Just before Covid Steve floated the idea of Alasdair and Phil and I visiting him for a gaming weekend. Well events conspired to delay that happening. Happily, this year over the Bank Holiday weekend we managed to get together. Steve had set up an Italian Wars game for the Saturday and we had a Lion Rampant game on the Sunday. For the Saturday game Alasdair and I commanded the French. Phil and Steve the Imperialists.
There was a great deal of back and forth during the day, so here are a few photographs of some of the action.
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A view along the table, with the convnet, scene of heavy fighting
nearest the camera |
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| The Imperialist right prepare to advance |
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On the French left, Phil moves his cavalry to the
left of the farm |
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| The Imperialist cavalry move round the convent |
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| The French skirmisher cavalry driven back by Imperialist Men at Arms |
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Phil's Imperial cavalry charge home on mine and engage in a
struggle which would ebb and flow all day |
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| Phil's pike units begin their advance |
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| Alasdair's cavalry take on Steve's |
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Screened by arquebusiers Phil's pike advance on the hill
in my centre |
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| The struggle for the hill |
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| Alasdair takes control of the convent |
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| My pike reassert control of the hill |
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| In the centre, the landsknechts drive back Alasdair's Swiss |
By the end of the gaming day, the Imperial forces clearly had the upper hand. All my cavalry units were in a shaken or disordered state and the majority of my infantry had been routed from the field. For his part, Alasdair had secured the convent, but it had been isolated. The Imperial gendarmes had driven back their French counterparts and the Swiss had been bested by the landsknechts. There would no doubt be some harsh words exchanged between the French and their Swiss mercenaries at French HQ in the aftermath of the battle.
Although Phil and Alasdair were unfamiliar with the version of Pike and Shotte Steve and I play they picked things up quickly and the game flowed. There was also plenty of badinage, especially at some rather extreme die rolling by both sides.
On the Sunday, as time was limited, we played a game of Lion Rampant, trying out a scenario which may well appear as the Lance & Longbow game at the Phalanx show next month.
The whole weekend was a most enjoyable experience, Steve and Gwen were excellent hosts and it was the general opinion that we should hold a similar event next year.
