Turkey Substitute

 For the Xmas game each year, the Bramley Barners* like a game which is:

• Fun

• Different

• Quick’n’easy

(* a loose federation of likeminded souls that have played together in Bramley, Leeds and still play in a Nidderdale barn conversion amongst other places.)

The different is right up my street and I’ve arranged a good few of the Xmas games recently with a generally high level of success. 

The game I have planned for this Xmas, and it’s been in my head since before Covid, is not only VERY different for this group, who favour big, proper Napoleonic and WW2 games, but it’s the first one for which I’ve built a collection from scratch! Scratch and peck…

I’m not sure what my inspiration was to be honest, but the game I have in mind is “terror bird” hunting! Victorian hunters lugging around shotguns, stalking prehistoric giant flightless birds. Sorry not even I understand how my mind works sometimes!!!

I’ve scoured the market and believe that I have every terror bird available. 

Eggs and newly hatched chicks from a variety of manufacturers. The eggs still need a satin varnish. 

I found these 3D printed resin Kelenkens at Partizan 2 when I 1) believed I’d found every terror bird and 2) didn’t really need anymore! They were too great to resist. Nice variety of poses. A genus of Phorusrhacid. As you can see these are carnivorous predators. At least for the purposes of my game, I’m happy to believe that is what terror birds were. 

A colourful batch. In all likelihood there will be two types of terror birds in the game, Phororacos and Diatryma. Though I’m tempted to do something special with the angry parrot-looking monster in the centre. It just looks so fierce and cross!

A less than colourful batch, but still nice looking critters. 

A family group encounter. Might the hunter want to capture a chick, or gather a milliner’s delight of coloured feathers? I’ll add interesting objectives like that so the players aren’t just indiscriminately blasting everything they track down. 

As well as the birds being a bit of a dangerous creature to hunt, I’ve added a few other prehistoric creatures for the big-game hunters to encounter. 

This group are likely to be passive encounters. Left to right are a Macrauchenia, a Platybelodon, a Brontotherium and a Glyptodon. These critters are unlikely to harm our hunters. Unlikely but possible… 

These nasties are far likelier to have a go at our hunters. They are predators and scavengers. Front row we have two Smilodons (“Sabre Tooth Tigers”) and two Gorgonopsids (not lizards or dinosaurs, these are proto-mammals!). In the back left to right are an Andrewsarchus and an Entelodon (also known as a Hell Pig!). 

And just in case that’s not enough variety for the hunters, there’s two groups of “guardians” to avoid. I’ve used Aztec Eagle warriors to represent these anti-poaching rangers who will lay down their lives to protect the angry big birds they revere.

They look barmy! Very colourful adversaries for the players. 

I have allowed for ten player-hunters. Each one will be slightly different in their abilities and objectives (and sanity!), but this will be briefly and clearly presented to the players in character cards I’ll prepare for each figure. There may be some element of role playing.

And just in case there’s more players, someone can control the group of local poachers - cavemen out looking for tomorrow’s dinner! It’s definitely an odd Land That Time Forgot sort of place where these terror birds hang out. 

The cavemen hunting party can also be fielded as another encounter. I expect that ten hunters is ample and I’ll definitely need a couple of volunteers to help me run the non-player encounters. 

I’ve gathered a few terrain pieces to dress the table and make it more interesting than just jungle and clearings. As well as blocking line of sight, the terrain pieces will hopefully give the game a somewhere-in-South-America feel. 

I can sort of see a bird in that last piece. That and the other two in the front row are 3D printed by mate Glen. Isn’t technology marvellous…?

I looked at a couple of rule sets. I’ve chosen to use Chris Peer’s Tooth and Claw rules. This fella never provides playsheets, but it will help me fully understand the rules as I develop a summary playsheet, character cards for each player and a data sheet of all the critters. The game needs to be something the players can jump straight into, so my preparations are crucial to the game’s success. 

The rules are based on percentages, using two D10s, so for example a basic to hit chance is 80%. There’s scope for anything happening. Fingers crossed that everyone will have a good laugh. And that they’ll all stagger back to camp intact. 

So there you have the premise for the game and the entire collection for it. Pure craziness I hope you’ll agree!

I’ll let you know how it goes. 

Cheers

Chris (Westerhope Wargames Group ambassador to Yorkshire)

Battle of Kolonso 480BC.

Last night I didn't get beaten-Iwas SLAUGHTERED!!!!-I devised a perfect plan,perfect dispositions,but my notoriously bad dice throwing came into effect from the first move,and continued throughout the whole game!!-Am I bitter????.....................

Not I!!!

This is the scenario and terrain map-I commanded the Persians whilst Paul commanded the Spartans and Graham commanded the Athenians and Corinthians.

