OAAH Lacepunk Tim The Enchanters Highland High Road to Hell

Culloden and the ethnic cleaning clearance was a disaster for the highlands.  For a time the dead truly outnumbered the living as the Hanoverian war machine and their collaborators trampled the heather beneath their iron shoes and rubber boots.

This is one of those  untold stories of legend, told in hushed tales around camp fires.  One such tale is that of my own family the McBain's.  My side of the family was loyal to the crown and scooted south a bit sharpish, anglisising their name to Barnes.  


One of my distant relatives, upon fleeing his smallholding did dug a great pit and put all his livestock in it.  He covered them with quicklime and buried them.  Many, many years later an old man he returned.  To his amazement, when he examined the pit - every single cow was dead!

A quick look at Schiltons, the circular spear/pike formation of the Highland Scot.  I could have fielded 2 of these, with archers inbetween supported by cavalry.  I don't think it would work with less than 4, and immobile clumps of infantry are just targets and another form of scenery.  I had toyed with 4 figures on a 2p with smaller fillers, but I'd lose that individual flexibility.  For more mobile formations I need 4x4 (16 is the max per unit) so 84mm square movement trays.  Still, I played around with this:

Let us now examine our plot.  The great sorcerer Tim has revived Elfin Bedware upon the slopes of Claire Bannock.  An army have they raised.  A fearsom collection of the dead who have watered the soil with their blood since before records began!  I have, somewhere, a mounted wizard and undead champion/general.  Annoying not to be found.  If they had, another 4/5 Greenjackets would address the balance.

Duke of Earl's Loyal Blue Borderers
The Duke General 2 4 3 Mounted Fast  32
Cavalry 434 Mounted Trample Fast 8 @15 = 120Infantry Q4 A2 D4, Shoot3, Drilled  18 @16 = 288
Sub total 440

Duke of Cumberbund's Regiment
The Duke General 2 4 3 Mounted Fast  32
Cavalry 434 Mounted Trample Fast 8 @15 = 120Infantry Q4 A2 D4, Shoot3, Drilled  16 @16 = 256
Sub total 408

Rifle Company 3 3 4 Shoot3 Resilient, Foresters. 10 @ 22 = 220

Duke of Earl's Loyal Blue Borderers 440
Duke of Cumberbund Regiment 408
Rifle Company  220
Total 1,068

Forces of Tim the Enchanter
Tim (evil) 3 1 6 Necromancer General, Extra lives3, Resilient @ 65
Mammoth (evil) 4 3 7 Monster3 Resilient 4 lives = 60
Cavalry (evil) 4 2 6 Mounted, Fear 12 @ 25 = 300
Armoured Infantry (evil) 4 1 5 12 @ 13 156
Schiltron (evil) 4 1 5 12 @ 9 = 108
Archers and crossbows (evil) 3 1 5 Shoot2 18 @ 18 = 156
Rabble (evil) 4 1 4 12 @ 5 = 60
Total 1,075

The Game.  I tried something different- I treated every skelly as non-reactive.  And interesting experiment, but one I'm not going to be in any rush to repeat.  In a nutshell Tony's Hanoverian war machine was able to out manoever me and take risks.

Tony comes on strong.  Here come the Redcoats.  I grit my teeth at lost opportunity/reactions.

Fortunately I gain the initiative before steamrollered.  I advance my left hand heavies and rabble.

Redcoat cavalry menaces.

Just enough to get my mammoth close but-not-there!

The infantry forms line.  I personally think they should have formed square!

Sweeping in, the cavalry surround and pound me poor pachyderm-.  He wouldn't have tried that if I had reactions.

It's a size 3 monster, so it can only kill 3 back.  It manages 2  Loaded with pluses, the cavalry saw thru it.  No, I haven't finished painting it yet.

The Greenjackets perform their famous quick march, taking the ruin in one easy stride.

My cavalry burst into the back of his cavalry.  Even weakened and struck from behind, faced with an armoured opponent the Redcoats take their opponents with them in an orgy of blood and bone.

Heavies threaten then get bayonet charged by the Greens.

The Redcoats beat my heavies.  Then, not to be outperformed, the Borderers fall on my rabble, crushing them.

The commanders exchange a stirrup cup. "I am going to pune these locals with the utmost rigor."

Now it's their turn to receive the skeleton cavalry in the rear.

They don't do so well and it's down to the infantry to close in with fixed bayonets.

The remainder start to regroup, but are pounced by my schiltron.  They put up a hard fight.

Now my rabble attack the Green's and are easily defeated.

You'll no shoot the piper!

Crossbows next.  Amazingly, they win!

My remaining crossbows are charded by Lord Cumberbach and defeated!  He rolls 3 dice as a general.  Loses one life in return.

My archers engage the Borderers column, succesfully crossing the "T" and sending them back in disorder.

They regroup, form line.

Shooting is exchanged.

Tim is standing still a lot, bur Lord Cumberbach spots him and charges.  The pointy dance of death.

He downs his opponent, but already wounded, he succumbs as well.

That leaves the Duke of Earl Lord of the now well fertilised land.  Interesting- could do better.

I'm quite pleased with how this 2nd major batch turned out.  Lots of easy conversions aided by lots of different figures!