Tuesday 28 December 2021

Gert Lush Lard I: Goths Across the Danube

With Bristol's Winter Wonderlard annual 'Lardy Day' falling victim to Covid restrictions earlier in the year, David Hunter organised an inaugural Gert Lush Lard at the end of October with several games being put on by notable Lardy fans - giving me the opportunity to try out some games/periods I'd not yet, kicking off in the morning with my first game of Infamy, Infamy!

Although the game is set around the early Imperial Roman era, this didn't stop Colin Murray hosting a lovely looking Late Roman period game for us, with the Roman's (Frazer and Ben) attempting to defend their villas and vineyards from the depravations of some marauding Goths! (Alex and myself).

The game started well on activations for the Romans with two groups of Comitatenses turning up (Legionaries in Late Roman speak I believe)...


Followed by more Comitatenses, some Limitani (Auxiliary equivalents) and archers.


Alex deployed a group of archers in some broken ground and started peppering the Comitatenses to no effect.


Then his warband of Goth infantry surged majestically onto the table...


Swiftly followed by my own with two groups supported by a third.


My archers (off camera in a wood to the left) were more effective than Alex's, targeting the Roman archers, killing four, and piling excess Shock on them, forcing them backward.


My German allies then arrived and moved up on my left flank...


Followed by Alex's cavalry.


Meanwhile Alex had got his wagon to the vineyards and started stealing the grapes (a task which required a cumulative series of D6 rolls to reach the required target. I confess I have never seen anyone roll so many 1's as Alex did here! :-) )


Meanwhile as Alex's infantry pushed forward the Romans deployed two groups of Comitatenses to protect the villa from them...


Whilst the second formation deployed in front of my Goth infantry, bracing for the expected barbarian charge.


Sneakily the Germans swung around the Roman right flank and charged in on the poor archers.


Whilst the Germans did not manage to kill any of the archers, it proved too much for the bowmen and they fled down the road.


Now supported by some Limitani, the Comitatenses threw some spears at my Goths reducing the Fervour  (essentially positive Shock) they had nicely been building up and leaving one group with Shock.


Alex's cavalry surged past their German allies...


Who charged the Limitani...


Who, turning to face them, lost three men to the German charge!


In a subsequent round of combat they lost two more, causing the Limitani to flee with much excess Shock, though not without inflicting a fair chunk of Shock on the Germans.


Unfortunately for the Germans a second group of Limitani then arrived...


Forcing them to fall back with excess Shock.


Another group of Limitani then arrived behind the Goth cavalry...


Who charged the newly arrived Roman spear, but were beaten off.


Having got their Fervour back up my Goth infantry charged into the Comitatenses to their front...


This did not go very well and my Warband leader fell dead in the scrummage! :-(


The Germans became embroiled in a desperate melee with the third group of  Limitani...


And were pushed back although they increased the Shock on the Romans...


Who were promptly attacked in the rear by the remaining cavalry...


Which saw the Limitani run for safety!


In the centre my leaderless Goths were getting a bit of a kicking from the Comitatenses who were really tough buggers and hard to kill.


The Goth casualties kept mounting...


And mounting.


At this point Alex's Goths charged in on the Comitatenses facing them but unfortunately we had run out of time...


I must say I quite enjoyed that and found Infamy, Infamy! a lot of fun which enough similarities and differences to Sharp Practice to make playing it worthwhile. I must get around to finishing off my Ancient German army I started painting for the game one day! :-) Thanks to Colin.

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