Our War Against the Plague Episode 2

Our war against the Plague – Episode 2

March 18, 1152 AD
We spent a month recovering physically and mentally from our ghastly adventure into Einstadt. Our first encounter with the Necromancers and their Legions of Walking Dead had taught us much about the Plague which has befallen our land.
Taking the passing of two comets across the night sky as an omen of pending doom, we felt it necessary to venture out and once more seek to bring an end to the Plague.
Silas the 2nd insisted on joining with the now veteran party of Clovis, Nelly, Ann, Baldric, and Samson. We only hope that his skill with a bow is as great, and fate not as cruel, as was the first Silas.

The adventurers, having received rumors of a mysterious Black Book, quietly snuck into the narrow streets of Schwarzesbuch.

At first the lanes and alleys appeared quiet as the group sought entry into the Wachtturm where rumors reported the Tome was guarded. But they struggled to find access points to the tower.
Almost too late did they realize that the narrow streets had funneled the wandering hordes of walking dead towards them.

As before, when the scary large Sergeants of the Necromancers' armies appeared, only Samson could bar their passage. Half the group sought to fend off the lesser horrors and to protect Samson's back.
Others fought their way into neighboring shacks hoping to find passage and weapons which would help in this fight. Individuals became separated and isolated by hordes of walking dead.

The battled ebbed and flowed, as waves of undead crashed against the party and were smashed. Heavy blows and flights of bolts temporarily stemmed the tide. Many fell bite was turned by leather and metal coats of armor. And Great swords slew countless minions.
Finally, Silas made a rush for the main entrance hall. And it almost proved fatal. Young Silas, standing at the door, discovered he had more enthusiasm than brain, lacking any tool capable of opening the large wooden door. Ann and Nelly covered his hasty retreat to safety.

Nelly was next to rush the door, slaying a pair of sprinting zombies, and gaining entry. Ann and Silas worked to keep the crossroad clear, as Samson was able to join Nelly in clearing the final passage into the Wachtturm.

It was then that Ann, wielding a great sword was betrayed by her coat of armor and a spell of invisibility. Overwhelmed by an uncountable swarm of walking dead, she fell giving young Silas a chance at living to see another day.

Nelly and Samson, having heard Ann's final cries of defiance, made short work of the creatures guarding the Black Book. They quickly rejoined the remaining adventures and ran from Schwarzesbuch.

Another blow against the Plague had been struck. But again the price of victory bore a cost of adventurer blood. Ann would be missed. The next Necromancer will surely meet a swift and vengeful.

L'Art De La Guerre Rome vs Gaul

Over the last 25 years we have played the all WRG, DBM, Armati, Warrior, Might of Arms, FOG, and many more. Since most FOG players have switched to L'Art De La Guerre (ADLG), we decided that our group should give it a shot. How better to try out ancients rules than with a classic Rome versus Gauls match up. Many systems such as FOG failed at this great match up. We decided to use 200 point armies as that seems pretty standard from USA tournaments and events. We did not setup a pretty board for our Playtest but at the last second I decided to take a few pictures and capture our thoughts.


The Roman general in the center surveys the Gauls in front of his veteran legions.

The lines clash. We enjoyed the speed of movement as it gave a very dynamic exciting flow.

Medium cavalry lock horns on the right flank.

Roman heavy cavalry and lights desperately try to hold the left while the legions do the butchers work in the center.

The Gauls are breaking through!

Just as both Roman wings fail the Gauls lose their leader and several units in the center and the Gauls have had enough.

The final score was Rome losing 7/20 and the Gauls 30/26. The game was much closer and could easily have gone either way. Both of us agreed ALDG passed the test and will be played again. The way combat, command, movement, and morale were handled had the best of many of the other systems. We will definitely be playing again and we might work up a post comparing the systems.

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Our War Against the Plague

Zombicide Black Plague

Our war against the Plague

January 23, 1152 AD

We weren't sure what was amiss when the Baron of Einstadtmarched off with his army to battle some distant foe beyond the Mosel. But when no word came of a glorious victory, and none of the army returned after many weeks, we began to wonder what was afoot.

Then, on February 21st, our fears became real. Rumors of a  horrible host wiping entire villages off the map had been heard. But today, a bloodied blacksmith from Einstadt staggered into our village. He spoke of legions of walking corpses led by ghastly cloaked priests ravaging Einstadt. Ripping the living to pieces, sparing none. 

We quickly realized that swift action was needed if our village was to be saved. Six of our most hardy folk volunteered to hasten to Einstadt. Clovis, Silas, Nelly, Ann, Baldric, and Samson geared up and immediately set off.

February 22, 1152 AD

Our Champions reached Einstadt. In order to cover as much ground as possible, they split into two groups.

Two things became immediately apparent. Gaining entry to buildings were survivors or better weapons might be, would be very difficult as the oak doors seemed ever more stout than our tools. And secondly, corpses were indeed roaming the streets unchallenged.

Upon gaining entry to the nearest guard shack, Clovis was confronted by a fatty oaf of a walking dead sergeant of the guard. Clovis' short sword was no match for this demon. 

But fortunately Samson was able to fell the creature with a mighty blow from his hammer.

The plan to split up and search the town unraveled quickly. The swarms of walking dead made passage down the streets dangerous. And many of the dead were massive, and could only be smashed by the might of Samson and his hammer. Many of the group were taking minor wounds as they fought to gain ground.

Silas, while a skilled bowman and slayer of many walking dead, was taken by surprise as he searched a strange alchemist's room.A foul priest struck him down from behind.

Things looked very bleak at that time. A tremendous Abomination had been roaming the street, driving us like cattle towards our doom. We knew that even Samson, slayer of fatties, could not withstand that terror. Better weapons would be needed. Our frantic searches of the armories must grant us a prize soon, our the party was doomed.

Secret vaults were found and searched. They yielded great weapons, but not mighty enough to fell the Abomination. 

Then, finally luck came to Clovis and Nelly as they searched the last gate room. A vial of dragon bile was discovered. All that remained was to lure that abomination into a trap. 

As the swarms grew in number, the lumbering abomination finally stepped into the trap. With a touch of flame, the dragon bile erupted in flame and devoured the creature.

We were saved. We fought our way out of the village and headed home with hard earned knowledge about the foe we faced. We knew we had not ended the plague, having only bought time for us to prepare for the next encounter. In addition to that horrible Abomination and many a Fatty, several of the foul priests had also fallen to our swords. The Plague masters would require time to regain their strength. As would we.