We arrived around 9am after the usual terrible traffic in Baton Rouge. (A seven-car pileup completely closed I-10.) We set up our dealer's table, and I began to set up for my 2pm game.
Chris Swearwengen arrived and we stumbled through our first game of Dragon Rampant. I took us a while, as neither of us had played before. After a hard fought battle, my Undead defeated his orcs by a healthy margin. Very enjoyable, even had I lost.
At 2pm, we started my game of Defend the Kirk, Saxons defending against a Viking raid. Here's the table before the start of the game.
If it's not obvious, all the buildings except the 2 4ground buildings on the far edge, are paper, as is the Viking ship and the marshland near the river. The watchtower and wooden keep are an old set called Stronghold from Microtactix. All of the hovels, the kirk, and the longhouse were all designed in Model Builder. The roofs were covered with funny fur to us Yanks, teddy bear fur to you Brits.
Almost all the Viking and Saxon warriors are plastic Wargames Factory figures. The women are a mix of Old Glory and other manufacturers. The rules were Swordplay 2016 by Two Hour Wargames. I made a few mods to fit the game, since it is intended for small actions of 4 or 5 figures per side.
Players in the game were, left to right, Josh Switzer and his son, Richard Allen (Viking commander), Bob Kelso (Saxon commander), Harman, and Michael Hayman. At the table to the left background, facing the camera is Steve Wirth, who was nice enough to lend me his livestock, as I forgot mine. Facing the camera at the right hand table is Jim Pitts.
The Viking advanced from the ship, and were seen by a bowman in the watchtower, who sounded the alarm. The Saxons were slow and cautious in reaction, allowing the Vikings to swarm around a couple of houses before beginning to plunder.
Since there were Saxons of lower Rep inhabiting the hovels, most of the men therein were killed and their women taken as plunder, though a good number of women were able to successfully flee. As GM, I was not able to photograph the game as meaningfully as I would have wished.
Saxon warriors begin to advance, as the Vikings begin to plunder. The Vikings have fired a house, which alerted the countryside, as did the incessant ringing of the kirk bell!
Saxons begin to advance around the tavern.
Vikings violate the kirk, downing Brother Caedfel and the other clergy along with a woman who had sought sanctuary there. There was a berserker in the kirk who had no thought other than the death of all Saxons on his mind. Of course, there was the chest of gold church items to be taken by other Vikings.
More Saxons come in from the countryside.
As others advance to stop the Vikings.
Saxons advance cautiously near the watchtower. For quite a while, only 2 Vikings had fallen, one wounded by a Saxon hut dweller, who paid for it with his life, and another to an arrow from the watchtower. They stayed out of range after that.
A Viking has entered a pen to make off with some livestock, while others make off with a woman and her naked child.
Vikings flank a field near the river, perhaps intending an end run.
Saxons have trapped 2 Vikings in a hovel, where they have killed the husband and captured the wife. A naked berserker has come to their aid.
The bloodiest fight took place over the chest from the kirk, changing hands a number of times before all the Vikings attempting to take it were killed.
Melees rage across the table! By games end, the Vikings had lost half their men, captured a few women, some livestock, and food. The Saxons made an attempt to fire the longship, but the Viking guard put it out. The Saxons had failed to defend the kirk, losing all the clergy, but recapturing all their relics.
We decided that the Viking warlord would return a hero, since his lone ship defeated over 1,000 Saxons, captured all their women, and defiled the kirk. All those who died were already drinking mead with the gods in Valhalla..
The Saxons had defeated 5 longships of vicious Vikings, killing hundreds of the scum. However, they had to face the shame of being unable to defend the kirk, from hundreds of heathen berserker madmen who slaughtered the clergy and those who sought sanctuary there.
Would the bishop kindly send more clergy to see to the souls of the departed and tend to his flock, battered by heathens?
And, Eorl, we humbly submit that we might be a little low on our just portion of our crops that we happily render to you, through His grace.
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