Scottorum Malleus Playtest #4

Here are one more AAR from playtest game of Dan Mersey, authour of the upcoming Dux Bellorum, latest (under development) wargaming rules "Scottorum Malleus".

The rules are a set of medieval wargaming rules. The size of armies/number of bases is similar to Dux Bellorum and the rules are of similar simplicity, but most of the mechanisms are different.

Dan just recently started a blogg in support for he´s books and wargaming rules, please make him a visit; merseybooks.

Back to the AAR... In this game I and my friend Molgan decided to try out the condensed format i.e. DBA size of tha gaming table and 40mm front for the units i.e. 1 ordinary DBx base.

The minis we used was from my friend Oskars collection of lovely painted Balcan armys, unfortunally they are not used that often...

OOB 
In the OOB I uses the common DBx classification for the troop types...

Wallachians
1x Cv (Vlad Tepes, General)
3x Cv
4x LH
1x Archers
3x Ps

Not the entire Wallachian army but a close-up of their camp an 3 units oc Cavalry.

Ottomans
1x Cv (Qapu Khalqis, General)
2x Cv
2x LH
2x Bw (Janissaries)
2x Ps
1x Art (Heavy)

The Ottoman camp with Sultan Mehmed II and entourage, infront you can see the Ottoman fortifications defended by Heavy artillery and Janissaries.

Set-up...

Due to better and more expencive units (Janissaries and Qapu Khalqis) and field fortifications the Ottoman army was a little smaller 10 bases vs 12 for the Wallachians. 

But with the wather line on one flank and the field fortifications in the middle the Ottoman managed to comver most of the front. 

They were concentrating their cavalry forces on thirs right flank and just having some skirmishing Azab archer to protect the left flank.

The Wallachian was aiming for a flank move around the vineyard on the Ottoman left and attack the Ottoman camp and fortification from the side...

To screen of the Ottoman Cavalry they sent some Archers and Skirmishers under harsh command of Vlad himself.

In "Scottorum Malleus" Skirmishers and Light Horses may deploy further in on the table then ordinary fighting troops.

Opening stages of the battle...

The Wallachian Light Horses made a ruch to get around the Vineyard but was ofcourse engaged in a skirmish fight with the Ottoman Azabs protecting the Ottoman left flank. 

One unit of the Wallashian Light Horses got close to the Camp but was shoot to pieces by a unit of Janissaries that had left the field fortification to protect the Ottoman left.

The rest of the Wallachian army just waited... exccept for the poor Archers that was driven forward by Vlad, that wanted them within shooting distance to the Ottoman cavalry...

The Ottomans just waited...exccept for their 2 units of Light Horses that quite fast was were down by the Ottoman Skirmishers just in front of the Ottoman Fieldfortifications but also giving the Artillery a chanse to shoot everything that got a little to close...

I looked as the Ottomans had the uperhand at the moment, well protected by their field fortifications...

Losses:

Wallachian: 2x LH, 1x Ps

Ottoman: 2x LH

Middle stages of the battle...

The Wallachians press forward with the poor archers, that starts to shoot volly after volly at the Ottoman Cavalry without any success...

The Wallachian light horses ride away from the pointless skirmish with the Ottoman Azabs aiming to raid the Ottoman camp...

The Wallachian Cavalry breakes their fine formation and the 3 units ride of in 3 different direction...

The Ottoman still await their time...just letting the Janissarie archery and the Heawu artillery work on the enemys...

Losses:

Wallachian: 2x LH, 1x Ps, 2x Ps

Ottoman: 2x LH, 

The end of the battle...

To attack the Ottomans in prepered field fortifications is not a good ideea... But the Wallachians Light Horses made it arround the flank and started to were down the defenders, a unit of Janissarie was unbelievable taken out by them as was the Ottoman Artillery.

Meanwhile the remaning Janissarie unit managed to eliminate the wallachian Archers and the Ottomans Cavalry took advantage of the opportunety to charge Vlad himself... After a fierce battle the Ottomans was on top...The remaning Wallachians retreated of the battlefield...Ottoman Victory!

Losses:

Wallachian: 2x LH, 1x Ps, 2x Ps, 1x Bw, 1x CV(Gen)

Ottoman: 2x LH, 1x Bw, 1x Art, 1x Cv

Debriefing...

One again a very intense and entertaining game of "Scottorum Malleus". The rules work very smoth and give good gaming results. As the losses shows it was a very close call for the Ottomans only having to loose one more unit to loose the day...

The rules worked fine in this condenced/DBA size to giving a totaly different game compared to DBA, more fluid and fast paced, totaly in my taste.

