Fantasy Rampant?

Our joy over Lion Rampant seems to be insatiable, we're now considering trying a little Fantasy Rampant.
Dragon Rampant gets released in December, but who can wait?
So going to use the existing lists and a few that have popped up on the forum and on various blogs.
My take on a Fantasy Roman Army. 2 points over in the infantry, but I figure we're going to have to fudge a little here and there. Love to finally get these boys on the game table.

Lion Rampant Grows, 624 figs and 10 players

Okay so we are on a Lion Rampant craze at the moment! Last Sunday's gathering saw 10 players and 624 figs on the table. We learned the value of Bidowers defending a village with ponds and woods nearby and hat bridges are just a killing ground. Battle started around 6 done by 9ish.

Come and get me!

The best defense is an offense

Surge across the bridge

Bloody Hill

Lots of casualties!

Terrain for Rampant Lion

New Fields and Haystacks

So Troy, who has taken on the task of coming up with scenarios, asked me if I had a 'fort'. So after a few emails back and forth, we decided on a palisade. A secure area for a border garrison, until something more permanent gets built. Or a nice place for a raiding party to stock up their plunder until it's time to go home.
I know it's greener than it should be, but a lot of that will be covered by tents or temporary buildings later.
Also the walkway and movable gate will be added tomorrow.

More Lion Rampant Medievals

Last weeks game got more people interested in Lion Rampant. So Medieval figs were dusted off and 3 new players showed up at the table. I managed to finish another unit of Fireforge Yeoman and some new fields.

Medieval Mayhem

Wife shows correct way to move figs

New fields

Gravemarkers had a chance of containing a holy relic

Old Normans on the field after years of gathering dust

John taunting the other side

On a Lion Rampant Bing, Samurai style

So we've caught the lion Rampant bug and yesterday tried it out with a friend's Japanese figs that had been sitting in storage for over 10 years. I managed to find a Samurai list on  boardgamegeek.
The game was quite fun and managed to get 2 games in 4 hours and even picked up a new player.

We are sold on Rampant Lion!

The rules have been in our hands for a few months now, but this month is when we finally got around to trying them out. Sunday before last we had a quick play to just try the rules out and it was thumbs up all around. So this Sunday we got all the Medieval players to show up for a big game. 3 24 point retinues vs 4 18 point retinues. The attackers were to torch the Siege towers and supplies. The defenders put out 8 points to defend each of the objectives and the rest of their forces started at the edge of the table.
Various forces on both sides took a bit of time moving ( bad activation rolls) while others advanced willy nilly into the fight. The center saw knights and lords go down in a great slaughter. The defenders right was slowly forced back and the supplies taken by Lord Ryan. The Defenders on the left, overly confident decided that the best defense was a good offense. To Lord John's dismay he soon learned that Yeomen should not attack knights or bidowers in rough ground. Suddenly the best defense was a good fall back to the objective.
The Defenders eventually took out half of the Attackers and held the two towers. Boasting points were pretty even.
We're playing two more games this Weekend as well.

Attackers setting up the last of their forces

Attackers

 

Defenders

 

Crossbows/w Pavise on guard

Defenders left

Lady Sabrina's forces defender

Lord Ryan's forces attacker

Lord Rick defender

Attackers left, very motivated group

Lady Sabrina finally getting into the fray

The Battle of Heraclea

So for 3 years now Andrew Jordan has been slowly painting up an Early Republican Roman army. During this time he has been coming down to Treefort and running small games of Clash of Empires with David Clayton. Well Andrew's beautifully painted figures will get just about anyone's attention. So slowly I started painting up some of those wonderful Warlord plastic Macedonians. Then last month Andrew suggested Heraclea, Pyrrhus versus the Romans. Andrew would provide all the Romans, Elephants and most of the Cav, David the Italian allies and I the Phalanxes. So the night before I was basing the last 8 stands while Andrew was finishing the river.
We were joined by Stelios and Steven the next day, neither of which had ever played Clash of Empires.
It was Awesome! Who knew Andrew had so many Romans.
 It was Beautiful! Those Romans were breathtaking.
It was a close run thing! Those Roman Maniples are nasty,
I now give you Andrews pics and commentary.

Romans begin surging across the River Siris

Having crossed, the leves skirmishers chase off most of Pyrrhus' skirmishers/ light troops holding the opposite bank

Pyrrhus riding to engage the enemy cavalry. His forces dominated his right flank. Elephants chased off most Roman allied cav.

The dreaded Macedonian phalanx. Most leves were chased off by the more experienced peltasts.

Hastati widen the maniples and discharge pila as the Macedonians charge to throw them back into the river.

Meanwhile on the right the Thessalian cav grinds down one unit of Roman cav but is eventually defeated by the remaining unit, led by its tribune. Right flank becomes a stalemate, with the victorious Roman unit exhausted.

Back to the center, where fighting is fierce. Hastati forced to retire and the Principes take up the fight. Armred with thrusting spears, they make more of a in impression on the Macedonians.

With Pyrrhus having cleared the Roman left flank, history is almost repeated by an elephant charge into the Roman flank...stopped at the last moment by an unnamed Italian ally who wounded the elephant, causing it to run amok back into the Cretan archers. A number of Roman units on the left were retreating.

Good pic of the battle's effective end. Romans break a pike unit and another nearby panics and flees. But with neither side having a coherent battle line, both sides retire - so a tie was declared. Though he didn't win this one, Pyrrhus at least kept the Romans at bay, so a semi-historical outcome. Roman leadership by Consul Laevinus in the middle kept this from turning into a full rout.