Tuesday, 6 May 2025

An Engagement in Iranistan

 An Engagement in Iranistan

After the success of my last two battles of Hordes of the Things I was chomping at the bit for another game.  I was lucky that the opportunity came much quicker than I expected.  One of my oldest friends and a fellow solo wargamer asked me to fight a battle for his solo campaign.  I was not going to say no to the chance to play a game in someone else`s campaign.  The thought of adding to the narrative of another person`s game always adds an extra bit of spice to the proceedings for me.

On a rules note, I realised, after a reread of the rules, that I had being playing recoil wrong and adjusted my game play to correspond to how it is actually written in the rules.  These learning steps are an important part of really getting into a set of rules.  This change meant that the game took a bit longer than my previous two games, but that isn`t a bad thing.  I saw more in the way of manoeuvre between the two sides, and the game was more tactically interesting.

The battle-Zamora vs Iranistan

The Forces

I once more selected one side, the Iranistanian force, while my friend selected the other, the Zamorian opposition.  I do feel that I need to add some lurkers to the Zamorian army to make it a bit closer to the Zamoria of Hyperborea, but that is something that will have to wait as I have a couple of armies that I would like to paint up first.

Iranistan

Satrap Xarxas in scythed chariot (Knights general)

4x Sparabara (Spears)

2x Takabara (Shooters)

4x Sogdian warriors (Riders)

1x Light chariot (Knight)

Zamora

Strategos Zafar (Spears general)

5x Hoplite Lokhoi (Spears)

2x Psiloi (Shooters)

2x Hippesis (Riders)

1x Stone Golem (Behemoth)

Deployment
The Zamorian Strategos decided to refuse his left flank, push his Hoplite Lokhoi up the middle, and use his Hippesis and Stone Golem to attack his right flank. The Iranistanian Satrap sent his large group of Sogdian warriors around his right flank, challenged the centre with his two chariots, and to defend his left flank with the Sparabara and the Takabara.





Battle Narrative

Strategos Zafar smiled as he watched his troops advance towards the enemy. The elan of the Zamorian army clearly on display as the troops surged towards the Iranistanian forces.

The Iranistanian army were less interested in getting involved in battle with the Zamorians. The Satrap Xarxas cursed under his breath and ordered the few willing Troops forward. The Takabara entered the wooded area, little did anyone know that their presence in the forest would determine the fate of the battle.

The Zamorian advance stalled as the Takabara harrassed them with sling shots. The stone bullets forcing the Hippesis back.

The Sogdian warriors whooped as they charged around the Zamorian flank. The wild horsemens` desire to crush the invaders spurred them on.

The skirmishers of both sides engaged one another. The Zamorian Psiloi hurled their javelins into the Iranistanian Takabara in the forest, and the Takabara flung stones back at them. The forest cover gave the Takabara the advantage, the Zamorian javelins not finding their targets. While the Iranistanian stone bullets cut down one unit of the Psiloi.

Zafar spotted the danger of the flanking cavalry force and ordered the Stone Golem to deal with them. This choice would prove to be an important moment for the outcome of the fight.

The Hippesis charged their horses into the waiting Sparabara. Spears are not the friends of horsemen and soon they were sent fleeing from the battlefield by the ranks of the Iranistanian spearmen.


Hearing the cries of victory from the Sparabara, Xarxas decided now was the time to deal with the main Zamorian battleline. The chariots and light horsemen crashed into the Hoplites.

But the Zamorian Hoplites could not be so easily overcome. Their training and disciplined allowed them to not only hold back the tide of horsemen but to break and send most of them fleeing for their lives.





While the Hoplites were dealing with the main force of Cavalry, the Stone Golem charged into the last two units of the Sogdian warriors. The construct of dark Zamorian sorcery bellowed as it forced back the Sogdian warriors.

The situation in the centre of the battle didn`t look good for the Iranistanian forces. Xarxas realised the danger he was in and fell back towards the village. But, the men of Iranistan wouldn`t go down without a fight. The Takabara engaged the Zamorians from the forest. The plucky slingers delaying one of the Hoplite Lokhoi.

The fight in the forest raged as Xarxas ordered the Sparabara to join him in the centre of the battle.

The Sogdian warriors horses danced and weaved as they avoided the attentions of the Stone Golem. At one point these brave horsemen were able to force the Golem back, but this small victory only aroused the ire of the Golem.