As with DBA this size of game dosen´t realy look like a battle to me...to few minis on each base, probably look better with 10mm or 6mm minis so you get the feel for the armys moving around. But as a "learn the rules" or "I dosen´t have the space" game it work well...rather a small game but no game att all;)

Scottorum Malleus Playtest #3

Here are a short AAR from playtest game of Dan Mersey, authour of the upcoming Dux Bellorum, latest (under development) wargaming rules "Scottorum Malleus".

The rules are a set of medieval wargaming rules. The size of armies/number of bases is similar to Dux bellorum and the rules are of similar simplicity, but most of the mechanisms are different.

Dan just started a new blogg in support for he´s books and wargaming rules, please make him a visit; merseybooks.

Back to the AAR, This time me and my mate Matts used my 15mm Catalan Company minis, we got us a Duchy of Athens army against a Catalan Company army.

OOB
In the OOB I uses the common DBx classification for the troop types...


Duchy of Athens
1xKn(Gen)
4xKn
2xPs

The army of the Duchy of Athens was made up to a large part of Knights, just with some few skirmishers in support, an real elit force.

Catalan Company
1xWb (Gen)
6xWb ???not realy the same troop type but close enough.
2xPs
1xLH
1xCv

The Catalan Company was a main Almogavar force with some light troops in support and one unit of Cavalry but no Knights...

The unit was made up with several of my bases with a front of 80mm, 2 bases for the Kn, Cv, LH and Ps. 4 bases for the Wb.

We used a 120x120cm gaming area.

The Duke of Athens deployed his knights in two lines in the center, leading from the front, just leting his greek skirmishig archers to secure the right flank.

The Catalan Commander deployed all his Almogavars in a long battle line partly behind a fiels (rought ground for the Knights) and sent his skirmishers to secure the vineyard to the right and the lone cavalry to stretch the main battle line...

The Duke of Athens ordered he´s brave Knight in a ferocious charge across the battlefield...

The Catalan Commander made some more careful manoeuvres...Unfortunally the Knights caught the poor cavalry unit...

Matts moving more Knights to follow up the first wave... 

In the center the Catalan Cavalry make a desperat stand against 2 units of knights... The Catalan ship are ready to take care of any survivors...

The Athenian Knights continue their charge and every one thought this would be an easy victory for them...

Allready removed are one of the Athenian Knights that was left behind... it was were down by persistent shooting by the Catalan Skirmishers:)

The Athenian Knights, regrouping after a short combat with some Catalan Cavalry...

In the center a hard combat for several rounds took place, the Almogavar managed to survive the first storm flood by clever use of the Rally order.

Then they started to fight back !!! with crucial support from the Skirmishers behind the enemys...

After a intence fight 2 units of Almogavar was beaten to the cost of one unit of Knights... 

The Duke of Athens followed up their victory by chargeing the Catalan Commander and beate him in single combat...The Duke feelt that the victory was close...

BUT... like a divine intervention the Catalan skirmishers managed to get some lucky shoots at a unit of Knights, that apperantly had got enought and broke...

This turned the tide and the Duke of Athens admited him self subdued...

Losses:

Duchy of Athens: 3x Knights

Catalan Company:1x Cavalry and 3x Almogavar including the General.

Once again a greate game, as it was the first for Matts, there was some rule explanations, but not much.

The game was all concluded in about 2 houres including set up, rule talk and beer drinking;)

Scottorum Malleus Playtest #2

Here come a 2nd AAR from our playtest of Dan Mersey, authour of the upcoming Dux Bellorum, latest (under development) wargaming rules "Scottorum Malleus". The rules are a set of medieval wargaming rules in the same spirit as Dux Bellorum...at least I think so;)

This time we used my 15mm Impetus based Lithuanians and Polish early medieval armys. Based with 80mm front. Gaming area 60x120cm.

OOB

Polish
1xKn(Gen)
2xKn
2xBw
1xSp
1xPs
1xRe-roll (to even the army points)

Lithuanian
1xLH(Gen)
6xLH
2xAx
2xPs

Set-up. The Polish deployed there hard hitting Knights in the center covering their left flank with archers and anchor there right flank against a plowed field with some skirnishers and a unit of sperarmen as support...saddle-up and the Polish Knights are on their way...

The Lithuanians that have an army composed to about 80% of skirmishers was allowed to deploy up to the center of the board. Meeting the Polish with a screan of fast light horses.

The Lithuanians had the initiative and moved their light horses closer to the polish lines to enable some shooting... They had just started to shoot then the Polish Knights made a charge !!!

The Lithuenians made a swifth retreat and continued to harass the Poles with shooting... the poor Polish skirmisher had now had enought and fleed the field...

