Infamy Infamy !

Last Thursday I was delighted to get Richard Clarke of Too Fat Lardies over to my place to demonstrate the TFL ruleset under development for ancient battles, to be entitled Infamy, Infamy.

A few of our Essex Warriors crowded around the 6' x 4' table in my modest study to see what its all about.

Richard sets out the table with is warriors and terrain

At this stage, Sharp Practice morale charts and cards are being used

The Romans have to rescue this Patrician being held hostage within a pagan stonehendge

The Ancient Germans have positioned several potential ambush points

First to arrive are Gaul allies of the Romans under their leader

We are quickly into action, German warriors deploy from the wooded hills

and fanatic warriors dash forward to confront the Gauls now supported by Roman slingers - the red dice denotes the level of "fervour" the warriors have acquired - they are feeling pretty blood thirsty !

These German warriors are in a hogshead formation

Both sides skirmishers exchange sling shots

Now Roman auxiliaries have advanced to take the fight to the Germans 

and Roman legionaries march onto the battlefield

German warriors attack the Auxiliaries in hogshead formation with four points of fervour egging them on

Crunch !

At this point, German morale is high - 10 !

but Mike starts throwing unbelievable dice for the Romans and the German warriors lose this combat

The Hag prepares to consult the entrails to decide when they will kill the Patrician

so our first German war band has been thrown back with casualties and shock (black dice denote shock)

Now the Romans have got all their troops up into the battle line

The battered German warriors retreat

so we have to commit the other waband in hogshead formation

The German Warlord has lost his Champion in combat - these are all casualties slinking off the board

Yet again, the German warriors take a pasting

even the slingers are backing off !

but the Romans didn't have it quite their own way - they too had to take casualties

Fight again screams the German warlord

but the front group gets wiped out 

Better tell the hag to hurry up and kill that Roman prisoner !

Great looking figures by Richard, by the way

The slaughter continues

and the German war band ceases to exist

A clear cut victory for the Romans - the Hag decided to run and leave the Roman prisoner in the henge.

We thoroughly enjoyed this first run through of the play test and the two different systems used to motivate the Romans and the Barbarians - this has all the hallmarks of becoming another winner for Too Fat Lardies.

We adjourned to the Rose & Crown for a lunch to further discuss Richard's thinking behind Infamy, Infamy, so all in all a cracking day.

They should be out by Easter (which will bring a wry smile to the face of any TFL fan).