The noose started to tighten around the Iranistanians, but the situation wasn`t hopeless as the Takabara still held out in the forest.


Disaster struck for the Iranistanians as the Zamorian Psiloi finally took revenge for their comrades killing one of the units of slingers.

Both of the commanders calmly reordered their lines ready for the final clash. The Iranistanians knew how close they were to breaking.

On the flank, the Stone Golem finally broke the Sogdian warriors, but in its rage the stone construction stomped off into the distance. His impotent screams of fury being wasted on the fleeing horsemen.

With the loss of the horse and the golem both armies were close to breaking. Zafar decided to finish off the slingers in the forest by pushing in two Hoplite Lokhoi while advancing with the rest of his Hoplites on the village. He was not ready for the pluck of the Takabara. These valiant Iranistanian warriors forced back the Hoplites then turned on the remaining Psiloi. Their knives making quick work of the Zamorian Psiloi. This final loss was too much for the Zamorian army and Zafar sounded the retreat.

















Wednesday, 30 April 2025

A Clash near Argos-A Homage to Tony Bath and Robert E Howard

A Clash near Argos

A Homage To Tony Bath and Robert E Howard

In my quest to play some of the rules that are sitting on my bookshelf I came across a wonderful small publication that I bought in the 90s as a teenager.  

Hordes of the Things is the fantasy version of the popular rules DBA by Phil Barker.  The rules have a bit of a reputation of being incomprehensible due to the Barkerese that they are written in, but I have never really had a issue with Phil Barker`s writing style.  This may be partly due to my academic training in modern philosophy.  Wargaming rulebooks don`t come close to the impenetrability of these learned texts. That doesn`t mean that I am necessarily playing the rules`right`, but they are working for me and as I am mostly a solo gamer that doesn`t really matter. I have the first edition but there is a version 2.1 available  that I have heard is easier to understand and most people play these days that I may purchase at some point.

I first played Hordes of the Things at the Sandgate wargaming club near Folkestone in Kent when the rules were published around 1991/92, I think.  My memory is a bit fuzzy on the exact date.  At that time I didn`t have any armies for the game as I was still in full Warhammer mode, but now I think it is time that I changed the situation.  

Looking over the rules I was taken by the army lists for Hyperborea in the book and it sent me thinking about Tony Bath`s legendary campaign.  I have no illusion that I could play or run a game of that sort of magnitude, but a kernal of an idea was lodged in my brain.  I have four armies for DBA 2.2, an Athen army, a Spartan army, a Theban army, and a Persian army.  These I thought could be the start of the project.  Each army representing the forces of Argos, Corinthia, Zamora, and Iranistan in Hyperborea but I didn`t want to stop at these alone and so far I have added a force of Picts.  I am not slavishly following the lists, or Robert E Howard`s world, as they are written but adapting them as I see fit.  This is definitely one of the strengths of the rules, the flexibility of designing the army that you want rather than being told what your army should be like.  Another reason to like Hordes of the Things is the small size of each army.  This will allow me to collect many different armies to fight out battles in Hyperborea.  I do fear another long project might be rearing its head, but sometimes you have to just go with your heart rather than your head.

Before embarking on a new project I thought that I should at least play Hordes of the Things to see if I enjoyed them.

Battle one - Argosians vs Picts

In the battle the Argosians commanded by the Strategos Demitris were defending against a Raiding force of Picts led by Ki-eth.

The Forces

I selected the Argosian forces before asking a gaming friend to choose the Pict forces.  This small amount fo fog of war always helps to make a solo game more interesting.  If I didn`t have someone to ask to take on this role I could have randomly determined both sides.

Argos

Strategos Demitris (Spears General)

6x Hoplite Lokhoi (Spears)

2x Psiloi (Shooters)

1x Hippeis (Riders)

The Cyclops (Behemoth)

Picts

Warchief-Ki-eth (Warband General)

5x Braves (Warbands)

4x Hunters (Shooters)

1x Shamans (Magician)

Deployment

The Argosians put their Lokhoi and the Cyclops in the centre of the field in front of the town, while securing their flanks with the Psiloi and Hippeis.  Facing the Lokhoi were the Pictish Braves.  The Shamans and the Hunters were thrown out to protect the flanks from the lighter troops.

