A Grand Day Out....

Hi All

Just got back from a delightful morning out at Flag Fen (prehistoric/Bronze age historical site) near Peterborough.

Being Bank Hols, they always have some sort of event on, and this year it was 'Britannia' the Arthurian society doing a Romano-Brits vs Saxons re-enactment. Well, you know me and all things Arthurian - red rag to a bull, really - so I dragged the missus out and off we went.

Now, I've seen Britannia before. They were at Salute a couple of years back and were pretty darn good too! Today 's extravanganza was pretty spectacular, as not only did we get a full-on skirmish, but the Saxons arrived across the lake (hey..it is the Fens!!) in a re-constructed curragh (hide-boat). That was pretty special, I can tell you!

Anyway, the narrative went something like this:

Saxon warlord arrives in his curragh demanding that the local Romano-Brits allow his people some land to settle on. Foolishly, they tell him to b*gger off and a few harsh words are exchanged (not to mention a few arrows, one of which came perilously close to one of the Saxon oarsmen's ears!!!)

The Saxons land and march on the Romano-Brit forces who attempt to defend their camp. Sadly, Saxon reinforcements arrive and the Romano-Brits get their a*se kicked big stylee and the camp gets looted!!

Here are some pics to support the narrative...

Pretty cool, I think you'll agree...although you'll also note that I did not take any pics of the victorious Saxons after the battle... You know me and Saxons!!!!!

If you like this sort of thing and ever see 'Britannia' advertised near where you live, go see them! It's a spectacle not to be missed!!

Wargamers are a strange breed...

I've just come from the WAB forum where there has been an, erm...'interesting debate' about a rule called 'ferocious charge'. Now, for the non-WABbers among you, let me explain... It's a rule that's meant to show how nasty a bunch of medieval knights was when they charged headlong into their enemy...note the word charged in that sentence...

Anyway, sadly, the actual 'rule as written' states that any unit with the 'ferocious charge' rule will, when it wins a round of combat, immediately cause its enemy to break and run without any of the usual 'do they run or stand' leadership tests... Note that it doesn't say that the unit actually has to be charging to do this when it wins the round of combat...and therein lies the rub!!!

Now, I've played a few games against folk with these 'ferocious charging' knights and every time, the player has used the rule when his knights have charged...makes sense...the charge is hideous...they hit hard, win big, my troops run like b*ggery!!! If I ever do hold the charge, never, never (and I repeat) NEVER has my opponent then claimed the rule in subsequent rounds of combat when his knights aren't charging!! Quite right too....jolly fair and sporting and everyone's happy...even though I'm usually being slaughtered at the time...

Now, some folk on the WAB forum were actually trying to justify how the knights could still claim to be charging ferociously (and thus winning and autobreaking/slaughtering their enemy) even when they weren't charging (!!!!???) just so the 'rule as written' makes sense. WHAT?????!!!!

Bloody hell!! Anyone with an iota of common sense can see what a load of utter tosh that idea is..How can a unit be ferociously charging when it isn't charging???!!!!!!!! Why didn't the errata guys at Warhammer Historical spot this utter buffoonery and actually write the errata properly?

It is difficult, though...Imagine that you are facing one of thse guys at a tournament and they pull that one on you? You can't argue it cos the 'rule as written' means that they are right... What happened to common sense? What happened to 'sporting??? Let's just hope that no-one actually ever does that... I'm sure that those guys who were arguing for it actually wouldn't...not really...

I mean, just how badly do some chaps need to win a game of toy soldiers???!!!!!

Anyway.....no painting updates cos I've been up to my proverbials in it at work, not to mention gardening and stuff at home! A few Welshies and Romano Brits awaiting completion from ages ago, but nowt new really started beyond the basing and undercoating. Unlikely to get much done over the next month either the way it's looking, so sorry about that! Will update as soon as I can...

Work/life balance...what's that?????