Famous last words - Isle of Fob campaign ends

The Isle of Fob campaign ended last night during campaign map play. Following an end of turn double on the first initiative roll of the night, Peter elected to play the first three initiative points he won first in the hope of drawing a card to raise revenue (National Will Points) but the card was not there. I played two Lull cards back to back and Peter won the second; he played his Lull card - big mistake - and lost it. I played a Tactical Advantage card declaring it as Nation Morale, which you can do on a won Lull. But then Peter rolled his blue D12 scoring 11 - "Only a 12 will do then" I said.

Peter read the rule regarding failed nation morale whilst at zero national will points and scoring odd: The nation sues for peace and total victory is awarded to the other side. The Seljuks, on their last legs, had somehow bluffed the Franks into evacuating the Isle of Fob.

VICTORY!!!! VICTORY!!!! VICTORY!!!! VICTORY!!!!......I could go on.......

Campaign Report

The campaign map shows the positions and situation of the armies just before what Peter and I are now referring to as the end game. The situation map at the end of this post highlights just how bad the situation has got for the Seljuks (who have had to evacuate many town garrisons just to form an army after the disaster at Barinaeum) and for the Franks (who's national will is close to collapsing following the winter battle at Ghazzan).

At the coastal battle of Barinaeum the Seljuk army was smashed. Following this battle the Seljuks came close to folding during subsequent campaign action.

At the winter battle at Ghazzan, with the last resources available (and at zero National Will), the Seljuks managed to rescue the situation. The national will of the Franks was shattered and the new Malik of Fob was given new hope of final victory.

The campaign could end during the next session of campaign action. If the Franks can rally their forces and get through to the next 'tax collection' they will be in a winning position as the Seljuks have virtually no tax base left; the Seljuks must force the Franks to sue before then by forcing a surrender during 'map play'.

Barinaeum and the death of a King.

Last night we fought the latest battle in the Isle of Fob campaign. Following up their victory at Ghazzan, Gudrupee the Malik Fob advanced southward in an attempt to take the Christian capital. They were met on the open Plain of Barinaeum by King Louis with a large force of mixed cavalry. The winter battle that followed was very short and sharp. The forces of Gudrupee were almost destroyed and Gudrupee himself fell in the fight.

Christian Deployment:

 Moslem Deployment:

 The Moslems in trouble:

 The Death of Gudrupee:

 Knights crash home:

 Horse archers harrassing civilians in the Christian rear:

Ghazzan - Which one girl with beard?

We Finished the battle of Ghazzan last night. A crushing victory for Gudrupee the Malik of Fob. The more regular Frankish troops where routed or slaughtered defending the hill whilst their less martial element looked on from the gardens, vineyards and orchards below. After the battle, every harem slave merchant within 200 miles licked his lips - "Which one girl with beard?".

Here are some shots of the battles conclusion.

Crusades campaign update

What follows are the bare bones of progress in our Isle of Fob Crusades campaign. This is due to various reasons including holidays and being absolutely snowed under with work - for some reason the summer is always a very busy time for me - with little time to think let alone write.

The Battle of Kinana: Marginal victory to the Seljuks.

Campaign moves following the Battle of Kinana:

The Battle of Qaqun: Although greatly outnumbered the Seljuks actually managed to scrape a marginal victory in one of the most bloody battles that I've played for years. It was such a heated affair that I forgot to take photos during the second half of the battle. The Seljuks managed to hold their hill, took the hill on the far side of the river, but lost the village - it was a blood bath for both sides.

Ager Sanguinis - campaign rules

This month's (June) edition of Miniature Wargames carries the final installment of the Ager Sanguinis series of articles: Campaign rules. The article has a complete system for fighting a campaign using Ager Sanguinis (but this is easily adaptable to most rules and pre-gunpowder periods). For those without the time to set up their own campaign, the article has a campaign (including map) to get you started straight away. The article (as per other Ager Sanguinis articles) is a 12 page adverisement free centre fold pull out – the map being the A3 (double A4?) 'true' centre fold.


Anyway, as I say, this is the final installment. I've enjoyed developing and writing Ager Sanguinis very much. I hope you have had some enjoyment reading them, and perhaps at the very least, given you food for thought.


I would like to thank Peter and the Ilkley Lads for all their help in the development of the Ager Sanguinis project. I would Like to thank Andrew and the Miniature Wargames team; who did such a great job at the production end.


