2026 Rules Ramblings

 This post is just for me to leave behind a record of my thoughts ... yes, a journal might be more efficient and successful, but this blog has always been primarily to archive my wargaming activities. 

So anyone else ... stop reading here. 

In 2025, I battled, as never before, a lack of wargaming enthusiasm and drive. I've struggled to determine a single cause as, with all things in life and history, there is never a 'single' cause. 

To address this issue and avoid 'burn out' in 2026, I think I need to make myself a bit of a promise (hence the formal recording of this in my blog.) Its time for no more rules. I've chased and chased rules that just 'work' or 'pop' compelling me to play and exciting enthusiasm in my breast. But, I think this isn't realistic. 

I've already declared my intention for this to be my 'medieval' year - and perhaps this might hold true - and I have enough of these rules including Lion Rampant, Baron's War, Pillage, MESBG and Dux Bellorum (as well as ADLG for my BIG battle hit.) 

Simplifying my gaming regular club evenings is also a key aspect. 

In short, if one of these don't work in 2026 ... buying another set won't help. But will I hold to this ... ???

(I could also apply similar comments to my ACW, Napoleonics, Colonials and 18th century periods.) 

More Medieval ADLG Venetians

 

It has taken me ages to return to these images and add some simple text. The old '2025 malaise' has struck again! 

I really wanted to play a lot more ADLG in 2025. I didn't work that way for various reasons. Late in the year, I managed to fit in two games and this is one. I trotted out my MUCH beloved Condotta army. It didn't go too well. 

Above shows an image well into the battle. My Condotta, always an elite force, is quiet small and surprisingly missile capable. My pike line was standing off from closing with the opposing German knights due to the missile from crossbow and longbow raining down on them. 

On my left flank, I had a favourable match up against the Germans with my small light command, repeatedly shooting at the medium spear. They were quite caught on the hill as their command needed all CPs to fight in the centre. 

On the right was a different story. I mucked this up a lot and my German opponent rolled out of his skin over several rounds. I dismounted my knights but had fewer troops to fight. I didn't use my lights effectively to 'gum up' this flank and delay this mismatch from occurring. 

The prolonged right hand melee between dismounted knights. 

I was still wearing the knights and other cavalry down. 

Hang on ... these images and going back in time ... shit, I've left the flux capacitor on again!

Above, Italians shooting Germans. 

The Condotta are very, very pretty. 

But, they lost this game. This was a rare loss and really shows how out of practice I was with ADLG. I got my deployment a bit wrong and some of my on-field tactics. Oh, well ... this just shows I need more practice. 

I really like ADLG and want much, much more in 2026. 

Pillage The Dark Ages

 

Ok, I posted these images a couple of months ago, and now I'm attempting to write a report. 

It's not going to work ... 

I like the Pillage rules quite a bit ... I mean, I'm a sucker for this period of history. The game plays a lot like MESBG and I also like this game. 

This scenario had something to do with protecting two or three pilgrims against the Norman aggressors. No doubt, they were on their way to seeing that venerable and holy Anglo-saint - Cuthbert. 

You can see the battle scrum forming in the centre right of the table. The pilgrims on the road. 

The Norman list pricing allows them to have more soldiers in their warband ... I sodded if I know why. It makes them very tricky to fight against, especially with their higher number of cavalry. Cavalry in Pillage provide a extra 50/50 save making the warrior much harder to kill. 

The Norman cavalry have lapped about the Saxon line while their brave fyrd warriors try to fend off the foe desperately. 

I have a vague feeling the Normans lost ... but I don't know how. 

Pillage feels quite hit and miss to me. Warriors are very similar and the only factors that really effect combat is the +1 charge bonus and the spear support. It just feels like, with quite similar army size and composition, its just down to the roll of a dice ... seems very funny to say for a wargame - that is always about a roll of the dice. 

This is another game ... I have now idea what is happening. 

There's fight here and there ... I think the Saxon's were trying to burn down a Norman settlement ... serves the invading bastards right! 

There's some houses with Norman warriors and knights on guard against Saxon aggressors. These images are backwards too ... I'm clearly not very good at this. 

Now, the above is a very pretty picture. I do need another building or two for Pillage - as you can see I've got some scratch built ruined wall plugging up the gap. I think this works as Roman ruins (some not too ruined) were frequently incorporated into constructions across Europe, Africa and the Middle East. 

I'll just stop typing as these feeble attempts at a narrative are setting the fragile hobby of historical wargame back by many years. 

MESBG Cirth Ungol fights Minas Tirith

This battle report was written some weeks after the event and is therefore inadequate ... 

This weeks battle was Cirith Ungol, fresh from a beating, limped out for another. There was 700 points of them. They were up against Minas Tirith led by Mad Daddy and the inferior brother. 

It seems we were fighting in a market place. Clearly some sort of fight over the last roll of toilet paper co-vid lockdown style. The Orcs moved to close the gap quickly concerned about the fire from the citadel guards. 

And up them came a creepin' ... 

Both Shagrat and Ballbag ran up ahead of the line and paid. Ballbag was peppered with shots and died. Out of 6 shots five wounded. Assumedly, Orome was doing all the shooting. 

To explain my folly ... I just didn't think that the shooting would be that impressive and ... I just wanted to keep both together in combat. 

And the fighting started ... battle lines clashed while Shelob ran up a building and lurked on a walkway to guard the flanks and rear against Minas Tirith knights led by Faramir. 

I was reasonably happen to engage the citadel guards as they have a lower defence. My chances of killing them woul improve especially with my uruk-hai present (with higher FV and strength than an ordinary Orc.) 

A stand off happened. Orcs and Men jeered at each other unwilling to engage in the gap - or poke through and expose themselves to lapping about. 

Orcs shouting and gesticulating. 

Shelob bides her time ... 

And ... pounces! Her target was Faramir. Surrounded he lost the duel roll and died soon after. Shelob strikes! 

Minas Tirith prove unwilling to engage. I was happy to see the outcome of the battle with the citadel guard. I also had some cavalry to deal with. 

The bastards charged me ... not nice. But I had a few orcs hanging back who now made their way into the frey. Also, the citadel guard numbers had dwindled. So had the orcs but these were slightly more numerous. 

Above shows the Minas Tirith battle line. They had only engaged on their right, had held in the centre and refused their left. There was probably a reason for this but as I have no idea what scenario we played, any explanation is lost on me. 

The orcs were dealing with the citadel guard nicely and Shelob had frightened away the cavalry or moved closer for the KILL!

Ah yes! Objectives! There were objectives. On brave knight rode entirely around the Cirith Ungol army, then dismounted then approached the objective. He was under a hail of Orc bow fire but as orcs held the bows ... it was also for nothing. The little bastard even picked up the objective. 

To protect their objective, Minas Tirith had fallen back to form a defensive semi-circle. Their line relied on a wall and that bastard Denethor just refused to go mad and help the orcs out. 

The orcs hurled themselves in. Shagrat and a couple of orc captains leading the way. In the distance orcs moved around the rear ... that gate looks unguarded. 

Then Shelob arrived. She moved into the line. Minas Tirith was reluctant to surround her as this would ruin their defensive formation. Shelob's charge hurled warriors aside then she slammed in again. 

The orcs mopped up any stray soldiers. Minas Tirith numbers were falling. 

Swiftly goes the swordplay ... ('Broken Sword' reference)

Shelob bit again and again .. 

The Minas Tirith line dwindled ... orcs moved through the gate - forcing warriors out of the line to guard their rear. Also, I sent orcs jumping over the wall to attack the rear. 

The little knight on the objective mission was surrounded. He had 100 arrows sticking from his shield and a hundred scimitar slashes to his hauberk ... but still he would not die. 

The end of the end. The orcs stole the objective (i think) and had cut the Minas Tirith defenive line apart. The higher strength of uruks, orc captains, Shagrat and Shelob were all paying off to gain kills even through the high defence value troops. Their losses mounted and then the little knight died. The game ended soon after. Cirith Ungol had not broken but the forces of Men were quartered (routed?) 

Shagrat was a champion ... maybe killed 8-9 warriors. Shelob was the absolute beast she can be. The lowly rank and file orcs and uruks also kicked on. Evil had triumphed. They would bear the last of the toiletries and paper products of Osgiliath back to the tower. Sauron could use the shitter with confidence again. The battle of the marketplace was decided.