Just In Time

After a long march through the rugged pass, the Midlish Earl was surprised when his scouts reported that the enemy was alert and in battle line with dust clouds in the distance suggesting that reinforcements were on their way.

(Note: click on the pictures for a larger version. Click again for an even bigger version.)

After a short survey of the enemy position, the Duke gave orders for his column to deploy for battle.

The sight of the Duke with his companions roused a chorus of cheers
from the warriors from this village, the woods folk and sheep herders,
who had gathered when the Raven came cawing the danger to come.

At last the armies were deployed and the arrows began to fly.

The defenders on the hills fought bravely and repelled the first attack,
but the enemy cavalry and bowmen were working their way around both flanks.
They had to start falling back to less open terrain.

After the break while the armies redeployed the skirmishers continued
to trade arrows. At last,the battle line began to advance again.
 The Midlish knights advanced on their flank, ready to break a tired enemy. 

The fighting was determined on both sides but neither cavalry charges nor infantry were able to break the defenders defending their village.

As the sun began to sink, the Midlish General sent his Herald to offer a parley. After a short exchange, the Valdurian Duke agreed to halt the fighting while the Midlish army retreated back through the pass.

Once More Unto The Pass

The harvests had been collected and the Midlish nobles were eager to wipe out the shame of their repulse at the New Year's raid. It had been years that they had tried to pass through the mountain passes rather than going around.

Scouts reported that the Valdurians had no longer manned a fort at the top of the pass, and the word went out to the border Nobles to muster their allotment of horse and foot and be ready to march as soon as summer turned to autumn..

"Look! We've scared an old crow, it must be an omen!" 

With laughs and boasts, the column advanced while the Valdurian Pass Watcher put his paper away and crouched down to count the force of the column as it marched up the pass with songs and shouts. When all were passed, he faded even farther into the woods and moved swiftly but quietly through the woods to report what he had seen.

A Festive Surprise

The Midlish plan was to surprise the Valdurians, spoil their New Year's Eve and Day and make up for all of their defeats over the last decade......  

But the heavily armoured column just might have been spotted by villagers and foresters since there was a force of Valdurian levies and Horse Guards deployed upon a ridge. 

"Deploy the column! Cavalry on the right, archers on the left!"

"Where are those bloody archers!?! Cavalry, prepare to charge!"

A Raven's Eye view of the battle.

"Reform and Charge Again!"

"Is that the time? How many casualties have we taken?"....."That many!? How about them?"....."hmm..too much wine last night perhaps......not worth a 3rd charge really...."    "Trumpeter! Sound Retire!" 
".......mumble..basttards..mumble....we'll get them next time...."

Happy New Year To All! 

.....The Hosts Will Gather Again in 2026...

Midlanders! You Shall Not Pass

 ........< Coming very soon to this blog page > .....

...............

Surprise Attack

Having heard that the Wild Folk had raided the Valdur portion of the Federation, the Midlish border barons decided to hit them while they were recovering in hopes they would revenge their previous defeats.

"Milord? The scouts have reported an enemy battle line atop the next ridge."

"Well, this should save us a march or two. Deploy the column into a battle line!"

 

Odds are on a Boxing Day battle!

Warriors of Valdur!

"The Wild Woods Folk have broken the ancient pact!  You have sent them fleeing back to the woods, but is that enough?  Shall we not march and make them even more sorry that they broke their oaths? "

What say you?

"Vengence! March! March!"

To be continued....

Battle of Long Ridge

While the local levies occupied a prominent hill, hoping to stop the enemy's forces, the Duke gathered whatever reinforcements were in reach and forced march them to the battlefield. They took a short rest over night in a small village in sight of the ridge, then set out to reinforce the local levies at dawn.

As the reinforcements began to form up for the last march, the sound of trumpets from the hill meant that the enemy was in sight. 

The cavalry pushed their way through the infantry and rode at full speed to meet the enemy.

The armies were soon in contact and despite the advantage of defending the crest, the numbers were against them and the advanced guard was pushed back in several places.

The remaining defenders did not have the strength to try to retake the ridge but they formed up to block any further attack and waited for their reinforcements which were close behind them. The infantry battle soon settled into a shooting competition while the cavalry deployed and set out to sweep around the hill, driving off the wild horsemen of the invaders and then flanking their army while the infantry reinforcements stormed the ridge.   

The Valdurian cavalry swept back the invading light troops, only to find the Great Beast, supported by light troops. There was a short calm as the armies prepared for the crisis.

The Great Beastie was an intimidating foe, but the Valdurian cavalry were brave men. Charge followed charge with the cavalry being forced to give a bit of ground after each charge but the young beast had received several wounds and its escort was also taking losses. Beside them, the Valdurian infantry was deployed and preparing for a last ditch assault on the ridge. Could their shield wall force the enemy back?

The loose formations of the woods folk and their habit of fighting as individuals could not hold back the Valdurian shieldwalls and armour. The day was not yet over though. 

Slowly the Valdurian infantry pushed the wood folk back across the hill but the cavalry on the flank were taking heavy loses and forced to give ground. Things looked bleak but one unit of the woods folk warriors suddenly broke. The Valdurians pursued and suddenly found themselves surrounding the Forest Witch.

 

The Valdurian captain did not hesitate to cut her down! The sky grew dark and and waves of fear came across the warriors of both armies. Suddenly there was a rush of wind and a blood chilling cry from the sky as a giant shadow fell upon the battlefield. The Woodsfolk turned and fled back to their woods while the Valdurians cowered behind their shields. 

To a rocky hill amid the forest, the Chief of the Eagles bore the Enchantress and laid her at the feet of the old hags who began at once to weave their spells to restore the life to the Queen of the Forest. 

RUN!!! The Wildfolk have come to Valdur!

 Gruach Mor is with them!!!! Runnnn!

It had been in the age of their grandfathers that the woods folk had raided the farmers on the edge of the wild West Forest. When the Midlish Kingdom began pushing North and West, the Valdurians and the Wild Wood folk made an agreement to a boundary and pledged to not raid each other. 

It seems that their ambush of the Midlish army last year has given them courage, and a taste for plunder, but they feel that the Valdurian farmers might be an easier target than Midlish fortresses and armoured knights. 

Can the Valdurian farmers muster a fighting force in time to blunt and repel this raid before too much damage is done ? Will their Prince and his warriors come in time to defend them?  

<to be continued>

 

They Shall Not Pass!

OOPS!  I just discovered that I did not finish this battle report from last June! Well, hopefully late is better than never. Good thing I have some pictures at least.

This game was a revenge attack from the Great Raid launched in the previous year against the Midlish Kingdom's Eastern Frontier. (See Fight at the Ford and the stop motion video report on the following clash).

This game followed a year later when the Midlands launched a revenge raid against the Valdurian province of the Northern Federation. In expectations of a counter raid, border guards were posted along the frontier to watch and raise the alarm if, or when, it came, and to hold until relieved. 

ALARM! SOUND THE HORNS! TO ARMS!

LIGHT THE BEACONS!

 The Northern Federation Horse Guards and some of the local Valdurian tribesmen were first to arrive.

The Valdurian light troops relied on ambush and missile fire to slow down the invaders until help  arrived.

After a fierce and bloody fight, the Black Knight, Captain of the Pass and Commander of the expedition, fell prisoner to the Captain of the Federation Horse Guards and the battle was over.

Legend has it that the ghosts of the fallen rise and fight amongst the woods and fields each year on the night of the anniversary of the battle.

Born in Battle

Well, it was a fierce-some battle, no doubt about it, but the Northern Federation Herdsmen are finally painted and ready to take their place in the battleline.

Here come the Herdsmen.

I was looking forward to painting these from the time I got them right up until the moment I looked at the primed figures and realized that I had no idea really who they were, how they should be dressed, and what painting techniques I should use the get the right look for what I wanted. A week later after several short, unsatisfactory  painting sessions, I was just about ready to quietly pack them away again.

Luckily I can sometimes get stubborn and after figuring out who they were and experimenting a bit, and remembering a bit, I started putting in some longer sessions and experimenting and they finally started coming together. Then it started to feel tedious with no end of little details and shading to do, and redo, so I decided to just push through and finish them.  So there are a few spots where the shading etc aren't quite what I wanted but the glossy finish helps and at arms length they have the right look and I am well satisfied. 

The Dalefolk Muster

The Northern Federation is composed of several Folk or People of which the largest are the Dalefolk who live in the open, rolling, country between the mountains and the sea. Along the rivers the bulk of the population live in small farming villages surrounded by their fields. In the uplands the land is less fertile and crops and orchards are replaced by herds of sheep, cattle and horses tended by wandering tribes of Herdsmen.

By tradition, these farmers and herders are Freemen beholden to none but each other, abiding by the laws adopted by the people  themselves and serving in arms when the people are threatened. However, long years of war saw the rise of powerful Lords, each with his band of armoured horsemen,  and now most Freemen swear fealty to one of these Lords and pay taxes to help maintain him and his horsemen in his stronghold perched on its hilltop while the Lords in turn swear allegiance to a High King. In return, the King and Lords  defend the borders and enforce the laws and it is only in times of National Crisis that the Freemen take up shield and spear, axe or bow and march to war.

and there they go.

Another Gathering of Horse Archers

Bow and spear armed light cavalry were a staple feature of the old Valdurian army. They featured as far back as the first recorded battle.

New Recruits in Training - 25mm Garrison Hyrkanians.

