Gamin’ with Chris

My good friend Chris was in town this past week visiting from Edmonton. WE got in a few games of Hordes of the Things and DBA while he was here.

On Tuesday evening He, Amanda and I played a little “round robin” of HOTT games. Amanda took her “HOTT Chicks”, I played an Army of Rohan, and Chris played the Uruk-hai.

FORCES

Army of Rohan – Tim
1x Hero General – King Theoden and Royal Guardsmen
4x Riders – Riders of Rohan
6x Blades – Warriors of Rohan

The Sapphic League of Unity and Togetherness - Amanda
1x Hero General – Queen Libby
1x Magician – Elven Enchantress
1x Rider – Centauresses
3x Blades – Dwarven Shieldmaidens
2x Warband – Witch Elves
2x Shooters – Elves and Ngoni

The Uruk-hai of Isengard - Chris
1x Magician General – Saruman
3-4x Spear – Uruk-hai Pike
2x Blade – Uruk-hai Heavy Infantry
2x Warband – Uruk-hai Scouts
1x Behemoth - Trolls
0-2x Lurkers – Spiders
(Chris switched up some of his forces after the first battle – dropping the Lurkers and adding another stand of Spears)

GAME ONE

First I played Amanda – Chris wanted to watch a game to help remind him of the rules, and Amanda wanted to play her games first so she could go to sleep earlier.

As it turned out the Sapphists were attacking. On the hunt for slaves and appropriate Breeders – Where better to look than among the manly men of Rohan!? King Theoden, however heard of the approaching army and rode to stop them as they crossed the Great River into the Wold…

(Remember: click on the pictures for a bigger version)


The Sapphists advance towards Rohan across the Great River…


Amanda advancing her troops.


The Shieldwall of Rohanian Warriors advances to defend the River while King Theoden leads a column of Riders across the river to flank the Sapphists.


Amanda contemplating the tactical difficulties of attacking across a river.


The column of Riders makes it across and makes contact with some Centauress outriders on the right of the Sapphists line. The Centauresses are quickly driven off!


The Sapphists archers drive off the reserve of Riders that galloped to Rohan’s own right flank where it looked like the Saphists might try and force their own way across.


Queen Libby and the Elven Sorceress Amandalyll move to meet the Riders Threatening to roll up their flank. It is an epic battle.


The archery of the Sapphists wipes out one unit of Riders and continues to force the others back – they try to force their way across.


It is not necessary because the enchantress enscorcels King Theoden while her queen ans entourage exact a heavy toll on the King’s Riders… the Army of Rohan breaks and routes off the field in panic!

GAME TWO

Next Amanda battle Chris – and this time it was the Sapphists defending their lands against an invasion by the Uruk-hai of Isengard.


The Sapphists arrayed for battle – ready to defend their lands from the forces of tyranny and lack of hygiene.


Chris and his army of Uruk-hai on the warpath!


The lines steadily advance to meet each other on the hill that dominates the center of the battlefield. The Sapphists line is broken up and slowed by ambushing lurkers behind their lines.

This too was a short battle – Queen Libby fell, but the Sapphists carried on as they had already wiped out two units of Uruk-hai pike and felt that all was not yet lost.


When these Centaurs were wiped out by the magic of Saruman, however, the Sapphists left the field and retired deep into their wooded realm.

GAME THREE

Finally Chris and I duked it out – he was attacking so I set up the river again and the Uruk-hai attacked at the Fords of Isen..


The Rohan sheildwall advances to defend the fords.


The Army of Isengard advances spreading ashadow of doom over the land!


Scouts and Trolls try to force their way across at the Ford, but are repulsed.


The rest of the Isengard line wades the river. A unit of Riders are defeated on the banks of the River Isen!


The tide quickly turns, however, and the Uruk-hai are slaughtered where they stand!

So we each won one game…

Then on Wednesday Chris and I hooked up with Christian for lunch and then some DBA action. Chris got to try out his new Anglo-Danish Army against some ferocious Vikings played by Christian


The Anglo-Danish deployed astride a river… apparently “attacking” the Vikings!?


The Vikings make their first moves… The main line advances towards the Anglo-Danish on their side of the river, while another force crosses the river to deal with the others…


The Vikings apparently are of the “Best-defence-is-a good-offence” school of thought!


Making their way across the river.


English skirmishers harass the Viking lines.


General Knudsen advances his troops!


The lines finally meet with a thunderous crunching or shattered shields and rended flesh.


There was much shoving back and forth… and then I had to leave… I never did get to see the end of the battle as I had to nip off to an afternoon meeting. I know Chris told me but I can’t remember how it turned out… I know there was much more shoving back and forth and it was a close one in the end… I think the Vikings won… but I’m not really sure…

Anyway the Anglo-Danes went home with Chris to battle his Normans and I have to paint some more for myself…

But first I’m going to finish off the Romans – I made some headway while watching episodes seven and eight of Season Two last night, tonight we shall finish the series, and I should be pretty close to finishing the army….

Tomorrow my friend Curt is in town and is going to be putting on a Swashbuckling Musketeer game of some sort… stay tuned for the report of that as it’s sure to be a gooder!