tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5368677310334370714.post8079709560498972948..comments2024-03-28T13:28:42.353+00:00Comments on Battlefields and Warriors: Hastings 1066 - some boardgame action and a figures video.Normhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05031444717952755557noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5368677310334370714.post-54602508710978971612021-03-14T16:19:08.235+00:002021-03-14T16:19:08.235+00:00Thanks Iain, yes, normally it is things like major...Thanks Iain, yes, normally it is things like major anniversaries that produce a design spike, but there was nothing like that around that time. <br />Normhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05031444717952755557noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5368677310334370714.post-77135859343311363912021-03-14T15:27:50.313+00:002021-03-14T15:27:50.313+00:00Great write up and interesting post. Yes I remembe...Great write up and interesting post. Yes I remember the flurry of games circa 2015/16 ,seemed a strange time for them all to come out at the same time!<br />Best Iain caveadsum1471https://www.blogger.com/profile/02174163740406928172noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5368677310334370714.post-17402139747873250892021-03-10T10:54:51.511+00:002021-03-10T10:54:51.511+00:00Thanks Steve, the what if’s are interesting. From ...Thanks Steve, the what if’s are interesting. From a campaigning perspective, in this game, the Normans were not knocked out badly enough to kill of the threat and the Anglo-Saxon losses too great to pursue a greater victory, so maybe some small clashes would occur on the the ‘Norman road to retreat’. <br /><br />But dynastic wise, the ‘what if’ of a Norman defeat is a tremendously significant question and would put in the shade a similar ‘what if’ question of the Vikings winning at Stamford Bridge a few weeks earlier, unless Harold had died at Stamford Bridge, in which case what would be the Norman / Viking dynamic.Normhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05031444717952755557noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5368677310334370714.post-16232937834476502992021-03-10T08:27:21.739+00:002021-03-10T08:27:21.739+00:00A nice write up Norm and good to see it was a toug...A nice write up Norm and good to see it was a tough ask for the Normans, which of course it should be! As you say, ideally you play the scenario several time to learn from your mistakes and to even our the vagaries of the die rolls. <br /><br />I always feel that this battle, Stamford Bridge and a post battle Hastings would be best played as part of a campaign. So as in this case the Normans lost, but what would happen next? Steve J.https://www.blogger.com/profile/12143308117853983963noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5368677310334370714.post-23213743848154841852021-03-10T07:22:30.443+00:002021-03-10T07:22:30.443+00:00I have to admit to skipping through the video. I t...I have to admit to skipping through the video. I think you are right Norm the rules need to reflect the ‘slug it out’ sense of dark age battle . I need to think about that obviously with Kings of war you can up the resilience quite easily by upgrading units to hordes where on average they will hold in combat for multiple turns. I am hoping that we can field a reasonable number of units to give that sense of spectacle and also give a gradual sense of attrition. I need to make sure the Norman s have a chance though. I know how hard an uphill assault into a prepared enemy can be LOLMatt Crumphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06841790422716738842noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5368677310334370714.post-49335670309404860582021-03-10T06:43:01.665+00:002021-03-10T06:43:01.665+00:00Hi Ed, it is surprising that such a significant ba...Hi Ed, it is surprising that such a significant battle was so under represented for so many years in the boardgame world. I think part of that is that it is seen as a bit of a boring situation for the Anglo-Saxon player, who needs to just sit it out on the hill. <br /><br />In fact when i first set about this game way back in 2000, the initial design was a solitaire game, with the system handling the Anglo-Saxon side, it was only while trying to get a solo bot working that I came to appreciate the nuanced role of Harold's side and it became a two player game (that is friendly to solo play).<br /><br />Around 2015 / 16, there was a small flurry of games on the topic, don't know why, just one of those blip things.Normhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05031444717952755557noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5368677310334370714.post-23966621438722045742021-03-10T06:37:55.704+00:002021-03-10T06:37:55.704+00:00Thanks Stew, at least your project will be there f...Thanks Stew, at least your project will be there for when you are ready for it. With luck, when the kids are older they will do a Hastings project at school, they will beg dad for a figure game and you with have reached cool status with the yongsters :-)Normhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05031444717952755557noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5368677310334370714.post-13611682554016724682021-03-10T06:32:31.512+00:002021-03-10T06:32:31.512+00:00Thanks Matt / Jonathan, by the time you get to the...Thanks Matt / Jonathan, by the time you get to the end of 3 hours of video, it seems that the players have gamed for 5 hours with that constant too and fro that sets the tone right from the start and I agree that as a participant, i would want something a bit more snappy - but, my interest comes more from the fact that the system is giving a long drawn out 'bashing your head against a brick wall' kind of experience, which of course fully reflects the battle and is something that my own game tried to achieve, so much so, that I have always been concerned that the Norman player will give up at the half way point, seeing no chance of winning. <br /><br />The design notes urge the gamer to play on and to perhaps play it 3 times. to hit the learning curve of how best to use the Normans before coming to a conclusion about the worth of the game, because the Norman play can and does win, as should be the case, but it should be tough. <br /><br />In that respect, the frustration that the Norman player gets creates an emotional connection to the game that better reflects the anxiety of William on the day, a worthy design goal.<br /><br />I think the YouTube game was doing that and the purpose built terrain did add to the sense of a tough uphill grind.