It comes as no surprise then that the cavalry heavy armies of the Northern Confederation which included Steppe tribes as well as  Valdurians, also featured horse archers.

Skirmish on the Border

On that July morning when war came again to the Federation of the Freefolk, it came like a thunderstorm with the flash of polished steel and the thunder of horses hooves.

The Captain of the Pass sent his mounted crossbowmen forth to clear the way while the heavy cavalry flanked by archers formed ranks and steadily advanced. Below them, the garrison of mercenary goblin archers stood to their posts while the outriders strung their bows and galloped towards the enemy. In the village men rushed to arms and struggled to form the shieldwall hoping against hope that help from either Lord Bedewyr or their Valdurian neighbours would arrive in time.

Lord Bedewyr and his household knights.
(Minifigs originally painted in 1974 Northern Gaul, Southron and Rohirrim, touched up and remounted but not yet reflocked

Word soon came that both the Lord and the Valdurians were already nigh at hand and before expected they could be seen forming for battle. For long however, the Valdurian horsemen seemed to be merely watching from afar. Around the fort and village, arrows flashed back and forth with the outnumbered defenders getting by far the worst of it. Midlish light horse began working around the flank and the townfolk fell back to draw the enemy forward then turned and charged to close quarters.

Halfway through the day it looked like the veteran Midlish  troops would sweep the field while the Valdurian light horse looked on from the far table edge. 

On the far side of the fort Lord Bedwyr had arrived and led his household against the Midlish knights. Blood was spilled and much honour was won but neither side had the advantage.

Behind the Midlish line Sir John, the Captain of the Pass, watched and waited to see if the Valdurians would intervene before leading his heavily armoured Black Company forward to finish the villagers. At last he gave the signal and the ground trembled as the armoured horsemen urged their horse into a walk and then a slow trot.

As so often in legends of the past, a flank charge by the Valdurian cavalry swept the field.

Suddenly, the Valdurians must have seen what they were waiting for, in the blink of an eye they galloped forward and swept away the surprised mounted crossbows then pursued forward into the flank of the Midlish archers who were caught while already at hand strokes with the farmers. It was done!

There was nothing left for Sir John but to recall his cavalry and cover the retreat of the fugitives towards the pass. If the rumours of impending war were true, his rash strike would seem likely to have fanned the flames of war rather than smother then.

Heroes of the day!
(MInifig Ancient British cavalry painted back in '74 refurbished and rehorsed along with Garrison Saxons, a few from c'75/'76, the rest recent replacements.)

(Notes: The attacking force consisted of 1 Heavy Shock Cavalry, 3 Shock Cavalry, 2 Cavalry with Crossbows, 4 archers. The defenders on table consisted of 1 archer and 2 Light Horse Archer in the fort and 2 Shock Infantry and 1 Archer in the town. Reinforcements dicing to arrive needing score equal to the turn were General with 2 Shock Cavalry and 2 light Shock Cavalry . The rules published 2 posts ago were updated before then game then again after the game to reflect the game as played. The game itself took about an hour to play. Next step, paint and base! paint and Base! We need more men!....and more games!)

Legendary Lands Glimpsed through the Mists of Time

According to the myths and legends told around Midlish hearths, other peoples once lived in these lands. Ruled by great kings and warrior generals they fought epic wars and Kingdoms rose and fell. Word has it that after the fabled Draconian Wars ended, the Emperor gathered his Legio and his Comitatus and ventured Eastward over the sea to the far off land of his birth and that his scribes took with them the last full chronicle of the Time Before and that with his passing, fire and sword took the lands and darkness swallowed the past.

Every Scholar, Wiseman, or Mystic worth his salt has his own copy of a dusty, stained map of the Olde Lands, each sworn to be accurate and original, each different. Upon close inspection, this one appears to be not quite 40 years old and may be the work of the famous cartographer and historian, Simon, but the writing doesn't look authentic so it could be a copy.

To this day though, children, and old folk as well, still love hearing tales of the invasions by the tiny Dalriadans from the North, the 1/2 human hordes of savages from Wolfheim and the small but resilient Legions from far off Aquillia to the south and about how they were all defeated by the Warrior Queen Johanna and of how the shining Kingdom of Valdur arose and how it eventually fell and was lost so that today none can even say just where the great Royal Fortress of Dunklerne once stood.

Artists conception of Ancient Valdurian warriors finishing off a wounded Aquillian of the Legio Aerphix. The original Dalridian and Valdurian peoples were of similar small  stature before the Invasions and the Age of Metal.

In the Midlands, when the winter winds howl, the days grow short and cold and life looks bleak, the folk build up their hearth fires and remind themselves that the heroes of old do but sleep in a cave in the mountains and that one day, they will  come again and bring Peace and Prosperity to all.

If anyone wonders if I made the most of my class time at college, I offer up this evidence that I did!
(Depending on your point of View.)