Last Friday I managed to have a couple of games of Dragon Rampant at Firestorm Games in Cardiff with Matt and Annie.
The first game featured Matt's fantasy dark ages chaps against Annie's chaos gnomes.
Lining up for Matt:
Led by a dwarf on a bear (single model unit of heavy riders) are a unit of scouts, and a unit of bellicose foot with shiny armour. Heavy support is provided by two single model units of elite foot in the form of two giants.
Annie's chaos gnomes:
Led by a unit of elite riders (duck riders, with a leader on a chicken), Annie also had a reduced model unit of bellicose foot (evil sheep), along with a unit of light missiles and heavy foot. More heavy support in the form of a single model unit greater warbeast (evil chaos cow-dragon). Perhaps the most unsettling thing about Annie's army is that every model has bleeding eyes. Eew!
We decided to start off table and deploy in activation. Matt won initiative and was quite successful with his activations, advancing through the ruins to his left, but on Annie's first activation of her first turn of her first game she learned a harsh lesson about the Dragon/Lion Rampant rules:
Matt was left advancing across the table simply looking for an enemy to fight!
Eventually the chaos gnomes turned up to the party and we could get down to business.
A flanking manoeuvre by the leader on her chicken and the duck riding guard looked to divide Matts army, but he sent his scouts to face them. Is that wise? Those ducks pack a nasty peck!
In the meantime the chaos gnome archers draw first blood as they pick off a couple of the bellicose foot from extreme range. The evil sheep in their woolly jumpers move up to face the remaining berserkers across a small area of woodland.
After losing out initially, the duck-borne gnomes make headway against the scouts and advance on the rear of the barbarian leader on her bear. On the far flank, the giants prepare to make evil bloody eyes cow/dragon burgers...
A flurry of activity in the centre of the battlefield sees the bellicose foot charge the heavy foot of the chaos gnomes, and then get charged in return by the vile ovine warriors in pink and baby blue.
It does not go well for the humans.
The battle between behemoths begins with belligerence, bruises and other things beginning with b. The ground shakes. This one will go on for some time...
The evil in wool has dispensed with the bellicose berserkers, shiny armour and all. They will be avenged by a dwarf on a bear and the sheep will be missed by a small girl (with bleeding eyes) who loves them.
The view from the Firestorm blimp would seem to indicate that the battle is going in favour of the chaotic eye-bleeders, but appearances can be deceptive. Although Matt only has three models on the table, those are three single model units, and they're all still at full strength.
The leaders battle; duck charging bear. Both take wounds.
The giants eventually manage to bring their numbers to bear and pave the way for an evil barbecue by finishing off the cow/dragon. Ominously they turn and stride back towards the dear little vile chaos gnomes.
First the ducks fall.
Then the heavy foot are finished by a much heavier foot.
Only the archers are left. With blood in their eyes, they doubt their aim and flee the field looking for easier pickings.
One foolish gnome turns to look as he runs away...
Matt wins. No mercy for a first timer here.
That will have to wait until Annie's second game when she faced my mythic Greek army.
I have no photos of the second game as I was playing.
Annie's army was unchanged. I tried something different to anything I've used before. I wanted to field a summoner. I made him a single model unit of light missiles so that he could have a bit of ranged "magic". I chose a unit of skeletons (heavy foot with fear) and a unit of zombies (ravenous hordes with fear) as my units to be summoned. Both are undead (no feelings), which will see them fall quickly.
To start on-table alongside my summoner I chose a unit of scouts and a unit of elite foot. I would begin the game with 13 models.
Feeling exposed at the start of the battle, I rashly summoned the zombies to act as a speed bump against the chaos cow/dragon that was thundering towards me. I honestly don't think he noticed them. 1 round; twelve destroyed zombies. In the meantime the ducks were flanking my scouts. I managed to hold them off for a while but needed the help of the skeletons, who were summoned just in time to see them off. They they clattered over to help my elite foot finish off the cow/dragon beast and the sheep.
I was left with a few of my elite foot and the lone summoner (strength 12), to deal with the gnomish heavy foot and archers. I immediately lost my heavy foot and the summoner saw the error of his ways and legged it!
A very enjoyable afternoon's gaming. It was a pleasure to see Annie's imaginative army. It has a whole backstory that she's written for it too. Apparently the chaos gnomes used to be a dangerous all-conquering army until they were turned to plastic by a curse and sold at a car boot sale to a girl who discovered a passion for wargaming...
Thanks to Matt and Annie, and to Firestorm Games for providing a superb venue.
Matt:
Annie:
Firestorm:
