Age of Arthur Warhammer Historical Weekend 2007

Whilst tidying up some files recently I cam across some old pictures that predate the creation of this blog.

So I thought I'd share them.

These were taken way back in October 2007 at Wrhammer World in Nottingham. The Age of Arthur supplement for Warhammer Ancient Battles had been published not long before and the supplement's authors Steve Jones and James Morris staged a themed campaign weekend (as part of a larger Warhammer Historicals weekend). This was I think the first ever historical wargaming event I took part in and it was one of the best too.

I can't really remember much about the details of the games except that they were great and in one of them, possibly the first, my Warlord and my Opponent's Warlord both died simultaneously in a duel in the river before the game began.

These first few I think are me playing a warm up with Rob Broom's blue Late Romans on Friday night before the event. I'd barely played WAB at all before this, so wanted a practice and Rob and I were both at GW, so it was easy to pop through from Bugman's with a pint for a game.

This I think is the Saturday proper.
Looks like James Morris Partizan Green T shirt in the background. And it's *possible* the tattooed elbow belongs to Jim Sweeney as it is one of the laws of me going to any WAB event that I *will* play Jim at some point during the proceedings.

Steve scratching his head on the left as he tries to remember why he thought introducing a bear into things was a good idea.

As well as standard battles there were I think some special scenarios recreating parts of the Arthur legend.

I think there was one involving stealing a pot from Ireland..?

See, told you there was a bear.

The boat I *think* belonged to Lawrence. I'm sure whoever it was told me it was made from a Playmobil pirate boat.

These are pictures from the Sunday.
Imagine that, a whole weekend of gaming!

I'm pretty sure that Red Dragon flag is Jim Sweeney's - I told you it was the law we had to play one another.

That looks like Lawrence's Saxon army. His gorgeous painting of the lovely Musketeer (now Footsore) early Saxon range were what tipped me in to this period.

It was a brilliant weekend and set me properly off down the historical wargaming path and started many great wargaming friendships that endure to today.

Midgard in the Dark Ages

The rules James is working on are designed to work for all sorts of heroic, low fantasy settings. So we decided to give them a Dark Ages spin.

In fact apart from a smattering of very low level magic this was a straightforward "historical" Dark Age battle - or at least a Sagas version of one.

Martin took the heathen Saxons and I the noble (Romano) British with King Arthur in command.

The fight began, as so many Dark Age ones do, with duelling Champions

Both returned to their ranks bloodied, but unbowed.

Merlin reached in to his top hat, produced a bunch of cards, asked Arthur to pick one and 'Hey Presto!' a swamp appeared in front of the Saxon right flank.

Arthur thundered across the board and crashed in to some spears.

Martin unleashed (arf!) the dogs of war

The battle lines clashed and ground into one another.

On the Saxon right sling stones whizzed back and forth.

Arthur was winning, but being whittled down.

The other British knights decided to emulate their leader.

The other knights lost, which put Arthur as the filling in a Saxon sandwich.

Fortunately Arthur was able to extricate himself and elsewhere on the field his foot-soldiers ensured the shore remained Saxon free for the time being.

This was good fun, always enjoy playing with Martin. The rules work nicely, once we'd remembered them, and the game soon sped up and sped by.