Byzantine List

Almost ready for our next P.I.G.S. gaming night and I still haven’t finished last weeks report.

My place, so my choice of game. I decided on a 15mm game of Lion Rampart using the Byzantine and Tuetonic Order lists provided in the book. Given this was the first game of LR for some, we decided to just stick to the Bloodbath scenario which is a simple VP game based on enemy units destroyed, and boasts achieved.

Tuetonic Army (using Knights of St John figures)

Based on a 600mm X 600mm game board the terrain was fairly open with only the hills, forests and small fort having any effect – the rest including the road and stream were just for aesthetics.

Most of the terrain is latex from Miniature World Makers that I have had for decades.

The first thing you have to do in Lion Ramaprt is to run up and down the front of you army making a boast for all to hear. These rank from easy one VP boasts to hard three VP boasts. The dastardly Hospitallers chose the “My arrows are more deadly than my spears” an insipid 2 point boast. The Mighty Byzantines (bias – nah) chose “My own sword shall not be drawn”, meaning the General cannot accept a challenge or his unit fight for the whole game. After all upstart monks are not worth the effort!

Next was to roll for your leaders characteristic. The Hospitaller leader turned out to be “forgettable” (how apt), but he did have a fine moustache. The wily Byzanzine leader turned out to be “sly” which meant he could refuse a challenge without the usual Courage test. This was great for the boast he had chosen.

The Byzantines in battle order. The dice trays represent the strength in figures remaining. I remembered halfway through the second turn that the mounted units only have a strength of six so a quick change was made before it became an issue (Gurus aren’t pefect they just think they are).

The combatants line up against each other.

The Miliatary orders general moves forward.

The first few turns were unremarkable with a charge and countercharge by mounted sergeants causing the Byzantine unit to become “battered” – a game term for up the proverbial creek.

With only one hit point left the Byzantine seregeants will need to retire before being taken out by their opponents crossbows.

The Byzantine foot sergeants were luring the Hospitaller knights into attacks against their Skiltron formation which eended up breaking one and almost destroying the Monk leader.

The Hospitaller leader’s unit down to two men left.

With both sides trying to avoid causalities on their vulnerable units the game ended due to darkness falling.

You would think that the warrior priests would be honourable men, but NO their “forgettable” leader preyed to a hire being (spelling correct!) and ended up winning 14 VP to 13VP.

As it turned out the Byzantine general should have forgone his boast and charged the military orders leader as being permanently battered this would have taken him out for a joint gain of 3 VP’s.

Another great game from the rules of Dan Mersey.