<br /><br />I wonder whether Kings of war will be too destructive to serve the scenario well. Normhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05031444717952755557noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5368677310334370714.post-82894760779538777342021-03-10T04:27:29.855+00:002021-03-10T04:27:29.855+00:00Matt, I watched the video too and felt similarly. ...Matt, I watched the video too and felt similarly. Rules were boring and fiddly, I thought but I learned about the battle.Jonathan Freitaghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07862373894196924886noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5368677310334370714.post-55818392188360258412021-03-10T00:35:57.243+00:002021-03-10T00:35:57.243+00:00A revelation: I was only aware of the old TSR Hast...A revelation: I was only aware of the old TSR Hastings game (with the round counters: back before the earth cooled prior to them switching over to D&D). A most interesting looking game and an excellent report: thanks for posting. Ed Mhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11486985414917229516noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5368677310334370714.post-71066315765098331302021-03-09T23:45:30.588+00:002021-03-09T23:45:30.588+00:00Hastings is such a cool scenario. Nice walkthroug...Hastings is such a cool scenario. Nice walkthrough of the board game. 😀<br /> My own Hastings project has laid dormant for such a long time now. Sad really. Maybe one day it’ll be the focus of my hobby again. I’ll be sure to check out the video at my next painting session. 😀Stewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00340930167419307092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5368677310334370714.post-27972302557166046412021-03-09T23:14:36.998+00:002021-03-09T23:14:36.998+00:00Thanks Norm really nice to see, I plan a Hastings ...Thanks Norm really nice to see, I plan a Hastings Battle sometime in the summer in the garden when lockdown is finished. I have watched the video you shared and found it interesting but slightly uninspiring. Our likely rule set will be Kings of War. I have been collecting various maps etc of the battlefield, but need to do an audit of the troops. Thanks for sharing👍Matt Crumphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06841790422716738842noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5368677310334370714.post-88131461221049211692021-03-09T22:20:47.004+00:002021-03-09T22:20:47.004+00:00Thanks Graham, fully agree. By the way, I have jus...Thanks Graham, fully agree. By the way, I have just picked up The Battle of Wakefield in C3i from a few issues ago ...... it is part of the Men of Iron system, so should add to the Blood and Roses module.Normhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05031444717952755557noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5368677310334370714.post-43673199447756605862021-03-09T21:22:15.449+00:002021-03-09T21:22:15.449+00:00Great report and I think a real tough nut for eith...Great report and I think a real tough nut for either side so I can easily believe it’s one that can go either way. Another one of my favourite battles.Graham Chttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05229770388869939725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5368677310334370714.post-84953184740813899222021-03-09T18:26:38.112+00:002021-03-09T18:26:38.112+00:00Thanks Phil, Hastings fascinates and it is incredi...Thanks Phil, Hastings fascinates and it is incredible to think how just 8 hours of fighting could result in such historic ramifications.Normhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05031444717952755557noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5368677310334370714.post-4099488668739893702021-03-09T18:09:22.898+00:002021-03-09T18:09:22.898+00:00Inspiring battle isn't it? Nice looking game, ...Inspiring battle isn't it? Nice looking game, great report!Philhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08913029478686087197noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5368677310334370714.post-54798265873581556822021-03-09T17:50:35.622+00:002021-03-09T17:50:35.622+00:00Thanks Steve, I was thinking of you as I prepped t...Thanks Steve, I was thinking of you as I prepped this one up.Normhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05031444717952755557noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5368677310334370714.post-50968498359635441812021-03-09T17:26:08.355+00:002021-03-09T17:26:08.355+00:00Cheers Norm! This is just what I needed to give me...Cheers Norm! This is just what I needed to give me some momentum towards unpacking the 1066 game and giving it a go! Thank you!Disgruntled Fusilierhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10995610821904415726noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5368677310334370714.post-43343985802855175172021-03-09T17:14:05.952+00:002021-03-09T17:14:05.952+00:00Hi Keith, there are a few rules, like Kings of war...Hi Keith, there are a few rules, like Kings of war Historicals that cover the period and use 'Heroes', making Harold and William heroic leaders would seem in keeping with the era/battle. The Bretons do seem to be hardest part of the force to manage because of their fragility when facing a shieldwall uphill!Normhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05031444717952755557noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5368677310334370714.post-31480935349113701962021-03-09T17:06:43.725+00:002021-03-09T17:06:43.725+00:00A great report Norm. We played Hastings a few year...A great report Norm. We played Hastings a few years back on our Tarawera wargaming week, using To the Stronget rules. The Breton cavalry were wiped out but their sacrifice allowed the Normans to penetrate the Saxon flank and gradually roll them up. Harold was killed in single combat, trying to snatch an unlikely victory!rrosshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07316317334203888350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5368677310334370714.post-63966754864643744912021-03-09T15:57:29.474+00:002021-03-09T15:57:29.474+00:00Thanks JB. Initially I though the Normans were abo...Thanks JB. Initially I though the Normans were about to get an easy ride and then two or three bad dice turned things rather on their head ...... something else missing from the tapestry ..... all those sixes rolled! Normhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05031444717952755557noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5368677310334370714.post-51453398768747739232021-03-09T15:15:07.414+00:002021-03-09T15:15:07.414+00:00Great walk through of the game Norm and an interes...Great walk through of the game Norm and an interesting outcome. Didn’t William order most of his boats to be burned? Perhaps the revised bayeux tapestry (or should that now be the Canterbury tapestry) will show a captured William swearing on oath to be Harolds vassal...lol.The Jolly Broom Manhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14037134974588645559noreply@blogger.com