Saturday 26 January 2019

LONGSHIPS CAMPAIGN - JANUARY UPDATE



After much painting, repainting, rebasing and a general unearthing of some very old figures, the armies are beginning to take shape.

As per the rules a Viking army consists of the following:
Each army will be of 400 points and consist of a General and 5 boat crews.
Boat crews consist of 6 to 8 bases, with a single leader base and a minimum of 3 unarmoured bases.
Each unit may have a maximum of 4 armoured bases and a maximum of 1 Berserk base.

We are still waiting for one player to submit his army list but that said we have the following Viking armies planned ('pledged units shown in blue):

Ase the Red Faced (DJF)
One general
2 units of skirmishers
Boat crew one: Leader (Balder), 1 Berserker, 3 Armoured, 3 Unarmoured
Boat crew two: Leader (Canute), 1 Berserker, 3 Armoured, 3 Unarmoured
Boat crew three: Leader (Dag), 1 Berserker, 3 Armoured, 3 Unarmoured
Boat crew four: Leader (Egil), 1 Berserker, 3 Unarmoured, 3 Levy
Boat crew five: Leader (Finn), 3 Unarmoured, 4 Levy

Ragnar the Cold (DP)
One general
Boat crew one: Leader (Erik), 1 Berserker, 3 Armoured, 3 Unarmoured
Boat crew two: Leader (Magnus), 1 Berserker, 2 Armoured, 4 Unarmoured
Boat crew three: Leader (Harald), 1 Armoured, 4 Unarmoured, 2 Levy
Boat crew four: Leader (Leif), 1 Armoured, 4 Unarmoured, 2 Levy
Boat crew five: Leader (Gorm), 1 Armoured, 4 Unarmoured, 2 Levy

Harald the Barrel (NW)
One general
Boat crew one: Leader (Bjarke), 1 Berserker, 2 Armoured, 3 Unarmoured, 1 Levy
Boat crew two: Leader (Sigurd), 1 Berserker, 1 Armoured, 3 Unarmoured, 2 Levy
Boat crew three: Leader (Torbjørn), 1 Berserker, 2 Armoured, 4 Unarmoured
Boat crew four: Leader (Uffe), 1 Berserker, 1 Armoured, 3 Unarmoured, 2 Levy
Boat crew five: Leader (Ingolf), 1 Berserker, 2 Armoured, 3 Unarmoured, 1 Levy

Unamed (MS)
One general
Boat crew one: Leader, minimum 3 Unarmoured, 4 others
Boat crew two: Leader, minimum 3 Unarmoured, 4 others

For opposition we have the following armies:

FRANKS (DJF)
King Pepin the Rotund
Unit one: Leader (Lord Roland), 3 Armoured cavalry, 3 Unarmoured cavalry
Unit two: Leader (Lord Oliver), 3 Armoured cavalry, 3 Unarmoured cavalry
Unit three: Leader (Captain Martel), 1 Champion, 3 Armoured, 3 Unarmoured
Unit four:  Leader (Captain Namon), 3 Armoured, 4 Unarmoured
Unit five: Leader (Archbishop Turpin), 4 Unarmoured, 3 Levy

SAXONS (DP)
Ealdorman Odda
Unit one: Leader (Thegn Osric), 5 Armoured
Unit two: Leader (Shire Reeve Hrothgar), 1 Champion, 3 Armoured, 3 Unarmoured
Unit three: Leader (Reeve Aethelhere Spear Chucker). 1 Champion, 2 Armoured, 2 Unarmoured. 2 Levy
Unit four: Leader (Thegn Stuf). 2 Armoured. 3 Unarmoured. 2 Levy
Unit five: Leader (Bishop Dunn), 1 Armoured, 3 Unarmoured, 3 Levy

WELSH (NW)
Arthgal
3 units skirmishers
Unit one: Leader (Rhun), 7 Unarmoured cavalry
Unit two: Leader (Dumnagual), 1 Champion, 1 Armoured, 4 Unarmoured, 2 Levy
Unit three: Leader (Neithon), 1 Champion, 1 Armoured, 4 Unarmoured, 2 Levy
Unit four: Leader (Owain), 1 Champion, 5 Unarmoured, 2 Levy
Unit five: Leader (Eochaid), 2 Armoured, 4 Unarmoured, 2 Levy

Coming soon: Scots and possibly Irish



Monday 7 January 2019

Going Viking


So it seems the official ‘Petain’ project for 2019 is to be another Dark Age campaign, this time set in the 9th century. Yes we’re talking Vikings.

Like the 2017 Dux Bellorum project this is another ‘toys on table’ exercise using our combined collections of 35 – 40 year old figures. Hopefully, it should be fun but if truth be told it’s really an incentive to finally get the toys painted and onto the table. Like the Dux Bellorum project, 25mm Minifigs miniatures (amongst others) will figure prominently.
This time around we will be using the Peter Pig rules, ‘Longships’.



As the rules are designed for between 2 and 4 players, we will be designing the campaign for four players only.
Each player will nominally field a full Viking army but as this is a joint project we will actually pool figures when required. That said, each player is required to contribute a minimum of one Viking boat crew (plus a General / Warlord would be nice). Figures must be predominantly 'true 25mm' old school figures.
The armies of Christendom will be provided from our pool of figures and will nominally consist of Franks, Saxons, Scots and Irish, depending upon how many figures we can pool together.

We’re aiming to have everything ready before summer 2019 but earlier would be nice so that we can playtest the campaign rules. Progress will be reported here, as we go along.

Requirements
A minimum of four Viking boat crews plus enough figures in the pool to create a Viking army.
The armies of Christendom: Franks, Saxons, Scots and Irish.
Terrain – mainly period buildings
Miscellaneous – up to seven longships.

So chaps, its New Year’s resolution time. The idea is that each player will commit to providing X number of figures for summer 2019.

So far we have:
DJF will supply a minimum of three Viking boat crews and a Frankish Cavalry force of two units plus a Frankish infantry unit.

DP will supply a minimum of two Viking boat crews and a 5 unit Saxon army.

NW will provide a minimum of three Viking boat crews plus a 5 unit Strathclyde Welsh army.
Army.

MS TBA