"Dux Bellorum Arthurian WAB Event Report" Topic

Here's a brief report from June 19th's Dux Bellorum Arthurian WAB Event, run in Newark, UK. We expect to have an illustrated report in Wargames Illustrated in the near future, and hopefully one on the Warhammer Historical website as well. Details to follow.

Feedback so far has been extremely positive, and the atmosphere was excellent throughout the day. Everyone got to play 3 games with a 1500 point army–we had 10 different Arthurian scenarios on offer, ranging from 'Mount Badon' to the forest of 'Cat Celidon' to the 'Battle in the City of the Legion'. These were all hotly-contested, with plenty of heroic battles in fords and mighty last stands. The 'Strife of Camlann' scenario was one of the toughest (with the hero's army losing most of its numbers to treachery and having to fight a last ditch battle outnumbered 2:1)–despite this, it produced a very challenging game for both sides. I saw a lot of smiles while we were playing!

It's always amused me that we have one of the least competitive events on the planet, yet we always have some super prizes to give away thanks to the generous people we know in the hobby. I really need to mention the following for giving their time and products:
Dave Bodley of Grand Manner donated 3 Roman Tents and a Pig Pen
Gripping Beast donated some Arthurian miniatures–these were based into vignettes and superbly painted by Dave Woodward of Ever Victorious Miniatures
Duncan Macfarlane donated a Wargames Illustrated subscription
Rob Broom of Warhammer Historical donated 2 copies of Beyond the Golden Gate, and 2 copies of Warmaster Ancients
Frank Hammond donated a converted and painted ruined Saxon church and rubble
Many thanks to you all!

I also need to thank Andy and Darren of Gripping Beast, who lent us a large part of their excellent collection of Grand Manner Roman walls and buildings–these formed most of the 'City of the Legion' layout; and Guy Bowers, whose snow-covered terrain and pine trees provided the perfect backdrop for 'Coit Cat Celidon' (a battle in a Pictish forest).

Although the day was primarily concerned with fun gaming, we did manage to award the following "prizes"…..

Mightiest Faction–
1. Scots-Irish (Duncan Patten & Tony Garry)–awarded a Gripping Beast vignette and a Warhammer Historical book.
2. Romano-British Civitates (Francis Healy-McAdam, James Morris/Steve Jones, Chris Banks, Warren Gleeson)
3. Aenglish [Saxons] (Guy Bowers, Ed McDonald, Rob Broom)
4. British Kingdoms (Graham Cummings, Soapy, Mike Evans, Duncan Macfarlane)
5. Picts (Kev Moon, Karl Lowthian, Paul Houghton)

Players' Favourite Army–
1. Duncan Patten (Scots-Irish)–awarded a Gripping Beast vignette
2. Soapy (British Kingdoms)–awarded a Grand Manner Roman tent
3. Kev Moon (Picts)–awarded a Grand Manner pig pen!
It must be said that the standard of painting and presentation of armies was extremely high overall!

Best Army List -
1. Karl Lowthian (Picts)–awarded a Gripping Beast vignette
2. Mike Evans (British Kingdoms)–awarded a Grand Manner Roman tent
3. Graham Cummings (British Kingdoms)–awarded a Grand Manner Roman tent

Sportsmanship -
1st equal: Kev Moon and Graham Cummings–awarded a Gripping Beast vignette and Warhammer Historical book

Mentioned in dispatches -
Francis Healy Mc-Adam, for his Romano-Britons' last-minute escape from the Pictish forest of Cat Celidon!–awarded a Gripping Beast vignette

Frank Hammond award for appalling dice-rolling (aka wooden spoon) -
Karl Lowthian–awarded a ruined church model by Frank Hammond

Wargames Illustrated award for, er, equally poor dice-rolling (aka wooden spoon 2) -
Kev Moon–awarded a Wargames Illustrated subscription

Have you a date fixed for the next Dux Bellorum Arthurian WAB Event?

cheers
Hammer

No. We are recovering from this one!

thanks for a great day James and Steve, a great way to spend a sunny afternoon.

Understand from Ducan Patten that the Vendel mastiffs were used to drag down some important pieces.See forum.

Thanks from me too to all the players who helped make James and my lives so easy on the day!

Glad everyone had a good time, see you at the next event..

cheers
Steve

A huge well done to James and Steve for another great event–well deserving of the support that it (and other similar events) receive. We spent most of the journey back stealing more ideas! I only wish that we could steal some of the excellent scenery.

Thanks to my three opponents–Duncan, a rather subdued Ed (well quieter than usual) and Tony–no great surprise that two of these three won the day! You never know one of these days I might even win a game and not be a handicap to my faction.

Superb sportsmanship all round, it's almost impossible to vote for the most sporting player now since the differences are so small.

Glad to see you back "on the circuit". Sign me in for the next one–I'll bring my own veggie sausages!

Mike.

When will there be a WAB supplement on the post roman british (and eventualy continental) dark ages (400 AD TO 800AD)? Anybody knows?

I thought Mr. Morris at the top of the thread was doing it? I know I'm looking forward to it.

David

You swines, you evil swines, I am now musing over my defeated Picts looking to purchase some British Kingdoms. :0) Fantastic day

Carrier of the Wooden Spoon

Karl

When will there be a WAB supplement on the post roman british (and eventualy continental) dark ages (400 AD TO 800AD)? Anybody knows?

***Steve and I are working on an Arthurian supplement for WAB, but can't really comment on a release date at the moment. The plan is to cover the British Isles from 400-700 AD. This event was a good chance to try out all the major lists, which by all accounts worked extremely well.

Understand from Ducan Patten that the Vendel mastiffs were used to drag down some important pieces.

***Duncan's handful of Irish war dogs seemed to be the stars of his army! (My appalling dice rolling not withstanding…I think it was my General (Dux) failing his Panic test that really did the damage…then all the dogs had to do was chase them off the table! :-(

Irish war hounds?…man's best friend!! (although possibly your Dux and his regiment will not think so)…no Irish warlord should leave home without them.

It was a great day James – fantastic scenary, really good scenarios and a great bunch of gamers.

Many thanks for the invite.

Dave Woodward of EVM has added a few pictures to his website of some of the miniatures he painted as prizes for Dux Bellorum:

link

Hopefully I'll be able to post an online report and photos of the event soon.