Monday 28 March 2016

Blood Eagle Battle reports, The Raid & Spoils

 Blood eagle is the latest release from the  wonderful Charles Murton and Craig Cartnell line of wargame rules, published by Northstar, I received my copy on Saturday and well IHMN is perhaps my favourite game so me and Alec decided we must go for it today.
after a good read i composed  Warbands of warriors  Three based out of the books  and one of my own. we had a quick look and  followed the rules of setting up the game and  terrain . we chose the "Raid" as the first game  and Alec set up the table as its one of his pleasures, I decided not to alter anything and we set out the  conditions and complications.


 I used Ragnars list with Ragnar, Lagertha  a veteran warrior, Berserker 2 shield maidens and a basic warrior, they needed to get 3  figures to the hall for 1 full turn to steal all the goods
 Alec chose Uhtreds Warband  of Uhtred, Steppa 2 Saxon and 2 Viking warriors and a bow man, they had to stop Ragnars  people
 Using my Dark age terrain and terrain  scatter the table on a 3 X 3 as normal looked the part we places 12 civilians on the table as complications  to the game
 my collection of Piggies is impressive

 the long hall/ Church (need to get along hall )



 Uhtred lays out his men ready for the attack




 Steppa is ready for anything
 Raganar strikes in 2  war bands , Ragnar leading one from the  left
 Lagertha and her shield maidens from the right
 A shield maiden charges straight into the fight
 Steppa charges at her
 the warrior  charges one of Uhtreds  men
 the second Maiden makes to flank the defenders
 Uhtreds man plant ther ambush
 unable to resisit a fight uhtred charges inot the fight
 Ragnar flanks and by passes the  now confused melee
 Lagertha backs up her companion
 Uhtreds archer fires and this is the  result from alec lucky he did not break his weapon
 Steppa  cleaves the  Shield maiden in 1/2 with eas no sweat, she basically ran into his axe
 The fight  starts on the left spears and axes flying around
 the shield maiden attacks the archer who in turn is jumped by a Saxon veteran
 the archer does a runner, escaping the fight
 Lagertha dives inot Steppa in revenge for her fallen Maiden
 Uhtred slays the Viking with ease
 The Berserker  knocks  a Saxon down but not killed
 the Viking Vetran knocks another down but  unables to slay him
 Lagertha smashes Steppa on the head felling him but he still lives
 the viking warrior is also knocked down in the left  handed fight
 Steppa rises as Ragnar strikes  hard
 the Archer decides to now charge the  shield maiden
 Steppa falls again but is again only knocked down not slain
 the shield maiden is slain by the Saxon
 Uhtred slays the fallen Viking as his men rise and  attack the Berserker who is killed. Ragnar sees his has not enough to complete the  raid and he and Lagertha escape the village leaving all his raiders killed by the defenders.

We were rusty on this game but  really enjoyed it it is IHMN in a senses but a totally different beast,  Nice game play also, and is intent with the activations

 The next game as we had time was the second in the book "Making off with the spoils" one side must exit the opposite corner with the spoils of a raid, encumbered by loot and slaves they are ambushed by the other, I decided to use  a war band of my own creation based on my  characters from long ago and featured in many of my games
Wolff Blackmaine, his wife Shalla,Bear the champion  a veteran warrior , Berserker, 3 basic warriors and Skyclad  female fighter, Alec would use the same War band again Uhtred and his men
 Alec laid out the table again, and i was the raider he the ambusher
 the raiders  with loot and slaves make there path along the road

 Uhtred s ambushes split and seek to stop the path

 Steppa tells the archer not to miss this time"or else!"
 the raiders move slowly down the road
 Uhtreds man spring into the attack
 "Block the road and kill them all!"

 The warriors  move as fast as they can to engage, ( Decent armour  means you cannot run and is a huge  minus)
 Bear flanked by Wolff does not stop just goes head on
 the raiders make a left off the road and hope there  warband stops then ambushers ensuring there spoils are  theres
 Uthred as a true hero blocks the road "Who dies first"
Bear  discards his captive and  charges in "Odin "2
 Wolff strikes fast he  takes on one  defender as another joins seeking to over power him
 Shalla drops her loot and charges an axe man


 raider is felled  down by the archer who at least hits some thing this time

 Wolff swings the  two handed axe and  sends to Odins table his two attackers in one sweep (split the FV between the  two combatants still disadvantaged by the out numbered  they both made dreadful fate rolls)
 Shalla drive her spear into the  axe man running him through  (Alec lost 3 of his war band in one turn, bad news)
 Steppa charges behind Bear who sees the attack  and  makes a dash past Uhtred not wanting to fight both at once(he failed his fate and  also saved the hit from Uhtred as he moved away)
 Uhtred wants to finish the fight and  dives on Bear
 Shalla charges the archer
 The raiders continue there escape

 Shalla is mercyless and the archer is  killed outright
 Wolff strikes down another warrior, alec is loosing all fighters
 The berserker charges but Steppa drops him on the spot, as Wolff  charges into the  huge man
 Uhtred and bear exchange blows  in a furious fight
 Wolff's axe finds its mark and the huge Steppa who had  blocked so many  blows is  slain
 The raiders start to make it off the  road and to victory
 Wolff and Shalla go past the 2 mighty warriors struggle "leave them to it there enjoying themselves)

Uhtred knocks Bear out as he sees the last raider escape at least he had a captive and drinking partner, the raiders won easy, in a few turns Alec's  war band  depleted  fast. But a very enjoyable game,

I see is creates storeys and tales in the game play, and works very good composing a war band is not easy there are calculators and articles on here to  give a  examples
https://bloodeagleskirmish.wordpress.com/
we have also a great face book page
https://www.facebook.com/groups/424811634371518/482452131940801/?notif_t=like

Over view and Review


Being along time IHMN gamer , Iam hooked on this it works as  the rules tested and  played are seasoned , as IHMN it creates a great game play and makes  you think a lot in the game,


The book is a lovely  composition with great examples and pictures to inspire . It is easy on the eye to read , if you never played IHMN  nothing will stop you getting into the rules and concepts with ease. great war bands and  ideas to pick. find your miniatures work out your war band and off you go!

Recomended thank you Charles , Craig and Nick (Northstar)