15mm Wargaming for Fun and Sanity: Song of Blades and Heroes Ur we go, Ur we go!

OK, this didn't happen. I showed my progress and she got left on the table. Ignore. Nothing to see here. Move on.

Session 1. I wasn't sure if I could get the right feel to the games or would they be a simple replay of the Achaean games earlier?

To this end I planned "light" games of about 220 points. Planning to get 2 or 3 in. No plan-. I left off leader as they all had one.

Car hero 100, 2 vet pike 34, 2 raw pike 22, 2 shielded jav 34, Jav unshielded 12 = 202.

Hero 84, raw pike 11, shielded jav 34, 2 Jav unshielded 24, 2 archers, 24, 2 slingers 28 = 205

Saddle Car Hero - Personality (To ride this thing you need equipment harder than a Ukrainian farmer)
Points 100	Quality 3+	Combat 3
Special Rules	Hero, Mounted, Running Blow, Sharpshooter, Shooter: Short

Hero - Personality
Points 84	Quality 3+	Combat 3
Special Rules	Dashing, Group Fighter, Hero, Savage, Shieldwall, Shooter: Short

Veteran Pike
Points 17	Quality 4+	Combat 2
Special Rules	Group Fighter, Shieldwall, Short Move

Raw Pike
Points 11	Quality 5+	Combat 2
Special Rules	Group Fighter, Shieldwall, Short Move

Javelin shielded
Points 16	Quality 5+	Combat 2
Special Rules	Group Fighter, Shieldwall, Shooter: Short

Javelin unshielded
Points 12	Quality 5+	Combat 2
Special Rules	Shooter: Short

Archer
Points 17	Quality 5+	Combat 2
Special Rules	Shooter: Long

Slinger
Points 14	Quality 5+	Combat 2
Special Rules	Shooter: Medium

HAB's (Hairy Armpited Blokes) The hill tribesmen who are the usual foe.

Chieftan 63, 2 warrior javelin 66, 3 tribal javelin 66 195

Chieftan 62, 4 tribal javelin 88, tribal bow 27, tribal sling24 201

Chieftan Javelin raised
Points 63	Quality 4+	Combat 3
	Long Move, Running Blow, Savage, Sharpshooter, Shooter: Short

Warrior Javelin shield
Points 33	Quality 4+	Combat 2
	Long Move, Shooter: Short

Warrior bow shield
Points 41	Quality 4+	Combat 2
	Long Move, Shooter: Long

Warrior sling shield
Points 36	Quality 4+	Combat 2
	Long Move, Shooter: Medium

Tribal javelin
Points 22	Quality 5+	Combat 2
	Long Move, Shooter: Short

Tribal bow Points 27 Quality 5+ Combat 2 Long Move, Shooter: Long

Tribal sling
Points 24	Quality 5+	Combat 2
	Long Move, Shooter: Medium

The Game. Only 1, so much for my plan! Tony took the HAB's and got defend. Considering the types it made sense for an ambush. The force are hiding in the woods, so I cannot see them. When you're a stranger in a strange land, beware guerrillas in the mist.

My formation was simple. the faster javelin in front, slower pike behind. My advance would be credit to a Russian column. If the leader got 3 activations both groups could do group moves. I gave away a lot of reactions.

I was expecting it to drop here but Tony got unlucky!

Now it's even worse! If I'm not careful I'll lose cohesion.

Tony finally gets some better rolls and moves the jaws of his trap

The archers and slingers leap out, shoot then retire. Slingers do best, knocking down 2 pike.

Tony's force has successfully redeployed in the woods.

A good shot by the warrior knocks the leader off his perch. We discovered that the stories about ancient aliens are true, for there were Klingons on the saddle bow.

The locals form up on the edge of the wood all sneaky like.

The Hero is up and bossing people about. The pike reform, the javelin less so.

The boss remounts his straddle (perfectly legal then) only to be struck low by the same warrior! Warrior killed a sitting target (on't chariot) Morale test ensues. All chariots burst into flames. Common knowledge.

Everyone runs for it. Except one young pikeman who stands there doing a Keanu Reeves.

Ignorance is bliss, or a rock to the head. Dead.

Running up that hill.

The warrior streaks up the hill but is soundly skewered. Revenge!

Missiles flow free.

Staying up the hill to be pelted by a faster enemy - not good. With poor quality troops and no leader to do mass moves, changeovers are rapid. A pikeman charges a slinger, knocking him down.

The other one joins in.

Now the shielded javelin but gets shot back by the archers. The final pike runs and knocks his foe down, then he's pushed back.

The chieftain forms his lads into a rough line, arrow, javelins and stones lick out from their line.

The javelin rushes in and tackles the chieftain who strikes him down then does a gory death. That's enough, the Sumerians flee!

That worked well. More importantly it had a good feel. Pike are good, but their faster opponents were a good match.

Session 2 Sumer is here! Well, a bit of it. Tony took the saddle car leader, got defender and decided on a river and no hills.

Car hero 100, 2 vet pike 34, 2 raw pike 22, 2 shielded jav 34, Jav unshielded 12 = 202.

I've added another shielded jav, plus 3 unshielded and 3 archers making 306.

Hero 84, raw pike 11, shielded jav 34, 2 Jav unshielded 24, 2 archers, 24, 2 slingers 28 = 205

I've added 3 HAB for a total of 304.

The Game. We had a lot of turnovers, almost one unit yougoIgo at the start.

"Follow me! Move! - just go!"

Tony got the same stuttering advance. We differed in that Tony kept to only group moves.

Oh come on!

That's turnover and a reaction. Tony's leader takes the reaction telling his troops to respect his authority!

Mine surge forward! Decent rolls at last! I have the ford, victory!

I run out of group moves so use individuals to get my left side skirmishers moving.

Now it's Tony's turn for some decent rolls.

Doh!

Missile exchange, I come worse off. Note the leader is ready to use either ford. I thought that straddle car was a fokker?

Now he pushes forward, more missiles exchanges and I lose my pike.

I'm too spread out, Tony is keeping it tight.

My hab bodyguard goes in, but come off worse! 1 pushed back, 1 knocked down.

I do a recall (group move). Reasonably successful.

Tony's archers knock down 2. The cart is wet!

He's across with a good tight force.

My poor hairy Herbert gets picked on! But I get a better result, knocking his javelin into the water.

Average dice rolling again. I need a Sumerian set of ducks if I'm going to do this again.

Oh good. My poor chap gets -1 for second chap, so that's a massive 1+1=2. Tony's javelin gets 6+2+2 for him being down. Gory death so everyone within a long does a morale--.