Carve Out a Kingdom - Campaign Day

Game 2 in full swing

Last Sunday I travelled down to Peterborough to take part in the Carve Out a Kingdom Campaign Day run by Peterborough Wargames Club.

Andys' lovely Knights and General

The players would be divided into factions fighting for control in 11th Centrury Italy each using a 2400pt WAB armies. The factions available were:

• Normans/ Italo-Normans
• Byzantines
• Lombard Princes & Papal States
• Holy Roman Empire
• Emirates of Sicily

All using slightly modified lists from the Armies of Antiquity book. I decided to represent the Emirates of Sicily using my North African Berbers and took the following list:

Emir: 156pts
Hand Weapon, Light Armour, Large Shield. Army General.

Berber Sheik: 84pts
Hand Weapon, Light Armour, Shield .

Berber Sheik: 97pts
Hand Weapon, Throwing Spear, Javelin, Light Armour, Shield, Horse.

Standard Bearer: 107pts
Hand Weapon, Light Armour, Shield . Army Standard Bearer.

11 Berber Cavalry: 301pts
Hand Weapon, Throwing Spear, Javelin, Shield . Leader, Musician, Standard. Light Cavalry, Feigned Flight.

9 Berber Cavalry: 244pts
Hand Weapon, Throwing Spear, Javelin, Shield . Leader, Musician. Light Cavalry, Feigned Flight.

9 Berber Cavalry: 212pts
Hand Weapon, Javelin, Shield.  Leader. Light Cavalry, Feigned Flight.

28 Spearmen: 442pts
Hand Weapon, Thrusting Spear, Javelins,  Large Shield. Leader, Musician, Standard.
Combined with 7 Archers
Hand Weapon, Bow .

28 Spearmen: 442pts
Hand Weapon, Thrusting Spear, Javelins,  Large Shield. Leader, Musician, Standard.
Combined with 7 Archers
Hand Weapon, Bow .

15 Spearmen: 255pts
Hand Weapon, Thrusting Spear, Javelins,  Large Shield. Stubborn, Leader, Musician, Standard.

10 Skirmishers: 60pts
Hand Weapon, Javelins. Skirmishers

I would be in the Emirates of Sicily faction alongside Martyn also using North African Berbers and Carl and Reuben both using Normans - there were a lot of Norman armies at the event.

Berber battle-line

After a quick 'fight-off' between generals Carl was declared leader of our faction.

It was time to get down to some kingdom carving. The first round would be a doubles game, myself and Martyn paired yo to take on the Normans commanded by Dave Sculley and Andy Hawes on a large 8ft table.

Daves' Norman Knights

This looked like it would be quite a difficult game, we put our infantry on the flanks to try to keep their flanks secured and screened in the middle with our light horse. It actually paid off, the Normans only managed a single 'First Charge' against us and we ground them down, at the end of the game one of the Norman Generals had even routed off the table. It would be a solid victory to the Berbers!

Our compatriots did not fare too well, losing a minor victory, so a net gain of one territory to our faction. As a consequence Martyn wrestled control of our faction.

It was over to Weatherspoons for some lunch while the tables were set up for the next game.

My Berbers fight amidst the burnt out village

Next up was a game against Tony Sampson with his Holy Roman Empire force. I would be the attacker in an Attack from the Sea scenario. I had to advance to the middle of the tale and burn some villages to get additional points while Tony advanced to meet me and tried to prevent me doing that.

My skirmishing horse were soon setting light to the villages while the infantry came up in support. Tonys' noble cavalry failed to break my spear block and when he tried to Give Ground with them they only fell back 4" so I maintained contact.

Tonys' warriors do indeed think they are hard enough.

An almighty slog took place in the middle with Tonys General and Standard Bearer in a large unit of dismounted nobles against my Emir and Standard Bearer in a large unit of spearmen. I fluked the challenge killing Tonys general and broke and ran down his bodyguard! Most of his army fled away from me although much of it was to rally before the end of the game.

Unfortunately for Tony, when we tallied up the difference in our points was 2002, just over the 2001 I needed for a complete slaughter!

My compatriots had not fared so well so I now became faction leader.

My Jinetes and Andys' Knights

The final game would be a Capture the Noble scenario against Andy Hawes again. Andys' beautifully painted Italo-Normans were using the cover of darkness to sally forth from a besieged town to rescue a drunken noble being entertained in my camp.

Berber spears advance on the walled town.

I soon roused my troops and we were advancing to meet the oncoming horde of horsemen. One unit charged my small unit of spears who did not even need their stubborn as they won the first round of combat. The Norman generals unit was tied up against a large unit of spearmen. However the cracks started to show. Although they kept staying in the combat, I was not killing Knights and soon my units were too small to Give Ground against the Knights, eventually the pressure took hold and one of my big spear units broke as did the stubborn unit who had been charged in the flank.

Andy did not recapture the noble, but he did secure a minor victory against my troops.

At the end of the day I had finished as a Prince of Italy and was leading the Berber faction after a successful power struggle, but the Normans were clear victors on the day with

Here are some more images from the day:

Andy Hawes' Italo Normans

Dave Scully Normans and Andy Hawes Italo-Normans

Andy Hawes Italo-Normans

My Berbers

Tony Samsons warriors advance on the Berbers

Andy Hawes Knights