Boaz
Happy Easter!
- Joined
- Jul 14, 2005
- Messages
- 6,588
Okay, so I went into my local game store, Valhalla's Game Center, a few days ago and I saw Battles of Westeros on the shelf. I picked up the box and ripped off the plastic wrap... and I felt the owner's disapproving gaze upon me. So I shuffled over to the counter and handed over my credit card. Then the owner and I gleefully sat down and played a game.
We selected the first basic scenario "Clash on the Kingsroad." We randomly selected sides and I ended up as Lannister and the owner was Stark. The "Clash on the Kingsroad" scenario supposes an unmentioned encounter between Lord Bolton's and Lord Lannister's outriders and advance guard. The Starks are intent upon seizing fords upon a small river while the Lannisters are seeking to deny the Starks easy access into the Riverlands.
Yes, I know Tywin did not want his outriders to halt Robb's advance, but I'm giving you the scenario as it was written.
The Kingsroad runs north-south through the board. The unnamed river is east of the road and runs parallel to the road for half the board and then turns sharply east. The fords were located at the bend in the river. The Starks were in two groups, Lord Karstark and his men had already crossed fords and held the east bank while Lady Mormont and her men sat athwart the Kingsroad. My Lannisters were also in two groups, Ser Addam Marbrand and his outriders were east of the road while Ser Kevan Lannister and his spearmen were east of the road and positioned to directly assault the fords.
Yes, I know Kevan did not seem to ever leave Tywin's side and I know that Karstark and Mormont actually crossed at the Twins and never got near Tywin's outriders.
Mormont, commanding a company of cavalry and three companies of axemen, sent one company of axemen scouting down the road to which Marbrand immediately sent two companies of outriders outflank them. When Mormont commited her cavalry in support of the axemen, Marbrand himself led two companies in response. Mormont hurried her remaining companies of axemen into the growing fray, but to no avail the first company of axemen were cut to pieces while the Lannister cavalry suffered some losses. Ser Addam sent the remains of his first two companies to the east to cut off the Starks from the river and they defeated another of Mormont's axmen. On the west of the melee, the Lannister cavalry defeated the northern cavalry leaving Lady Maege alone against four companies of cavalry.
To the southeast, Ser Kevan ordered his four companies of spearmen towards the fords. Karstark cowardly ordered his bowmen under the cover of wooded banks and a hill that commanded the fords. Undaunted the Lannisters charged... and died. Seeing the westermen falter, Lord Karstark charged his personal Karhold cavalry into the Lannisters and drove them back across the river. The northern cavalry and bowmen annihilated three-fourths of the spearmen. Only the timely arrival of one of Ser Addam's cavalry companies (dispatched at the beginning of the engagement) kept the red and gold from fleeing the field. In fact, the combination of Ser Kevan's spears and horse pushed Karstark back across the fords.
The battle was looking good for the Lannisters, but night was soon falling and if they did not drive off the Starks soon it would all be for naught.
Therefore Ser Kevan kept up the pressure on Karstark despite the northern archers shooting at his men. The pressure paid off when the northern cavalry was all slain and Lord Karstark was capture. Ser Kevan then assaulted hill and defeated the Stark bowmen there.
Meanwhile, Maege Mormont and her Bear Island guard finished off the remnants of two cavalry companies while Ser Addam attempted to encircle her position on the Kingsroad. Once Mormont was encircled, her men (and women) were slaughtered and she was captured.
With both of their commanders captured, one ford lost, and Lannisters advancing upon the other ford, the remaining Stark bowmen fled the field.
We had fun, though I'm sure we played half of the rules wrong. There are some fun dynamics and each commander has one or two qualites that can be used to great advantage e.g. Ser Kevan is superb at giving or recieving support from adjacent units, Ser Addam enhances his group's movement, Lady Maege can counterattack (which she used to great effectiveness when outnumbere four to one), and Lord Rickard can move and fight and tap... which allows him to move and fight again! We had fun... and I'd like to play again soon.
We selected the first basic scenario "Clash on the Kingsroad." We randomly selected sides and I ended up as Lannister and the owner was Stark. The "Clash on the Kingsroad" scenario supposes an unmentioned encounter between Lord Bolton's and Lord Lannister's outriders and advance guard. The Starks are intent upon seizing fords upon a small river while the Lannisters are seeking to deny the Starks easy access into the Riverlands.
Yes, I know Tywin did not want his outriders to halt Robb's advance, but I'm giving you the scenario as it was written.
The Kingsroad runs north-south through the board. The unnamed river is east of the road and runs parallel to the road for half the board and then turns sharply east. The fords were located at the bend in the river. The Starks were in two groups, Lord Karstark and his men had already crossed fords and held the east bank while Lady Mormont and her men sat athwart the Kingsroad. My Lannisters were also in two groups, Ser Addam Marbrand and his outriders were east of the road while Ser Kevan Lannister and his spearmen were east of the road and positioned to directly assault the fords.
Yes, I know Kevan did not seem to ever leave Tywin's side and I know that Karstark and Mormont actually crossed at the Twins and never got near Tywin's outriders.
Mormont, commanding a company of cavalry and three companies of axemen, sent one company of axemen scouting down the road to which Marbrand immediately sent two companies of outriders outflank them. When Mormont commited her cavalry in support of the axemen, Marbrand himself led two companies in response. Mormont hurried her remaining companies of axemen into the growing fray, but to no avail the first company of axemen were cut to pieces while the Lannister cavalry suffered some losses. Ser Addam sent the remains of his first two companies to the east to cut off the Starks from the river and they defeated another of Mormont's axmen. On the west of the melee, the Lannister cavalry defeated the northern cavalry leaving Lady Maege alone against four companies of cavalry.
To the southeast, Ser Kevan ordered his four companies of spearmen towards the fords. Karstark cowardly ordered his bowmen under the cover of wooded banks and a hill that commanded the fords. Undaunted the Lannisters charged... and died. Seeing the westermen falter, Lord Karstark charged his personal Karhold cavalry into the Lannisters and drove them back across the river. The northern cavalry and bowmen annihilated three-fourths of the spearmen. Only the timely arrival of one of Ser Addam's cavalry companies (dispatched at the beginning of the engagement) kept the red and gold from fleeing the field. In fact, the combination of Ser Kevan's spears and horse pushed Karstark back across the fords.
The battle was looking good for the Lannisters, but night was soon falling and if they did not drive off the Starks soon it would all be for naught.
Therefore Ser Kevan kept up the pressure on Karstark despite the northern archers shooting at his men. The pressure paid off when the northern cavalry was all slain and Lord Karstark was capture. Ser Kevan then assaulted hill and defeated the Stark bowmen there.
Meanwhile, Maege Mormont and her Bear Island guard finished off the remnants of two cavalry companies while Ser Addam attempted to encircle her position on the Kingsroad. Once Mormont was encircled, her men (and women) were slaughtered and she was captured.
With both of their commanders captured, one ford lost, and Lannisters advancing upon the other ford, the remaining Stark bowmen fled the field.
We had fun, though I'm sure we played half of the rules wrong. There are some fun dynamics and each commander has one or two qualites that can be used to great advantage e.g. Ser Kevan is superb at giving or recieving support from adjacent units, Ser Addam enhances his group's movement, Lady Maege can counterattack (which she used to great effectiveness when outnumbere four to one), and Lord Rickard can move and fight and tap... which allows him to move and fight again! We had fun... and I'd like to play again soon.
)
