmen and bow-armed light cavalry a lot to damage the defenders from a distance, and avoid close combat as much as possible. The peasants managed to assemble quickly, but having such measly armour were easily shot down by the Kedarians before they could do anything. The relief force arrived fairly early, but did not manage to achieve much, basically chasing the attackers but failing to come grips before half the defence was lost. By then, the Kedarians had looted and burned three houses, so were well on the way to a victory points win.

The figures, as before, are Essex Miniatures 25mm metals (the Lamrians – green and white), Old Glory 25mm metals (Church of Ferrex – purple and white) and Gripping Beast 28mm hard plastic Arabs and Fireforge 28mm hard plastic Mongols/Steppe Warriors (Kedarian Horse Tribes – black and red). The peasants are mostly Essex, the rest a variety of long-forgotten manufacturers!

Here are the basic rules for the scenario:

a) Terrain: a village of four houses in the centre of the table, with some fences and a few trees dotted around, plus any other farming ephemera suitable, and a minor road running from north to south through the village.

b) The Horse Tribes enter on the east edge; the villagers have three main groups – one in the village, one out to the north-west and one out to the south-west – deployed individually at least 2” apart.

c) The Horse Tribes must loot and burn as many houses as possible; the villagers (and any units that come to their aid) must prevent their houses being looted and burned.

d) The villagers have to pass a "Move" activation test to form up as a unit before they can take any action against the attackers. Any villager who is contacted by a Horse Tribe unit whilst on their own is immediately overrun. Once the group has united, it moves and fights as a normal unit.

e) A Horse Tribe foot unit which is in contact with a house can elect to loot and burn it that turn if it passes an "Attack" activation. Once looted, the house is set on fire and the unit must move to the east edge to dispose of its loot before returning to the action. If a Horse Tribe foot unit is attacked while looting and burning a house or a villager unit is attacked while attempting to extinguish a fire, they fight as “Battered”. Note that Horse Tribe light cavalry units cannot loot and burn houses.

f) At the end of Turn 6, roll 1D6. If 4, 5 or 6, re-roll: odds = Lamrian force arrives on road north edge of table at start of next turn; evens = Ferrex force arrives on road on south edge of table at start of next turn. These will aid the villagers. Continue to roll each turn thereafter until the reinforcements have all arrived or the game ends.

g) The game ends when the defenders have lost half their points (i.e. they give up the fight) or all the houses are looted and burned (i.e. the Kedarians have a clear win) or the unit including the Horse Riders’ general is destroyed (i.e. the Kedarians lose their leader and so their motivation).

h) Victory Points:

            Horse Tribes:              10 VP per house looted and burned

                                                1 VP per enemy figure killed

                                                50VP bonus if all the houses are looted and burned

            Village Defenders:     10 VP per house not looted and burned

                                                2 VP per enemy figure killed by peasants

                                                1 VP per enemy figure killed by Ferrex or Lamrian troops

                                                50 VP bonus if none of the houses are looted and burned

i) Opposing Forces

Horse Tribes of Kedaria

Light Cavalry  Cavalry           6 x figures       Light Riders    6 Points          x 2**

Bows               Infantry           12 x figures     Light Missiles 4 Points          x 1

Spears             Infantry           12 x figures     Light Foot       4 Points          x 2

*One unit includes the Horse Tribes’ general.

Villagers

Peasants          Infantry           12 x figures     Hordes             1 Point            x 3**

*One unit includes the Village Defenders’ general.

Church of Ferrex Troops (Priory of Saint Menno)

Foot                 Infantry           12 x figures     Heavy Foot     6 Points          x 1

Lamrian Troops (Ducal Force)

Men-at-arms   Cavalry           6 x figures       Medium Riders    6 Points       x 1**

Spears             Infantry           12 x figures     Heavy Foot        5 Points          x 1

Longbows       Infantry           12 x figures     Light Missiles    4 Points          x 1

*Includes the Relief Force’s general.

And here are some pictures, with captions appended below, which show the battle progressing to its conclusion. 

The next action should be a bit bigger as the Kedarians, boosted with confidence, attack the Priory of St. Menno itself!

Last week was a Fescennia campaign week and I managed a game in the continuing Hesperides War, with the Erymanthians and Arcadians fighting it out. The battle was very loosely based upon Vimeiro 1808. The Erymanthians had to take the village and the farm and seriously damage the Arcadians, since they were trying to delay the latter's advance, while the Arcadians only task was to hold on to their positions. It was a bit of a tall order for the Erymanthians as they were outnumbered from the start. I fought it out solo and ended (when time was called from the kitchen and the table needed!) with a draw. It proved a rather bloody affair, but I think I played about 20 turns in the end, it being fast paced! The table was the usual six feet by four feet, with my "imagi-nation" armies from a wide variety of 25mm/28mm metal and hard plastic manufacturers, accumulated over the years (see my Fescennia page for more about all the background). Rules are ""Old School" tweaked and amended over the years.

Here are some photographs of the engagement.