Some fabulous fantasy modelling

While visiting last night, Murray shared with me two new model pieces he has finished for HotT, or DBF.

A Great Flyer for the Ratmen

This one a knight, specifically a chariot, for the Ratmen. The figures are old GW figures.

Spider Beast Packs.. another DBF game

Having last week played a game of DBF using the spiders as hordes, this week I played a smaller 80 poiont game against Andy, but this time trying them as Beast packs. Under Hordes of the Things, spider hordes seemed right, but un der DBF it didn't. Under DBF hordes are unwieldy, do count towards army losses for victory, and don't come back. The idea of beast type packs assailing the enemy seemed more appropriate. 

Andy fielded his British napoleonic fantasy army.

The initial deployment: both sides were constrained to the central deployment zones, meaning additional forces had to be deployed behind

Scots Greys. Andy had based them 2 to a base many moons ago, which ought to make them Light Horse, but hey.. Scots Greys.. Knights of course

The 'heavy hitters in the spider army... two behemoths and a hero

The spider Beast Packs

Righto.. let's be 'at it'.. straight in..

Spider Behemoth General vs Brit Knight General.. the Brit general was destroyed... so it didn't look good for the Brits from there on in

The second spider behemoth destroyed the British shooters, an the breakthrough of the British line was made

Howeve Andy had posiiotned his two artillery pieces to the rear...

The spiders attacked the first artillery piece and destroyed it

Meanwhile the British were keeping the beasts at bay

Action between the spider best packs and a mix of British shooters, and warband (Scots infantry)

The behemoths attack the second artillery piece

The artillery wins and the attacking behemoth flees

In Andy's next turn he fires artillery at the second spider behemoth (general) and it too flees

However British losses had mounted and finally the game was won by the spiders... a very different game from that in which the spiders had been hordes. Mind you, in contrast to the previous game, my die rolling with the spiders was .. well ... extraordinary. I think it was 7 combats in a row with a die roll of 5 or 6.... as they say, some days you are the pigeon, some days you are the statue. That said, the DBF rules continue to challenge and satisfy.

Hordes in De Bellis Fantasiae

A little 'fantasy' this week, with a large DBF game. First however, this 'Great Flyer' for DBF (Airboat for HotT) that Murray has just completed for his 'Ratmen' army. The figures are old GW figures, the airboat itself is scratch built... good old fashioned modelling skills

Here a few random photos form a British VSF/Spiders game of DBF.

The spiders were largely horde. That is how I'd field them in HotT. However a horde army if very problematic in DBF. They don't com e back, they are 'unwieldy' and so take an extra movement 'PIP to move, and do count towards losses (in DBA Hordes don't count towards losses). If I conbtinue to use them as Hopardes I will need to rethink how to use them. Maybe:

• four commands so four pip dice; and/or
• concentrate the powerful elements (behemoths etc) all in one command with a minimum of hordes, and/or
• hold back with the rest of the hordes

I may also change the hordes to  'beast packs'.. might better reflect their capabilities. It's a fascinating challenge.

Walcourt, and then DBF... two extremes of our wargames hobby

 A few phot3os form a selection of games. A Volley and Bayonet refight of the battle of Walcourt, 1689, play testing one of Adrian and Jon's scenarios for the upcoming book of scenarios for the Nine Years War. I loved the look of the table.

And then for something completely different, a couple of 80 point games using the DBF rules.. Murray and Andy, Jim and me. The armies were 'rocks vs dwarves';, and Lost Worlds vs Alexandrian Macedonian.