"El Cid"

Last night we had a 100% turnout for a most colourful and interesting game.

Top photo is scenario,bottom is the table layout.Myself,Paul and Brian were the Moors,whilst Dave and Graham were the Spaniards.I had two units of Camels "hidden" behind the palms beside the river fort-Dave didn't know this for sure but "suspected" it!!

We're off! The initial manoeuvering was a sight to behold-Cavalry and Infantry going all over the place,hoping to throw the opponents off balance-look at the concentration!!!

Top shows Dave's first attack against the fort,and his light cavalry moving towards the "palms" where my camels are hidden,the cavalry in the centre are both attacking-great stuff!!
Bottom photo shows Brian and Graham about to make contact with the infantry,whilst the cavalry are doing the same.

A general view down the table,showing mayhem and slaughter going on-at this stage in the game,the melees were even,neither side gaining any real advantage-this was end-to-end stuff.(you can see my camels have "exposed" themselves,oh dear,oh dear,oh dear!! and are attacking Dave's light infantry on the hill).

Brian and Graham's infantry battle on the left of our position-a long-lasting affair,with Graham losing out eventually-he retired(it's good being retired!) his troops,just as Brian moved his reserves into the village,leaving a "tumbleweed" situation!!!

Brian and Graham's cavalry are still at it,but the infantry are just about to go!

As the song goes-"Tumbling by like the tumbling tumbleweed"-however there was still hot work to be done in the centre and on our right flank...........................

With officers falling like nine-pins and units routing off the board,it was begining to lok like a "draw" on this flank,although Dave's position was precarious,it was not lost-look at those two in the background-not a care in the world!-Brian kept insisting he wanted a "selfie" but I wouldn't give him the camera,so when I went to make the coffee,he obviously snatched the camera,and...................................

Hmm.not a bad likeness-could have smiled a bit more though!!
We enjoyed the tussle of this game,and it certainly didn't lack colour or banter,roll on next week,don't know what we'll be playing!

Faroche Del Mar 1070AD. Spain.

Last night's game was a "CRACKER"-all action from the word "go",and played in a grand spirit!

Top photo is scenario,bottom is the table as the "boys" saw it on arrival.
Dave was "El Cid" and I was his 2IC,Paul was Ben Yussef,with Brian as his 2IC-Graham had to go home just before we started,we wish him well!
The boat you can see in the foreground was quite important-Dave had to make a decision before the game started-whether to put two elite units of infantry in the boat,or put them in the castle-he chose the boat!! and merrily sailed it around the castle and on to Brian's flank.

Sticking to a fairly rigid plan,I am moving my back rank cavalry onto the open ground between the woods and Dave's infantry,ready for an all out assault when the time is right(???)

It's only move number two,and Brian is attacking the town,and trying to force the gap between the town and the woods-cracking stuff!!

Paul and I are having a right old "ding-dong" with officers falling down like a naughty woman's drawers-thrilling!(the game not the naughty woman's drawers!!)

The infantry are moving slowly towards each other,not wanting to get too involved until the flanks are secure.

The "Eagle"(that's the name of the boat) has landed,spewing troops onto the beach,and diverting some of Brian's attacking troops away from the town walls-just as planned!!-don't you just love it when a plan comes together(quote from "A" Team!)

Oh,oh-things are not going well on my flank!!(now there's a change!) but Dave has driven his infantry into the heart of Paul's Black Guard-if only I can hold out!!

Top photo shows the "beach party" not having it all their own way,and bottom photo shows the town defences are just about to be breached!!
However Dave is making in-roads against Paul's infantry,so still a lot to play for!!

I think the military term for my flank is "buggered!"-so it's up to Dave to save the town and the game-go on Dave,you can do it!!

With Paul's cavalry rampaging on Dave's left flank,all is lost-one last sorry shot of the table.....

This was by any standards a great game-well done lads,this is why I love wargaming!
I don't know if we'll be playing next Sunday-Graham and I will be playing at Charlie Wesencraft's Xmas game on Saturday,and Paul and Dave are away.

Battle of Toedo Mountains 1097 AD

Last night saw the "Feisty Five" of Paul,Brian,Dave,Graham and I visiting sunny Spain for this very exciting and interesting "El Cid" game.

Top photo is scenario and bottom shows the table before any movement.Graham was Ali Ben Turpin,in charge of the Moorish infantry and Guard,Brian was in charge of the Moorish Cavalry,whilst Dave took command of the Spanish infantry and Paul commanded the Spanish cavalry-I sat this one out and took photo's and generally contributed nothing!!