Battle narrative

Both Demitris and Ki-eth were able to spur their troops forward at the beginning of the battle.  The two battle lines quickly closing on each other.



As the two sides approached one another the main body of troops became more reluctant to engage with the opposition.  But, on the Argosian left flank the Hippeis charged into the Shamans and after a short struggle the horsemen were able to send the spellcasters fleeing before they could unleash their arcane powers.



The Warchied Ki-eth goaded his men forward with remonstrations of their manhood.  The savage Picts hurled themselves towards the disciplined line of Hoplites.

While on the right flank the Psiloi engaged the Hunters, both sides launching missiles at one another.  The hunters reeled from the weighted javelins hitting them.

The Strategos knew that against the ferocity of Picts his hoplites might break, so he sent forth the Cyclops.  The great beast waded into the ranks of Picts breaking bone, and crushing muscles.  The Lokhoi  surged forward joining the Cyclops in the slaughter.  All too soon the Warchief knew the fight had gone out of his men and ordered the retreat.

Battle two - Argosians vs Picts

In the second battle the Picts commanded by Ki-eths were defending against a raiding force of Argosians led by the Strategos Demitri.  Could the Argosians put an end to the Pictish menance?

The Forces

I decided to use the same forces as the first battle to see how they would perform when the roles were reversed.

Picts

Warchief-Ki-eth (Warband General)

5x Braves (Warbands)

4x Hunters (Shooters)

1x Shamans (Magician)

Argos

Strategos Demitris (Spears General)

6x Hoplite Lokhoi (Spears)

2x Psiloi (Shooters)

1x Hippeis (Riders)

The Cyclops (Behemoth)

Deployment

The battlefield was a more restricted one in terms of terrain, so the Argosians decided to focus their attack on their right flank.  They sent the Cyclops and the Hippeis down the right flank hoping to quickly smash it and reach the Pictish village.  The centre was to be held my a large force of Hoplites with a second group in reserve, while the left flank was to be contested by the Psiloi.

The Picts chose to contest the strong Argosian attack with their Shamans and two groups of their Hunters, delay the Psiloi with another two groups of Hunters and hold the centre with their Braves.


 The Shamans and the Hunters moved forward and quickly elimanted the Hippeis and the Cyclops.  The great beast falling prey to the poisoned arrows of the hunters.



Having secured the flank the Shamans unleashed arcane fury on the reserve Lokhoi.  The stalwart warriors fleeing from forces that they couldn`t understand or combat.

The Stategos Demitris realised that the battle was slipping from his grasp and his only hope for victory was to smash the centre of the Pictish forces. 

As the main body of Hoplites moved towards the centre the reserve force turned their attention towards the Shamans on the flank.

Ki-eth sensed that now was the time to unleash his braves upon these `civilised` soldiers.  The Pictish tide swept away the shield wall burying their stone weapons into the backs of the Hoplites as they broke and fled.


Demitris realised that the battle was lost and signalled the retreat.  The day had not gone his way but the Argosians would return one day and deal with the Pictish threat.


Thoughts

I had forgotten quite how quickly these rules played.  I managed to finish both battles in under an hour as once the break happened the side collapsed.  I think that the rules hit the sweet spot for me.  They give me enough of a tactical challenge coupled with the friction of the command pips to keep me gaming for quite a while.  Do I think that Hordes of the Things is for everyone?  No, I don`t.  If you are looking for a game where each force has its own special abilities then you will be disappointed with Hordes of the Things.  But, if you are looking for a quick game that scratches that fantasy itch then I would say give them a go.  You might find that you enjoy them.  

I am planning on doing a short campaign in the not too distant future once I have a couple more armies and strongholds completed.

Tuesday, 1 April 2025

No Honour Among Thieves

 No Honour Among Thieves

An Open Combat Battle report

Scenario

Having succesfully raided the  post office on Biggin street Mastermind and his firm were heading back to their getaway vehicles.  Unknown to them the Sorceress Margaret Fuchs had over heard them discussing their plans in the Malvern Inn the night before and decided to rob them of their ill-gotten gains.

Goals

Mastermind and his firm - Half of the gang must reach their getaway vehicles, including Mastermind and Cobra to claim a major victory.  If half of the gang and one of the leaders escape they can clain a minor victory.  If half of the gang escape but neither of the leaders then the game is a draw.

