Friday Night Games: Battle of Hastings, October 1066 (Week One)

Friday 28th March saw us conviene at Mikey's to fight out the Battle of Hastings in 28mm scale. The game was organised by Mike W, using his figure collection and rules, Mike also umpired the game.

Anglo-Danish General Fryd on th right of their line

The Anglo-Danes were led by John (Harold Godwinson), Steve (Gyrth Godwinson) and Nigel (Leofeine Godwinson). Pitted against them, leading ghe Norma's were Mat (William 'the Badtsrd'), Dave (Bishop Odo aka 'Knuckles') , Rupert (Count Eustace 'the Useless') and Mikey (Alan of Breton aka 'Alan the Bumkin'). Note Mat really got into the role of William and ruled his team with a rod of iron and a Savage tongue! 😀

The Anglo-Danish line

The Norman left

Both sides lined out their troops, Anglo-Danes first, as they held the defensive lines on the hill. Harold in the centre, Garth to his right and Leofwine to his left. Troops were in shieldwall formation with reserves to the rear over the crest of the hill.

Norman Centre

Normans advance - blue counters are ammunition supply for missile men

Norman Archers prepare to fire

William took the centre  commanding the army and the Normsn Cavalry. Odo commanded the central infantry whilst Alan placed his Bretons to the left and Rupert placed his Feench to the right.

Alan and his cavalry contingent

As expected the Normans lined up with Archers and Crossbows to the front, followed by infantry and with Cavalry to the rear.

A view of the general Norman advance along their lines

Normans archers reach the foot of the defendeed hill

Norman foot closing behnd the archers

The Normans had 36 turns to destroy the Anglo Danush Army and kill or captur Harold and his brothers. If William was killed or captured  the Anglo-Danes win. Any other result is a draw  leading to a possible final showdown at the Medway Crossings or at Pevancy Bay  depending on who did best in the draw results above.

Anglo-Danes ready to receive

Archers pour fire on the defenders but to little effect

Week One started with a Norman advance followed by their infantry. Norman missile fire started at long range but then closed to short range but achieved little, other than driving off some Anglo-Danish skirmishers. A final full volley of arrows did drive a unit of General Fryd off the hill  before the Normans ran out of arrows

Archers in action

On game turn 5, William called a time out and pulled his lines back to the base line  resupplying the archers and assessing the impact of his fire power.

Normans call time out and reset to base positions to re-supply archers

The advance begins again 

Anglo-Danes re-aligned and waiting again

The Anglo Danes took the opportunity to reorganise and replace the unit of General Fryd in the line.

More Anglo-Danes

More missile fire

The Normans started over again  this time marching their archers and crossbowmen in to short range before letting rip with their missiles. This proved quite effective, and as a result drove Gryth's General Fryd shueld wall off tge far left of the hill linse by turn 12.

Norman infantry close for second time

Meanwhile on the Norman right the French, began ascending the frontal slopes and trying to directly engage enemy skirmishes.

Another view...

At this point, 1/3 through the battle we broke off until next week.....

20mm WW2 Axis vehicles

By Mark.

 l'm painting the last of my leftovers l have in my odds and sods box most of which are late 19th cent. So will have to have a big victorian civil war battle at some point but the rate that l'm painting at the moment will probably be in 2 years time!

Russian tank pressed into German service

Anti-Aircraft half track

Above tank is generally known as P40-painted as used by Germans in anti-partisan actions and at least once against Brits in 1945, originally an Italian vehicle.

AHPC XV: From MikeW - Warhammer Fantasy Goblin Wolf Riders and 28mm Arthurians Skullz Squirrell (150 Points)

 This week sees me finish my last of my current supply of Arthurians  I'm already planning for a number of new units but I'm unlikely to get hold of these before the close of this year's challenge. 

Temporarily the last batch of Arthurian Infantry

The batch includes 10 close order Medium Infantry  all spear armed and including an officer, mustard standard Bearer with added cloak, these are all Gripping Beast Late Romans, with Victrix head swaps.

10 x Gripping Beast figures (with some head swaps) painted up with tan tunics, green trim and white/red shields. I need to look for some white/green white/blue transfers to get some more variety.

Rear rank brought to the front

Close-up on the command figures, not very clear in the photo but he standard bearer has had a Victrix cloak added, the musiciuan's horn is, I believe, from the Conquest Figures Norman set.

There are also 5 little guys with chainmail, including a standard Bearer, painted to join an earlier group of similarly painted guys to make up numbers of another unit.

Again these guys are all Gripping Beast with head swaps, I still need to source a suitable transfer for the standard.

Again rear rank to the front!

Next to the Greenskins, 4 x bases of Snotlings, these are mostly old metal figures, though there is the odd plastic guy mixed in with them.

Completed Snotling bases, (with 8, 7, 7, & 6 figures on each)

They were undercoated black  with Goblin Green added as a base coat before being drybrushed with a light tan colour.

Close-up on the left of the unit, I wanted the skin tones to be significantly lighter than the Goblins and Orcs in my army, I'll now have to retro-fit this skin tone tyo my two Snotling Pump Wagon Crews - but that is for another time.....

 

Skin was then given a coat of Army Painter Ghillie Green, leather / cloth with Nazdreg Yellow and wood with Gore Grunta Fur. Metal was done in Leadbeltcher Silver before mouths, teeth and other details added.

I have scored them at 1 point each as they are all about 10mm tall.

And the right end of the line.

I have also painted up  two Bolt Chukkas to give some long range heavy support,  each with a crew of 3 goblins. These were old eBay purchases that have floundered in the loft for many years, finally ready for the tabletop.

Goblin Bold Chukka battery

Close up of one of the Bolt Chukkas

And the other one! Note skull on this weapon.

To this is added a few Goblin odds and end infantry that I dragged from the bits and spares boxes, to add to the ranks of existing units.

5 Goblin odds and ends, painted to fill out the ranks of exiting units that have had real life casualties (well 2 were broken and 3 went AWOL!)

Another view

And another

Finally for this week's Greenskins are 10 more Wolf Rider, having enjoyed painting last weeks unit, it was a simple decision to paint up another unit in the same vein.

Completed unit with 2 Skullz on the standard!

Another view

I tried to give this unit much darker wolves,
this was only partially successful as the drybrushing ended up lightening a number of these beasties.

Final view

AHPC XV: From Grahame H - 15mm Almoravid Legio Heroica Figures (248 points)

 Just a small post this week using up some Legio Heroica 15mm Muslims. I have a Muslim Crusader period army so these were left over from that. 

I am hoping to use the Muslim Crusader Army as the Muslim armies in Spain as they are fairly generic. However, apart from the Mamelukes, I have painted the outstanding figures as Muslims more specific to Spain. 

There are six cavalry units, each of 9 mounted figures and one unit of infantry, 16 figures.

Mamelukes (36pts)

Berber Cavalry (36pts)

More Berber Cavalry (36pts)

Andalusian Cavalry (36pts)

Another Andalusian Cavalry (36pts)

Yusef ibn Tashfins Hasham Guard Cavalry (36pts)

Yusef ibn Tashfins Black Guard (32pts)

I am about a third of the way through another army, but I'm not sure I'll get it finished before the end of the challenge, as I am away most of next week, but I will try and post what is done before I go.

Total Points this entry = 248pts