Dragon Rampant 2nd Ed. Amazon Siege of Athens Version 2.

Did a lot of work for these games.  New figures, old figures actually finished!  Version 1 was Of Gods and Mortals, see the menu.  I need to stipple the movement bases.

Dragon Rampant 2ed.  New kid on the block.  Different.  If you haven't followed my previous posts I've been working through the new rules in the second edition.  This series is good at generic.  It gives a quick, decent "large skirmish" game.  60 points gave us a 4 hour (ish) game.

One note on both rules and scale.  Larger scales figures, even the awful plastics, spending lots on the high cost figures and ignoring the cheaper troop types that ancient armies were full of.

This post is brought to you by 18/00 Strength and Champion:

18/00 is a very powerful tool and I'd restrict it to 1 use per force.  Matt pointed out that it's effectively an extra 3 dice. Gods, Nazgul, heroic band favoured by the script writers. 

Champion I used fairly liberally then we forgot to use it.  You get to reroll 1 attack/defend failed dice.  Worth having and giving the edge to heroic or elan forces such as these, some Samurai, household troops or such as French knights.

Gods is the problem that I've tried to solve before with the original rules.   

The gods here are our first draft.  Zoom down to the revised.

12p  Athena GW. 1 of 5		Move 6+ 10”		Attack 5+  Attack V 3+ Defence V 6   Reroll 3. O O O
Courage 3 Armour 4		No shoot		Ranger.  Stomper.  Ponderous 18/00
				Wise Old Owl. +-1 Attacker/Defender.
12p  Ares GW. 1 of 5		Move 6+ 10”		Attack 5+  Attack V 3+ Defence V 6   Reroll 3. O O O
Courage 3 Armour 4		No shoot		Wild Charge.  Ranger.  Stomper.  Ponderous 18/00
				Fearsome  Attacked courage test-1
				Again, this was our first version:
Athenian		Siege		2 of: Ch, 6.  HI, 6. 2xLI,8 2xsk 4  24 x2
		Attack.		Uphill   HI, 6. 2xLI,=8 4x Mil.=4.  2xsk= 4  = 24  2 Ch=12.. 2xLI=8 2xsk=4=  24
Amazon		Siege		Ch= 7, Centaurs= 5.  2LI= 6. LC Jav=4. Sk= 2.=24
				Cent =5, 2 LI =6   2x LC bow =8.  LC Jav= 3  Sk= 2 .=24
		Attack.		Camp.   5x LI=15.  5x sk=8 . =23
				Chariot= 7, Centaurs =5. 2xLC Bow= 8, .LC Jav=, 3.  Sk=2 = 25
Athenians
6p Chariots 2 as 6	2	Move 5+ 10”		Attack 5+  Attack V 4+ Defence V 5
Courage 4 Armour 4		No shoot		Countercharge.  No rough or linear
6p  H. Inf.  Champ.  12		Move 5+ 6”		Attack 6+  Attack V 5+ Defence V 4+     V3 cavalry/beasts.
Courage 4 Armour 3		No shoot		Pikes.  Wall of Spear.  Reroll 1 failed Attack/Defence D
4p  L.Inf  12		Move 5+ 8”		Attack 6+  Attack V 5+ Defence V4+ inf.   V3 cavalry/beasts.
Courage 4 Armour 2		No shoot		Pikes.  Wall of Spear.
1p  Militia (horde)  12		Move 6+ 6”		Attack 7+  Attack V6+ Defence V6
Courage 5 Armour 1		No shoot
2p  Skirmishers  6		Move 5+ 8”		Attack 7+  Attack V6+ Defence V6
Courage 5 Armour 1		Shoot 7+ 5+  12”		Hard tgt. Arm 2 vs shoot, no tgt 12+” Skirmish 7+   Evade 7+
Amazons
5p Centaurs Champ 6		Move 5+ 10”		Attack 5+  Attack V 4+ Defence V 5   Reroll 1 failed Attack/Defence D
Courage 4 Armour 3		No shoot		Countercharge.
4p  Amazon Bow  6		Move 5+ 12”		Attack 7+  Attack V5+ Defence V6
Courage 5 Armour 3		Shoot 6+ 5+  12”		Skirmish 7+   Evade 7+
6p Queen Chariots 2 as 6	2	Move 5+ 10”		Attack 5+  Attack V 4+ Defence V 5
Courage 4 Armour 4		No shoot		Countercharge.  No rough or linear
3p  Amazon Jav  6		Move 5+ 12”		Attack 7+  Attack V5+ Defence V6
Courage 5 Armour 3		Shoot 6+ 5+  6”		Skirmish 7+   Evade 7+
3p  L.Inf  12		Move 5+ 8”		Attack 6+  Attack V 5+ Defence V4+
Courage 4 Armour 2		No shoot		.  Wall of Spear.
2p  Skirmishers  6		Move 5+ 8”		Attack 7+  Attack V6+ Defence V6
Courage 5 Armour 1		Shoot 7+ 5+  12”		Hard tgt. Arm 2 vs shoot, no tgt 12+” Skirmish 7+   Evade 7+

