I have just returned from a most excellent weekend of gaming in Newark. Organised by Simon (Goat Major) in celebration of his hitting 50 last month it saw a gathering of ten LAW forum members (Goat Major, Paul, Count Belisarius, Purps, GaryP, Levied Troop, Buff Orpington, World2Dave, Essex Boy and Norman D Landings) along with Simon’s son George and his friend Louis at the Foundry venue just outside Newark. The plan was for three games of Lion Rampant in the morning each earning glory/points for either the supporters or usurpers of the King! My first game was the tax collector scenario from the Lion Rampant book. Myself and World2Dave sought to grab the taxes before the royal tax collectors (Essex Boy and Buff) got to them first! We each had a 24 point retinue (mine a Normal/Early Crusade one borrowed from Paul) and the setup was this with my retinue bottom right facing Buff.
Dave was facing a sly Essex Boy (is there any other kind?) and would spend most of the day trying to get EB to commit his troops to some (any!) kind of action. But for now, W2D sat and watched his troops advance.
While EB’s valiant troops sought the biggest buildings to hide behind….
And the Church patiently awaited being justly relieved of their wealth….
I sent my first group of sergeants forward with my archers in support.
As did Dave.
Grabbing the first lot of ‘tax’ my sergeants rushed to secure the central high ground.
With Dave rushing to collect tax from the Church.
Having secured the tax we formed schiltron to prepare to receive Buff’s top man who with his men-at-arms rushed to the attack! 
Unfortunately, none of Buff’s other troops were quite so enthusiastic!
My own chaps and Dave’s then spent several turns bouncing off the little group but gradually whittling them down!
Until finally (and still unsupported!) Buff himself stood there alone and defiant! And in true 300 Spartan style he was deprived a hero’s death as Dave’s archers turned him into a metal clad porcupine!
Meanwhile, on the left EB’s troops shuffled forward doing their best not to get too close to the enemy….
Spurred on by the death of their leader Buff’s other troops finally pushed forward. Apart from his super heavy knights who sat patiently on the baseline. Observing….
My own mounted troops finally rushed forward to charge Buff’s troops on the hill. I had been gradually whittling them down with my archers but finally the dice Gods were favourable and my first unit charged home, scattering the enemy before them.
As Buff’s one archer unit cowered in the stone enclosure with what tax they had captured my victorious unit then rode down his other archer unit and both units then charged up to the walls as the enemy tried to retreat.
Facing no threat from EB’s troops (who had yet to come into contact with, well, anyone…) my own troops began to withdraw.
There was a brief moment when we thought EB’s troops would make a fight of it but in the end they just grabbed the money and ran (well, shuffled backwards ‘slyly’…) 
While Dave’s troops, unable to make any headway against EB’s archers, slowly withdrew, their glorious leader never drawing his sword…
And finally the archer unit was driven from the field and my chaps grabbed even more money! Victory on my side of the table now assured….
And hugely helped by the fact that Buff’s super heavy knights had never budged from the baseline!
We totted up the scores and after some creative accounting EB came out the winner, despite never contacting any enemy and only firing a few arrows. Very sly… 🙂
After a rather pleasant lunch we combined the three tables for a big standoff between the forces of the crown and the just usurpers fighting to bring freedom to the oppressed masses. Six players aside with positions drawn randomly I again found myself with Dave on my left but this time I faced the sly and untrustworthy oppressor of the masses, EB! This was the table at start.
Players were using retinues from a wide variety of eras so we had Wars of the Roses, Vikings, Normans, Moors, Saxons and even Brettonians! 
It was an excellent looking table and although individual retinues were relatively small the table seemed to brim with figures! At the end the brimming was less obvious…
As I was only concentrating on my epic battle with EB there will be random shots from elsewhere in the table where I will have no idea what is going on, apart from Buff’s knights in blue who fully made up for their hesitancy in the morning game!
So…on to the tale of my valiant troops! My sergeants advanced forcefully towards the central building which was one of the point scoring locations you needed to control. Dave also moved towards this but was threatened by Louis’s forces. All that opposed me was the cowering archers of EB who, too scared to close, just picked off my valiant men!
Meanwhile, elsewhere on the table. Pretty things in white…
With EB’s cowardly archers holding back my valiant soldiers I finally pushed forward with my mounted troops, heading straight for the great man himself. Who was accompanied by EB…
My first unit charged home only to be repulsed… No doubt by some cowardly trickery!
Meanwhile, elsewhere on the table, Buff’s Knight’s lack of hesitancy had taken it’s toll!
Dark Age types….
More of GaryP’s excellent War of the Roses figures which severla people had borrowed.
It was at this point that my valiant leader (having boasted of such) challenged the King’s lackey to a duel! And did slay him with such a mighty blow his head was removed!
And the bloodied body trampled by my mighty warhorse! Victory was near but despite the death of their Lord his troops stood firm!
My own archers now advanced to give support…
…while the battle raged across the table. Though fewer figures now seemed to be in evidence…
As his men stood firm my mounted troops charged again and again, forcing back the enemy though outnumbered.
And as another unit looked set to break my Lord, his eyesight failing due to the blood of his enemies covering him head to toe, chose to retire from the field to clean his sword and removed bits of the enemy from his armour.
And his valiant troops, feeling no threat from the enemy, chose to retire as well with the archers covering them.
But again, threatened and assaulted from distance they were finally forced to retire too…
And as the objective fell to Louis’s troops…
…my valiant troops left the field, glorying in the death of the enemy Lord, their own Lord’s martial prowess in slaying him, and assured in themselves that EB’s men were too scared again to cross swords with them!
Now it would appear that with the field empty of my troops and EB’s cowardly horde looking on that the enemey had been victorious? Some rumours spread by the enemy might imply that my mounted sergeants and their Lord lost courage (rolled double one) and fled the field, and that my troops witnessing this, ran as well (double one, three and three) but this would be a viscious and cruel rumour spread by the enemy to cover their own cowardice! And that my archers, rather than valiantly covering a withdrawal, actually ran as well (rolled 1,2). This too would be a vile rumour. I trust the reader will take as gospel the more reasonable tale of courage and victory recounted here! History is written by the victor. Or failing that the one with a camera and a blog!
It was an excellent day. Simon is to be congratulated on a great event played out in a most pleasant venue (thanks to Foundry for the facilities) and with a most excellent bunch of chaps! And here are the motley crew!
From the left, EB, Louis, Buff, Simon, NDL, Purps, LT (John), George, Paul, (no Ringo I’m afraid), Dave, Count B and Gary. As ever with the LAW/Ayton crew the whole weekend was played out in the best spirit and was great fun. Most of us ventured out for a curry on the Saturday night and then a few beers. And on Sunday, LT and myself headed over to Simon’s house for another game. This time Chain of Command. But more on that game soon…
History is indeed written by the blogger and his mates!
EB
(But a fine write up none the less).
(Git)
Good write up and pictures.
I expect EB was afraid to move in case he got lost again
Very good Andy, all true too.
Dave
All good stuff – wish I went now.
Looks like a fun day out! Thanks for the excellent BatRep! Did Phil the Craven fight well?