Weekend Update

Last night was a trek up to see the PaWM at Mike S.'s house. Another game of Ancients, this time Romans versus Barbarians. After some discussion, we decided they were "Germanic" barbarians, for no better reason than nobody thought to say "Gallic" or "British" or something like that. 

Either way, the Hairy Buggers were in a palisaded town on a small hill which was the Roman objective. 

Hairy Barbarians....well, some with hair...Young James, anyway...

Hairy Barbarian Village in the middle of the picture

I played Romans, for a change. Usually, I prefer to embrace my inner Hairy Barbarian Self and run amok starkers with a pointy stick and sometimes a shield. But not this time. I embraced a desire for stabby-stabby and slow, methodical grinding power. 

John the OFM embracing his inner Hairy Self and moves forward in a shambling mass

Mark C. making a point (he served as Assistant GM to Mike) as John the OFM and Bernie look on...

It was a slow, plodding, grinding series of Roman legions steadily doing their Roman thing against thems who wear not the trousers...or much of anything, really... 

Bernie had exceptionally hot dice. I'd hit his warbands with ten hits and he'd save seven or eight of them. And then he'd schwack my cohorts with bow fire or pointy sticks and a Full Monty Dance and I'd save maybe half or so. 

But in the end, the Centurion Herpes Simplex Maximus rallied the twoops, and we finally managed to wear down Bernie and his Magic Dice. I broke two charges of his, and then Jim B did the same on my right, and pretty soon, the proto-Krauts were on their way back over the Rhine..

Even John the OFM cheering him on can't save Bernie's German Zulu Hordes! 

We used Neil Thomas's rules for Ancients and Medieval, modified for the 10 of us playing. Mike, ably assisted by Mark, herded cats and kept us somewhat in line. Another great time and Mike's wife Kathy made an amazing pot of chili of us for dinner, along with cornbread... yummmmmm....

But it wasn't all just about rolling dice and pushing lead. I also picked up some things from John the OFM for my 18th century collection. 

Now with siege guns, positions, and extra gabions, my French might just be able to knock Les Anglais about the continent...or maybe the other way around and my Provincials can finally take New France... 

More anon.