Rampant Days Event 27th April Wargames Illustrated

Wargames Illustrated magazine held their Rampant Ages event in Nottingham last weekend. The idea was to combine the Osprey blue book rulesets into a short campaign based around Lion Rampant, Dragon Rampant and Pikeman's Lament. We were each partnered with another player in a different period or setting and points (in the form of Gold or Manna) would be placed into a team pot. After each game you both had the option of spending from the pot to buy extra units or perks, or just saving the points in the hope you would come out with the most at the end. I was distinctly lucky in the fact that my team mate was an absolute monster, and by the end of the first game he'd already won us seven points to my paltry two!

As you can see from the photos I decided on an early English medieval retinue, and brought along my Simon de Montfort figures I'd used at Evesham and Salute. I'd added a unit of archers, as it was imperative in Lion Rampant to have a ranged/missile element. They're excellent for hiding in terrain and taking shots at heavier units. Just don't leave them exposed to charges as they can be swept away easily. My crucial mistake on the day was using two units of Mounted Men at Arms. They're devastating in attack, but activating them takes a 7+ on 2d6. This let me down significantly in the first two games and they spent much of their turn sitting on their horses and looking pretty. Next time I'll take mounted Serjeants I think - less armour but easier to activate.

I have to make mention of one of my opponents lovely figures (see photo above). They are Claymore Castings Medieval Scots. They really do look superb and I'm considering ordering a few very soon.

Additional to my retinue was a group of religious figures I decided to bring along for fun! They didn't play any active part in the game, but I thought they looked great and fitted in nicely with the theme. It was a bit like saying "God is on my side!". Which as it turns out he certainly wasn't because much of my dice rolling was awful.

I won't go into great detail about the three scenarios we played, but I'll say that it was a really nice afternoon. The Rose and Crown pub in Lenton where it was held allowed us to use their big function room upstairs. Wargames Illustrated supplied tea and snacks as well as a hearty lunch. I'm not overly bothered that I lost (badly) in the campaign, as I had the chance to meet and chat with lots of other wargamers from all over the country. A total highlight of the weekend I think.