Normans vs. Italian Lombards Part Une

Kevin Serafini and I met at Legions Hobby and Games for a 400 point DBM battle pitting his Normans vs. my Italian Lombards in Sicily circa 1000AD. Here is the initial set-up. Kevin has three Norman commands and an allied Arab command on his left. I have the typical 3 commands; a large and mobile attack force on my left and two largely defensive commands made up of militia spear. My line is refused right and anchored in a marsh.

A look from behind my extreme right over the shoulders of my mobile strike force stationed there to exploit any holes.

The center of my left wing, my attack force looks across the field towards the nasty Normans.

A similar shot from behind the Lombard lines! By the White Christ, there is a lot of the enemy!

A look at Kevin's knights. It is an impressive army, both in numbers and appearance. Kevin's armies always look good on the table top which really adds to the experience!

Normans vs. Italian Lombards Part Deux

A Look at Kevin's Arab allies. They were Reliable, damn them! Damn them all to hell! Wait, wrong Chuck Heston movie, this is The Warlord, not Planet of the Apes.

A look from behind Kevin's Norman knight line across the field at the massed Lombard militia.

Here is a good look at the swirling melee between the Norman and Lombard Irregular Knights (F), all impetuous, all the time! You can see backs and fronts of guys as they see-sawed back and forth. My dice were better.

Here my Lombards double overlap some Frenchies while they themselves are overlapped. It happens that way when knights fight knights.



What's left of a once great melee. Most of my boys had run past the action to crash into the hapless bowmen and Norman hordes who were protecting the baggage. (Didn't they ever watch Henry V?) It was a Lombard victory by the slightest of margins, due to good luck. I am learning not to feel guilty when I have good luck. Sister Marsha is rolling in her grave but I won't go to confession over it!

It was just a 'learning' game anyway as we are new to the rules. We each made and forgave some errors as we tried to grapple with some of the more intricate manifestations of 'impetuous' troops and 'spontaneous advances'. Deemed a success by this reporter, I anticipate playing it again.

Samurai vs. the Fu Manchu 5. Part 1

Got together with Jim Naughton to play a 500 point DBR game pitting my Samurai vs, his Manchu Chinese. This shot shows his CinC anchoring the far left of his line. Interestingly enough *my* CinC was leading my left as well and the two never laid eyes on each other.

A look at the advancing Samurai from behind the right of the Chinese line. His guns are in the center-right which caused major problems for my attack wing.

Some skirmishing light horse attempt to slow the Japanese advance.

Samurai blades and bows eye the Chinese CinC. He did come off the hill and barely escaped with his life as the rest of the cavalry in his command was slaughtered or fled! Luckily his foot contingent kept the whole command from demoralizing.


A view of the Japanese as they sweep towards their Chinese counterparts!

Samurai vs. the Fu Manchu 5. Part 2

The samurai cavalry finally prepares to charge after multiple recoils caused by the Chinese gun line visible upper right center.

The same Samurai, but this shot shows yet another Chinese cavalry command to their left. These guys breed like... well, Chinese!

The lines clash! This view is from behind Japanese lines.

Same fight from behind Chinese lines. It was a last ditch effort as the Chinese spanked the samurai. The samurai had the most success on their right, the flank they were not supposed to attack with, while their large left attack flank was constantly harrassed by the Chinese guns and fragmented to the point of impotence before contact! (Sounds like marraige.) No way Jim was going to let me get two wins in a row with this army. Lots of fun and very visually appealing as his armies always look good.

DBN at Fall-In Part 1

This Fall-In in Gettysburg Pennsylvania, I ran the annual game for DBN crowd. This year it was Napoleons Russian campaign and Borodino and his right flank in particular, as the Poles and Westphalians try to capture the mound south of Utitza village to enfilade the main Russian line and/or exit troops off the Old Smolensk Rd to turn the Russian flank.
Here's a shot of 'the gang' getting ready to start.

Initial set-ups. On the right, the Russians have cossacks on their left flank and an entire Grenadier division supporting the artillery and a few grenadiers and Moscow militia (Opolchenie) on the mound. 2 Russian divisions straddle the village of Utitza while a third enters as reinforcements sent by Baggavout. Facing them, in the foreground is the Polish cavalry division, including Polish Lancers, some Chassuers and the famous 13th Polish (Silver) Hussars. In the center are two Polish divisions led by Pronce Poniatowski. On their far left Tom finishes setting up the Westphalian infantry.

Looking from behind the Russian right, the Westphailians choose to attack through the woods! Interesting, and alarming to me as this had not happened in any playtesting and I was afraid something unforeseen would happen. It didn't. The Russians were staunch in defense and the Jagers did their job admirably. Tutchkov sits just under Ted's measuring stick with his fancy pants ADC. Poniatowski is across the way just on the edge of the woods.

DBN at Fall-In Part 2

Spencer moves the Westphalian Guard Cheveaux-legere up the Old Smolensk Road toward Utitza. The Westphalian Infantry move through the woods as Ted watches.

The Westphalians push back the Russian Jagers. The artillery of both sides set up for a dual while the 1st and 2nd Hussars prepare to charge in the background.

A similar shot from behind the Westphalian lines. Sorry for the blur.

The final push is about to begin. In the foreground, Ron's Polish Lancers prepare to finish off the Guard Cossacks south of the mound as Terry's (Terry37) Poles finally get in the action as they close the doors on the last of the Moscow militia. Chris has brought uo the 1st Grenadier Division to hold themound as Frank's command continues to bludgeon their way forward to take the mound after successfully routing the Russian artillery. What's left of Ted's command between the mound and the village peck away at the flank of Frank's command, doing thier job remarkably well. Both ADC's are supporting the struggle on the mound. In the back, the Russians still hold the village and the Westphalian infantry are still mired in the woods as the Russian reinforcements plug all the holes.

This is essentially the way it ended. Utitza firmly in Russian hands while the mound is disputed but the Russians had more stands on it than the Poles. Casulaties were high, especially for Frank on the French side and Ted and Bob on the Russian, but the Russians hold on for a 10-9 win!

Scots and shots

These are the Scots from Museum Minatures painted for the Bishop's War/ECW period, including Montrose's boys.

Their bums. Tartans were not official at his time but there still was a bit o' plaid.

Landesknecht shot. More Museum Miniatures.

A rear shot of the same dudes. Gots lot more to do.

Samurai Part 1

I just finished about 600 DBR points worth of Samurai, which will also give me several DBA-RRR armies as well. The figures are almost all Two Dragon but there are a few Peter Pig thrown in. The C-in-C, Takeda Shingen, I think, is Essex.

Another general element.

Samurai cavalry. I did not paint the dudes with the banners, I bought them from a private seller.

Another angle.

Close up of the banners. I am told they are family names.

Samurai Part 2

Cavalry.

Close up of same.

Ashigaru spearmen.

Ashigaru shot.

Ashigaru bum shot.

Samurai Part 3

Blades. The pose insures that they will never line up correctly.

Warbands and Hordes. Beware the peasant with a mallet and a bad attitude.

Finally, the Taiko camp.

Camp, other angle.

A bit of the old DBA.

Played 3 games of DBA, Dark Ages style, last night with Joe Dragovich, the winner of our Stooge -Con Open tourney. Joe had some beautifully painted Scots-Irish and Viking armies, so I brought Vikings, Wends and my new Sub-Roman Brits. We ended up playing three game with 2 out of the three being real nail-biters which we split. The other game was a disastrous littoral landing where his entire landing force was wiped out. The game Joe did win, he won without his general for the last 4 bounds and won 4G-3G!
His armies are beautifully painted and he was selling them as he is leaving for Durham University this fall. I say 'was' because the Scots-Irish are already taken and I had to jump on those beautiful vikings.
Anyway, all I had was my phone, so these aren't the greatest pictures and there's no putting together a meaningful AAR with the few I took. Hope you enjoy anyway. Here Joe contemplates my doom!

A close-up of the gorgeous Scots-Irish chariot wing.

The ill-fated auxilia landing on a lovely Norse beach. A lesson learned. Aux vs. Blade = Bad. (We played 2 out of 3 games with littoral armies and both times the sea was directly in my backfield and those were the two games I won. Goofy game.)

Some DBA 8-17-09

Wendish Cavalry look across the field at the Scots-Irish charioteers. The Wend archers have their toe in bad going thus hindering the Sots-Irish advance.


Scots-Irish auxilia scale the steep hills. You can always tell an Irishman. (You just can't tell him much!)

A better shot of the action as the chariots try to close with the Wends and they, in turn, are happy to have them run the gauntlet.

These are actually the backs of the Sub-Roman Brits so you can see the job the Sri-Lankans did. More of them later. (SRB, not Sri Lankans.)