Escape from the Crusader city with Lion Rampant

Lion Rampant is a light ruleset that aims to recreate the clashes between retinues during the medieval period. The system is highly flexible and the scenarios included in the book allow recreating many different settings with few adaptations. 

We played a scenario set during the beginning of the Crusaders States. A Crusader city has just been conquered by a large Seljuk force. A group of citizens has taken shelter at a fortress, and as the walls fall, decide to try to cross the city to reach the docks, where some ships, owned by the Maritime Republic of Genoa, are still at bay. We adapted the Scenario "The Convoy" from Lion Rampant, each token representing a bunch of civilians. Due to the urban setting, we decided to use the "reduced models" optional rule from Dragon Rampant to avoid cluttering too many models in small spaces, so we halved the miniatures needed for each unit. The Crusaders started on the NE deployment zone, while the Seljuks entered from the NW and SE deployment zone. The exit zone was the ship at the SW deployment zone.

I won't write up a detailed after-action record here, but overall the game was quite balanced, and until the last two turns all sides had a chance to win it.  The Seljuk player resulted less effective in causing casualties and the Crusaders were good at protecting the foot serjeants' units carrying the civilians, allowing all the three groups to escape safely.

We had great fun, and the reduced models rule worked great. I suggest using it in an urban setting. It is also a great gateway, allowing new players to start playing with a few models. The second edition of Lion Rampant is going to be published in the next few months I hope it will implement this option.

This scenario was actually a playtest for an incoming project, keep following the blog for more details!

And now, some pictures! Crusaders are Normans from Conquest Games, Seljuks from Gripping Beast, and buildings and the ship from CleverPaper.

Rebels and Patriots game (Calatafimi 1860)

 A brief photographic report of our latest game of Rebels and Patriots the black powder large skirmish by Michael Leck and Daniel Mersey from the successful Lion Rampant franchise.

Once again, we refought the Battle of Calatafimi (1860) during The Thousand campaign of Giuseppe Garibaldi against the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. I was able to umpire the game with my friends, following the rule scenario I published in the latest issue of Wargames Soldiers and Strategy (118), which featured three articles of mine, all set in Sicily in different periods. 

This scenario is available as a free PDF on the Karwansaray Publisher website, so don't hesitate to test it and let me know your opinion!

The scenario ran smoothly, with the Garibaldines advance frustrated by the lack of initiative of one unit, which led to uncoordinated advance. The first assault was successful, dealing a lot of damage to the Borbonic Cacciatori Esteri, however, the winning unit wavered, despite the minimum loss, and that gave the Borboni time to reform the line. A unit of Picciotti (fielded as skirmishers) was driven away, leaving the approaching forces unscreened.

From that moment Red Shirts units, advancing one at the time were welcomed by relentless musketry fire, accumulating a lot of casualties. Despite a fierce fight they had to leave the battlefield.

On the other side of the battlefield, a courageous Garibaldine artillery officer repelled a flanking attempt from a Borbonic light cavalry unit, but it wasn't enough to save the day. Did Landi (the General leading the Borbonic army) save the Kingdom?

Bande Amhara

Gruppo Bande Amhara, was an Italian East Africa colonial cavalry unit constituted mainly by Eritrean Ascari and led by Italian officers. A banda was about one company strong, and the Gruppo Bande Amhara was about 1700 men, led by the famous Ten. Amedeo Guillet.

I painted this 9 models unit Bolt Action or Crossfire. Figures are mainly plastic ACW Perry, with some conversion done(colonial helmets and greenstuff for the Eritrean headgear).

The unit is a ragtag ensemble of stragglers and survivors from different squadrons. The battle flag is a simplified version of the "Banda Togni" flag.

The Company of Death

Military history is full of examples of men swearing to die rather than retreat. A remarkable example in the Classic Grece is the Spartan motto "either with shield or on the shield (you will return)" (greek: E tàn e epì tas), which was spoken by mothers and wifes to their men leaving for war. 

This tradition survived well into medieval times, these groups of knights taking oaths before battle often adopted dreadful names as Company of Death or Knights of Death. In the battle of Legnano (1176 AD) between the imperial army of Frederick Barbarossa and the troops of the Lombard League, a group of Italian knights named themself Company of Death and swore to defend with their lives the symbol of the Lombard League, the Carroccio.

Here I present some figures from a later example, taken from the Battle of Gagliana (1300 AD), fought during the Sicilian Vespers war between the Sicilian army and the Angevin French. A group of French knights formed a Company of Death to avenge their relatives killed at the battle of Falconara the previous year. I hope you will read the complete story, along with a scenario for Lion Rampant in a future issue of Wargame Soldiers and Strategy.

I painted some dismounted French knights for their last stand against the Sicilian army. All figures are from Fireforge Games (the standing figures) and Crusader Miniatures (the two wounded ones). I had a lot of fun painting the flag bearer of the Company of Death. The motto is in Latin "Or die or win" (latin: Aut  Vincere aut Morere") and it is taken from Francesco Petrarca's seventh book of Africa (written between 1339 and 1343 AD).

the first casualty

the painting steps for the flag

flagbearer and captain of the Company of Death

the final group of knights

Garibaldines' operations in Calabria, 1860

 Some pictures and a brief after-action report of our latest game of Rebels & Patriots.

The scenario is set in Calabria, 1860. After the conquest of Sicily, the first troops of the Army of the South (Garibaldi's army) landed in Calabria to march northward. The game involved a small garrison of the Kingdom of Two Sicilies in this hilly region. The scenario is Assault at Fort Glory, Paolo was the defender, and Edoardo was the attacker. 