The Polish Knights continued their impetuous charge over the muddy battle field, catching the Lithuenian light horse one again, this time they didn´t manage to escape...

The red dices behind the Knights show how many hits they taken so far from the Lithuenian shooting...

Even the Polish archers made a charge sins they discovered that there shooting was totaly ineffective against the Skrimishing Lithuanians.

Knights are realy tough on the offensive, as they should, and two of the Lithuanian units was dispatched...smells like Polish victory...

Actually one of the Polish Knights was also beaten, BUT they was saved by a divine intervention in the shape of a lucky one and only Polish re-roll...they can be handy some times...

At the right the Lithuanian Light Horses disengaged the Polish Bows...

The Lithuanian commander gathered his followers and moved out to the left starting to concentrate their shooting on some Polish Knights...

The other Polish Knight turned his attention to the left and charged a unit on Lithuanian Spermen in the flank, they run for their lifes...The Knights just press forward in to the flank of the next unit of Spearmen...

Much damage have been delivered to several units... The Polish bows have had enough...

Unfortunally for the Poles one of the fierce units of Knights can´t stand all the harassment by the Lithuanians so they to flees the field...

With only two units of Knights left the Poles are beaten...

Losses
Lithuanian: 2xLH and 2xAx
Polish: 1xKn. 1xSp, 2xBw and 1xPs

This was a fun, fast paced and intense game. I realy didn´t think the Lithuanian skirmish army would stand a chanse against the hard hitting Poles. But it almost ended with a disaster for them when the Polish Knights started to were down their Spearmen...they should have stayed in the protection of the forest...

We uses a alternative Moral test rules that worked out much better then the one we used in the first game.

Scottorum Malleus have the possibility to turn out to be a realy nice rule system, I will defenetly play more test games.

Polish Commander ponder about how to catch the swift Lithuanians...

Peeking through the snowy trees at some Polish Knights harassed by the Lithuanian Light Horses...

Scottorum Malleus Playtest

I have got the opportunety to try out Dan Mersey, authour of the upcoming Dux Bellorum, latest (under development) wargaming rules "Scottorum Malleus". The rules are a set of medieval wargaming rules in the same spirit as Dux Bellorum.

Here are a short AAR from the first try out of the rules. I used my 15mm Catalan Company minis, got me a Duchy of Athens army against a Catalan Company army...might be the Battle of Halmyros in 1311...

In the OOB I uses the common DBx classification for the troop types...

Duchy of Athens
1xKn(Gen)
3xKn
2xBw
2xPs

Catalan Company
1xKn (Gen)
6xWb ???not realy the same troop type but close enough.
1xPs
1xLH

The unit was made up with several of my bases with a front of 80mm, 2 bases for the Kn, LH and Ps. 4 bases for the Bw and Wb.

We used a 60x90cm gaming area.

Set-up was quite straight forward for the Catalans...a big block of Almogavars in the center, Light Horse to protect the left flank and some lonely Psilios to the right. The Knights was held in reserv...

The Duchy of Athens mixed the Knights and Crossbowmen in the main line using Psilios to cover both flanks and also held the Knights in reserv...

The Catalans made some swift advances forward the Duchys forces, the plan was simple, hit them hard before they can make use of all their crossbowmen...

Duchys forces was just waiting letting the crossbowmen soften the Almogavars up a bit before the Knights was suppose to sweep them of the field.

The Almogavars didn´t care about all the crossbow bolts, just keep moving. But the Turk Light horses didn´t stay for long and was chasen away as soon as they was hit by a few arrows from the Greek Psilios...

"Desperat Ferro!!! " The Almogavars took the Knights ofguard and charged all over the line... The Almogavars and the Knights are both good in offence but not as good in defense...

The Knights that was sent away from the main line was also hit and annihilated by a unit of hard hitting Almogavars...

It was the start of a quite long and rolling fight...the knights was at first puched back, a unit of crossbow men was slaughtered...but the other unit of the Duchys Crossbowmen managed to fight of and break a unit of Almogavars...

Just before the final disaster for the Duchys troops... The Almogavars keept the initiative and made a last puch cuting down even more of the splendid Knights in shiny armour...

Then the battle ended the Catalan Company had lost 1 unit of Light Horse and 1 unit of Almogavars...The Duchy of Athens had lost a unit of Psilios, a unit of Crossbowmen and 3 units of Knights... A brilliant victory for the Catalan Company:)

The rules worked out quite nice, of course do I need to try them some more to get a cleare picture and understanding of them. The only thing that realy struck me was that the moral was a little to unpredictable, I will try the alternative moral system next time;)