The Sorceress Margaret Fuchs- Can claim a major victory if she stops half of the gang including both of the leaders from reaching their vehicles.  A minor victory if she stops half of the gang including one of the leaders.  And, a draw if they stop half of the gang from getting away with their swag. 

The gangs were built to 150 points.

Initial deployment



Battle narrative


Margaret Fuchs had called upon all of her skills in the dark arts to summon a formidable group of demons, but Mastermind and his men were not easily intimidate even from the very denizens of hell.


The firm didn`t wait around and moved towards their getaway vehicles.


Gazza pushed too far forward and the Sorceress engulfed him with a fireball.  The lag was made of stern stuff, and shrugged the flames off.


Mastermind stretched out with his psychic powers and filled Dazza`s mind with thoughts of bloodshed.  The geezer sped towards his enemies, the axe handle firmly gripped in his hands, as the red mist overtook him.


The Lord of Skulls spread out his wings and flew towards his enemy.  This fearsome beast from the underworld was met by the fire from two sawn-off shotguns, much to his surprise.


Cobra didn`t want to hang around and engaged the Servant of Charon.  He struck out with his formbidable martial arts skills, but the demon couldn`t be some easily dispatched.


The demons smelt the blood of Cobra and they thronged to feast upon his blood and soul.  A Seeker of Decadence tried to trap him with her succubus ways.  The mental fortitude of the martialist easy resisted her temptations.


Dazza rushed to the aid of Cobra his axe handle whirling trying to make some space for the martialist to deal with the monstrosities.  The Scythe of Lament caught Dazza in the ribs, a chilling laugh slipped from the mouth of the demon as he tasted Dazza`s life essence.


Cobra lashed out with a flurry of blows striking the demon in  several vital points. The Seeker of Decadence scuttled away.  A wounded look of pain and then a smile of pleasue crossed her face.


Margaret Fuchs realised that her minions may need some aid in stopping Mastermind from escaping with the loot and sent some pyrotechnics at Dazza.  The berserk lag didn`t even seem to realise that he was on fire.


The way looked open for Mastermind and Cobra to get to the Capri, if only their men could distract the demons for long enough.


Dazza and Baz showed the Horned one what Cockney`s could do.  Their wepons knocking chucks out of fabric of the demon and forcing it back.


On the other side of the ruins Gazza and Bazza were locked in a deadly combat with the Lord of Skulls.  As hard as they tried to kill the creature their weapons barely made a dent on it


The preternatural speed of the demons closed the escape route for Cobra and Mastermind.  Both of these gangland leaders were able to fend off the demons` blows.  Escaped looked less likely for these likely lads.


 Margaret Fuchs sighed with pleasure as she saw how well her plan was working.  She turned her damned gaze towards Dazza and Baz and unleashed more balls of flame at them.


Mastermind realised that now was the time for his esacpe and used his psychic powers to cloud the mind of the Horned one and fled to his Capri.  The seconds turned into hours as he struggled to unlock the car.


Cobra was not far behind his boss.  Dodging the blows of the demons, Cobra jumped into the car as it sped away. 


Dazza and Baz had brought enough time for their bosses to get away but at the cost of themselves.


Baz was finally cut down by the Seeker of Decadence as he tried to flee.


Gazza and Bazza were fairing no better against the Lord of Skulls.  The demon`s whip wrapped around Gazza`s neck and with an audible crack Gazza`s head was wrenched from his neck.  The sight of the sudden decapitation was too much for Bazza and he fled screaming into the night.


The Sorceress Margaret Fuchs was victorious.  She had acquired the resources that she would need to further her arcane studies.  Her only regret was that both Mastermind and Cobra had escaped, but their time would come.



Afterthoughts

The battle narrative may give a somewhat one sided view of the skirmish, but it was a close run thing.  The Lord of Skulls was on his last legs, as was the Seeker of Decadence and the Horned one.  I took a more character driven choice for the leaders to flee.  I could not imagine them staying around to help their lags.  

Open combat is a nice open set of rules that let you play many types of games with any figure that you have.  I think that they deserve to be better known in the gaming world.  

On a rules note and to not confuse anyone with what is in the rules themselves, to give Margaret  Fuchs some attack spells, and weapons for the criminals I just renamed the missile weapons in the rulebook. I realise that this may not please people looking for more crunch in their game but it works for me.