Kingdom of Two Sicilies (Trait: Cunning) 12 points

• 4 skirmishers unit @2 points each
• 1 light artillery @4 points
• +1 skirmishers dummy unit

Garibaldines' army (Trait: Familiar Face) 24 points

• 3 shock infantry @6 points each
• 1 medium artillery

The Garibaldines, army was led by Nino Bixio, but one unit was led by Giacomo Medici. Their plan was simple: a frontal assault supported by the artillery fire. But some rivalries probably existed between the commanders, since Medici's unit refused to take part in the action for most of the game.

The defender led a sortie against the artillery, but the unit was wiped out (even if caused some casualties between the artillerymen). Bixio's unit was the first to approach the walls, but the general was hit by a cannonball and lightly wounded (+1 honor). Medici's unit was unaffected, while the third unit wavered. After a rally, the assault was restarted and fierce fighting across the walls ensued, with the defender pushed back thrice and retaking the position four times. Some Picciotti (skirmishers) reinforcements arrived to help the battered Garibaldines, but they received confusing orders and shoot their allies. On the eve of the tenth turn, the time was called and the game ended. Total honor scored 5 - 1 for the defenders. Suspicion of betrayal and rivalry arose between the Garibaldines. Overall a nice game, we found the scenario a bit easier for the defender, but definitely would play it again.

Medici's unit assaulting the fortification

One of the last assaults

Nino Bixio hit by the artillery fire

The defenders gun

the Garibaldines' artillery

Additions to my Garibaldine and Kingdom of Two Sicilies armies

 A brief update and some pictures of my Garibaldine and Kingdom of Two Sicilies armies. If you wish to be updated more frequently, please follow my Instagram page @arsenaledelnano

Italian Wars of Independence is one of my areas of interest. As a wargamer,  I find the many small clashes very appealing, especially considering I am currently playing large skirmish rulesets stemming from Lion Rampant.

I had a couple games of Rebels and Patriots with my two new 28mm miniatures armies: the Garibaldine army from the Expedition of the Thousand in 1860, and their opponent: the Kingdom of Two Sicilies army. I will post some after-action reports one day. After the last game, I felt I lacked variety, so I was prompt to add a couple of units to my armies, and here they are (the bases are not finished yet).

For the Garibaldine, I painted generals Nino Bixio (on the right) and Giacomo Medici (on the left) to serve as officers and to be fielded in an all cavalry unit, even if historically, the Garibaldine had almost no cavalry, except a small unit of mounted scouts (Guide a cavallo). 

For the Kingdom of Two Sicilies, I painted a medium artillery unit, to help fight those pesky red-shirts! Some mistakes were made in the uniforms, but I like the overall result, and will probably order a second unit to paint it correctly rather than correct this one.

All the miniatures are from a relatively new Italian manufacturer, Shako64, which produces an interesting and expanding range for the 1860-1861 campaign. They fit well with the existing Mirliton miniatures and with Perry miniatures size. I will post some comparison pictures another day. The miniatures are mostly painted with new Contrast paints, which I find a bit fiddly with Napoleonic and post-Napoleonic 19th-century type uniforms, but they are still pleasant to use.

The Silver Bayonet announcement: first thoughts and gathering some inspiration

 

The Silver Bayonet is a new wargame by Osprey Publishing (not in the blue series) to recreate gothic horror stories in the Napoleonic Wars period. The player will lead their adventurers band against supernatural foes and other nation's bands.

You can buy it directly from Osprey here, or, otherwise, North Star Figures has set up a lot of excellent deals for Silver Bayonet Preorder, including three ready to play (painting excluded) bands: French, British and Spanish. They also made a very nice selection of other ranges figures suitable for this ruleset.

I was a bit disappointed by the choice to include the Peninsula theater in the release set, but I understand the British-centered vision of the Napoleonic Wars. While the British Isles are plenty of traditions for supernatural stories I find the Mediterranean climate more difficult to inspire gothic horror stories, even if the very first gothic novel is set in Italy (e.g. The Castle of Otranto). I believe French-occupied Germany would have been a better deal, but probably they suffered the lack of British troops in that territories.

I believe I will set my The Silver Bayonet campaign in Germany in the years around 1805-1812 but I am still pondering to run a campaign in Northern Italy (a lot of mist&misteries here) in 1797, if I manage to find some First Edition Carnevale miniatures (the new ones being less historical), for my Venetian Schiavoni: if you have any spare Patrician Captain of the Guards or Guards, drop me a message!

Gathering inspiration

While for later 19th century the material is abundant and in many version (The league of extraordinary gentlemen, Pride Prejudice and Zombies, Dorian Gray, Doctor Jakill and Mr Hyde, Dracula, Penny Dreadful, Frankenstein's Chronicles,...), trying to keep the Napoleonic War theme is more difficult.

I listed movies and shows only, in this list.

• Brothers' Grimm (2005), set in 1811 Germany. A bit too humorous for my tastes, but if you eliminate the audio, the scenografy could inspire you nonetheless.
• Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell (2015), set during the Napoleonic Wars, it encompasses both the war in the Peninsula and the Waterloo Battle with some nice battle scenes and a well balanced magic element.
• The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (1999), set in Northern America, but the story unfold in the our period of interest and I believe the story could be set in any Northern Europe country without difficulties (the headless horseman being common thopos in European folklore).
• Brotherhood of the Wolfes (2001), based on the Gévaudan monster legend and set during the Ancient Regime, so a bit earlier than the Napoleonic period, but the civilians should look almost the same.
• La Révolution (2020), I did not watch this yet, but it is described as set just before the French Revolution with supernatural elements - if you have seen it drop a message below this post!

I am eager to hear your suggestion, too!