Last month my regular opponent Steve came round for a game of Sun King 1672-78. I put on a small battle based on one of C. Grant's Tabletop Teasers - No. Three, Advanced Guard Action, tweaked for the late 17th Century, i.e. a higher proportion of cavalry to infantry, dragoons instead of light infantry. Steve took the Allies, I took the French. There was a lot of cavalry action, not much infantry fighting. By the time stumps were drawn, Steve had the edge as his infantry reinforcements were closing in on the bridge I had to hold and he had the village as the last occupier. Rules are my own; figures almost all North Star 1672; flags are League of Augsburg or homemade; tabletop is 6 feet by 4 feet; terrain from various manufacturers modern and defunct!

Here are some photographs of the action.

This week was a Petaudia campaign week and so I got on and played the attack on the priory game I mentioned previously as the next scheduled action. Dragon Rampant rules (with a few home amendments), which I find to be more and more suitable for solo games. As before, the Kedarian Horse Tribes are attacking; the Priory of St. Menno of the Church of Ferrex is defended by peasants and the Church's own troops (it being a "Church militant" far more than a "Church pacifist" - it is a dangerous continent to live in!), with a possible relief force from the nearby Barony of Gonfalon.

I played the defenders, choosing to hold two buildings with the Church's troops and hope my peasants might manage something out in the fields. That was a mistake! I should have got them into the priory complex a.s.a.p. and used them to hold buildings as well. For the Kedarians, the Non-player army, I fought them with the following "standing orders", as it were:

Light Cavalry - shoot and scoot, keep away from heavy stuff; Heavy Cavalry - support the Light Cavalry and mop up easy targets; spearmen - storm the buildings and plunder; bowmen - support the spearmen.

The battle ended with a victory for the Kedarians, although time was called when they had lost half their attack force, so it was not a walkover by any means. The peasants had a bad day, as always! The Church troops held on in the priory, but the relief column had mixed fortunes.

Here are some photographs:

The table set up - main road and priory. I do not have anything like a real priory, but thought this would do - stone building and outhouses, walled to a certain extent.

The peasants out in the fields.

The Kedarian Horse Tribes arrive on table.

The peasants forming up in the fields when the alarm sounds.

Hold the hedge, I thought, slow down the enemy cavalry, but it did not turn out to be the best idea!

A building ablaze as the Kedarian speamen head off with the first of their loot.

The remnants of the peasants head for the priory complex.

Another building ablaze and more loot for the Kedarians.

The relief force arrives.

Things looking a bit better for the defenders.

A good start for the relief force cavalry; hobilars chasing off Kedarian Light Cavalry.

The men-at-arms get in on the act, worsting a Kedarian spear unit.

Things not looking so good for the defenders; the relief force's cavalry has now taken a bit of a hammering from the Kedarian archers, Light Cavalry and Heavy Cavalry. Matters did not improve!

The men-at-arms were badly beaten.

The hobilars were wiped out.

The last man-at-arms is finished off; being the relief force leader,

that rather hampered their subsequent actions!

The Kedarian bowmen managed to shoot the Church defenders out of 

this building and then rushed it for plunder.

At this point, the Kedarians had lost all their last two spear units trying to storm the main building and then one of their Light Cavalry units failed a Courage test badly and left the field. That meant game over, as the Kedarians had lost half their points total.

Three buildings burned and looted, plus more losses inflicted on the defence

than received, gave the Kedarians the victory.

Scenario Rules: Attack on a priory.

a) Terrain: main road north to south, main priory building and three out-buildings, orchard, walls, etc., to east of main road.

b) The Horse Tribes enter on the east edge. The three units of peasants are in the fields to the west of the main road and north of the priory, deployed individually at least 2” apart. One priory garrison unit is in the priory building, one in an out-building.

c) The Horse Tribes must loot and burn the priory and its outbuildings; the defenders must prevent this occurring.

d) The peasants 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) The garrison units also have to pass a “Move” activation test to form up in the courtyard of the priory complex. However, they can remain in their building and defend it against an attack without having to pass a “Move” activation test.

f) A Horse Tribe foot unit which is in contact with an undefended building can elect to loot and burn it that turn as long as it passes an “Attack” activation test. Once looted, the building is set on fire and the unit must move to the east edge of the table to dispose of its loot before returning to the action. If a Horse Tribe unit is attacked while looting and burning a building they fight as “Battered”.

g) At the end of Turn 6, roll 1D6. If 5 or 6, Castle Gonfalon force arrives on road south edge of table at start of next turn. These will aid the priory. Continue to roll each turn thereafter until the reinforcements have arrived or the game ends. If the reinforcements arrive, each unit requires a “Move” activation to enter the table.

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

i) Victory Points

Horse Tribes:    10 VP per building looted and burned; 1 VP per enemy figure killed; 50VP bonus if all the priory buildings are looted and burned

Village Defenders:     10 VP per building 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 priory buildings are looted and burned

j) Opposing Forces
Horse Tribes of Kedaria
Heavy Cavalry            Cavalry           6 x figures      Heavy Riders              7 Points  x 1**
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 3
*One unit includes the Horse Tribes’ leader.
 
Church of Ferrex Troops (Priory of Saint Menno)
Peasants                      Infantry           12 x figures      Hordes                        1 Point    x 3
Foot                             Infantry           12 x figures      Heavy Foot                 6 Points  x 1**
Ret. Longbows            Infantry           12 x figures      Light Missiles             6 Points  x 1
 
Duchy of Lamria Troops (Castle Gonfalon)
Men-at-arms               Cavalry           6 x figures        Medium Riders           6 Points  x 1**
Hobilars                      Cavalry           6 x figures        Medium Riders           4 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 a leader.