I wanted to try out the Mapless Campaign system with our armies from the Britannia 600 AD Campaign and convinced Mike Lowery and Chris Harrod to give it a go.
Campaign
I like wargaming campaigns and multi-player Games. I have a list of my campaign rules and multiplayer games including campaign name, style and tactical rules. I’ve also written up what I like in a campaign and multi-player game. I typically use DBA, Linked scenarios, 3 Round, Engle Matrix, and Race for … X style campaigns, although I’ve also got material on a Free For All Campaign and Diplomacy style games.
Big Day – Playing the Britannia 600 AD Campaign
It started with an email to a bunch of my friends:
Subject: Britannia 600 Who’s interested?
http://www.balagan.org.uk/introduction-to-the-britannia-600-ad-campaign
From such small beginnings a project team was formed. Six guys spread across England started assembling and painting armies for the Britannia 600 AD Campaign.
Six HOTT and/or DBA Armies of Britannia 600 AD
The six armies we field on the Big Day for Britannia 600 AD were:
Chris’s Alba Picts (aka Mysterious Painted People)
For the Big Day of the Britannia 600 AD Campaign Chris Harrod picked the Picts. All of the Picts. In other words he wanted all of the options in the Pict Army List. A fine aspiration.
Timeline of the Northumbrian v Welsh Conflict
My interest in the Northumbrian-Welsh conflict came about because I work with a patriotic Northumbrian (Mike Lowery) and I like playing the Thomas=Welsh ancestry card on him. This developed into the challenge of 15 mm DBA armies at 1 foot to decide the issue. We’re now gearing up to paint those armies (actually for the Britannia 600 AD Campaign).
Introduction to the Britannia 600 AD Campaign
I’ve always loved Britannia, the Avalon Hill board game, and it seemed an obvious setting for a DBA/HOTT style campaign. Rather than attempt to recreate the entire time span of the game (45-1085 AD) I thought I’d concentrate on a period that specifically interests me, 600-700 AD. That span of years corresponds to Turn 8 and 9 in the board game – hence Britannia 600 AD.
He glutted black ravens on the walls of the fort,
but he was no Arthur.
Excerpts from Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
A few excerpts from the Anglo Saxon Chronicle to give a flavour for the period of the Britannia 600 AD Campaign. I’ve used the Anglo Saxon Chronicle because of its picturesque language rather than any clarity it might bring to the time. For a more accurate and complete account see Britannia: Anglo-Saxon History.
15mm Wargaming Figures for Britannia 600 AD
There are a few possible suppliers of 15 mm for the Britannia 600 AD Campaign. My existing Dark Age kit is from Donnington Miniatures and Essex Miniatures. I mix them together but this won’t appeal to some as Donnington Miniatures are much bigger than Essex Miniatures, in fact they are much bigger than anybody else. At the time I put my Gothic army together I didn’t have a choice, but now there is much more on offer …
Campaign Rules for Britannia 600 AD
These are the rules for the Britannia 600 AD Campaign. Use the DBA/HOTT Campaign Rules except as noted below.
HOTT and DBA Army Lists for Britannia 600 AD
In Britannia 600 AD field armies are 12 elements (plus camp follower) in DBA or 24 AP in HOTT. The army lists below allow much larger numbers than this for two reasons. Firstly and mainly, to allow choice. Secondly, to allow a larger than normal field armies to be used for a more involved campaign.
I have tweaked the DBA army lists, partly because some of them don’t really match what we know about the protagonists, and partly to support fantastic elements suitable for a HOTT campaign. After a general discussion of the Common Elements, both Realistic Troops (DBA + HOTT) and Fantastical Troops (HOTT), I then look at the specific national army lists. For our purposes there are only five types of armies: Welsh, Picts, Saxon, Irish, and Scots.
Russian Recce – A Crossfire Battle Report
Rich Wilcox and I tried out the first scenario – Tarnopol: Russian Recce – from my Tarnopol 3 Round Campaign. This scenario was based on my experience of Reconnaissance before Pontecorvo, which revealed several problems with that HTD scenario.
No-mans land – A Crossfire Campaign
A version of No-mans land – A Mini-Campaign, adapted to Crossfire.
No-Mans Land Mini-Campaign
This is a skirmish level mini-campaign set in no-mans land on a fairly static front. It is applicable to any period (see the possible settings). Each player is a junior commander whose job is the patrol and control the area between the opposing forces. Over three game days and nights each player must plan and execute 6 missions from a predetermined list. The interest lies in the fact that each player is picking from a different list to that of his opponent. The key problem being addressed is “How does a commander react when faced with events not covered by his orders?”
SU-152s Up Close and Personal – A Crossfire Scenario in Tarnopol
This Crossfire scenario features Russian SU-152 Self Propelled Guns clearing the streets of Tarnopol. It can part of the 3 Round Tarnopol Crossfire Campaign but can also be played in isolation. See also the Battle Report.