Wargames, Soldiers & Strategy

“A foot soldier is commonly a man, who for the sake of wearing a sword and the honour of being term'd a gentleman, is coaxed from a handicraft trade, whereby he might live comfortably, to bear arms for his King and Country … He is generally beloved of two sorts of companion, in whores and lice, for both these vermin are great admirers of a scarlet coat.” – The Spy (a London broadsheet, circa 1700) In 1813, after a spate of looting in the army, the Duke of Wellington famously accused his men as being the “mere scum of the earthy”. On another occasion he also stated that he did not know what effect his soldiers would have on the enemy, but by God he was afraid of them. The famous…

Norman slingers Company: Conquest Games Size: 27 mm ‘foot to eye’ or 29mm tall Era: Dark Ages/early medieval Price: £12.00 for six slingers www.conquest-games.co.uk Conquest Games has re leased a set of six Norman slingers and staff slings. Conquest's existing Norman range covers both mounted and dismounted Normans in plastic and metal, metal archers, Bretons, characters, and crossbows. Most wargamers associate Normans with the crossbow, although the Bayeux Tapestry shows Norman bows and the odd slinger. While the sling was a simple peasant weapon, it would have been used by Normans and crusading commoners alike. Staff slings in particular were used in siege warfare. The set consists of four slingers and two staff slingers. They all wear tunic and trousers; it is only their monk-like ‘pudding bowl’ haircuts that make them stand out…

Skirmish wargaming is like riding a bicycle: doing it is simple enough but describing how to do it is another thing entirely. To start with, it is worth remembering that before skirmish wargaming was ever thought of there were such things as skirmishes – which is to say, real skirmishes between real combatants – since positively ages ago right up until the present day. So, rather than trying to work out what makes a skirmish wargame a skirmish wargame, how about first figuring out what makes a skirmish a skirmish? So what is a skirmish? You'd think that one would be easy, wouldn't you, but even the dictionaries seem a little uncertain. Chambers ventures, “A minor irregular fight between small or marginal parties – to fight slightly or irregularly.” One online…

Everything related to Ravenfeast – the game, scenarios, paper figures, and player aid resources – remains entirely free to download at www.Ravenfeast.com. With as few as a dozen figures per side, players can raid the coast of Saxon England, pillage monasteries, and battle for control of Danelaw! And now … we're expanding Ravenfeast to cover the end of the Viking age and the dramatic events of 1066. This free expansion covers the Norman conquest of Saxon England, as well as the brutal years of rebellion and resistance that followed William the Conqueror's victory at Hastings. The original Ravenfeast skirmish rules remain intact, but new unit classes, abilities, and optional rules are introduced for players to explore this unique, turbulent period. With this supplement we've aimed to stay true to the philosophy…

Why did we make crossbow range shorter than bow range in Ravenfeast? Modern field tests of early medieval crossbows suggest a theoretical range of several hundred yards – very comparable to the later longbow – but with a rate of fire 50–75% slower based on reloading time. The design philosophy of Ravenfeast is to avoid complexity, so we didn't want to introduce mechanics that would require tracking of when a crossbow last fired. Our compromise solution, admittedly abstract, is to disallow moving and firing on the same turn and to reduce the maximum weapon range. The armour piercing capability of the crossbow is well documented by historical sources. A less publicized advantage – reliable accuracy even in relatively untrained hands – is one we chose to represent with a +1…

I have chosen to use Infamy, Infamy! with notes for those wishing to use Lion Rampant 2, although the scenarios can be easily adapted to any rules. Refighting large battles or engagements is not what either system is really designed to do, focusing as they do on the small-scale border warfare which was endemic on the frontiers of the Roman Empire. But while the grand battles tend to be the focus of the historians such as Tacitus, any military campaign is also made up of many small skirmishes, patrols, and foraging missions. And such encounters are absolutely ideal for playing out on the tabletop. The campaign is split into two parts and follows the broad narrative arc of the Roman expedition against the Druids on Mona (modern-day Anglesey), which appears in…