Initial troop dispositions-the game was setup to see who could cover the flanks of their army without compromising the game as such.

The Spartans,the Immortals and the first clash-which I lost!! Maybe I will do better in the centre?

The centre and right wing closing-with so many units involved,surely by the law of averages I will win some melees???

NO!! not a bloody one,but what about the left wing(versus Spartans)......................

NO!! not a bloody one!!!!! Maybe after a strong cup of coffee.............................

No,no,no,no,not a bloody one-dejected and humiliated,I conceded-what could cheer me up??

Hmmmm!

After all was said and done,I actually enjoyed the game,as did Graham and Paul,so roll on next week,and get well soon to Dave and Brian.

 

Game Preview.

On Sunday we will be playing a Greek vs Persian game-Brian's family has been struck with COVID again,so he won't be attending,but hopefully the rest of the "boys" will.I'll let the photographs do the talking..................

Terrain map/scenario and table before any movement.

Top photo shows Athenians rushing to the battlefield,bottom shows the "Immortals" facing off the Spartans.

Spartans top,Immortals bottom-looks like it could be a good game-roll on Sunday.

 

Onwards and upwards?

I have been developing a set of simple rules so that very large games can be played solo as well as multiple player. The concept is an expansion of my solo "red pom-pom" rules using two dice per side to decide winners and losers in missile fire and melee,whilst relying on units(be they warbands or legions etc) being a certain size,ie. in the case of Legions vs Gallic Warbands-8 bases!

Top photo shows the notes to date and the equipment needed to play the game-bottom photo shows a "Legion"-with the figures I have, I can now field 4 Legions and 2 Auxiliary Legions,plus cavalry,skirmishers and officers......................

A Warband-8 bases too-I chose the same number of bases for both Legions and Warbands for convenience sake,not wanting to have split units,and trying to work out how to decide casualties on them!!

The Roman army(minus skirmishers)-Impressive!

The Gallic army(minus skirmishers!)-quite a few!!

Getting "stuck in"-the Warbands received 2 pom-poms for pila casualties,whilst the Legion received 1 pom-pom for javelins etc. At 3 pom-poms the unit is minus one from their dice score,at four pom-poms they are at minus one but are pushed back-at five pom-poms they are off the board-routing/destroyed.The same rules apply to cavalry(who are all 4 bases strong)

Both flanks will have the same number of cavalry,initially,as I play-test the rules to exhaustion!!

Top photo shows a chariot attack-they will skirmish with the Legions but will not be allowed to melee-bottom photo shows a general attack developing.

This is how many figures I had on the board-using these simple rules I had no bother controlling both sides,whilst trying out various situations,like flank attacks,two vs one etc.Tomorrow I will once again play-test these rules until I get it perfect,and then try to persuade the "boys" to try them.My main idea for these rules was to use them in a Demonstration game some time next year-let's see!!

 

Senlac Hill (Hastings!) 1066.

Talk about history repeating itself!-last night it fell to Paul and I to refight this iconic battle-Brian and Graham sat this one out and Dave is still not feeling too well-Paul was Harold,I was William,and what a great game it turned out to be,apart from one disgraceful episode of over the top"gloating" from,I'm ashamed to say,myself!!!

 This was the simplified terrain/disposition map-I had decided to try and stick to the historical tactics of the day,and consequently attacked with both flanks initially-Paul,true to form,stood in his shield wall,ready to blunt my attacks.................

Both flanks move to the attack,whilst in my centre,archers were "peppering" the Saxon shieldwall-to little effect!

With the flanks engaged,my Normans move forward-William leading the cavalry-awsome sight!

With a resounding "crash" the two sides meet-I was at a disadvantage coming up against the shieldwall-and the resulting melee was predictable(given Paul's league -with -the- Devil,dice throwing!!)-however,the flanks of the Saxons were looking not too good!

These photo's show the Norman left flank,making real in-roads against the Saxon lines,so much so that Harold(Paul) decided to bolster the troops there by joining in the fight(prepare for "gloating")-yes,you've guessed it-I threw the requisite dice and killed him-a "DAD DANCE" of epic proportions followed,much to the disgust of Brian,Graham and Paul!!!-this ,of course,ended the game,as I had also penetrated(steady!) the Saxon centre,and was poised to charge my cavalry into the gap created-hurrah!!

Top photo shows the right flank-I was sorely pressed by the Saxons,but managed to hold my own(steady again!)-in the centre an ugly hole is about to be exploited by my cavalry!!

I thoroughly enjoyed this game-it looked right,and the result was right,by the way,what have the Normans ever done for us??-Roll on next week.we should have a full house,and possibly and Ancients game.