12p  Athena GW. 1 of 6		Move 6+ 10”		Attack 5+  Attack V 3+ Defence V 6  Reroll 3.
Courage 3 Armour 4		No shoot		Ranger.  Stomper.  Ponderous 18/00
				Wise Old Owl. +-1 Attacker/Defender.
12p  Ares GW. 1 of 6		Move 6+ 10”		Attack 5+  Attack V 3+ Defence V 6  Reroll 3.
Courage 3 Armour 4		No shoot		Wild Charge.  Ranger.  Stomper.  Ponderous 18/00
				Fearsome  Attacked courage test-1
Athenian				Ch= 6.  HI= 6. 2xLI=8 2xsk= 4  =24
				Ch=6. 3xLI=12 3xsk=6 =24
Amazons				Ch=6, Centaurs=6.  2xLI=6. LC bow=4. Sk=2 .=24
				Ch= 6, Cent=6, 2xLI= 6   2x LC Jav=6 =24

Game 1.  Big difference was the addition of 4 militia.  This was the "historical" mix.  Every male was roped into defending the town.  That was not unusual, huge clumps of raw recruits are the norm, not the exception.  Well we tried it.  They died in droves and fell apart. Don't do it.

The gods worked.  Just to make it clear, both sides have 2 x 24p armies,  The gods were a separate 12p, thus making the "modern" 30p per side.  They can be activated by either force, but once a turn only.  They are not generals, no command advantage but loss causes a morale test as per general.  You could try it with another big maxed out beasty like a dragon or balrog.  This reflects how mass elephants were used in some armies. 

Game 2. Revised and  reorganised.  The photos at the top are the forces.

Gratuitous line up porn shots.  The lighting in Entoyment during the day can be a bit problematic.

Athenians move up  They got to defend so they get the hill.  This pushed the initial moves to their other flank.

Ares doesn't move.  A reroll.  Still no!  That leases the centre light cavalry as massed archery targets rather than a screening force.

Moving up-

My depleted centre is a problem, so I move the centaurs to plug the gap.

Now the hill force moves. light infantry go downhill through the skirmishers.

I suffer from archery and Athena!

The centre is the province of the gods.

Skirmishers go forward, no-one else.  You get a lot for 24p in this period.

Damn his archery and chariots are good!

Matt throws infantry at Ares.  Pikes get +1 vs cavalry and warbeasts.  Each unit breaks but Ares loses a life each time!

My turn for archery!

A clash, and Ares is at half strength.  He goes down to the heavy infantry.

I lose to the morale roll- worse of all, by right general rolls snake eyes and ends up broken at the edge of the table!

Again with the gaping hole in the centre!

I start to make progress on my left, but Matt's left is closing in.

I come off worse in a chariot clash.

Now we're both losing units.  At least I got my general back.

My right wing is done for.

If I can get the ladies moving up!

Here she comes---.

Chariots are very hard in this game.  But when at half strength go down to pike armed heavy infantry.  That's my general gone, game over!

The reworking worked.  This was a much more balanced game.  Very enjoyable!

Several potential games, 2-4 players and 2 rulesets.  Value for money!