Xenos Rampant AAR

The games of Xenos Rampant I played with my 28mm guys didn't really feel right in terms of firing ranges, and also I was a few figures short of a decent turnout. So, I thought I'd have a go in 15mm keeping all the distances the same. This felt better, but after a couple of games I have decided that it doesn't really work. Shooting seemed too deadly, and there was almost no hand to hand fighting. This would have been helped by more dense terrain, but if a game needs to have extreme terrain set-up in order to work, then it's probably not doing the job.

So I will be looking for some decent 15mm sci-fi rules, and probably painting some more minis for them. I have Stargrunt II so will try that next.

  

Undead AAR

I tried out my undead on Sunday in a game of S&SF. I lost the scouting 1-0. I figured I was just going to stick a huge line of infantry in the middle whatever happened, so I didn't bother scouting. So my battleline was ridiculously long and my opponents ignored half of it, and set up on only one side of the table.

At the end of the first turn not a lot had happened. I'd just started getting all the cavalry and chariots on my flank moving. Undead in S&SF have their own unique rules for activation, which are limiting, but mitigated by Necromancers, so, you need the right number of necromancers for your size of force.

The only flying units on the table were these two monsters. They obviously clocked each other early, and spent the entire game in a dogfight over the forest, to little effect.

I'd not done any summoning before so was looking forward to getting my phantoms summoned and harassing my opponents' flanks. The phantoms are pretty scary, with Magic Attack and Cause Fear, except it turns out, like all ghosts, if you ignore them, they don't actually do a lot. So my opponent mostly ignored them.

End of the second turn I've got my heavy infantry to the crest of the hill, so anyone trying to break through there will find it even tougher. I felt that backed by enough necromancers it is going to be very hard to break down undead heavy infantry. The rally rules for undead are more restrictive than normal troops, but istm work out more generous provided you have enough necromancers with enough magic points. I was toying with the idea of making all my heavy infantry Large, as well, to make them even harder to shift.

More phantoms being ignored.

At the end of the third turn we're having a bit of a cavalry stand-off, trying to get close enough to charge the enemy while being far enough away to avoid being charged, which is difficult to do when you've all got the same movement rate.

My Large Beasts got distracted by the Leonardo tanks and got in a bit of a mess, while my opponents' Large pike blocks looked like they might get into their flanks.

My cavalry reached the enemy's. The first enemy unit fled, but after that it looked more even, although I had a bunch more cavalry ready to join in.

The enemy heavy cavalry reached the other flank and ripped through it, coz it was all archers. I managed to pour some magic into the final unit of archers and they managed to put up a last ditch defence.

So at the end of the fourth round we're still fighting it out over the flank and no one's really budged.

On the other flank my unstoppable Large Beasts are duking it out with the enemy's unmoveable pike blocks.

But by the end of the fifth turn the enemy's right flank collapses in spectacular fashion and pretty much disintegrates, giving my cavalry free access to his infantry, and we decide to call it a day.

After just one big battle, the undead feel like a pretty powerful army. They rely on their necromancers, but as they don't have generals or captains, you have enough points to spend the same sort of amount on rank and file as your opponent, and have plenty left over to pay for the number of wizards you need.

15mm Undead 2

Finished my Undead horde. I ended up with 8 stands of Heavy Inf so that will be a meaty centre. The way Necromancers have an easier job of rallying their forces than living generals and wizards should make these guys annoyingly grindy.

I also ended up with 9 wraiths, because that's the correct number, and a Sauron-esque leader.

I've not played the Undead rules of Sword and Spear before but I have a game tomorrow, and feel that these guys will annoy my opponent.

I have purchased the Summoning Stratagem and will be starting with my Phantoms off the table and summoning them later for extra annoying. I don't even think I'll bother telling my opponent.

24 Undead: 26,38 (1490) (+Nec3, Nec2, Nec2, Nec2, Nec2, Nec2 = 500) == 1990

Name	Type	Disc	Str	Protection	Missile	Melee	Other	Points	Army Value
Dino	L Beast	4U	3	Arm	-	Impact	Fear	78	4
Dino	L Beast	4U	3	Arm	-	Impact	Fear	78	4
Horse	Cavalry	4U	3	Arm	-	Impact	-	72	4
Horse	Cavalry	4U	3	Arm	-	Impact	-	72	4
Horse	Cavalry	4U	3	Arm	-	Impact	-	72	4
Spear	HvyFoot	4U	4	SW	-	Spear	-	60	4
Spear	HvyFoot	4U	4	SW	-	Spear	-	60	4
Spear	HvyFoot	4U	4	SW	-	Spear	-	60	4
Spear	HvyFoot	4U	4	SW	-	Spear	-	60	4
Spear	HvyFoot	4U	4	SW	-	Spear	-	60	4
Spear	HvyFoot	4U	4	SW	-	Spear	-	60	4
Spear	HvyFoot	4U	4	SW	-	Spear	-	60	4
Spear	HvyFoot	4U	4	SW	-	Spear	-	60	4
Archers	MedFoot	4U	3	-	Bow	-	Melee	48	3
Archers	MedFoot	4U	3	-	Bow	-	Melee	48	3
Archers	MedFoot	4U	3	-	Bow	-	Melee	48	3
Chariots	Chariot	4U	3	Arm	-	Impact	-	66	3
Chariots	Chariot	4U	3	Arm	-	Impact	-	66	3
Chariots	Chariot	4U	3	Arm	-	Impact	-	66	3
Phantoms	LtFoot	4U	2	-	MagAtk	Fear	Expendable	48	1
Phantoms	LtFoot	4U	2	-	MagAtk	Fear	Expendable	48	1
Phantoms	LtFoot	4U	2	-	MagAtk	Fear	Expendable	48	1
Phantoms	LtFoot	4U	2	-	MagAtk	Fear	Expendable	48	1
Dragon	Monster	4U	2	Arm	-	Fear/Pow	Flight	84	2
Summoning								20
24								1490	76