Hot Lead at Gripping Beast

It’s finally the time for the Hot Lead Warhammer Ancients campaign day at Gripping Beast, the Spanish are painted  and the lists are picked. Tom, John and I met up at Tom’s place at 0645 and off to Gripping Beast we went stopping off at the Evesham McDonalds some breakfast – Bagel and Philadelphia Light for me with an orange juice, I still have to be counting the calories.

I’m a proper numpty, I took the camera but left the memory card at home so had to take photos on the phone which had a flat battery, sorry about the quality and paucity of the images.

1000pt List:

1 Infante - 109pts
Sword, Army General, Heavy Armour, Shield, Horse

1 Cantador - 50pts
Sword, Light Armour, Shield

10 Caballeros Hildalgos - 325pts
Sword, Throwing Spear, Heavy Armour, Shield, Warhorse, Leader, Musician, Standard. Ferocious Charge

9 Jinetes - 189pts
Sword, Throwing Spear, Shield, Feigned Flight. Light Cavalry

20 Peones - 175pts
Sword, Thrusting Spear, Javelins, Shield, Leader, Musician, Standard. Combined Formations

7 Aqueros - 49pts
Sword, Bow Combined Formations

9 Peones - 81pts
Sword, Throwing Spear, Javelins, Shield, Light Infantry

5 Skirmishers - 20pts
Sling, Skirmishers

1500pt List:

1 Infante - 119pts
Sword, Throwing Spear, Army General, Heavy Armour, Shield, Warhorse

1 Arminger - 107pts
Sword, Army General, Heavy Armour, Shield, Warhorse

1 Infante - 87pts
Sword, Throwing Spear, Javelins, Light Armour, Shield, Horse

10 Caballeros Hildalgos - 325pts
Sword, Throwing Spear, Heavy Armour, Shield, Warhorse, Leader, Musician, Standard. Ferocious Charge

11 Caballeros - 301pts
Sword, Throwing Spear, Javelins, Light Armour, Shield, Leader, Musician, Standard. Feigned Flight. Light Cavalry

7 Jinetes - 147pts
Sword, Throwing Spear, Javelins, Shield, Feigned Flight. Light Cavalry

21 Peones - 183pts
Sword, Thrusting Spear, Javelins, Shield, Leader, Musician, Standard. Combined Formations

7 Aqueros - 49pts
Sword, Bow, Combined Formations
9 Peones - 86pts
Sword, Throwing Spear, Javelins, Shield, Leader, Light Infantry

9 Aqueros - 63pts
Sword, Bow, Light Infantry.

8 Skirmishers - 32pts
Sling, Skirmishers

Game 1 – The River

I would be attacking with my 1500pt list against John Carter using his Andalusians.
General, in with 24 Spear/ Bow, Character with 19 Mercenary Spear, Character with 6 Noble Cavalry, 8 Andalusian Cavalry, 10 Slingers.
Early on I made the decision to try to shoot up the small unit of Nobles to ensure only 4 men left so that they could not declare a charge. My Caballeros and Hildagos decided to cross the river not at the ford, at only 2” per turn it was going to be slow, but I did not fancy trying to force a ford only three wide.

Crossing the river

After crossing the river the Mercenary Spears charged the Caballeros Hildagos, the Andalusian Spears charged the Caballeros. The Mercenary Spear lost combat by 1, failed and fled taking the Andalusian Horse and Andalusian spears with them. I then crossed river with most of army and mopped up on that side. At the end of the game I had lost the Jinettes & Skirmishers plus the Aqueros did not cross the river.

Some troops across

I scored 2330pts and John scored 242pts.

Game 2 – The Abbey 

I would be attacking with my 1000pt force against Steve Butler with his Almohads.
General, ASB, 3 x 24 Spear / Bow, 2 x 24 Bow, 2 x 10 Andalusian Archers, 1 x 9 Berber Cavalry.

Ready to take the abbey

I used Peones to javelin the ASB out of the Abbey. My Caballeros Hildagos went on a death ride, breaking an Andalusian Archers and forced a unit of Spear to give ground but eventually lost momentum and failed my break test. The Peones put in a lot better performance, killing a Spear/Bow units and a Bow unit.
I got 633pts Steve got 1452pts

Game 3 – The Camp

I would be attacking with my 1500pt list against Tom Webster-Deakin with his Saxon Sea Raiders
General, Wiglera in 16 Gedricht, 2 x 24 Geoguth, 1 x 9 skirmishing Geoguth, 1 x 9 Slingers

I am sure that Tom will have some much better pictures

My Caballeros took out the slingers on the hill out and pursued off table, but failed to return. Toms Gedricht failed a Fierce test and left the camp, a unit of Geoguth failed Fierce test and charged the Caballeros Hildagos. The Geoguth lost very badly and flee, but so do Gedricht and don’t rally. The last unit of Geoguth snapped up and it is all over by turn 5.
I got 1895pts Tom unfortunately gets 0pts.

Game 4 – The Miraculous Shrine

I would be defending with my 1000pts list against Duncan McFarlane with his Arab Conquest.
Commander with 8 Cavalry, Commander with 8 Cavalry, Commander with 19 Spearmen, 4 x 20 Spearmen, 2 x 9 Javelinmen, 1 x 9 Archers.
The phone was dead by this time, so no pictures of this game.
Another Death Ride of the Hildagos is more successful this time, taking out three Spear blocks with the Peones taking out the last one. Despite being charged in the flank by the Cavalry the Peones hold for two turns until the end of the game.
I scored about 1600pts (lost my notes) and Duncan scored 709pts

It was now time for the presentations. I as very happy to win the favourite army aware and also finished second with a score of 33/44. Steve Butler came first with a score of 36/44

Thanks to Andy, Darren, Martin and the team a Gripping Beast for a great day.