But, most of all, thanks to Brent Oman of Piquet Inc. The backbone of Ager Sanguinis is Field of Battle and Theatre of War (by Brent). I wrote Ager Sanguinis for myself and the Ilkley Lads; without his kind permission they could not have been published by Minature Wargames. Sincerely, Brent, thank you.


TTFN


James Roach

The Fords of Tulac

Sorry - no report, just a very few shots and a result.

I've been moving rooms around in my house.

On the positive side I've managed to gain a wall for my book cases in the room next to my wargame room, allowing me to add another two big display cases (room for about 5000 more figures - HUZZAH!!) in the vacant slot.

On the negative side, my son's room has moved down a floor evicting the computer to the floor below, evicting other stuff to the floor below that (my house is one of those Tardis like four storey Victorian jobs). Moving of the computer has meant I've been off line for a while. Consequently the Battle of the Fords of Tulac is now a distant memory and I can only relay a result: Marginal victory to the Franks.

Isle of Fob continues

Kermit the Hermit on his trusty steed 'Miss Piggy'.

From the Chronicles of Kermit the Hermit....

....Following his uncle's death at the Battle of Ghazzan, Baldwin de Chernobyl was duly, and with right ceremony, crowned King of Fob on the 8th day of August the Year of Our Lord 1111......

........the Hashishmendids were sorely vexed by their unwarranted defeat at Ghazzan. Seeing the Franks in some turmoil after the battle the firey and unpredictable Mohamed Emir of Ali sought to gain capital from it. Rather than march south to besiege the capital of the Franks [Lampron] he about faced his army and went northwards to the county of Ghazzan......

.....In Ghazzan, Montisgarde de Troimilland collected together every man capable of bearing arms, myself included, and took the field. The army marched some miles from the town in order to block Mohamed [Emir of Ali] at the Fords of Tulac. It was here, to great rejoicing, that the army was joined and greatly increased in number by Prince Omar Sharif and his Armenian followers.......

THE BATTLE OF THE FORDS OF TULAC - The set up.

The Forces of the Franks: (SP3, 21 units, 1 battlefield posture card.)
Montisgard de Troimilland: 1 small unit of knights, 2 units of Frankish sailors.
Laurance d'Olivier: 2 units of foot sergeants, 1 unit of levy spearmen, 1 armed mob, 2 civilian bands.
Gerrard d'Edpardieu: 1 small unit of Hospitaller knights, 1 small unit of secular knights, 1 small unit of Hospitaller brother sergeants, 1 unit of secular sergeants.
Omar Sharrif's Armenians: 1 unit of knights, 2 units of light cavalry, 2 units of spearmen, 1 unit of foot bows.

The Forces of the Hashishmendid Seljuks: (SP2, 16 units, 2 battlefield posture cards.)
Mohamed [Emir of Ali]: 1 unit of Ghulams, 1 small unit of Ghulams, 2 units of Seljuk horse archers, 1 unit of Arab askari.
Abu Hamsah: 2 units of ghazis, 1 unit of mutattawia, 2 units of arab foot bows, 1 camel caravan.
Yassah Arrafat: 2 units of Turcoman horse archers, 2 units of Bedouin.



......The Franks, in four divisions, deployed themselves above the Fords of Tulac on two spurs and in the valley between. The right hand spur was smaller than the other but was steep and rocky. This position of honour was given over to Omar Sharrif and his bands of dour and sturdy Armenians.......


......The left hand spur was low and undulating and it was here that Laurance d'Olivier with foot sergeants and the rabble of Ghazzan [Kermit was here] had command. In the valley Montisgarde deployed his main strength, the Hospitallers [commanded by Gerrard d'Epardieu] in the van and Montisgarde in a rearward that formed a reserve..........



.....On the following day arrived the Hashishmendids. Mohammed [Emir of Ali] sought with his smaller force to bring what might he had against the right hand wing of the Franks. Here he posted himself at the head of his Seljuks whilst Abu Hamsah, a man sworn to the Jihad, fell in beside him with may of his wilder followers.........


On his own right Mohammed [Emir of Ali] posted his trusty lieutenant Yassah Arrafat with the bulk of his tribal auxiliary cavalry........

........the fight would chiefly fall on our [Franks] right and the forces of Omar Shariff. I led many in prayer to God that this heretic would today have Our Lord's Blessing.........