"My First Pig Wars Scenario" Topic

Battle Report: The Sack of Lichfield, 950 A.D.
Date: November 30, 2003
Game System: Pig Wars
Referee: Dave Nelson

The Scenario:
The rich farming hamlet of Lichfield was located to the North East of Chester in the Northwest coast of England. When word got out that there was a significant treasure collected there, destined to be donated to the nearby monastery of St. Kentigern, raiders began to descend upon the unfortunate village. One band was led by Olaf, a huscarl of Eric Bloodaxe, king of Viking York. The second band was led by a Viking pirate named Thurstan, from Viking Dublin. The third band was made up of Welshmen led by a Welsh nobleman from Powys named Rhodri. The village militia was not alone, however, for Osric, a thane of King Edmund of Wessex, was on the way to help them.

Order of Battle:
York Vikings:
Start Point: enter from North East
Played by Toby Miller
Olaf x1: FA elite with spear;
Standard Bearer x1: UA veteran—Red banner
Berserkers x3: UA elite with 2 handed axe
Warriors x15, mixed PA, UA, FA, variety of weapons, average

Dublin Vikings
Start Point: enter from North West
Played by Mike Miller
Thurstan x1: FA elite with sword
Standard Bearer x1: UA veteran—Skull Standard
Berserkers x5: UA elite, 3 with 2-handed axes, 2 with 1 handed axes
Warriors x13: mixed UA, PA, FA, variety of weapons

Saxons
Start Point: enter from South East
Played by Justin Fernandez
Osric x1: FA elite with sword
Standard Bearer x1: FA veteran blue banner
Thanes x7: FA veterans with swords or spears
Archers x5: PA average with bows
Militia x6: UA militia with variety of arms

Welsh
Start Point: enter from South West
Played by Katie Nelson
Rhodri x1: FA elite cavalry with lance
Cavalry x1: FA elite cavalry with sword
Standard bearer x1: UA veteran, purple banner
Swordsmen x6: PA veterans with swords
Archers x8: UA average with bows
Spearmen x3: PA average with spears

Lichfield
Start Point: village and sty in middle of board.
Non-player faction: must stay in village controlled by referee until Saxon leader enters village, when they fall under his control.
Villagers x20: UA militia with variety of arms

The Goal:
There are 8 pigs in the pigsty worth 3 points each
There are 7 barrels of fish in the village worth 3 points each
There is 1 treasure chest in the village worth 4+4d6 points
Player gets credit for loot if the object is removed from the board at the same corner from which he entered. Any objects left in the village at the end of the game are credited to the Saxon player.

The Battle:

Phase One:
The Welsh player started with a bold gambit, sending her leader and the other cavalryman dashing into the village to try to grab the treasure chest. The Dublin Vikings sent his 5 berserkers charging ahead of his main body to try to prevent this. A brawl broke out in the middle of the village, the upshot being that the second Welsh cavalryman was killed and 4 of the berserkers were killed (many of them by the peasants). The Welsh leader managed to pull the treasure chest out of town, just as the Welsh swordsmen arrived to start hauling away barrels. The last berserker, however, killed the Welsh leader outside of town, causing the swordsmen to drop their barrels and run. Soon the Welsh rally. Welsh archers finish off the berserker, and the swordsman grab the treasure chest and start to haul it away.

Phase Two:
On the West side of town, the Dubliner main body and one third of the Saxon army arrive and press heavily on the Welsh who are covering the retreat of the swordsmen with the treasure box. Dubliners make off with the seven fish barrels. The Saxon and Dublin efforts are in vain, as the Welsh escape with the treasure.
Meanwhile half of the York Vikings circle the pigsty to the North, and the other half circle around the East. A bloody brawl breaks out to the East, and another at the gate of the pigsty, where the Saxon leader, reinforced by peasants, fights against the York berserkers.

Phase Three
Little is left but stray shreds of all four armies. The Saxon leader is killed at the gate, along with all the peasants; but not before his men kill all but 2 of the pigs, to deny the Vikings plunder. The Last Weslh archer manages to kill the Dublin standard bearer in the village. The last Saxon warrior is killed by the York standard bearer in the pigsty. In a shameful accident the York standard bearer is killed by a pig as he attempts to deny this bit of plunder to the Dubliners. When the last York Viking flees, their leader Olaf is left alone on the field. The last Welshman on the field is killed by Dubliners as he attempts to make off with a pig. There are only 2 Dubliners, their leader Thurstan, and the York leader left. One Dubliner grabs a pig and flees. Thurstan and his warrior attack Olaf, but Olaf manages to kill them both. He takes the last pig and leaves.

Final Score:
Dublin: 24 points (7 barrels, 1 pig)
Welsh: 15 points (treasure box)
York: 3 points (1 pig)
Saxons: 0 points

What arenas do the rules encompass, eill they work for Spain? Of course moslems would want something other than swine!

Pig Wars is meant for any sort of Dark Ages skirmish combat. I think it could easily work for Spain. It is focused on the 11th century Northern Europe, but explains how to adapt the rules for 1st century Romans too. It would work with just about any setting before the introduction of platemail or muskets as long as there are no Elephants.

There are no special abilities for army type, no point values for purchasing troops and no army lists. So as long as your army consists of mail armored troops with swords, axes, spears, lances and bows Pig Wars should work for you. It's up to the scenario designer to provide balance.

Oh, and there is a comprehensive Looting table for all your non-swine needs

THanks,I think I'll look into the rules.

Check out the PigWarriors Yahoo Group, too. It's at link

PW can be adapted to a lot of geos and periods. We've played a few games of an adaptation for the late mediaeval period (they're in the files section of the group).

PW rules are simple enough to hang a few home-brewed rules on 'em without much problem. For example, you may to add some kind of house rule for horse archers if you're doing 11th c. Spain (or is it Al Andalus?).