The game started with a bang!! as Dave attacked the low hill,defended by Graham-this melee lasted 4 moves with neither side gaining and advantage,until Dave threw some amazing dice to drive the Moors off eventually-hurrah!!-In the background Brian is lining his cavalry up against Paul's(who had better fighting and morale points,but Brian's troops had javelins to throw before contact!!)

Doesn't that look nice??-not for long though....................

CRASH!!!-once again our rules prove their worth,even though Brian was fighting at -1 from his dice because he was fighting Heavier types,he had inflicted casualties with his javelins,so it came down to dice throwing,which didn't produce an immediate result for either side-great stuff-the melee swung backwards and forwards,for three moves!!

How about these two photo's for a study in concentration!!-this is in between moves,when we write our orders for each unit(using arrows etc.) to give them directions for the next move!

Dave has launched an attack in the centre,and is pushing Graham's troops back,but still Graham wouldn't send in his elite Guard units-is he mad???

Dave's Spanish have taken the hill and are surrounding the remaining Moorish infantry unit-Graham is in real trouble now-his centre is gone-where are the Guard???

Things are not going very well in the cavalry battle!-the Moors are being beaten,and driven back-oh dear!-however,what only Paul and I knew was that his Andalusian cavalry,posted on his far right flank,were "suspect" and that,on the throw of a 2 or a 5,they would leave the field of battle,once they were confronted by the Moorish cavalry-this was done,and only one unit fled!!

Brian is beaten in all sectors,Graham is being driven back on his camp-is it all over???

I think Brian's body language says it all-YES!!!! a magnificent win for "El Cid" and his Spanish army-well done to Paul and Dave-rumour has it that Graham is sending his Elite "Black Guard" to the Job Centre on Tuesday-because they are classed as Un-employed!!!!
A good game,well played,lots of banter and good humour-great wargaming.
Roll on Thursday-could be a 7YW game.

Battle of "El Campo" 1098 AD Spain

After a couple of weeks not playing,due to sickness of myself,Paul and Brian,we decided to put on a fairly big "El Cid" game last night-however Brian is still not too well(get well soon matey!) so it fell to Paul,Dave and I to have ,what turned out to be, a "Corker" of a game.

This is the scenario,Dave was in charge of the Normans and baggage,Paul was the Spanish commander and I took charge of the Moors and Andalusians(ambush troops)

This shows the Normans about to be ambushed from both flanks-this was quite devastating for Dave in the first move,and a lesser man would have dropped his head and cried "woe is me!" but he stuck to his task,and fought back magnificently(the swine!!)

Paul's relief force emerges from the camp-cavalry and infantry-he left a sizeable infantry force in the camp too.

The well guarded camp,which was duly attacked,captured then re-taken again-thrilling stuff,but now the scene is set.............

I charged down the hill with my Andalusian cavalry and "smote" the Normans causing great damage-would the game be over in the first couple of moves for the Normans??

Paul was next to feel the wrath of the Moors-my Berber cavalry and Infantry have broken cover,and charged the right flank of the Spanish-hurrah!!

I was determined not to let the Spanish have any respite,and attacked the camp as well,however Paul used his archers well and inflicted just enough casualties on my attacking troops,to put them in a "dodgey" situation when they got into melee!!

Back at the ambush-and I'm doing quite well,and pushing the Normans back,however Dave has managed to drive my archers away,and occupy the far hill,with a couple of units of infantry-these would be a "telling" factor later on-my "Black Guard" cavalry have sortied down the hill and are doing great slaughter against the "infidels"-this was my trump card and I had great faith in them to win the game-hurrah!!(or not,as it turned out!!)

This shows a general view of the battle between the Moorish cavalry and the attack on the camp-and it looks as though my initial attack on the camp has failed(but a second line is about to advance!)-my cavalry is getting beaten up-it will all depend on the "Black Guard" now.

The Normans are under all kinds of pressure,but Dave is fighting back,and is about to charge my disordered cavalry with a couple of infantry units that he had managed to get onto the far hill,previously-oh dear!!

Hurrah,my Moorish infantry are in the camp-is the game won?-NO!!,Paul put his reserve infantry into the fray-we counted up the points-I had 24,Paul had 25-this was going to be tight!!

We threw the dice-and we each scored a 3-double woe is me!!-I was ejaculated(but not too dejected!) How are the rest of my troops doing??

Not too good!!-In the background you can see the baggage is almost at the camp,my Moorish cavalry is being pushed back,and the Normans are still fighting on !! So it was a win for the Allies-but what a great game,full of excitement,colourand most of all fun!!-well done lads.

Hopefully Brian will be ok for Thursday.